Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was so excited at question one that I forgot to ask: what is the timeline? Can this Minister give me a timeline on you getting rid of the T4 system and just people being able to go in every month, they show their pay stub, and then get their rent assessed on a timeline?

Could the Minister table the policy, though, in the House in regard to the LHOs using that to determine public housing for the clients?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, I want to bring up, again, proof of income in Housing Corporation policies. A few weeks ago, I raised a concern of the corporation's practice of using T4 slips, Madam Speaker. This results in public housing clients being assessed at a much higher level than the rent scale where they should be. That's because the T4 slips show the income from the previous year, not from where they are currently. This is causing unnecessary stress to the public clients in Nunakput and across our territory. I'm trying to help them, Madam Speaker. I need the Minister responsible...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Education is very important across the North. Our education rates, our inclusive schooling needs across the territory, but over the course of this government's term, we will spend over $70 million in forced growth for our UNW collective bargaining compared to our $25 million that we have set aside for all of the 22 priorities that we put as 19 Members. It's only a third of what we're spending in the salaries of increases that are going to happen. You know, some of that money would have been much better and needed in early childhood and school services. Mr. Chair, it's...

I thank the Minister. Everybody in Nunakput, go get reassessed, in public housing. That is what I want you to do, please and thank you. It's going to help you. In regard to that, like I said before, the reassessments, not everybody has government jobs to go off T4s. All the jobs are taken in our small communities, and people are hurting; so if the Minister would come up and just say, "Yes, by this day, you can use your T4 or your monthly cheque to get assessed," would that be possible?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's a good day today, Madam Speaker. The Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is going to make changes for us in regard to our T4 system. Can we try to work with the Minister to get a timeline and using her Minister's directive in telling her staff before April 3rd, before this House is convened, that we have something in place where the LHOs could just start utilizing the income verification by cheque stubs in the communities instead of a T4 system or make it optional? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I am pretty sure there are going to be a lot of happy people in the territory today in regard to that. Thank you, Minister. Will the Minister commit to ensuring the policy and all of the Housing Corporation policies are posted on their website ASAP?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today, I spoke about proof of income in Housing Corporation using the T4 policy. Madam Speaker, will the Minister table the policy that tells the LHOs in the communities that they must use a T4 slip to determine the income of the public housing clients? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

No. At least the Minister's hearing me loud and clear. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Will the Minister commit to making this policy more flexible so that the documents used for income so that, again, I really want to make it clear for everybody, the T4 or a pay stub, to go and get reassessed every month? Are they allowed to do that?