Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that we just received the budget address yesterday, very well delivered by our Minister of Finance, I must say. Many minutes of speaking on many pages, I said he didn’t skip or miss a word the whole budget.

On the matter of how we get to the budget and the speech that Mr. Miltenberger delivered yesterday, the address that he delivered, I’d just like to talk about a few anomalies as I see them.

We as Regular Members sit on standing committees that consider the business plans. The departments come to our standing committees, they outline for us what the activity of...

Thank you very much, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister Miltenberger, before you make your response, would you please introduce your witness for the record. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. At that time we’ll ask the Minister to introduce his witnesses for the record. But in the interest of time, we will get underway. There will be 10 minutes allowed per time that Members speak and you can always go back if you want to. Just in terms of format, as well, does committee agree that we will make our general comments and allow the Minister to respond to general comments just once at the end of your general comments? Agreed?

Thank you. We will proceed with that after a brief recess. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly that has also been my experience, that the message is mixed and I have in fact heard comments from some seniors saying that if I’m a tenant of the Housing Corporation, at least if I’m paying my $90 a month rent I feel like I can phone them up when my tap is dripping or I can ask for the kinds of services that any tenant would ask the landlord for. Certainly the feedback that we have received is very mixed as well.

I’d like to ask the Minister if it’s this government’s intention to then proceed with the implementation of the rent charged for seniors beginning on...

Some representatives and leaders of seniors’ organizations are now asking to postpone the implementation of this policy in order to conduct further consultation. I would like to ask the Minister if he thinks that further consultation would result in a different decision by his corporation that he oversees.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about seniors housing in the Northwest Territories and the new rent scale that came about as the shelter review policy was undertaken.

During the last couple of weeks my colleague from Hay River North and I had the opportunity to meet with some of the seniors in Hay River to discuss this very topic. I would first like to articulate a few of the benefits seniors have living in the Northwest Territories.

We have from our government the fossil fuel subsidy, the reduction to the cost of drivers’ licences, supplementary health care benefits –...

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oh, just one second, Mr. Miltenberger. Our sound technician thought you were finished. So back to Mr. Miltenberger, please.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Next I have Mr. Dolynny.