Steve Norn

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of comments about this session. In your opening comments, you mentioned there was $5.6 million in forced growth, and that goes to increases in territorial police services agreement. One thing I'd love to see, and I know we are talking a lot about moving towards land claims and moving and implementing those agreements with our Indigenous governments. At some point down the road, I would love to see, to do what other jurisdictions like they do in Alberta. There are some reserves that police their own, like the Blood Tribe Police Services. They hire their own...

I have one last question for the Minister. Is there any appetite to change this policy to open up more programs for our residents with no land tenure?

Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker. My question here is for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Just to supplement what my colleague from Monfwi was asking about seniors and mobility-restricted people, my questions are regarding people with no land tenure in our communities.

Can the Minister advise if there are any programs available to seniors or people with restricted mobility, if there are any programs available for them in terms of mobility access? Mahsi cho.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Chair. I am just looking on page 286, top line, coroner's office. Actually, before at one point, it was $1.1 million, and now for these mains, it's $823,000. Does that just mean that there has been a decrease in positions, or can you explain the decrease for this office? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Going back to what I was saying about integrated case management. I had a question for the Minister. Just speaking briefly with this, so this ICM, integrated case management covers Yellowknife, Ndilo and Detah. It covers my constituents of Ndilo and Detah, which is great, but it really doesn't offer too much outside of that. Just listening to some other questions here, I didn't really hear anything being addressed about any plans to move this program outside of the Yellowknife area. My question is: do you have any plans to do that, address this ICM and moving into the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021.

Thank you to the Minister for the response. Just judging from what was just said, outside the SAFE program, there are no other programs available for residents who have no land tenure in their homes? Is that correct?

Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker. Today, I would like to talk about financial security and the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories. Last week, on Friday, February 28, 2020, the NWT Bureau of Statistics released a report on the state of financial security for residents of the NWT. The findings were based on the results of the 2019 NWT Community Survey. Overall, the results were pretty bleak, in my opinion, for many people across the territory.

Madam Speaker, 20 percent of households, that's one out of every five households across the NWT, have reported they had difficulties in making ends...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going back to what I was saying in my Member's statement about allowing small businesses into NWT Housing Corporation units, I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. For some context here, I'm keeping in mind these parents struggling to support their families who are on Income Assistance to get their small businesses up and running. My question to the Minister is: will the Minister commit to having a six-month grace period for individuals with their small businesses to have their Income Assistance not be affected while their business...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to speak a little bit about my Member's statement earlier about the NWT Housing Corporation allowing appropriate small businesses to operate within their units. It's great, you know, when we did our round table, I always mentioned that we need to humanize our policies right across the board. I couldn't figure out a word to describe it, but I think my colleague from Yellowknife North really, in his address, mentioned that a lot of our policies are rigid. There is too much rigidity there, so, I'm happy to see that we're moving forward and being more...