Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since 2008, that was the last time we saw any significant amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act. Five years later, so many more problems come forward, and we need, once again, to take a look at this serious issue.

I’ve stood on a few occasions to talk about my concerns about affordable rent protection and even enforcement from the rentals office and implement an order that they provide. As we all know, there are no rent controls in the Northwest Territories. To be clear, I’m not in favour of supporting the idea of rent controls per se, but I have spoken at length...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hockey teams, dance classes and even fiddle camps are a few examples of out-of-school programs and activities that are fun for kids, but not for all kids. You need to find a way to encourage the development of these qualities that people learn from physical education, and the type of self-esteem they get by being involved in these particular programs.

It’s a real shame that many children in the NWT are left out of these very precious opportunities. These experiences are left out. Why? Because many parents cannot afford the equipment or even the fees. If you are on income...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We can talk about federal programs and we can talk about other programs that aren’t income support, so let’s get down to the facts, let’s get down to the brass tacks. Let’s say this right now. Is the Minister willing to, is he prepared to go back to his officials and instruct them to find a way to create a program that extends income support benefits that provides these opportunities that enrich children’s lives that they well deserve? We could do it today and we could help a lot of families that deserve these opportunities. Will the Minister be willing to do that, yes...

Although I am keenly interested in what those changes may have been, once again into the breach, I ask the question, what changes specifically have you made in income support that has helped families who are on income support, to help them support their children? Thank you.

Clearly, the Minister doesn’t get it. When we start talking about the communities, the fact is this: income support provides food and shelter, yes, that is a given, we all know that. But why do the children in those situations… They don’t ask to be on income support. The families are there because of various reasons. We are not here to debate that.

The question I am asking is this: We need to be opening up doors. The Minister has the power that is in this directive; let’s start doing something today. Even if it starts with $500 per head, per child, to get them into music, sports, arts, let’s...

One good thing, the Minister clearly can count because he said there were a couple of questions in there, maybe three, but since 2007 he has proven he can’t answer one of those three or number of questions highlighting those changes.

There have been no changes. I pulled out the regs. There are zero changes providing these opportunities for kids for poverty.

What does the Minister really recognize and what is he willing to do about this situation that children who are part of families on income support cannot participate in music, extracurricular arts or even extracurricular sports? There is a...

Mr. Speaker, maybe for sake of brevity, I will recognize the whole opportunities panel as one group. Thank you very much for your hard work. I’d like to recognize a constituent, Kevin Campbell, and if I had seen him earlier, I would have gotten the names of his visiting friends, so I will only assume it is family from the South. That said, welcome to everyone in the gallery today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, June 6, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that this Legislative Assembly proposes on an annual basis the GNWT’s share of the new Devolution Agreement resource revenues be expended according to the following formula:

one-quarter to infrastructure investment;

one-quarter to one-time Assembly priorities;

one-quarter to the Heritage Fund; and

one-quarter to debt repayment.

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories seek public input on the above proposal...

I’ll put it back to the Minister and say, I have heard four or five answers but not one to the question I asked. So, seeing how the Minister is convinced he can make changes, seeing as how the Minister is convinced he has made changes, what does the Minister believe can be made on this file by way of example, providing an opportunity for children who fall under the Income Support Program by giving them access to a pot of funding, be it as small as $500 per year to allow these children to take things like music, involved in the arts, or even get into extracurricular sports? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to continue with my questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Although a different department, if a child is under foster care, the foster home is provided with support for extracurricular activities. Clearly, there is a disparity when you start considering the standard of care for children. Under income support, if the family has any extra money or goes out to make extra money, it is clawed back and, finally, if somebody pays for a kid to go to hockey, if they are on it, if that family is on income support, that money is clawed back...