Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of ECE.
To the Minister, the question is, why is her department denying support to elders for contributing to the culture, programs, and revitalizing their language by using the small income and per diems they earn to disqualify them from income support? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I am going to start off by saying that the experience and education that elders bring to, for example, schools and to communities is invaluable.
Mr. Speaker, the income assistance program is set up to meet the monthly needs of residents of the Northwest Territories. It does that by looking at what those basic needs are, to make sure that residents can meet their basic needs. It minuses from that any income that they might need. It adds to that the income exemptions that are available and then determines what the financial needs are from the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's not intended to be a universal basic income. It is set up to meet the monthly needs of a resident of the territory and to ensure that they have access to the finances that they require to do that. And so if somebody is able to do some work and earn some income on their own, then there is a certain amount of that that they can keep. And we were able, in the life of this Assembly, to increase the amount of money that a resident of the territory can earn and can keep without seeing that, you know, come off their monthly income from income assistance. But even so, we want to ensure that we are meeting residents' monthly needs. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question is, why is the Minister counting transfers from constituents' bands intended to support treatment and aftercare and travel home as income, disqualifying them from income assistance, when they are the most vulnerable at that point? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would want to be able to follow up particularly with the Member's constituency. It sounds like an instance that's specific to an individual. But if somebody, you know, has support, for example, to travel to and from treatment, income assistance does still support them with their monthly needs while they are away. In addition to that, income assistance exempts income from self-government agreements, treaty agreements, land claim agreements, as well as impact benefit agreements, compensation from residential school settlements, Indian day school settlements, and 60s Scoop settlements, agriculture benefits, and other unearned monies from Indigenous governments as well, and also excludes income that's intended for children.
I have had residents and constituents myself who have gone away to treatment, so if there is a specific issue the Member would like to discuss I am happy to do so. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question to the Minister is, why is the Minister providing little flexibility for my constituents struggling with wage garnishing, judging them solely on their income, and failing to support them when it's clear that they are in serious need of financial assistance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, the income assistance program is very legislated and so what can be provided as far as benefits and supports to residents is found within the legislation, and we have to ensure that we are applying that legislation fairly to all residents of the Northwest Territories. It is a program that is intended to ensure that residents' monthly needs are met. So, for example, that residents have shelter and they have access to heat and they have access to food. And so that is the intention of the program and how it is designed. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral Questions. Member from Great Slave.
