Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use this opportunity to celebrate the achievement of a resident and constituent of Inuvik. Ms. Alison Lennie had attended the University of Alberta for four years, got her commerce degree, and just recently wrote and passed her exam to become a chartered accountant and received her designation.

I think this is important that we use opportunities like this to celebrate the achievements and the accomplishments of our young people, and I think that goes a long way to showing that our education system is really working, and what you put into it is what you’re going...

I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha:

WHEREAS Rule 85 requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure:

Mr. Robert Hawkins, the Member for Yellowknife Centre;

Mr. Frederick Blake Jr., the Member for Mackenzie Delta;

Mr. Robert Bouchard, the Member for Hay River North;

Mr. Bob Bromley, the Member for Weledeh;

Mr. Kevin Menicoche, the Member for Nahendeh;

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, December 9, 2011, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure:

Mr. Robert Hawkins, the Member for Yellowknife Centre;

Mr. Frederick Blake Jr., the Member for Mackenzie Delta;

Mr. Robert Bouchard, the Member for Hay River North;

Mr. Bob Bromley, the Member for Weledeh;

Mr. Kevin Menicoche, the Member for Nahendeh;

Mr. Michael Nadli, the Member for Deh Cho;

And further, that...

The Member makes a very good point, that this is another opportunity to deal with the tenant arrears. Our TROs actually work very closely with the tenants to try and educate them on the responsibility that they have as clients. In many cases in the past we’ve had numerous opportunities where we’ve tried to contact tenants, in some cases up to 18 times, and tenants are given chance after chance after chance. We’re hoping that they don’t see this as another opportunity to put off what they should be taking care of.

I still believe that some people will step up to the plate and that’s our goal in...

The process that the LHOs are going to follow is all the processes that are in place right now will continue to move ahead. So if there are terminations or rental officer hearings, those processes will not stop. The actual evictions will not happen until April 1st. This gives people ample opportunity to try and get into repayment plans.

The Member asked about the consequences, obviously, and as much as we don’t want to do it, come April 1st evictions will happen, and then it’s going to be a shame that these people haven’t stepped up to the plate after having another opportunity on top of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to inform Members that the Housing Corporation will be offering a one-time temporary moratorium on evictions for public housing clients with arrears.

This moratorium is consistent with the work the Housing Corporation has been undertaking over the past few years to encourage tenants with arrears to work with local housing organizations to find solutions to maintain their tenancies. We are committed to helping tenants in arrears to find positive solutions to become successful public housing tenants.

Postponing evictions due to arrears is a unique situation, is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion that I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted

The LHOs in the communities are the ones that work directly with a lot of the clients, and for the most part a lot of the LHOs have someone in the office that’s from the community that’s able to speak the local language. If they don’t, I’m sure they would do what they can to ensure that clients coming in that don’t have a good understanding of English are able to hear some of the instructions in their language. We’ve always tried to make a commitment that we will work as closely as possible with some of the communities in providing Aboriginal translation services as we did with the NWT Housing...

The process won’t change at all for those who are being terminated or evicted with cause, damaging units and the likes of that. Those terminations and evictions will go ahead. The moratorium only applies to rental arrears and rental arrears only.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The moratorium actually will take effect right away.

As far as the Member’s question goes as to what steps do they have to take, we want to encourage public housing tenants to go to their LHOs, enter into repayment plans, not only enter into them, we would ask that they honour them, because, as I said in my Minister’s statement, come April 1st for those that haven’t entered into and honoured their repayment plans, evictions will happen.