Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One thing we're learning from these pilot projects, this basic guaranteed income, is that the best way to help someone get out of poverty is to ensure that their cost of living is taken care of without a lot of strings attached or government oversight. It allows them to get a job. It allows them to pay for food. Right now, we're clawing back a lot of income. I just don't understand what the hold-up is. Can we take a sample size of recipients of income support and start modelling this kind of effort, even on a temporary basis so it's a low-cost approach that still gets...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Chair of Committee of the Whole leave the chair to report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is a significant amount of the total used. I am pleased to hear that. Has the Minister received any feedback from industry on this program and the increase to it that he can share with the House today? Thank you.

The issue is not: do we support those experiencing poverty through these programs. The nature of these programs are, as one of my honourable friends mentioned, a poverty trap. Once you get in this system, you can't get out. The Minister is clearly looking at this, but does he have any plans to move forward on a guaranteed income pilot project for the Northwest Territories?

Thank you. Given the fiscal challenges presented in this budget, is the Minister anticipating that there will be an opportunity to bring forward a supplementary appropriation, or are those resources spoken for? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am satisfied that the BDIC will have the resources they need to continue to do its work, but it strikes me as odd that we have done two years of cuts now to BDIC without a program review and without passing legislation to allow them to do things. It just seems like the cuts are coming ahead of other work that needs to get done, and the Minister is, in fact, relying on these program reviews and legislation in order to continue to support the operations of BDIC.

It just seems odd that, again, we are cutting first and fixing the cuts afterwards. It seems like those things...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken before in this House of the need for the NWT to implement the guaranteed basic income pilot in the life of this Assembly.

Whether it is a way to address income disparity or prepare for major changes in our economy, this innovative policy initiative is not only the right course for our government to take but, in all reality, an inevitable change we will have to implement even if this government chooses to remain idle and continue supporting paternalistic and punitive income support programs.

I've used historical examples of Dauphin, Manitoba, but...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I find it difficult when this is responded in this manner, to say, “Well, we have money, but I can't tell you what it is or where you can find it.” I would hope the Minister would have a more satisfactory answer, but I will remain unsatisfied.

On the manufacturing strategy, what is the progress-to-date on the consultation engagement and drafting of that strategy, the progress made to date? Thank you.

Thank you. The Minister also mentioned a program review and that the review would help identify the need to change legislation and other issues. Is the review going to be completed before the legislation comes forward in May and June? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to speak to an issue that I unfortunately wasn't allowed to or wasn't able to ask questions on in a previous section, but I'll just flip over to 207, the departmental total, and just ask about the manufacturing strategy. What money has been attached to the manufacturing strategy in this budget? Thank you, Mr. Chair.