Robert C. McLeod

As far as the actual mine site, we’d have to work with INAC -- because it is kind of a multi-jurisdictional issue -- on the actual cleanup of the mine site. The infrastructure I think is what’s in question here. I suppose if we were unable to find a contractor to remove those, then we’d have to go from there and see what actually it might cost us as a government to remove all of the old infrastructure, because they are starting to age and the longer we delay it, the more dangerous it becomes to have that infrastructure out there. So it is one that we’re hoping to have by the end of this winter...

This is one of the reasons that making the amendments to the Commissioner’s Land Act requiring security deposits would have helped us in recovering some of those costs. As far as the actual going after the contractors, I haven’t had that discussion and once I have a discussion with my officials, I’ll meet with the Member and relay those on to her. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will table A Clear Path Forward: The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs’ Strategic Plan 2010-2015. This strategic plan was developed through an inclusive process involving staff, partners and stakeholders. It is in sync with the 16th Assembly’s priorities and embraces the goal of healthy, sustainable communities.

MACA has a broad mandate involving a variety of stakeholders. The department aims to provide relevant, effective programs and services reflecting innovation, learning and excellence.

Given the many changes of the past three years, it was...

Some of these tenants do have a nice, brand new Lexus outside their house, but I assured the Member that we are doing what we can to try and work with those that are in arrears. If reporting to the credit bureau is one of those, then that is what we are planning on doing. I mean, we have an Arrears Management Strategy that we’re working on right now and we realize that arrears are accumulating. Part of it I’ve accepted responsibility as Minister of the Housing Corporation is because we didn’t pursue them as aggressively enough as we should have to get to the point where we’re in the situation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We try to work with the tenants as closely as possible and not get to the point to where we have to go to a collection agency. That is one of the options that we are looking at, but it would be our desire to just work with the tenants, work out a repayment plan with them. There is some garnisheeing that goes on, but as far as reporting to a collection agency, that is one of the options we have been looking at. It is one that we are quite hesitant to pursue, because I would personally, as the corporation would, like to work with the tenants and have them come to us.

I can...

Should the unfortunate incident occur that the Member is speaking about, I mean, obviously the city would be in the forefront in trying to deal with some of the damage that occurred there. If the city asks for assistance from MACA or any other appropriate departments, we’d do what we can to assist the city to deal with some of the issues that would take place at Northland should that most unfortunate incident occur where the pipes burst and things go bad.

The initiatives that I pointed out before were designed to deal with some of the declining funding to date; more specifically, the replacement rather than adding to the public housing stock. The Member is correct; we’ve cumulatively lost $5.8 million in CMHC funding in the past 10 years. This year alone is $676,000. We have a huge challenge facing us and we’re doing, as a corporation, what we can to try to deal with some of the challenges and that one of the messages that I’ve been, I wouldn’t say preaching, but across the Northwest Territories in all the meetings I’ve gone to with the public...

I’d be willing to provide Members with a framework for a plan. Obviously, we’d have to be looking at things like managing our portfolio a lot better, extending the life of the units we have on the ground.

Another part of the plan would be arrears collection. We have approximately $23 million in arrears across the Northwest Territories and that would go a long way in helping to alleviate some of the loss of revenue we have from CMHC.

We are working with our colleagues in Nunavut and the Yukon to approach the federal government, CMHC, and let them know the effect the funding will have on the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to welcome into the gallery a constituent of Inuvik Twin Lakes who also happens to be the mayor of Inuvik, Mr. Denny Rodgers. Welcome.

We do have a process in place. It may not be the one that the Member likes, but there is a process in place, it’s a work in progress.

I’ve been quite encouraged by the number of people that are coming forward to work out repayment plans, because they understand that they need to deal with their arrears, it affects their ability to access Housing Corporation programs and we are looking at reporting to a collection agency and people are getting evicted and terminated for not dealing with their arrears. So we do have a process in place, it’s been in place for a while. It’s one that does have some...