Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member's statement on the other side of the equation, which first I mentioned I was going to go to housing, now I'm going back to Municipal and Community Affairs with respect to the ideas of creating a fee or tax holiday.

So I proposed ideas in the statement to bring forward to NWTAC. And perhaps maybe the MACA Minister can help lead this initiative. I know tax themselves is for the finance Minister, but this is about working with initiatives for municipalities under municipal legislation.

So the question specifically is to the Minister is would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as Speaker, whatever way you describe it is perfect.

That said, Mr. Speaker, my concern is, and this is not a strike against the NWT Disabilities Council, but I would rather see an agency that's designed to create leasing and housing opportunities to the core as their primary business and focus. B, take the opportunity to create something.

So I'm asking the Minister would she perhaps revisit this issue? And I can talk to her more about it, but would she be willing to revisit this issue and maybe create we'll call it a partnership where industry works with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement I talked about trying to be innovative, exciting, and maybe even in some ways courageous about trying to find housing solutions. I did point to two different types of Ministers, which is, you know, one could be municipal and certainly one could be housing. But I think I'm going to go to my favorite Minister today which would be the Minister of housing. I'm saying today.

So that said, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to focus in on the area of my statement that talked about Rockhill. Mr. Speaker, the reason I specify that and this particular Minister is...

Well, now that I have the mic and I have nine minutes and 45 seconds no, no, Madam Chair, I'm going to pass, in all seriousness, on this page. And I'll raise it as needed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ever so briefly, as the downtown Member of this Assembly and when I refer to downtown, that's Yellowknife Centre it's a very urban riding and it's impacted heavily by this. This is when I spoke to the neighbourhoods in the community, in the core of the city, you know, this was their number one issue. You know, it might be housing in a small community, and it might be health care on other people, but I can tell you the downtown core of Yellowknife, crime and the reduction of crime is foremost on their mind. There is, you know, nothing burdens them more than this, and...

I guess the only other question I have, maybe just to close it off, is would the Minister be willing to sit down with me and some others to talk about what it could look like and maybe he could become the champion of the concept as we explore an idea? Whether it goes to fruition or not is something completely different. And as I stress, Mr. Speaker, as I finish, not in isolation, in other words, without good consultation. So would the Minister be willing to do that? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would have obviously hoped for a yes, and I would have been fine as that my last question. But she did say something that did cause me some worry is, is there an agreement or contract or some type of formalization that they automatically get this property? Because I'm worried about not this being the first I've ever heard of it. And so if this has been worked behind the scenes, I'd like to know if this is formal, is there a contract, an agreement, that type of thing, or anything similar in place at this particular time? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, in October 2018 there was that tragedy of the fire sorry, not tragedy as someone died but the sadness of the fire in general. 33 families have been without a home, Mr. Speaker, and I bet it's been at least five years it's been, say, construction ready in the sense of once it was cleaned.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister consider the options I proposed in my statement, which is be innovative, give the property away to industry, and have them create a social component that guarantees low cost of living for a certain element; in other words, create a public good...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to vote in favour. I just want to say that was one of the best answers that replies to a motion I've ever heard from a Minister. As a matter of fact, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know, I'm looking for the Kleenex box to cry.

That said, obviously I'll be voting in favour to support my colleague and my community members who face this challenge day to day. And that's all I wanted to say. Good job, Minister, on that response.

Okay, that's good. Is there any thoughts or knowledge with the Minister it's always weird, call him the Minister of Justice and Premier the Minister and the department as to what type of timelines or logistical challenges that may delay the timelines? I am looking to get a sense of how soon or what are we talking about. Thank you.

HON. R.J. SIMPSON: