Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister's going to -- or the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment is actively going to be working on this immigration file when she goes to Ottawa. So there's another issue that's come up that hasn't been raised on the floor of the House to my knowledge, and that's from workers who are now expecting children, if they wait for the NTNP to reopen next year, some of them will go on maternity leave which may make them ineligible to apply, forcing them to wait another year to -- for access.
What is the Minister doing to ensure that expecting parents aren't excluded from this program, or is the message that women must delay pregnancy in order to qualify?
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the Member. Currently, within the policy, there is a leave provision in there and that is something that I am currently exploring with the department given the existing parameters of the program. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know if I can tell the people experiencing this issue that an exploration is going on and that will be sufficient. So what does exploring mean in real terms to people with real lives who are experiencing this situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do want to fix this issue. I do think that it is an equity issue. And I don't have an answer for the Member right now other than the fact that I am live to this issue. Currently, the program says that people must be employed at the time that they apply, and so I have committed on the floor of this House that I'm currently reviewing that and seeing what parameters we can push this to within the program. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister develop some sort of exemption or exclusionary measure in this program for this very small class of people who are experiencing this issue. We want to keep people in the North, we want to keep people working, and we certainly want to keep people who have already contributed to the community in those jobs doing that work. So will she commit to an exemption to support expectant mothers who are in this program who are currently being shut out of that opportunity? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm absolutely agreeing with the Member that this was an equity issue, that we want to keep people in the North, and that we want to ensure that people can also add to their families and not be concerned about their applications. This is one of those frustrating parts of administering a program on behalf of another level of government, and so I need to see what my parameters are within our ability here in the territory to make adjustments to this extended lever part of the policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
