Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on Tuesday, this is Heritage Week and yesterday was Heritage Day. Here in the city of Yellowknife, we are lucky to have an active and effective Heritage Committee. This group of volunteers and city councillors work to preserve this young city’s heritage, to publicize the history of the city and to educate Yellowknifers about the city’s heritage. Over the years, the Yellowknife Heritage Committee has managed to save some of Yellowknife’s original buildings from demolition. They have put in place a...

Maybe next year we could split it out so we have a debt expense and bad debts. But thank you. That’s all I’ve got.

Thanks to the Minister for that. I have one other question. I mentioned in my general comments that I was very dismayed to see that we have other expenses, another under other expenses. In this department particularly, the other expenses are some $56 million and they’re broken out reasonably well, except then we come down to other within other of $2.419 million. It’s a pretty large other without any kind of definition. So when I asked the Finance Minister, we did get a sheet which told us what all the other expenses were. The education one, the $2.419 million is bad debts expense. So I...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a couple of questions here. One has to do with Income Security Program. When we discussed the business plans, there was some indication from the Minister in response to one of our questions that there is a review of income security for persons with disabilities. I wondered if the Minister could advise if that is indeed correct, and when we might see the results of that review, and what recommendations are the results of the review with the recommendations that would be arising. When would we see that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to first of all thank my colleagues for their comments and their support. I think it’s been well stated, the issue at hand.

I think it’s important to note that this motion particularly requests that a dialogue gets started, that we start talking and also that we start talking to our non-government organization partners, to our businesses, and to those that are living in poverty. There’s an opportunity for efficiencies to be gained here from talking to everybody in one place.

I hear the Premier state that this is direction to the government, but I think it’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS every person has the right to a standard of living adequate to the well-being of their families and themselves;

AND WHEREAS approximately 10 percent of Canadians, or 2.9 million people, lived in poverty in 2007;

AND WHEREAS in some NWT communities, up to 50 percent of households have a total income of less than $30,000;

AND WHEREAS 40 percent of NWT households with a senior have incomes below $40,000;

AND WHEREAS health indicators, educational achievement, child apprehension rates and family violence can be directly related to poverty;

AND WHEREAS poverty is human...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I reiterate, I don’t think the details of the file should impact. The Minister mentioned there are things available, but he didn’t go into the detail of what things he is referencing when he says there are things available that can be done. Could he itemize for me the things that are available for such an individual as he mentioned in his previous answer?

Unfortunately, the Minister did not understand the nature of this situation. This is a member of a self-regulating professional body. It has nothing to do with the RCMP. This individual had a complaint laid against them. It was investigated by the NWT body. The individual feels that the whole process was unfair and that it wasn’t valid and that it should be reviewed. Again, what recourse exists for my constituent? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to recognize and congratulate a constituent of Frame Lake, Ms. Yvonne Quick, the 2010 recipient of the Yellowknife Heritage Award. Ms. Quick has been a tireless heritage volunteer for many years. She’s worked on 11 committees at least during her time in Yellowknife and she’s currently the coordinator for Arctic Ambassadors, the people who greet Yellowknife’s arriving visitors at the airport and elsewhere. The award will be presented to Ms. Quick at a ceremony this evening. Thank you.

First off, I would hope that next year I won’t see $2.4 million in an undescribed expense. Secondly, it seems a little strange to me that when we forgive a loan for our students it’s considered a bad debt. Is that the only way that we can account for it from an accounting perspective or is that simply the language that the department chooses to put on it? Thank you.