Michael McLeod

I want to thank the Member for the acknowledgement. Last year we didn’t have any money for this road and this year and next year we have a total of $4 million. As of now, that’s the money we have budgeted for investment and we will consider further work in other areas, as I mentioned earlier, for hard-topping the surface and possibly it may require further investment as we move forward. We have these dollars, this budget of $4 million currently that we’re focusing on. I have to state that this is the initial investment and I don’t have a final figure. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think in this situation we certainly have to look at the long term. As I mentioned earlier, this has been a site that has been used by our department, by our ferry services for roughly 30 years. In that part of the country there is erosion of the soil, there is erosion of the riverbanks, and it has moved our landing so that it’s becoming a concern for some of the people who are utilizing the area for traditional harvesting of fish. I think we need to sit down and make sure that if we’re going to make any changes, it has to be a solution that’s going to be acceptable for many years to come. I...

I’d be more than willing to share all of the information that we have compiled in terms of investment and plans for the communities, especially in the Member’s riding. We have certainly been encouraging our regional staff to get into the communities, to talk to the leaders, to share our own housing programs, to share the specifics of all the different areas that we have in terms of support: with our public housing initiatives, with our homeownership programs, our educational programs, our financial counselling programs. As we move forward, we will be starting to develop lands for presentation...

I think there are two issues that are tripping over each other in this situation. One is being the ferry operation utilizing the site that’s been in place since the 1980s might be somehow interfering with the individual’s traditional lifestyle practices and also an occasion where the ferry did land practically at her camp. I’m going to need to find some clarity as to what the real issue is and we’ll have our staff meet with the Member’s constituent to clarify what the actual request is and look at what the 50 feet would entail to move the landing, if that’s possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have developed plans in many of our communities, some very comprehensive, some pretty straightforward in terms of just delivering the capital, and we are currently basing our plans for investment, as the Member is aware, on a 2004 needs assessment. In some of the communities we’ve been able to engage the local government and the LHO, and the NWT Housing Corporation headquarters, and the local leadership to talk about some fairly comprehensive planning that includes dealing with some of the public housing stock, future homeownership programs and also removing some of...

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, over the last while we’ve heard many comments about the number of McLeods in the House. So I’d like to welcome a few more reinforcements. Two of my sisters-in-law are here. I’d like to welcome them both: Melody and Evelyn. Thank you for coming. I’d also like to recognize Rocky Simpson from Hay River. Thank you.