Michael McLeod

Certainly we probably could provide that up front, the actual cost of runway lighting in both these communities. We need some resolution to how we can deal with the maintenance issues and then we could pick the next step to consider whether that would be enough for us to invest in those two communities to put the runway lights back in.

Up to now flare pots have been the safest course to use in the landing and darkness and it’s also been something that removes the safety concern of having lights that are on Transport Canada’s list that do not work and are damaged on a regular basis. So we need...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently there is no runway lighting in the communities of Nahanni Butte and Jean Marie. We continue to use flare pots. We have, historically, installed runway lights and in both communities. They were damaged on many occasions and it was decided to remove them. It is a safety concern with the federal government when we list a runway as having permanent lighting and they don’t work due to damage, and if they’re not consistently operational we certainly would be responsible for some liability in that area. So until we can find a solution as to having lighting in those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My briefing notes say that the intervention program is already in place. Mr. Speaker, the Member is indicating or alluding to a point that he’s trying to make, that there is no program in place. We do have a very good program in place. It works for the most part. We cannot force people to pay their rent. If they’re going to skip their rent and not try to come forward and meet with us to set up a recovery plan, it’s very difficult for us to deal with that situation.

Also, for the record, the Housing Corporation charges full market rent. The subsidy comes through the ECE...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there’s a number of ways we can work with the tenants in our public housing facilities, and we certainly work hard towards making sure everybody is aware of the programs and making sure that they have skills to analyze their fiscal situation. We have courses that they can take; they’re short-term courses, at their convenience, and many of our tenants have been taking us up on it. Many of our homeowner applicants are also utilizing this course so they can upgrade their life skills.

The eviction process is a very lengthy one. It can take upwards anywhere from...

I understand the Member is still building this House...

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, right now, I can inform the Member we have earmarked $2 million for this year and $2 million for next year. That will bring us further along. As to a final figure, we’d be glad to share that and we will commit to providing all the information that we currently have gathered to the Member for his consideration and for his use. We’ll have that to him very shortly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll have to interpret that to mean completion of this road as we saw and budgeted for or I’m sure the number of issues he’s raised in his Member’s statement are what he’s suggesting that we incorporate. At this point, we have targeted $2 million for this upcoming year and a further $2 million to do work on the Dettah road. The work will include engineering work, the surveys and all the designs and gravel production. As the Member knows, this road had very little in terms of real engineering structure and was constructed many years ago when most of the material was clay...

The time frame for the community needs assessment for 2009 I expect to have in my hands by the end of June. I would be pleased to share that with Members. As we move forward, putting our investment plan to the communities for the communities, I would also be pleased to roll that out. I would hope to have everything all compiled and ready for sharing with the Members. There is a number of areas that we’d have to work towards in some of the communities such as the Member’s indicated for time frames, schedules, and clear roles and responsibilities. But we’ll move that forward as fast as we can...

I’m becoming more and more familiar with the Gwich’in land claim as the Member provides us quotes almost on a daily basis of where the issues are raising concern.

The issue may have been around for many years. I’ve only recently been brought into the fold and been asked to take a look at it. I am responding to the Member’s constituent. I’d be glad to look at the site and the proposal that the Member is bringing forward and respond accordingly.

The Housing Corporation, of course, is always very open to having those discussions. We’ve managed to make some considerable headway in one of the Member’s communities. I think Lutselk’e has done a lot of good work in terms of planning for housing, investment housing development. We need to follow through on that and a lot of our other communities. As we move forward and review our results of the 2009 Community Needs Survey, I’d like to see us do more of this type of work. I’d certainly like to work with the Member to implement a similar plan in the community of Fort Resolution.

Mr. Speaker, in all our projects and operations within Transportation and other departments across the government we always worked towards ensuring that our constituents and residents across the Territories have the benefit of operating and living their traditional and cultural lifestyle without any disturbance. Setting up operations in this instance, such as the ferry operations, has involved a lot of people, including a lot of the elders and incorporating traditional knowledge. It’s been an area that we’ve used for operations for quite a few years. In the last while we had an instance where...