Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 28/02) - The issue of clawing back income support payments is proving to be still a hot button issue in territorial politics.

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden said he wanted to know if a disproportionate amount of clawback money is being taken away from Yellowknife families to fund income support in other NWT communities.

He produced a letter -- addressed to acting Education, Culture, and Employment Minister Joe Handley -- from one constituent who said she was left with only $100.46 to care for her three young children this month after her income support cheque was clawed back $500.

The money was deducted because she received $600 for her National Childhood Supplement and an income tax return.

"The issue that I'm questioning, and that's why I asked Joe [Handley] about equity, what are the opportunities for income support families in Yellowknife to access these [early childhood] programs," said Braden.

"Because the money is taken from clients all over the NWT, and then dispersed out back into the NWT. What I fear is that a disproportionate amount of money is being taken from income support clients in Yellowknife."

Handley replied in the legislative assembly that he would have to "take that as notice" and get back to him.

Bruce Evelyn, director of income support programs with ECE, said it was a good question -- one that had not been raised previously.

"It (income support) wasn't designed to feed the other," said Evelyn.

He said there was no data available to determine whether or not a disproportionate amount of money from Yellowknife residents' clawbacks goes to feed the rest of the system.

"No one has asked the question," said Evelyn.

There are many early childhood programs the clawbacks support, said Evelyn, including the 4+ Club, and the toy lending program.

If ECE didn't clawback NCBs, said Evelyn, the GNWT wouldn't be able to fund these types programs. The letter addressed to Handley came to Anne Marie Giroux, who has been an outspoken poverty rights activist since she began questioning the government's tactics last year. She said single mothers who wish to stay at home to raise their children shouldn't be punished for it.

She said the clawbacks should be directed towards MLA pension programs.

"They say it's a program of last resort, but a lot of people that end up on income support come from situations over which they have no control," said Giroux.

"Why don't they [MLAs] take it out of their pension programs, which are secured, and their travel allowances."