Robert C. McLeod

In the last number of years we've had to use some short-term borrowing, usually beginning of the fall, as our expenditures continue to out-strip our revenues. This is not an option that we want to use too often. I mean, the option's there, we will take advantage of it, but our goal at the end of the day is to ensure that our expenditures don't exceed our revenue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will be tabling a revenue options paper early in this session that we had an opportunity to share with Committee, and it points out a number of options we're looking at as far as increasing our revenue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to use this opportunity to recognize my wife Judy and appreciate all the support that she’s given me in the last 36 years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being the last day of session for the 17th Assembly, I thought it was a good opportunity to stand up and give some thank yous and some highlights of the last four years. I can’t believe how quickly, I think a couple Members mentioned, the last four years have gone. It seems like we were just getting sworn in and now we’re out the door.

Some highlights for myself personally in the 17th Assembly was being a witness on behalf of the Government of the NWT to the Gwich’in signing on to devolution. Speaking of the induction ceremony for Sharon and Shirley Firth’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to tale the following three documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Annual Report 2014-2015;” “Follow-up Letter for OQ 829-17(5): Public Housing Waiting Lists;” and “Follow-up Letter for OQ 901-17(5): Mackenzie Delta Elders Facility.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To all my colleagues in the Assembly, we’ve brought issues forward to each other. Again, we haven’t always gotten the results we’ve wanted, but I respect the passion that you’ve brought to your issues. Your constituencies were well-represented.

Most importantly, we aren’t able to do this job, as many Members said, without the support of our families. When I started in 2004, I had my wife, Judy, three children and one future son-in-law. We’re up to 12 now. I’ve got five grandchildren who just wait for Grandpa to come home, especially if he stops by the store on the way home. I’ve appreciated...

Mr. Speaker, technology could be a game-changer for Inuvik’s economy. Due to its northern location and the frequent passes of satellites, Inuvik is becoming an attractive area for technological investment.

Inuvik is already home to the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility, with one Canadian-owned and two internationally-owned satellite antennas, and growth expected to increase in the coming years with the completion of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line. This state-of-the-art telecommunications link will connect the Beaufort-Delta to southern Canada and is expected to attract additional business from...

Again, we operate a number of public housing units across the Northwest Territories. People get evicted for different reasons and they have to work out an agreement to repay their arrears, if there are any, to get back into public housing, and if they honour that then they would get on the waiting list and possibly back into public housing. However, in some cases where there are folks out in the Territories who don’t meet those commitments that they’ve made, we do have a pilot project that we’re starting, called Northern Pathways to Housing, and it’s four communities we’re piloting the project...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to confirm if there were any applications received from the Member’s constituency and I will do that and I will share those with the Member. Just offhand I do know that we have helped, we have given money to a lot of those that have applied from across the Northwest Territories. As for the specific breakdown, I don’t have those with me right now, but I will get those and share them with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. When you talk about homelessness in the community, we have 2,400 public housing units across the Northwest Territories. All we ask people to do is honour the commitment that they’ve made to pay their rent and they won’t be evicted. In some cases we do have people who are evicted and they’re looking for other opportunities to try and house themselves.

As far as the Member’s specific, I don’t recall seeing a request for lumber. I do know that I replied to a letter from the chief of Fort Providence. As far as a request for the lumber goes, I’m not sure if it came from his original...