Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We appreciate the Member’s frankness when he asks a question. He just gets straight to the point. The community governments are responsible for the firefighting infrastructure. They are given the money through the capital investment and they do have the responsibility. Our department will work with the communities in identifying some of their needs and possibly help out with the cost to them and finding out where they can access some of this equipment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will be giving notice of motion for first reading of An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act.

The political development of the Northwest Territories has been dramatic since the establishment of responsible territorial government in 1967. One of the critical elements to our development has been the empowerment of communities to run their own affairs based on local resources, priorities and conditions.

As many Members of this Assembly know from their personal experience, the opportunity to be elected to sit on a community council has...

I’m getting tired.

---Interjection

It has to meet standard building construction practices. It has to meet industry standards, but it is not one that is preventing us from getting it out there. We just need to make sure that we get a quality product. Thank you.

As far as the community’s need for a four-plex, I would have to have a discussion with Mr. Jacobson. I think I am going off on a rabbit trail here and maybe I got lost somewhere, but as far as his desire for a four-plex for his community as public housing, I have told the Member that if there is an opportunity there or if some changes happen or if there are things that change, and if we feel that we are able to assist the Member in securing a unit for his community, then that is something that we would be willing to entertain. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize in the gallery some LHO managers, some tenant relations officers, some assistant managers. I had the opportunity to meet with them yesterday. I’ll tell you one thing, they’re not shy about sharing their views. That was much appreciated and it helps me do my job a lot better.

Joining us in the gallery today are: from Ulukhaktok, Sadie Joss; Elaine Blake, manager in Tsiigehtchic; Jim White from the Yellowknife Housing Authority; Stephan Folker from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation; Agatha Laboucan from Lutselk’e Housing...

Well, it would be set in Sachs Harbour as it would be set in all other communities. Obviously, the cost of operating a unit in Sachs Harbour is going to be a lot more than it is for a community in the South Slave. That’s where they would set the rate.

I have to add that there are very few tenants across the Northwest Territories that actually pay the maximum rent. I think we may have 12 or 13 people across the Northwest Territories. The last time I heard it was 19, but it may have gone down since then. Those are the people that we’re trying to graduate out of public housing and into...

The one is a HELP unit. It’s a one unit detached. The second one is another HELP unit or land development. Two of them are land developments. So two are lot developments and one is a HELP unit, the one unit detached. Thank you.

I agree with the Member 100 percent, that people that can afford and are able to look after those units should be in there. That’s why I’ve given direction to the NWT Housing Corporation to have a look at the number of clients that may be over this net. If we started going too low, the lowest net, then I’m just afraid we may be setting some people up for failure and we may get some quick claim units because once they’re in there and realize what a cost it is to pay for your own fuel and power and other utilities, then they realize that there was a lot more to it than they thought. But I have...

There has been some discussion amongst myself and the officials to put this out for an expression of interest to see what kind of feedback we get on it, what we get back for as far as pricing goes. I believe we kind of have a design in mind, one that we’re proposing to go with, and a lot of this was working with the Rural and Remote committee who felt there was a need for this particular type of unit in some of the smaller communities.