Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Madam. Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to reply to the last tabled budget of this 19th Assembly. I have to ask myself, what in the three plus years have we accomplished for those people who are struggling with addictions, mental health, unemployment, high cost of living, education, and homelessness as it is support in these areas where a difference can be made in one's life.

At the start of, and during my time here, I was not naive in thinking this government would provide everyone with everything they ever wanted. It was my intent first and foremost to provide residents...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One area that is of interest to me, and there's a few of them, buildings I guess, around the territories is the makerspaces. And it would be nice to see some of that rolled out into some of the other regional centers and maybe, to some extent, to the smaller communities as well. Is there any thought, I guess, or has there been any thought in how to address that and promote that from the department's side? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And one thing I mentioned earlier today was support for retail businesses. I know in Hay River I've talked to a number of them and a lot of them are suffering, I guess, you know, because of COVID, because of the flooding. And, you know, some are, you know, talking about actually closing up shop. They're finding it difficult, you know, to find to get goods. They're finding it difficult to compete against, you know, the big box stores, you know, with online shopping and that. So I think it's we need to do something to provide some support for it, and that was what I was...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to question about the Canadian Agriculture Partnership. You know, we see the increase there from 488 to 1220, and I'm just wondering, you know, we're spending that kind of money and what benefits or when we will we see benefits from money spent in agriculturaltype partnerships or initiatives? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to go to I guess back to the fishing. And we have the revitalization strategy so I'm just wondering if there will be any more additional funds allocated to advancing that strategy and efforts to increase, I guess, the number of fishers into the territories or into the industry? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's going to take staff to run that plant so I'm just wondering if the Minister can tell me if staff recruitment has taken place or if something's in the works. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, and that's good to hear that at least you're looking at ways to kind of reduce that cost and get it within budget because I know in Hay River there are a number of people with compromised roofs on their houses and with that, you know, they've been tarped for a couple years, two or three years, and they've been and there's been ongoing damage because of water and that as well which then, you know, it's the insulation on the inside, it's the electrical, and then the whole issue just and damage gets more costly. So, you know, the quicker we can actually deal with...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And out of the I guess total number of applications received, how many were denied and I guess the reasons for denial? I guess lack of money would be one but what else would there be? Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I had sent a request to the department I guess on that issue, and I don't recall getting a response but I'm glad I received one here today. And I hope that you can do something with it. And it may be looking at a separate program that's probably a double major repair program, because it's going to be costly.

The other thing I want to just talk about is seniors aging in place. And with respect to their retrofits and repairs, do you have the numbers, I guess, in front of you that would how many applicants, how many were approved and how many were denied? Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple questions actually. The first one is just elaborate there on what Mrs. Martselos said, talked about, which is the means test. The means test, can you tell me, I guess, how it is used? Like, is it just based on what on income, or does it take into account, you know, the cost of living as well? Like, you know, you might have somebody who has an older home, they're above the threshold, but their cost of living brings them down below that threshold. Like, how is it used? Thank you.