Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Can the Minister confirm that the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline has received final approval today? Can the Minister elaborate on that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Out of the 67 percent of what the Minister is stating, the 2,400 units that we are paying the 21 percent paying zero dollars, 46 percent paying $32, it’s a total of 67 percent. The other 23 percent, Mr. Speaker, I think this option is going to help. It’s an option.

What I’m asking for, the Housing Corporation can keep their economic rent scale. This is an option B. If people are working, say if myself and my wife are working, we’re in a rental unit, we’re going to choose option B. This is the option that I’m providing today. For a five-bedroom unit I’ll pay $1,200 a...

WHEREAS “economic rent” for public housing in small and remote communities it unaffordable for most working tenants, due to local economic conditions;

AND WHEREAS the system used to determine economic rent is not fair to smaller communities where there are fewer public housing units;

AND WHEREAS the current system of adjusting the rental rates in public housing according to the fluctuating income of tenants is unnecessarily complex for both tenants and housing administration;

AND WHEREAS arrears in public housing are a perpetual problem for tenants and the Northwest Territories Housing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s time to tell the federal government “show me the money.” What are we doing to get ready? What is the Minister’s department doing to get ready for this future project?

It’s a good day today for Nunakput. This is a good news story. Will the pipeline go ahead now and when can we look forward to the go-ahead start-up date?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During this term as MLA I always start my Member’s statements at the beginning of session to honour our loved ones that have passed away. At the end of each session I honour the accomplishments of our loved ones, especially our youth.

All across the Territories schools and families in communities will be beginning to gather to celebrate the academic accomplishments of their graduates. In our small and remote communities graduates are celebrated by everyone.

In the community of Ulukhaktok the following graduates will be honoured on June 8, 2011: Ms. Gail Ogina, Jerry...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. We see arrears piling up in our public housing in the small communities and across the Territory. It’s because even people who are working cannot afford the so-called economic rent that they’re being charged by the Housing Corporation. Economic rent is so high it actually encourages people to give up working and go to income support. We have to do just the opposite.

We have to encourage people to keep working. They have to see that they are getting ahead. Economies in small communities are weak, with a few jobs. Everything is expensive, especially...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a good program, the Food Mail Program. The federal government is trying to help people in the small, remote communities and I have nothing but good to say about the program. Will the Premier commit today to working with the federal government in making sure that this program helps all fly-in communities in the Northwest Territories to make sure that the cost is being passed on to the people? Thank you.

Thank you. Will the Premier contact the advisory board with the federal program to help him improve the Food Subsidy Program in regard to the costing and showing the prices right in the stores? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the two Pages we had up from Sachs Harbour this week working with us here in the House: Shelby Lucas and Ms. Leigha Keogak.