Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Greg and Sharon Hopf, a family originally from Fort Resolution.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to talk, once again, about the frustrations that many of my constituents have with the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, many of these constituents are elders, single mothers, young couples trying to make ends meet to raise a family and many of them rely on income support. It’s a tough situation that they are in. As their MLA, I have seen firsthand the conditions of many of these units and when I meet with them in their homes, Mr. Speaker, I hear desperation in their voices.

I, too, have become...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of caribou, this issue about the Bathurst herd is a very tough issue. I heard from people in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. I recognize that the inability for them to go in and harvest within the Wekeezhii area has had a really significant impact. However, what impacts them is the right to do so. You have to balance, I guess, an issue of rights and whether or not that is going to be fought in this type of arena, or an issue of declining herd that, according to science, tell us is a potential for extinction.

The way I view this is there is a need for...

Can the Minister tell me if the NWT Housing Corporation has developed plans for what’s going to happen in the communities? Of course, I’m specifically interested in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e for this construction season. If he’s able to tell me what is going to happen in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I talked about a desperate situation that many of my constituents have in their housing needs. I have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

Many constituents in Tu Nedhe want to know how the Housing Corporation is supposed to keep building brand new houses for $250,000 and then leave them vacant for years while families are in need. Can the Minister tell me if the Housing Corporation is looking at other options to help meet housing needs in the communities?

I thought the NWT Housing Corporation was there to help people, but so far it appears that that is not the case. I will have questions for the Minister of the Housing Corporation later on today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m happy with most of what was put into the budget. I’m very pleased to see the $600,000 into the small and rural and remote communities. I’m hoping that money for early childhood development programs goes into daycares in the small communities. I think that we have information from the schools indicating the value of daycare when the kids finally do get to school and kindergarten. A good daycare in the community seems to go a long ways to advancing the kids that do attend daycare and they come into the school system much better prepared. So, Mr. Chairman, I think...

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. With the new needs survey just completed, which I haven’t seen yet, I know that there’s definitely some needs for the seniors living in their own homes in Tu Nedhe. Can the Minister tell me if the Housing Corporation is going to be establishing anything insofar as repairs go that is specific to helping the seniors that are homeowners in our small communities?

Can the Minister tell me if there is a time limit in which the NWT Housing Corporation will allow units to sit empty in a community?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee will continue the consideration of Health and Social Services.