Frieda Martselos

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I feel I must continue to share my frustration and disappointment with the overall state of Housing NWT and its service delivery to all people in the NWT.

Madam Speaker, throughout this entire term, all Regular MLAs have shared stories about their constituents' negative experiences with Housing NWT, and I don't blame them. The overall state of the housing units across the NWT are several decades old and are in severe disrepair. Most of the required repairs in public housing go unaddressed for many weeks, months, or even years by housing staff. So...

Amendments to the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act.

WHEREAS this Legislative Assembly appointed an Electoral Boundaries Commission pursuant to section 2(1)(b) of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, on June 3rd, 2021;

AND WHEREAS the Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021 submitted its final report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on May 24th, 2022;

AND WHEREAS the Speaker tabled the final report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission 2021 on May 27th, 2022;

AND WHEREAS there is a desire to review the names of certain electoral districts in the Northwest Territories;

NOW THEREFORE I...

Madam Speaker, will the Minister admit that her department made a mistake and also commit to compensate my constituent for lost funds that he should have never spent on market rental housing because he should have been moved to public housing? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, defeating a person who is trying to make things right is not okay. My constituent is correcting herself and is trying to better her life. Rather than working with other departments in an integrated case management approach to support this person, the housing Minister is choosing instead to shut the door on her and have her to be homeless. Is the Minister okay with that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge Thebacha constituent Sheila Sharp, who received a life saving award from the Order of St. John. Sheila was recognized for her heroic efforts in saving three individuals from a fatal car crash in 2018 along the Fort Smith Highway.

The mission of the order of St. John is to prevent and relieve sickness and injury and to act to enhance the health and wellbeing of people anywhere in the world. Congratulations, Sheila.

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted

That is not acceptable. It is bureaucracy like that which disempowers local housing boards and gives greater power to Housing NWT to dictate local housing decisions.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I really don't like ending a session like this, but I hope the housing Minister will take note of all the concerns we have on this side of the House and will enact some positive concrete changes within Housing NWT as soon as possible. And I hope to see more houses built and more retrofits done in Fort Smith because...

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that when this House adjourns on Thursday, November 3rd, 2022, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, February the 7th, 2023;

AND FURTHERMORE, that if at any time prior February the 7th, 2023, that the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall...

Madam Speaker, since the Minister is also the Minister of Homelessness, the unfairness of another constituent case is not okay either. Defending staff who make wrong decisions is not okay. My constituent who lost his house to a tornado has to crawl onto an airplane every time he flies because of his mobility issues. This is a man who worked 35 years for the Government of the Northwest Territories and trusted the system to be fair with him but was failed. Is the Minister okay with that? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, yesterday I received a very negative response from the housing Minister on behalf of some constituents. In short, there is now an Indigenous elderly woman, along with her daughter, who are now homeless and couch surfing. It is moments like these that I feel demoralized, defeated, and disgusted at the system.

Can the Minister explain if her department supports reconciliation despite putting more vulnerable Indigenous people onto the street with some of her decisions? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to recognize a constituent of Thebacha, Ms. Sheila Sharp, who has come to Yellowknife today to accept an award that she will be receiving tonight. I will share more about that during acknowledgements. Thank you, Madam Speaker.