Mr. Speaker, each year Northerners and students head to colleges and universities across Canada where they can proudly tell their peers how the Northwest Territories helps them study without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans thanks to our first-in-class SFA program. At a time when higher education costs are rising, that kind of assistance is truly unique and has become a covenant of growing up in the NWT. Unfortunately, late this summer, Range Lake constituents began contacting my office for help because their SFA payments were late, and they had received no update. Some feared that they had been denied SFA, while others worried that their schools wouldn't accept them for the semester. Eventually, we learned that the department was experiencing serious delays, apparently due to a high volume of applications and limited staff capacity. This not only disrupted payments but vital communication as well as some students were left unaware that they needed to make corrections to complete their applications. Although students eventually received their payments, many were charged late fees during the delay. When I contacted the Minister to ensure that these late fees would be covered, I was disturbed to hear that they were considered the students' responsibility as they should have been prepared for this outcome.
Mr. Speaker, how can we tell someone to be prepared for the department not to process their paperwork? These students did nothing wrong and for many, this was their first experience applying for any kind of government service. For many, their first encounter with our government must have been a tough lesson. What message does this send to the next generation of hardworking Northerners when the government tells them to lower their expectations and assume responsibility for the department's mistakes? The Minister needs to make this right, Mr. Speaker, and pay for these late fees, whether it's $20 or $100. After all, when income assistance misses a power bill, they cover the late fee. When a senior's home heating misses a tank refill, they quickly send out a truck. It's not complicated. It's about fairness and doing the right thing, doing right by our young Northerners and their families. Later today I will be asking the Minister to have a heart for SFA students and do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
