Tom Beaulieu

It’s not a health question. Mr. Speaker, another major concern, however, is health. Can the Minister tell me if she has developed some sort of strategy to ensure that the seniors in our small, isolated communities are given the best possible and timely care? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I gave a Member’s statement on Mr. Maurice Lockhart. It was interesting that at the time of his passing Maurice Lockhart was doing repairs and painting his house. I have questions for the Minister responsible for Seniors.

Mr. Speaker, in many of our aboriginal communities it’s very common for elders living in their homes. However, when it comes to assistance, sometimes the assistance comes very slowly. Can the Minister responsible for Seniors tell me if there are any discussions with other Ministers to ensure our government provides the seniors with expedient and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to working with the other Ministers on creating a centre for seniors programs to create sort of a consolidated approach to assisting the seniors to decrease any delays for services to seniors? Thank you.

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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to use my Member’s statement to let Tu Nedhe constituents know what my plans are for the coming months.

Mr. Speaker, we have just passed the midway point of the 16th Assembly and as elected Members to this House, I have seen this Assembly go through some challenging times and yet remain focused on the interests and people of the Northwest Territories, as I am for the people of Tu Nedhe. Mr. Speaker, this is a testament to the commitment and dedication of each Member in this Assembly. Because of this, and on behalf of my...

Does the Minister and the Housing Corporation have a plan to help families that are clearly in core need but appear to be outside of the four programs, that don’t seem to be captured within the four programs that are currently offered by the Housing Corporation but are clearly in core need? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I have questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. In the past, Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation had programs such as the Senior Citizens Home Repair Program, Seniors and Disabled Preventative Maintenance Program and so on. Those programs have been eliminated and replaced with other programs; mind you, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear indication that the NWT Housing Corporation identifies different groups like seniors and families and so on. Seniors are usually on fixed incomes. So I want to ask the Minister if the Housing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister speaks of the needs survey being completed soon. Once the needs survey is completed, is there a plan to expand the programs so the majority of the constituents across the Territories can be captured within one program or another that the Housing Corporation will be offering, as opposed to staying within the current programs and hopefully the people who are core need fit into those programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Staying with the core needs of the various communities, I had discovered in the past that some of the core needs in some communities were as high as 80 percent in the Sahtu and as low as 6 percent in other parts of the Northwest Territories, which is well below the national average. I want to ask the Minister if the Housing Corporation has plans to address the communities with the highest core need and maybe move some funds to the communities where the highest core needs percentage is in these communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this to be a special case. I believe that some of these clients, after 20 years of being homeowners, may fall outside some of the program parameters that exist currently. Can the Minister, however, commit to providing technical support and, more importantly, some financial support to bring these units to a proper state for safety as well as for the comfort of the homeowners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise me if he and the NWT Housing Corporation staff, specifically the key staff, are aware of the problem and why the problem actually exists? I am wondering if he is aware technically why the problem actually exists. Thank you.