Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you. I am aware of the economic development officer positions in agreement with the Tlicho government. That is good. You know, it would be nice if, you know, the government can do that with other Indigenous group as well. What I am talking about is the high-level positions. You know, it's all situated in the headquarters, and I -- you mentioned remote work policy, and it's in -- the focus is on intern. So are these intern positions -- how many intern positions are we talking about? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] this item that I'm going to talk about is regarding relative and how relatives and families work together and respecting each other.  Mr. Speaker, this issue that I'm talking about is our ancestors' knowledge.  So that is important.  Our ancestors' knowledge is very important, and we're supposed to work with this with our children.  So this child and family services, that's the issue I want to talk about [Translation Ends]. family services, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, family unity, responsibility, respect, and care for one another are core...

Well, it will be beneficial for many of our community members that don't want to leave the communities, especially with their young families. And where housing is -- we're in housing crisis in small communities, and I don't think they want to leave, you know, especially with the public housing unit.

So another one too is a literacy funding. Indigenous languages -- no, literacy funding. I do appreciate my colleagues that are really advocating for the Indigenous, that literacy -- advocating for the Indigenous students, especially with the literacy. So how -- there is an increase from the last...

Thank you. I know that Indigenous students are not going to use up the $90,000 loan because we're already getting remissible loan, you know. So we're not -- that doesn't -- we're not eligible for that. But we can get the other loan that we have to pay. A remissible loan doesn't qualify for the Indigenous students. So that's why I am just asking. So if for loan default, I know that if the students skip, they have to pay every dollar that they borrow because of the supplementary grant, basic and supplementary. So if a student get a loan, so they have to pay every dollar that they borrow. It's...

Thank you. Okay, the Aurora College budget from last fiscal year to this current fiscal year kind of went down a bit, and it's probably related to the CLC and the closure of the CLC in many of the small communities. So I know that -- well, we've been talking about a lot of other programs before. And with the mine closing, you know, the only secure job that's going to be available in many of the small communities is a government job like social services, health and social services, and teachers and, you know, the people that are employed by the GNWT. That are going to be the only secure jobs...

The other -- the $90,000 you're talking about but that's not available for the Indigenous students? That's for -- that's a remissible. Because we do have SFA already. So do we qualify for that loan as well? Thank you.

Thank you. I know it -- you know, I understand about the level of education but at that time, there was a lot of the mental health workers that were in the school. A lot of young people identify with them, or both, vice versa. So it worked at that time. And I just wanted to ask the Minister, since that time is there any improvements? Thank you.

Okay. Well, the funding for the SFA is not enough, you know, like, for single students where many of our young people they leave. From my communities or from my regions, they're young, single, no dependent, and they're living on $850 a month. I just want to ask the Minister if -- is there a plan in place where they're going to improve or increase the student financial assistance program for students that are -- you know, for the independent -- single students, I mean, $850 to increase that. Even for the family as well because family that goes -- that leave the community to go to school, it's a...

Okay. Yes, thank you. Yesterday Minister said mental health workers are all in school, so I just wanted to ask the Minister. They make -- who -- is this funded by ECE only and/or through health and social services? Thank you.

Well, they are the bridging program so why not just offer or extend it for the students who wants to go south? Why just only limited to take to attend Aurora College in the Northwest Territories. You know, there are some families that are not like -- where they can send their kids south to go to school or live with families or live down south because, you know, their kids can take hockey or attend or play hockey. We don't have that luxury. So that's -- the bridging program is the only options. I don't have families that are in my ridings that will fund or send their kids to Edmonton so that...