Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Sport and Recreation Council was formed as a result of a review that they had performed in 2005. It was formed out of the Legislative Assembly, and seeing as we mandate our departments, then we can I think fairly say that their mandate is one that is mandated by the Legislative Assembly.

We have had some discussions with the five partner organizations. I’ve had an opportunity to meet with all of them. I’ve met with Sport North on a number of occasions and I’ve met with the Sport and Recreation Council. What we’re trying to do is iron out the whole situation here.

Our intent here is to take more of the politics out of the sport and get sport to the front line, on the ground to the people that most need it. I think we’re moving in that direction. We’ve seen a lot of good work done by all the partner organizations and I think in the last Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie we...

The Member raises a very good point and I think it’s something we should do as a government, is try and track to see if the prices have been adjusting with the price of crude oil. I can assure the Member that I will have discussions with the department and with my Cabinet colleagues to see how we would go about this. It’s something that I think we should do to try and protect our consumers out there the best we can.

I agree with the Member that I think there is some research we need to undertake. I assure the Member that I will have discussions with the department and we’ll go about undertaking some of that research and try to track the price of fuel and gas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department does have a consumer affairs branch. It’s a very small office right now; it’s complaint driven. As far as the Member’s question on the cost of crude, we don’t regulate the cost of fuel. If we were to do something like that, we’d obviously have to go through the legislation. It is a concern obviously amongst folks out there that constantly have to deal with it all the time. One thing we do do as a government through I think it’s Public Works, is if they get a shipment of fuel at a cheaper price, then they adjust the fuel price of the communities that they...

We have had internal discussions on doing the assessments on an annual basis based on last year’s tax receipt, as the Member has stated. One of the drawbacks is if they work in previous year and not work in the current year, they would be assessed on their rent or their tax or earnings from the last year so that may put them in a difficult position, but it is something that we are looking at.

We are looking at either doing an annual or a biannual basis. Feedback that I have had in some of my conversations with the LHOs, the assessment per month probably works best for the tenant and it would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is quite correct; there has been some input as to how we can be creative in allowing people to take care of their arrears or pay on their arrears. There have been some cases in the past where this has happened, and it’s something that I can assure the Member and all Members that it’s something that we are looking at to find ways. I mean, obviously there are going to be other issues, but we have to sort through those and try to find common ground that will work for both tenants and the local housing authorities. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I didn’t focus on the one negative; I’m just not sure how it would best apply to residents in the NWT. Obviously we know the challenges that Nunavut Housing is facing with the debt that they have. Ours is nowhere near that. It’s not even close. I’m just trying to focus on what I think would work best for the people we serve on this side of the North.

I can assure the Member that one of the things we’ve heard – and I think all of the MLA candidates heard as they were going through the campaign – was: “I don’t want to work because my rent is going to go up.” It is one of the most...

Mr. Speaker, we ask all our LHOs to meet a specific target – usually it’s around 90 percent – and that would allow them to do the work that they have the money to do the work; the revenue could do the work that they need. As far as taking money back for rent not collected, I would have to follow up on that because I’m not sure if we really do that, but we do set a specific target and it’s an internal target that the LHOs try and reach so that they’re able to generate enough revenue to help with their repairs and that they need. But I’d have to follow up on the Member’s second point and I don’t...

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide Members with an update on the way the NWT Sport and Recreation Council has improved access to quality physical activity, sport and recreation programs for all NWT residents.

Earlier this fall I met with the NWT Sport and Recreation Council executive to discuss their 2011-2012 funding program. We agreed that while there were some challenges with the process, in general the results were positive. More people are participating, and all sport and recreation organizations received more funding than they did in previous years. And accountability and efficiency...