Julie Green

Mr. Chair, I would like to propose a motion to amend clause 4(b), and I believe that the text will be distributed at this time. The amended subsection will read that paragraph 4(b) of Bill 16 be amended by striking out 945 hours and substituting 1,000 hours.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the NWT Housing Corporation. In the past, the Minister has stressed the belief that home ownership is the way for people to get housed without relying on public housing and to free up units for those who need them. Yet, with only 20 Yellowknife families taking up the offer of assisted home ownership in the last 10 years, this faith seems to be a little misplaced. Will the Minister now re-examine the home ownership program and find out how to increase the uptake? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My follow-up question is whether the Minister will be able to share that evaluation criteria, and at what point the program will be evaluated using it? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Lydia Bardak, who is an advocate for people who live in need, and who is my constituent, and Nalini Naidoo, the economic development director for the city, who is sitting there, as well. She is also my constituent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. May I take that as a commitment that the Minister will undertake that examination? Thank you.

If the Minister could share that information, that would be very useful to us. In the meantime, I am wondering what it will take to get these issues introduced into the federal engagement strategy along with roads.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for Poverty Reduction. The GNWT has had a poverty reduction strategy for the last four years, and now Ottawa is creating a national strategy. What is the GNWT doing proactively to align these two? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, poverty is a national issue which requires national solutions. The federal government has acknowledged this fact by working on a Canada-wide poverty reduction strategy. Yellowknife is a focus of special attention in this effort because it is the location of one of six case studies on poverty across the country, and there have been several consultations here in the last month. Mr. Speaker, today I am going to talk about the public consultation hosted by the No Place for Poverty Coalition and Vibrant Communities Canada. About 30 people attended, including some of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to re-ask that question because I did not hear an answer. We have a federal engagement strategy. It talks about infrastructure. Housing is infrastructure. I am wondering if we are going to see some of the issues raised in the poverty consultation in the federal engagement strategy. Thank you.

As I mentioned in my statement, we need federal help in two priority areas: food and housing. I am wondering how the GNWT is planning to leverage Ottawa's interest in reducing high rates of poverty in the NWT by making changes to programs such as lobbying for changes to Nutrition North and the CMHC declining funding?