Mr. Speaker, just with respect to Fort Liard, I believe it was identified as a special concern to the Housing Corporation because of the recent mould problems. I would just like to ask the Minister again if there was special consideration taken to retrofitting and renovating the homes that had been identified with the mould problems last fall. That is what I was addressing, Mr. Speaker. Has the corporation identified some extraordinary funding to help the community of Fort Liard?

Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Recently, the Housing Corporation undertook an assessment for Fort Liard. I am just wondering if the Minister can comment whether that assessment has been completed for the community of Fort Liard. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, adequate and affordable housing continues to be a major problem across the territory and in smaller communities particularly. I refer to the 2004 survey of our community housing needs released by the NWT Housing Corporation. The report states that 29 percent of the territorial households have some form of housing problem. About half of those problems are identified as core need, meaning that the cost of repairs exceeds the ability of the homeowners to pay. The situation is more acute when we look at regional statistics. In my riding of Nahendeh, 42 percent of householders...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee, of course, is concerned and I was just wondering what has actually been done. Is there any evidence that the government is acting so that this situation will not happen again? Could the Minister of FMBS answer that for me, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just with respect to some of the noted deficiencies, as we’re reviewing Bill 9, with regard to providing grants to organizations that have not received a proper accounting from the year before, I’m just wondering, Mr. Chairman, if the Minister can comment on the existing guidelines to providing funds to organizations when they haven’t really been accounting for previous usage. What are the guidelines in use today? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, we wish to consider the sessional statement, as well as Bill 9, Bill 10, and Minister’s Statement 49-15(3), Fiscal Update.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be just as interested to partake in those discussions, as well. In fact, there is thinking out there that our current guidelines will be below the standard of other jurisdictions. Is the Minister willing to sit down with Members on this side of the House? When will he be discussing changes to guidelines? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. I would like to take the Minister up on that invitation as I am unaware of that guideline. Speaking of guidelines, does the Minister have any plans to review the current guidelines with respect to this issue?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I do believe that I stand firm that it certainly is one of the communities or probably the only community that still doesn’t have this facility. I would like to ask the Minister, will he provide the same recreational opportunities to the students of Nahanni Butte that others have in the Northwest Territories, and will the Minister commit to undertake a feasibility or engineering study to cost out this project in this fiscal year?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister promise to the youth in Nahanni Butte that they will be provided with the same recreational opportunities that all other youth of the Northwest Territories enjoy before all the students currently attending school in the Nahanni Butte have graduated? Mr. Speaker, we have a whole generation that will graduate before even getting a gymnasium. They can’t even play volleyball and indoor soccer. I would like the Minister to look at getting us a gymnasium. Thank you.