Jackie Jacobson

Is the department planning any additional work this coming summer?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I spoke about the all-weather road from Tuk to Inuvik and how badly it’s needed to get employment into the riding of Inuvik, and Tuk, and Aklavik, and Sachs Harbour and Paulatuk. We need this project to go. Does the Minister have a plan on when he’ll be meeting with his federal counterpart in Ottawa?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I spoke about the all-weather road from Tuk to Inuvik and how badly it’s needed to get employment into the riding of Inuvik, and Tuk, and Aklavik, and Sachs Harbour and Paulatuk. We need this project to go. Does the Minister have a plan on when he’ll be meeting with his federal counterpart in Ottawa?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is correct about the mess that ECE left this housing situation in. I am blaming... You guys left a big mess. The department can’t even find out. People are making payments, or I’ve got pieces of paper in my office stating that they made a payment and it’s not reflecting on their bill. Mr. Speaker, the department obviously with the Minister saying that he did go to the community, yes, he did, but we have to try to work with them, not kick them out. You’re not in Yellowknife where if you go outside you’re going to be living in a tent. That’s not right. You’re in a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I was speaking about the arrears problem we have across the North and the way the government is collecting. Mr. Speaker, the residents of housing units have nowhere else to go, and given the small remote communities, we lack family shelter programs. Given the community housing situation is already overcrowded, will this government take the action to address the real challenges of the small and remote communities and not evict people, especially in the middle of winter? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The current way the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation manages their tenants’ arrears is obviously not working. I think these procedures have been unrealistic for far too long.

My colleagues and I representing small and remote communities are sitting in this Assembly year after year telling the honourable Minister that the government’s current system is broken.

The Housing Corporation is not getting what they need; the tenants in small communities are not getting what they need; and meanwhile, the less privileged residents are suffering. Our single mothers with no...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Considering housing issues are the number one problem in the territory, will the government commit resources to developing and supporting a regional coalition to assist families so that they do not have to be evicted? In addition, will this government commit to reviewing the way that the Housing Program is currently administered by seeking third-party community-based input from Nunakput? Thank you.

Well, political interference, I guess that’s a pretty big one. That’s my job. I represent the people in Nunakput. When people have problems, they come to me and I try to deal with them.

You know, Mr. Speaker, this government gets over $30 million a year from the federal government for the 22 units across the North. The same funding that’s either sitting empty or occupied, the money they collect is for O and M, Mr. Speaker. So why are we kicking people out in the middle of winter? It’s not right.

Mr. Speaker, I’m asking the Minister if he could reconsider the evictions that are going on in the...

As I stated previously, overcrowding in housing units is a symptom of a much larger systemic problem and causes many problems in the communities. Mr. Speaker, this government must see firsthand how their policies in the NWT Housing Corporation headquarters are affecting small and remote communities. They must get in touch with the concerns of the communities. Until that happens, Mr. Speaker, the policies will never truly recognize the housing challenges in the small and remote communities.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the honourable Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it is an honour of mine to welcome my uncle, Billy Jacobson and my auntie, Eileen, from Rendezvous Lake in Tuktoyaktuk.

I’d like to welcome Annie Smith, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, and Leon. It’s good to see them.

A constituent from Paulatuk, Lanita Thrasher; and from Sachs Harbour, Jolene Donovan. Welcome to the House.