Robert Hawkins

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Human Resources, the Honourable Bob McLeod. Clearly, the Members on this side of the House are very interested in helping our students obtain meaningful employment during their short summer. This work helps them afford to go to school and be successful in their studies. Clearly, we would like to see some progress in the areas this summer. Clearly, you can hear from all the Members, the message is quite loud and crystal clear, that this government must do better, and we’re prepared to help support that type of initiative. We...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

I’d like to thank the Minister. Is the Department of Finance planning to hire more summer students by the end of summer and are they looking to expand into the regions?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Human Resources, the Honourable Bob McLeod. Clearly, the Members on this side of the House are very interested in helping our students obtain meaningful employment during their short summer. This work helps them afford to go to school and be successful in their studies. Clearly, we would like to see some progress in the areas this summer. Clearly, you can hear from all the Members, the message is quite loud and crystal clear, that this government must do better, and we’re prepared to help support that type of initiative. We...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sort of hearing a comment for consideration here from the Minister and I want to take advantage of that opportunity by saying would the Minister be willing to assess this particular proposal, because I think it would provide a lot less work to clients, provide a stable environment for them in the sense of payment schedules, as well as be less work for the LHOs to manage once a year to re-evaluate the whole line. No different than when you’re taxed. I mean, you’re not taxed one month by CRA, high one month and then not the next. I mean, it’s a formula base. Let’s...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

I’d like to thank the Minister. Is the Department of Finance planning to hire more summer students by the end of summer and are they looking to expand into the regions?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it should be clearly stating that rent is coming in at whatever capacity, and separate it from the arrears. Because what it does is give you a blanket number, so we don’t know who’s paying the rent on time and we don’t know who’s paying the arrears on time. That’s ultimately the goal on this particular issue. I want to make sure, the 161 percent sounds good but we don’t really know what 161 percent means in the bigger context.

I want to give credit for the Minister’s previous answer, and what I’d like to ask him in this particular case, then, is...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sort of hearing a comment for consideration here from the Minister and I want to take advantage of that opportunity by saying would the Minister be willing to assess this particular proposal, because I think it would provide a lot less work to clients, provide a stable environment for them in the sense of payment schedules, as well as be less work for the LHOs to manage once a year to re-evaluate the whole line. No different than when you’re taxed. I mean, you’re not taxed one month by CRA, high one month and then not the next. I mean, it’s a formula base. Let’s...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a similar vein as my colleague Mr. Yakeleya, I have concerns about the Housing Corporation on how they do view this particular problem and deal with arrears, whether they’re rentals or, certainly, mortgage arrears.

In my Member’s statement today I talked about 76 percent is the collection rate at housing LHOs across the board, that is, to be honest and fair of course, and they need 90 percent in order to break even. Of course, housing arrears under the context of mortgages are at 40 percent. If you add those two stacks of arrears up, that’s about $26 million in...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it should be clearly stating that rent is coming in at whatever capacity, and separate it from the arrears. Because what it does is give you a blanket number, so we don’t know who’s paying the rent on time and we don’t know who’s paying the arrears on time. That’s ultimately the goal on this particular issue. I want to make sure, the 161 percent sounds good but we don’t really know what 161 percent means in the bigger context.

I want to give credit for the Minister’s previous answer, and what I’d like to ask him in this particular case, then, is...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Rental arrears in public housing is a chronic problem for the Government of the Northwest Territories. When we reviewed the main estimates earlier this year, average rent collection was only 76 percent at a debt balance of $13 million outstanding. Collection needs to be at 90 percent in order to maintain the LHO, and that’s from the Minister as well as the department, Mr. Speaker. Clearly, we need action on these rental collections and certainly the arrears. However, if you think that’s bad, Mr. Speaker, well, mortgage collection rates are at 40 percent, so...