David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we are doing is working closer with the local housing authorities. We are working with the band corporations through universal partnership agreements to implement these programs closer to the communities so they don’t have to apply out of Yellowknife, out of Inuvik, or out of the regional centres. They can go directly to the local housing authority and let them make the final decision at the community level, and also ensure that the resources are there so that those dollars are expended for the programs we deliver. We are working...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have raised this with my colleagues on this side of the House to make them aware that the mould problem is a health problem and I think with the dollars that we do get from Ottawa with regard to health, this has to be considered as a health issue where it’s having an effect on people’s breathing problems, asthma and also probably with regard to the whole family. When you have overcrowding and mould, that’s a bad mix. I think it is definitely a housing problem. Also we have to work with the other colleagues on this side, especially the Minister of Health...

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of doing that because we realize that we have to start identifying units that we have to dispose of, to have them replaced with other units. Right now, the way the local housing authorities receive the money, it is based on O and M dollars for their unit. They don’t get any new O and M dollars for replacing those units until they actually physically replace those units. So if you are carrying those units, you don’t get extra dollars for those new units until you replace that unit. Because of that, it is something that we are looking at. We have now...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the 10-year plan, it has been presented to committee. I have presented a briefing to committee on the 10-year plan and some of the initiatives that we’re looking at doing. Also, the whole idea of selling off these units is one of the ideas in the plan; replacing that with the revenue we get. At the present time, we receive almost $70 million a year from the Government of the Northwest Territories. That’s about seven percent of the total budget of this government. In order to meet that goal, we will have to lobby my colleagues on this side of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that information presently at hand. I believe it is in the audit report that I tabled in the House earlier this week, but I will definitely get that information for the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now, as a corporation, we are in the process of reviewing the mandate of this corporation. We are taking a look at the program services we do deliver. Also, we are looking at a 10-year plan to look forward on exactly where we go as a corporation and to take on the challenges that we’re facing. We have to find more unique ways of delivering housing in the Northwest Territories, especially with the number of houses that are going to be required. I know a couple of Members touched on the whole area of selling off public housing. That’s one area we’re...

Definitely I can’t commit for the Minister of Education, but I definitely will suggest that we sit down and talk about this. He’s heard the questions, so hopefully we can consider finding ways to implement such a program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a former Member of this House, the former Member for Mackenzie Delta and now the chief for the Inuvik Band Council, Mr. Richard Nerysoo.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now there is a program that we offer through our housing programs. It’s basically put forward for the individual or the client to go out of their way to get their logs, bring their logs into the community, get it on the site, and then the government will allow them the resources to purchase the material to construct the unit. But it is up to the individual to have sweat equity going into this program. So they have to go out of their way to ensure they get the logs, they peel them, they bring them onto the site, and then the government will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there are several ways that we can work with the communities and with the Sahtu region. That’s to devolve more authority to those communities through universal partnership agreements and also ensuring that the needs surveys that we develop are able to meet the most needs of the communities that are out there. Definitely the Sahtu is one of them. I think once we put forward our business plans for next year, we will be focusing on those needs surveys to ensure that we are able to accommodate the communities that are in most critical need. So we...