Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I believe that the seniors were looking for something further. They’re owning their own houses and in the diesel communities, Mr. Chairman, they are paying quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s leaks in their system, but I’m telling the Minister they’re only taking home $750 a month and their power bill is $250. That’s far beyond what they can afford. They’re asking if there’s a way for us to subsidize the power elders are receiving, beyond the way it exists now. Is there some other supplementary way of doing it much like we’re contributing towards our costs of…I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about a year ago, I brought to the attention of this House a proposal for a regional airline in Fort Simpson. First Nation communities in my region have recognized an opportunity in the airline sector to capitalize on current economic and tourism development and growth to position themselves for the prospect of the Mackenzie gas project.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very exciting business opportunity for participating communities and the people in the Deh Cho. This business venture will be locally owned and controlled by the people of the region. They have...

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk to you about the Housing Corporation mortgage guidelines. They aren’t making sense. I think it is time the Housing Corporation reviews them. Mortgage within the Housing Corporation is based on income. If your income goes up, your mortgage goes up. A constituent of mine has a mortgage with the Housing Corporation. Last year, the constituent was fortunate enough to receive an arts grant of $5,000 from this government, Mr. Speaker. This raised her income and her mortgage went up. My constituent went out and used the grant money to buy art supplies related...

I am satisfied with the answer, Madam Chair.

---Laughter

Thank you, Madam Chair. Recently, I was thinking about our revolving fund and how it is handled in Alberta. They actually set up an AADAC commission to actually address…I believe that their funds come out of liquor, gambling and those types of revenues. I was just wondering if it was time for our government to start looking at setting up a commission to address our alcohol needs that are out there. The question was, who pays for the advertising for the 1-800 numbers for people with addictions and treatment needs? I think it is time for our government to start looking at that particular...

That’s okay.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up on the capital planning process. The Minister did mention that it is under FMBS, but, at the same time, the Department of Finance has some of the purse strings in terms of the funding that flows over what is tied to definitions and a certain amount of goals, like green infrastructure. I am sure that our Department of Finance does have some leeway in defining what green infrastructure is. Late last week, I said -- well, it will actually come to me in a dream, Mr. Chair -- that I wasn’t too far off when I said there is nothing greener...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee wishes to review the Appropriation Act, 2005-2006.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just wondering if the Minister was speaking about national guidelines as well. I guess I was looking more for how we get an appeals process going because that’s the real problem here, Mr. Speaker. A lot of the issues I’m hearing are that the Housing Corporation is not responsive; how do we get them to understand my unique circumstances? Like in the case I was talking about in my Member’s statement, Mr. Speaker, how does that person appeal the process, is the question. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. In my Member’s statement, I spoke about some of the inconsistencies that the constituents are experiencing with how the Housing Corporation reviews and applies the level of rent scale. I am just wondering if the Minister can tell me what guidelines we are using today. How do we determine who pays what rent and at what levels, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.