Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2010 Annual Report.

Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member and all Members that I will communicate very quickly here by way of written form to the federal Minister advising him of our concerns. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will begin public consultation on the draft framework in October of 2011. We will be providing a briefing to various stakeholders including the City of Yellowknife and the Town of Inuvik because of the affected area up there. The Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the Gwich’in Tribal Council, and the Cassidy Point/Prosperous Lake, we’d be providing them with a briefing prior to the public release of the draft framework. Thank you.

To answer the first part of the Member’s question, we’re always willing to work with the tenants. If there are some hardships that tenants run into, all they need to do is go see the LHO. We’re not without a heart. They’d be willing to talk with them.

As to the second part of the Member’s question about whether or not the hamlet can take over the provision of housing, we’re always open to those types of suggestions. If the hamlet wants to seriously consider it, sit down with the Housing Corporation, then I’m sure there are arrangements that we can work out.

I’ll say it right now publicly, that...

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

We recognize the fact that some of our communities have gone longer without units being put in their communities than others. We are starting to recognize the fact that some of the smaller communities now are being left behind a bit, so they are going to need an investment. I can assure the Member that I will make a recommendation that the smaller communities and the one he brings up quite regularly, and rightfully so, Sachs Harbour, does need an investment in infrastructure on the housing side in their community. Thank you.

The Member’s questions are valid. As far as the Community Planning Act, I’m not sure how it fits in. To be quite honest, I’m not well aware of the situation the Member is speaking of, but we will have a look at it and see how all this occurred and we’ll communicate that to the Member.

That would be part of the Housing Choices Evaluation Program, if there is a difference in small communities versus small communities. As I said, it’s an evaluation we are undertaking right now. We are expecting to have -- as I said in committee the other day -- a preliminary report hopefully done by the end of our term here. So we are still available. We would be able to have a quick glance at it, and it would be a transition document and recommendations to the 17th Assembly. Thank you.

Whatever the land claim groups, present or future, settle, we intend to abide by it. We are not proposing to change anything within the land claim groups. It’s just enabling the communities to make these decisions and not imposing on anybody. Thank you.

I believe a lot of the work done on the rent scale review goes a long way in addressing some of the concerns that have been raised by Members of the Legislative Assembly and folks across the Territories. I think folks, for the most part, will be pleased with some of the information that will be coming out.

Again, because it’s such a major decision and one that requires a little more work, I think it would be best if it were put into a transition document as part of the 17th Legislative Assembly, and they can have a look at it and determine how early they want to roll this thing out. But most...