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16TuesdayFebruary18201414023LL014022LL0Theall-partyStandingCommitteeonAlbertasEconomicFutureisundertakingastudyontheeasibilityoestablishingahigh-speedrailtransitsystemorAlberta.Shouldaprojectproceeditwouldbecom-pletedinphaseswiththefrstsectionoperatingbetweenEdmontonandCalgary.YouropinionisimportanttotheCommittee.IyouwouldliketopresentatapublicinputmeetingregisterwiththeCommitteeClerkbyFebruary202014.AscheduleopresenterswillbepostedonlinebyFebruary21.UnabletoattendShareyourthoughtsinawrittensubmissiontotheCommitteeClerkbyMarch312014.StandingCommitteeonAlbertasEconomicFuture801LegislatureAnnex9718-107StreetEdmontonAlbertaT5K1E4EconomicFuture.Committeeassembly.ab.ca780.427.1350Calltollreebydialing310.0000YourInputIsImportantStudyohigh-speedrailinAlbertaByMARIACHURCHLocalsocialjusticeadvo-catesarepleasedtoseetheterritorialgovernmentnallywalkingthetalkafterre-leasingitsanti-povertystrat-egylastweekwhichprom-isesnewfundsforprogramsthatsupportlow-incomehouseholds.JulieGreencoordinatorwithNoPlaceForPovertysaidtheannouncementisapersonalvictoryaswellasawinforthecoalitionwhichhasbeenlobbyingforfouryearstoseeananti-povertystrategyfromtheGNWT.Formepersonallytoheartheanti-povertystrat-egymentionedinthebudgetandtohavemoneyattachedtotheinitiativewasreallythrillingbecauseitsbeensuchalongroadtogettothispointGreensaid.Itrep-resentsareallygoodstart.GlenAbernethyNWTministerofHealthandSo-cialServicesupdatedtheAssemblylastweekonthebreakdownofthe2.6mil-lionearmarkedinthere-centbudgetforanti-povertyprograming.Astrongterritoryneedsastrongsocietyandallresi-dentsoftheNWTshouldhavethechancetoenjoytheben-etsoflivinginaprosper-ouswell-governedterritoryandtoparticipatefullyinahealthyjustsocietyhesaid.Thenewfundingwillsup-portdayshelterprogramsinYellowknifeandInu-vikseenewhousingunitsinfoursmallcommunitiesforresidentswhomayneedadditionalsupportandput1millioninnewspendingeveryyeartowardsprovid-ingfoodtoyouththroughestablishedprograms.Thebudgetincludes500000forcommunitiesAboriginalgovernmentsandnon-governmentalorganiza-tionslaunchingcommunity-ledprojects.Fundinghasalsobeenal-locatedfortheestablishmentofanadvisorycommitteetoworkwithterritorialstake-holdersandleadthedevelop-mentoftheanti-povertyac-tionplanoverthenextyear.Greensaidthefundingamountismodestinthescopeoftheentirebudgetbuttheco-alitionwelcomesanymovetosupportprogramsthatbuffertheincomegapintheNWT.GNWTlooksforpartnershipInhisaddressatthelegis-latureAbernethyacknowl-edgedthattheGNWTwillneedtoworkwithallsectorsofsocietyiftheanti-povertystrategyistobeasuccess.Greenconrmedthattheonusforpovertyreductionisnotjustontheterritorialgovernment.Weneedotherpeopletojoinin.Itsnotjustthegov-ernmentsjob.TheNGOsaredoingwhattheycanandnowwewantbusinessesandAboriginalgovernmentandcommunitygovernmentstocomeinaswellshesaid.AreasoverlookedinstrategyGreensaidNoPlaceForPovertyisstilladvocatingfortwoareasofconcernthathavebeenoverlookedintheanti-povertystrategythusfar.Oneofthoseisafford-ablechildcareforchildrenaged0to3yearsold.Thereisnotalotofchild-careavailableforthatagegroupandwhatisavailableismostlyunaffordableex-ceptfortwoincomefami-liessowewouldliketoseesomemovementonmakingchildcaremoreaccessibleshesaid.Thecoalitionwouldalsoliketoseediscussionsaroundimplementingalivingwage.Unlikeminimumwagethatisenforcedacrosstheboardalivingwagetakesintoac-countcostoflivingineachcommunity.GreensaidtherehavebeennumeroussuccessfulmovestowardcreatinglivingwagesacrossCanadaandwouldliketoseeasimilarconceptdiscussedintheNWTwhererecentstatisticsshowthewagegapishigherthanthecountry-wideaverage.Wewouldliketoseenotsomuchthatgapclosedasthebottom40percentofpeoplebroughtuptoabetterincomethatwouldcovertheirbasicneed.Itsnotaboutmakingthosepeoplerichitsaboutmeetingtheirneedssotheyarenothungryandtheyarenotlivinginovercrowdedcon-ditionsortheyareinrelation-shipsofconveniencebecausetheyneedaplacetostay.Thatsalongtermgoalshesaid.Wearenotgoingtoeliminatepovertyover-nightbutIfeellikewehavethegovernmentsattention.No-povertygrouphappyGNWTwalkingthetalkGovernmentpledges2.6milliontowardnewanti-povertystrategyHealthWellnessPovertyPhotocourtesyofJulieGreenWeneedotherpeopletojoinin.Itsnotjustthegovern-mentsjob.TheNGOsaredoingwhattheycanandnowwewantbusinessesandAboriginalgovernmentandcom-munitygovernmentstocomeinaswell.JulieGreenNoPlaceForPovertyJulieGreenwithNoPlaceForPovertysaystheGNWTsanti-povertybudgetcommitmentisamodeststart.