Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Yes, I understand about that being part of a community government council, yes, I do I do understand about how that we can you know, how to how to spend the money, where to spend the money. But I'm just saying that right now that in my region we have major infrastructure issues. And it's even to change the waterline that's aging especially in Edzo that's connected to the school, you know, that's going to cost, like, over $10 million. And I don't know like, that's why I'm saying it would be nice to see the numbers, like, how much money will be allocated to my region. And it says here...

Due to housing crisis, what we need is action. Mr. Speaker, how can this Assembly help the Government of the Northwest Territories transfer housing properties to the Indigenous government faster? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, this is regarding the bilateral agreement. So Mr. Speaker, many of our Indigenous governments have a keen interest in increasing the housing stock of their regions and communities. In its new mandate, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation commits to pursuing government to government relations with Indigenous government as she mentioned. This is a welcomed change towards developing bilateral relationships. Most of our Indigenous government are very interested in taking responsibility and taking over housing assets from the GNWT. I want to ask the Minister, what is the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I raise earlier this sitting that many elders are having difficult time with significant debts to the Housing Corporation for many, many years ago. In many cases, the elders are not aware of why the debt is owed. The Housing Corporation is in many cases garnishing their income which means the Housing Corporation takes a significant chunk of every modest paycheque they make. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to direct her officials to immediately enter a stay of execution of existing garnishee orders registered against elders by the Housing Corporation...

Okay, I did do a written question. I submitted a written question back in December. How many people in the Northwest Territories have a grade 12 education and are on income support assistance program, and the answer was that this is not the answer I was looking for. This data is not tracked by the Department of Education as the input is not a requirement to qualify for the assistance.

So what I'm asking here is that if the education system was good, I don't it's more of a comment. I don't if he wants to answer, but I already asked the question. If we had if the education system was good, we...

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, has the Government of the Northwest Territories saved income support dollars due to the federal COVID emergency and recovery benefits? Can the Minister explain how ECE assists income assistance eligibility for those receiving CERB or receive CERB or CRB payments? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the income support, what does the income support program means, it's right here. It says the program provides financial assistance to the Northwest Territories residents to help meet basic needs and enhanced needs. The program encourages and support greater selfreliance to improve the quality of life. Okay, that's yeah, that's what it says on there.

With that in mind, I want to ask the Minister, I know that with the income support, when the person earns some money from parttime employment or any money earned are usually clawed back. And it seems...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot predict when and where the next pandemic will occur, but I believe we should have learned some lessons from the past pandemic to protect the vulnerable people. First, let me begin with the financial support.

We all heard stories, all of us heard stories, about people having to pay back emergency and recovery payments received from the federal government during the pandemic. We also heard stories about people who received federal COVID support dollars and became ineligible to receive territorial or provincial income assistance. Mr. Speaker, it does...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know well, it is frustrating, you know, because if we get a seat if Tlicho get a seat, then Yellowknife automatically get a seat. I mean, that's well, it doesn't sit well with us because for a long time we've been asking for an additional seat, you know, in Tlicho region, since 2011 that I can think that you know, that I can think of, that we've been asking for an additional seat in Tlicho region because being Behchoko being the largest Dene community, second by Tuktoyaktuk, Indigenous community. So it's like, oh okay, it's just that it's not right what's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is for Minister of education. Can the Minister provide data on how many small community graduates directly enter university as compared to larger regional centres? Thank you.