Kevin O'Reilly

I want to thank the Minister for helping me make the case for indexing of income assistance payments. I'm wondering, though, if he could commit to looking at this issue within the next year and bringing that back to the appropriate committee.

Mahsi. We've put one of the Ministers at the end of the row to work today, and I'd like to work with the other Minister opposite at the end of the row. Earlier today I did commend the government for the changes that they've made to income assistance, but I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment whether income assistance payments were increased or not on April 1, 2016, and why.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I will speak today about some of the least advantaged, and unfortunately, least politically influential people in our society, those on income assistance. First, I want to congratulate the Cabinet on its decision announced in the budget address that income from the Canada Child Benefit, and the Northwest Territories Child Benefit, and spousal support will be excluded in the calculation of income assistance payments. I also applaud the announcement of amendments to the NWT Income Tax Act to enhance the NWT Child Benefit, including different benefit amounts for...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll take the Minister up on his offer and put together some thoughts on this and pass those back to him because I think there are ways that we could ensure that we can maintain confidence in our staffing process by ensuring that we have a fair appeal process. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for being so open and transparent.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. That sounds interesting. On the travel, though, it's being reduced from $350,000 last year to $250,000. Can I get an explanation for the reduction in travel? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Great, thanks. Would the Minister copy us on that correspondence and ensure that we get a copy of the response from the Public Utilities Board as well? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. It might be helpful then, if that diagram was clarified, because that's why I'm asking these sorts of questions. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do hope that they correct the diagram in future documents. But it's my understanding that the Public Utilities Board has the ability to regulate net metering. This is where householders and businesses would have the ability to put energy back into the grid and receive some remuneration for that. The problem with the current system is that you can build up credits, but they expire as of April 1st each year. There seems to be a problem in… You know, there's even one fellow in Inuvik who might be able to put more energy back into the system than he can ever use. We need to...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. The activity description talks and it's in in the table here that we're discussing on page 30, the Women's Advisory Unit. I'm trying to understand how, in our mandate, we've approved a couple of items to promote women in politics and try to ensure that more women get appointed to boards where we make appointments. How is women's affairs divided between the Executive and Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations? I know we also have a Minister responsible for the Status of Women. How does all of this get coordinated, or is it not coordinated? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm glad you remembered my name. I just wanted to go back to the organizational chart for a second because I want to ask about the Public Utilities Board. I raised this previously as well. It shows that the Public Utilities Board reports to Ministers responsible with a solid line. It's sort of like they're underneath the Ministers responsible. I don't think that's the intention, but I understood that the Public Utilities Board was a quasi-judicial body and was really independent of the Executive. Maybe I can ask the witnesses to confirm that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.