Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On October 9, 2015, right after the federal election, Prime Minister Trudeau wrote a letter to our Premier. I would like to ask some questions of the Premier on that letter. In the letter, it indicated that the northern residents tax deduction that was announced and was part of the campaign was going to be something coming into effect and increase in the northern residents tax deduction. I would like to ask the Premier if he knows when that comes into effect. Thank you.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our country has invited 25,000 refugees to live in this wonderful country of ours, but our federal minister indicated that should not be at the expense of the poorest people in Canada and also that would include the Northwest Territories. We need to take care of our people first. Refugees will need a place to live and they will need a place to work and they will need a place for their kids to go to school. What I think is an important thing for the people of the Northwest Territories, especially people in the small communities, is that they need a place to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the committee would like to go to the motions that we have section by section.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize the Minister is just starting on working with the employment rates, but I would like to just get a feel for the communities, what is coming, so I would like to ask the Minister what the next steps would be, in gauging people as it relates to the employment rates in small communities. Thank you.

Just to be clear, I am talking about employment rates, not unemployment rates. Is there any sort of plan to increase employment rates in communities in Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Prime Minister indicated that they would be moving to a faster approval process for Building Canada Fund, as the Premier just mentioned. When will this faster process occur? Because what I am seeing is even from what has been approved by the last government, the bundles that I questioned the transportation minister on before, seems to be slowed down from what the original intent of those bundles were. Does the Premier have any indication of when the faster approval process will occur? Thank you.

Also, in that letter, the Prime Minister wrote about Nutrition North Canada and about increasing that program by $40 million. I would like to ask the Premier if we have any indication of which communities in the NWT would be positively impacted by that program. Thank you.

I'd like to ask the Minister if there will be more education and training for homecare workers in the NWT, should the money roll out? I don't want to make it a hypothetical question. I want to ask the Minister if there will be more education and training for future homecare workers in the NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. In the planned mandate for this government, we plan to have seniors age in place. I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he has begun any sort of planning at all with his staff on increased spending and homecare to accommodate aging in place? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.