David Krutko

I notice at the bottom of the page you do have $3.8 million for bridges, culverts, structural rehabilitation. I’m just wondering, in light of the situation on Highway No. 7, is there a possibility that any of these dollars can be re-profiled to deal with that crisis we find on Highway No. 7 today?

Maybe the Minister can tell us exactly when he is going to get around to the higher-cost communities. It’s great to say let’s do this all with the capital in the South Slave region. When are we going to see these capital investments in our high-cost, smaller, isolated communities?

I’m just wondering where Shale Creek is.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the Minister’s opening statement, I did raise this issue in committee in regard to the energy priority initiatives. The Yellowknife Airport, a garage was constructed. This is a new facility yet we’re spending some $660,000-odd to put in a wood pellet boiler. I’m wondering why it is that this was not part of the design and construction of that facility and why wasn’t that built in when we constructed this new facility. It is new. I think we spent quite a few million dollars on it. I’m just wondering why it is that we’re making this major expenditure after...

I wasn’t really hearing the Minister’s response in regard to you mentioned diesel fuel, gas, but have you looked at alternative energy sources? We’ve just had a discussion about wood pellet heat systems. Have we looked at the possibility of biomass as the potential possibility of an energy source that you can look at?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I take the Minister’s advice and suggest that all tenants who are having this situation do go to the Human Rights Commission and file their complaints and maybe that’s the only place they’re going to get some reprieve here. I’d like to ask the Minister again, will you consider writing a letter to your local housing authorities and making them aware of the Human Rights Act and that it is a discriminatory matter if you are not allowing people to pick up an application?

In regard to the situation we see in Norman Wells, I see there’s $473,000 in regard to conversion to alternative energy sources in Norman Wells. Is that to convert to diesel heat, or can you verify what exactly that is for? Is that for a backup generator at the airport? The $473,000, Norman Wells.

This has come to my attention not once but several times. I believe that we do have an obligation under the Human Rights Act as a government to fulfill our obligations as providers of services and to ensure that we are not discriminating clients. What is the Housing Corporation doing to ensure that front-line workers, whether it’s housing authorities and staff, are aware of their obligations under the Human Rights Act?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again the combined services building, I noted the Minister said it was going to be completed and opened here shortly. Why are we carrying $1.026 million? What is that expenditure for? A million dollars?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has come to my attention that we have a Human Rights Act in place which clearly does not allow for discrimination on the basis of race, age, gender, disability, sex, political beliefs, social conditions. It’s still apparent that the word has not gotten out, especially to our front-line workers who are discriminating on the basis that the individuals who are coming forward to pick up an application to apply to the housing authorities are refused simply because they do not want those individuals to be tenants.

The Human Rights Act is very clear that you cannot...