David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of the Housing Corporation regarding the latest core needs report. The 2009 report compared to the 2004 report, it seems like we haven’t seen any improvements in that area. We put forward new programs and services. At one point we used to have liaison officers in our communities to assist on program delivery. Are we going to review our programs that we do deliver in light of the dismal numbers we see in the report that was just tabled? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the whole program and service area, we also have to realize that we do have an aging infrastructure. The older these houses get, the more it’s going to cost to repair. My colleague Mr. Beaulieu mentioned that we have to look at the area of “if we don’t do anything now, it’s going to cost us more in the future.” So wherever possible, we should try to do what we can to keep residents in their own homes and offer them repair programs to keep their houses over a certain level. I just want to ask the Minister if he could make an effort to try to...

I, for one, feel that we do have to do a better job in regards to how we look at the income thresholds, because it seems to be one of the barriers. Also, with regard to the requirements under the programs where you are disallowed if you’ve had previous programs with the Housing Corporation... I think a lot of people realize that most houses in the communities were put on the ground through the federal housing or aboriginal housing programs through the federal government. Because of that, you’re being disallowed. Is that something that will also be looked at in this review?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing is essential infrastructure in our communities to house our families, our friends and, more importantly, to sustain our communities. But, Mr. Speaker, from the latest report from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, statistics on core needs shows that there is definitely a problem with the number of core units that are in core need, especially in my riding where 43 percent of the houses in Aklavik are in core need, 33 percent in Fort McPherson and 41 percent in Tsiigehtchic.

Mr. Speaker, this government provides programs and services to...

These conservation measures for the Bluenose-West herd were achieved through consultation, dialogue with the harvesters and dialogue with communities where they took the time and made an attempt to find a resolution to this problem coming to an agreement by all parties.

With regard to the situation we see here in the North Slave, it looks like that system is not in place or hasn’t even been considered. For some reason the Minister made a decision which overrode the political structure and the process of the Tlicho Land Claim Agreement to use that instrument, which is the fundamental instrument...

Does committee agree that Bill 11 is ready for third reading?

Clause 31 to 40.

Detail. Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 4 inclusive approved

Clause 11 to 20.

---Clauses 11 through 20 inclusive approved

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

Mr. Minister, for the record, can you introduce your witnesses?