Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The rent scales and our formula for determining rent are always being revisited. I might say it doesn’t really matter whether we do it based on gross salary or on net salary, we take into consideration the other costs that individuals may have anyway. So the dollar amount would work out the same; we would just…If we used net, we would take out a higher percentage of their net income. The way we do it is they pay 30 percent, or we calculate 30 percent and then we take from that, in fact, costs of operating the house and other deductions, so the net effect is much...
Mr. Speaker, our government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Alberta on the development of a Bilateral Water Management Agreement in March. This agreement, once ratified, will ensure the integrity of water flowing downstream from Alberta into the Mackenzie River Basin.
The GNWT has long been a proponent of the Protected Areas Strategy. To date, approximately 20 areas of interest have been identified across the NWT. The federal government recently announced an additional $10 million would be invested to create or expand protected areas in the NWT. This funding...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is of concern to the stakeholders north of the Mackenzie River is the amount of the toll and what that is going to cost them. That's the bottom line for them. In terms of the detail of all the financial information and how it's being financed and so on, that's something that I will see if we can share it with the committee, but keep in mind it is the Bridge Corporation's contract not ours. We're paying a toll and we're paying, in addition to the toll, an amount to make this work including the ice crossing and winter road. But, Mr. Speaker, it's the bottom line...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me, first of all, clarify that responsibility for the bridge project now rests with the Minister of Transportation. But, Mr. Speaker, I'll answer the question since it was directed to me. Yes, we are going to move ahead. We'll move ahead carefully, but we'll move ahead with solidarity. We're not going to slow down on this one. Mr. Speaker, I wrote to the Prime Minister this week, asking him, reminding him of his commitment and that this is part of the national highway system and we fully expect to have that. Mr. Speaker, keep in mind that these negotiations...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have to keep in mind that the majority of people, even those who draw income support, have some income; the majority are earning some money. Again, there are some who aren’t. Anyone who is earning income but hasn’t got the money to be able to rent the unit that’s available in their community can go to income support to have it topped up. It isn’t just for $32 rent; in some cases it’s $1,000, $1,500 rent that they need some help to be able to pay the rent. So they can do that. Mr. Speaker, as I said, through income support we are reviewing the rates; through the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure there are many people who would like to have their rent lowered. Mr. Speaker, the current arrangement we have is that housing units are based on market value. So a rent is set depending on the condition, the age, the size and so on, of the house. That’s how we determine what that house is worth to rent. It’s the same way one would have if you were to rent a house in Yellowknife or Edmonton or wherever it may be. Individuals are asked to pay up to 30 percent of their gross income as rent. If you went to a bank, they would ask you for 32 percent. So we’re...
Mr. Speaker, as this Legislative Assembly is in the final year of its mandate with an election scheduled for this fall, it seems like an appropriate time to take stock of our work to date. In particular, I want to speak about some of the major initiatives we have moved forward over the past year and those that will be the focus of our work for the remainder of our mandate.
I want to congratulate all students from the Northwest Territories who have or will be graduating from high school and post-secondary school programs this spring and summer. The education of our youth remains one of the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will refer that question to the Minister of ITI. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I certainly will. I will be meeting with the Housing Corporation this afternoon in fact and I will raise this one with them. I understand this is a 40-person camp that we’re looking at. It might be one that would work very well, so, Mr. Speaker, yes, the Housing Corporation will go ahead and start talking with the land corporations and others on this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I haven’t given the federal government a deadline of when I need them to reply because that’s tied to when the pipeline project moves ahead and, as Members know, Imperial and their partners are just doing a costing of it right now and there could be some changes in their plans. But, Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Minister and I’ve told the Minister, tell us yes or no, are they on side with this one or are they not? Because if they’re not going to partner on it then let us know and we’ll stop spending our time and energy on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.