David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I stated, we are working closely with our partners in Nunavut with this legislation and we are looking to ensure that the phase two recommendations are proceeding. A lot of that does have to deal with ensuring we have a system of how to deal with appeals, and how to ensure clients are dealt with fairly. I think through the changes and the input from myself and my counterpart from Nunavut, we’ve had these discussions on making some major changes, but also ensuring that we have a transparent system that works for both jurisdictions, and also realizing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the legislation that I talk about in regard to the draft legislation does address the issue of the appeals process. We realize there are some concerns in that area and in order to make it work better, we have to make those changes. So we are addressing the area of the appeals because of concerns, but we’re also trying to have a transparent system through the new legislation to ensure that when people come forward and they have an appeal, that the appeal is being heard and that we’ve responded to it without having legislation that is overlapping between the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are working on phase two legislation. There is draft legislation that is being developed and I am working with my counterpart in Nunavut. Because we have a joint board here, we have to share the information. I just concluded a meeting on January 25th in Iqaluit with my counterpart, Mr. Akesuk, from Nunavut, on the basis that we have to go forward with the legislation jointly because we have shared the same legislative authority and it has to proceed. We are reviewing that legislation jointly between the two territories and we are hoping to have something...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member should maybe go into these communities and see how many people are occupying these units.

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In the community of Fort Good Hope, we have three teachers staying in one unit. So you accommodate three people in one unit, and that does not mean that all four units aren’t occupied. I think the whole idea to bring down the cost if people want to share rent and whatnot by having roommates, more power to them because they are only paying in the area of $300 a month for rent. I think you can’t go wrong with regard to that, where we have people in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my honour to recognize three people in the gallery, famous artists: Mr. Antoine Mountain.

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Also Margaret Donovan, who runs a gallery here in Yellowknife, from Tsiigehtchic.

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Also Victor Stewart, who’s a recreation director in Fort McPherson. Welcome to the House.

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I think it’s important that now we have something there establishing a market in the community where we never had a market before and by having something that’s affordable where individuals can afford to pay a mortgage on these units knowing that the cost is $130,000.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a major housing crisis on our hands and this is one of the ways that we’re trying to resolve that crisis.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the Member keeps touching on what we’re doing with seniors and people with disabilities. We are working with those groups. We are looking at our programs and services and because of the opportunity we have in front of us in reviewing our mandate, looking at the programs and services that we have and also looking at the possibility of revising policies and guidelines that could assist with regard to ensuring that we’re able to follow those guidelines to meet the needs of our seniors and people with disabilities. But again, Mr. Speaker, I must make it clear to the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been working closely with the Seniors’ Society. We do have a universal arrangement with them where we’ve funded them to work with us on different promotion packages, such as the seniors’ disabled maintenance programs. We do have a lot of programs directed towards seniors with regard to the housing proposal. Again, we are working in conjunction with the different organizations: the Council for Disabled People and the Seniors’ Society. So we are working with them, but we also have programs that are directed to seniors and people with disabilities...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that’s the goal we are facing. We have spoken to respective companies that are considering working in that area. They are companies that are looking at the possibility of establishing such a business. But again, there are proposals that we are suggesting going forward with through the Business Development Corporation, the Business Credit Corporation and working with those other arms of government to help the entrepreneur or the business community that we’ve spoken to companies in Yellowknife and Hay River and also in Southern Canada who are...