Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you how displeased I am at the way the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation and this government have handled the market housing initiative introduced last year. Mr. Speaker, as you might recall, we had a very extensive debate on various aspects of this policy all during the spring and summer sessions in 2004. At that time, the government begged us to waive their own BIP policy and allow them to bring 22 trailers from Sherwood Park in a hurry, because this was a cheap and efficient way to bring needed housing for teachers and nurses into our communities. Time was of the essence; there were no other options, Mr. Speaker. They assured us that they would have an evaluation done and that they would look into creating a housing manufacturing industry in the North and they would come back with a comprehensive plan and they would not ask to bypass the BIP again. So where do we stand a year later, Mr. Speaker?

We have 14 out of 22 mobile homes sitting empty, dotted all over the North. Mr. Speaker, the department has no clear idea what went wrong. They can’t figure out why the people who said they wanted them would not take them. They’re asking, Mr. Speaker, for us to give them the benefit of the doubt to bring 22 more units, no questions asked, and waive the BIP again.

Mr. Speaker, I need to know where the government is heading with their money in the Housing Corporation. The Minister indicated, no problem, we can bring 22 more and if they’re not taken up, we can give them to social housing, while Mr. McLeod indicated how labour-intensive and more costly trailers will be to maintain.

Mr. Speaker, I need to ask the government, is this where we’re heading with the social housing policy? Are we going to become the middleman for trailer dealers from the South, Mr. Speaker?

---Laughter

Is this where the government is heading?

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I say this is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker. Are they going to continue to ignore the BIP that is applicable to everybody else? Mr. Speaker, all the answers I have gotten to this date are not acceptable. I don’t believe it’s fair to say to the people in social housing that they can get leftover mobile homes. I don’t think it’s fair…

---Laughter

…for the government to say we can just waive BIP because it doesn’t work for us. I expect the Minister to answer to all of the above. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause