Julie Green

Mr. Speaker, I'm tempted to ask for even bigger and better things since I've got the Minister mostly saying yes.

Laughter

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. So, back to my question about oversight, when the same consultants are repeated beneficiaries of solesource contracts, shouldn't we occasionally look to see whether other suppliers might not provide value for money? The only review of solesource contracting I can locate is the 2009 Auditor General's review of GNWT contracting. The OAG reported that one in five solesource contracts was not properly awarded. Mr. Speaker, the increased limits make the stakes that much higher. I will have questions for the Finance Minister. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for her answer and for her efforts to address this issue. I appreciate that it is an enormous one. Affordability is a key problem in Yellowknife. I appreciate that the government will provide help to people on income assistance and through the Transitional Rent Supplement Program, but still affordability for low- income people is an issue. I want to just ask about the CMHC, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, funding. I know that organization funds operations and maintenance of public housing stock and that number has been in decline since 2003. Is the fact that this...

Mr. Speaker, I forgot to introduce my mom. My mom is not actually my constituent. She's Cory's constituent. But I'd ask you to help me in thanking her for being here and welcoming her, Ms. Anne Little. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all Members will have experience advocating for constituents in need of public housing. In my riding, issues around public housing are especially acute. I have a higher than Yellowknife average number of lowincome earners along with people who are unemployed or hard to employ, especially when compared to the city's prosperous suburban ridings. Of all the many requests I get from constituents for help of all kinds, I estimate that housing issues make up 80 per cent of the total.

The issue for this group is not usually affordability because public housing rent...

I appreciate the Minister looking at how to bridge that gap in declining O and M funding with the CMHC; it's obviously a critical piece of work. My last question, or potentially my last question, concerns the local housing authorities. Many of them have significant operational surpluses in excess of $500,000, including the Yellowknife Housing Authority. Could the Yellowknife Housing Authority rent additional units using their surplus to provide at least short-term relief for families on the waiting list? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following on from my Member's statement, I'd like to talk a little bit more about housing availability, public housing availability, with some questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. The length of the waiting list for public housing, both within Yellowknife and across the territory as a whole, has been constant for years, and I'm wondering if the Minister could tell us what she can do to make more public housing units available, especially to the single parents on the waiting list? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to welcome Brenda Sayers to our Chamber today. She is the Hupacasath First Nation member who led the fight against the Canada/China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act. She served on the council of her Hupacasath First Nation and a director of the tribal council as well. She's here in Yellowknife this week to speak and teach about the trans-pacific trade partnership. I would like you to join me in welcoming her to our Chamber. Further, Mr. Speaker, in the gallery today are several hard-working EDs of non-profits including Kim...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize that this would not be sustainable, but it might supply a short-term additional boost in housing. I mean, people do move out of public housing. So those in temporary units could be moved on to more permanent units. It just seems to me that using those surpluses to create housing would be the best use of that money. So can the Minister commit to looking again at using the surplus for creating additional short-term housing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance regarding the public accounts for the fiscal year 2014-2015.

Can the Minister confirm that government spending on infrastructure exceeded the operating surplus, as per page 8 of the non-consolidated public accounts?

What are the consequences for government not adhering to its own Fiscal Responsibility Policy by failing to finance infrastructure from 50 per cent of the operating surplus?

What is the cost of the additional borrowing required for infrastructure funding in that year?

Can the Minister commit to make the...