Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The new public housing rent scales came into effect July 1, 2012, and largely at the call of all the Members of this House to have a system that was much fairer and treated all of our residents in housing more equitably. At that time the decision was made that to be fair, all sources of income would be included in the calculation, and to change from that would mean we’re going back to the old rental scale approach, back to a shotgun approach where all different types of support were exempted. So that’s why the new public housing rental scales were drawn up so that it...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable David Ramsay will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety meeting in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Robert C. McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend a meeting with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee and his territorial counterparts in Fairbanks, Alaska. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don’t know if the Member is asking us to go back to the old rental scale that was in place, but as a government we’re always prepared to review our policies to make sure that they’re working the way they’re supposed to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On average a mother with one child receives about $300 a month in Child Tax Benefit. Two-thirds of that is exempt. One-third of that is included in income assistance. So that works out to about $100 a month and this is consistent with all across Canada. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize my brother Michael McLeod and his wife, my sister-in-law, Joyce McLeod, and my great niece Sabrina McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think at one time the Legislative Assembly had a rule of thumb that before any positions were established in Yellowknife, there would have to be a comparable position established elsewhere. I think in this Legislative Assembly we make the rules, so it would be up to us to decide. Personally, I think that you put the positions where it makes the most sense to have them located. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment before we all leave for the summer to reflect on our accomplishments as a Legislative Assembly over the past few weeks.

This has been the first extended working session of the 17th Assembly. It has been a long session, especially at this time of the year, but we have done some important work together.

One of the most important things we have done is passed the budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. As an Assembly, we have agreed to a vision of strong individuals, families and communities sharing the benefits and responsibilities of a unified, environmentally...

Mr. Speaker, this Assembly is committed to sustainable, vibrant, safe communities and to taking action against family violence. Homes should be places where strong individuals and families support and love each other. All people have the right to live free from the fear of violence in their own homes and communities.

But we have challenges. The Northwest Territories has the second highest rate of family violence in Canada and we know that many incidents are never reported. This is a territorial tragedy. It affects every community. Many of our people live every day in fear.

With the release of...

As a matter of fact, that is the very reason why we have a Reducing Red Tap Initiative that we’re doing through the Refocusing Government Cabinet committee. In most cases, these disaster funds, the only requirement is that they be acts of God or natural disaster. For the Harvester Fund, you have to show that you have actually earned some revenue from hunting and trapping.

Thank you. We have committed to doing that and we’ll be doing exactly that when we convene in the fall. Thank you.