Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At least we agree that we are now talking about private housing out there in the private market. Mr. Speaker, that person in the private housing in the private market has a history and owes arrears in the past to our social housing side. Now, let’s agree to that point. Now, they owe arrears from the past dealings. Where do they go if they are being kicked out of private housing initiatives? Where do they go now because they can’t qualify for public or social housing? So where do they go now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to continue talking about the concerns of arrears with my favourite Housing Minister, the Honourable David Krutko. Mr. Speaker, if a person in market housing is being kicked out because they can’t afford to live there anymore, and obviously they owe arrears because that is what we are talking about, and they owe arrears so they can’t be put on the list, as the Minister clearly says, then where do they go if they are being kicked out of market housing and they can’t get on the list for social housing? Where do they go? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would this Minister look into that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are still missing the point on this issue, Mr. Speaker. I have a constituent out there who is in public housing right now. I can tell you if he wasn’t in public housing, his arrears as they were a few months ago, which were $2,000 or $3,000…This is a single guy with four kids and I can’t imagine him paying market rent forever. When he qualifies for public housing, he wouldn’t get in on this system. So how would he be able to afford to get into public housing if he has to pay his arrears? I think the policy is truly discriminating…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am still very concerned with this issue because I feel we are discriminating against those who are in most need. We are discriminating against them because they owe some money. I want them to pay the money back, but if they are prime candidates for social housing, they obviously are not prime candidates for market rent. Mr. Speaker, if they can’t pay market rent and we are forcing them to pay market rent, how are we ever going to get our arrears back? It’s perplexing. It’s like trying to push a rope. We are not going to get the money back. What we...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Minister. The reason I raise this point again is to reaffirm that we still have communities that we’re not meeting their basic needs, and by no means I’d like to restrict them by saying only nurses can get them or whatnot, or only lawyers or teachers or whatever the case may be as applicable. I wouldn’t want us to think that. I mean, we have to say something. If SAOs, communities want them to do whatever they want, that’s their business and that’s not my business. Our business here is to make sure that we give them that type of resource so they...

Thank you for recognizing me, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, when I think of this, it’s about making tracks again. I stress the word "again" because I was reading one of Marleau Montpetit's books, and I was perusing one of the pages, and in 1881 the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly was fully elected. If you really wonder what that means out there, that’s what Mr. Menicoche was referring to: 125 years ago we were a government. We were a big region, but that government was dissolved and in 1905 the Northwest Territories was elected. It was dissolved and it was replaced by an appointed...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m going to rise with a question in regard to what I talked about earlier in my Member’s statement, Mr. Speaker, which is the Quebec deal on parental leave and their ability and control over that program. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has basically kicked the discussion door wide open and said come talk to us, and I believe Quebec has their priorities in line with their people. I think we need to ensure that, as well, in a meaningful way. I think this government needs to make tracks to ensure we do have those priorities in line with the people....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am going to talk about the Quebec Parental Leave Program deal, Mr. Speaker, that has just been moving forward as of late. Mr. Speaker, I can truly tell you that I believe in my heart that there is no better job out there than being a parent. I think that there is no better federal policy out there than one that recognizes the importance of parents and, therefore, puts a priority on parents by giving them one year’s paid leave through their employment service to support that parental leave. Mr. Speaker, I have experience, and I know that nobody out there...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I wish to continue discussion on the housing initiative, also known as the trailer junket, and I wish to know about what are we going to do about trailers or the lack of trailers going into certain communities. Really what I’m getting at is we’re putting another 20 trailers or so out. There will be about a total of, I think, around 42, but the total doesn’t really matter so much. It’s the fact that we’re still missing trailers in some of these communities and they still have a requirement of health professionals such as nurses, teachers, et cetera, in...