Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In keeping with what would be the normal turnaround time required for a piece of legislation like this, I'd like to ask the Minister: is there any way to fast-track this? If there is, when could we possibly see this legislation work concluded and this bill passed in the House?
Mr. Speaker, we’ll do what we can as a department to fast-track this particular piece of our proposal.
We will, as a department, continue to work with the Department of Health and Social Services and the other parties that are involved with drafting of the proposal. We’ll do what we can as a department to move it expeditiously. Mahsi.
The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about an issue that hits home with many single mothers and fathers: the Core Need Income Threshold and the issue of being eligible for public housing. Today I have questions for the Minister Responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. I’d like to ask the Minister: how often is a thorough review of the Core Need Income Threshold completed by the NWT Housing Corporation?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The homeownership Core Need Income Threshold is done on a two-year cycle. The rental Core Need Income Threshold, accepted by CMHC, is provided to the NWT Housing Corp every five years, in accordance with the Social Housing Agreement.
I’m interested in the Core Need Income Threshold for public housing. Did I hear correctly that the Minister said the numbers come from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or is there other data that’s used to determine the Core Need Income Threshold?
My information is that it comes mainly through the CMHC. As well, we do our own. In 2009 the Housing Corporation will be doing, as well, another housing survey to check on the number of core needs for just housing in general.
Can the Minister advise if the NWT Housing Corporation would look at a different way of determining Core Need Income Threshold? I can’t see how they could capture all community-assisted expenses if they’re using the Core Need Income Threshold handed down from the federal government.
Can the Minister advise if at some point the corporation would look at having all expenses to determine that core need income be community-specific?
The Member has raised a number of concerns in terms of housing policies, like with seniors and how that repair program is profiled. This is another issue. I’ll just make the commitment in the House that we’ll be willing and interested to sit down with committee to look at suggestions as we look at the broad policy review that’s underway currently in the Housing Corporation. As we move through this budget process, we will be moving right into the business planning process, so there’d be an opportunity to work with the committee to look at these very specific issues.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good. I’m glad that the Minister’s prepared to sit down with committee.
I would like to ask the Minister if he could commit to looking into creating some sort of special status for single mothers and fathers, in their need, to determine a different type of CNIT — Core Need Income Threshold — when the calculations are done. So if the Minister could commit to looking at some sort of special status for this group of people.
As we engage in the process we just talked about with committee, in terms of the review and the issues and concerns in regard to the various policies that are currently there, those would be the types of things we would hope to be able to come to resolution on. So yes, we’re prepared to talk about that fully.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions have to do with the Premier’s statements in his recent press release on the World Wildlife Fund’s role in conservation. Does the Premier realize that the World Wildlife Fund has been a key partner, working with all of our communities — closely with all of our communities — for many years in the development and implementation of the NWT Protected Areas Strategy?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m aware they do work in a number of initiatives with the government. The simple fact is we also disagree with some of what they say in the Territories, this one being the case.
It’s good to know the Premier is aware of that contribution.
Does the Premier also realize that his press release totally ignored the point that the World Wildlife Fund was raising while simply focusing on writing off the World Wildlife Fund of Canada as a southern organization?
When you look at what we do as the Government of the Northwest Territories, we’re committed to a number of things: World Wildlife Fund, other groups from outside the territory. They may do some work in the territory, but they originate outside the territory.
Not surprisingly, that failed to answer the question.
Does the Premier realize that the representative of the World Wildlife Fund of Canada is a 40-year resident of the Northwest Territories and that the previous representative is a long-term resident who has retired and currently lives on the land well away from any community in the Northwest Territories?
Whether I agree or disagree with the Member on the World Wildlife Fund and about who makes up that body, who gets appointed from time to time or who gets put on a contract, the fact is they made a request of the federal government that has a direct impact. In fact, if you look at what the Inuvialuit did, a part of the Arctic Council as well.... They’re dissatisfied with that result. You heard another Member in this House say something similar. The fact is we need to make those decisions in the North, not have lobby groups ask another government to make decisions that impact our lives.
This is very good actually to hear the Premier actually speak to the issue, finally.
Does the Premier acknowledge that organizations that partner with our communities and work with them have something to contribute sometimes, especially when they’re supported by a regional planning process, the Arctic Council and the majority of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we’re going to get our message out to the people who need to hear it. We’ve also worked with a lot of groups. Whether or not they are the ones that specialize in environmental concerns or issues across the country, they’re still welcome to help and work with us in partnership. The message here is the fact that we in the Northwest Territories need to be making decisions about what impacts our lives, the economy and our environment. They need to be made here, not through some office someplace else, advising another government to make those decisions for us.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my housing statement earlier today with respect to delays in repairs to constituents’ housing, especially in the community of Fort Liard, where I notice the apparent delays. I just wanted to see what stage or what the current status would be, from the Minister’s office, in terms of delivery of repairs and home construction in Fort Liard.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is now the first part of June. The process should be well along. I take the Member’s point about the need to look at how we improve timeliness and completion rates. Clearly, we’re interested in working with the Regular Members as well as the communities to do that. We’re also fully engaged with the infrastructure committee as we look at how we improve the capital planning process and the capital delivery process which is not only for government but for the Housing Corporation as well.
Mr. Speaker, I’m just wondering if there’s some type of structure you use to identify how progress is going, if they’re completing four out of eight houses or ten out of 20 repairs. What type of reporting mechanisms are they using?
The LHOs in the district office have their files, and they have their planning and delivery schedules and technical staff who track the projects. They try to keep a handle on it to make sure that things are proceeding apace, the materials are there, the contracts are met and the work is being carried out.
Without getting too specific, I’ve got this instance in Fort Liard of this elderly couple I spoke of in my Member’s statement. Last fall they were going to get their repairs done. I don’t know what happened there, but somehow they slipped through the reporting mechanism and they were forgotten. On my recent visit just last month their home was still not repaired, and there is no indication whatsoever of when they will get the work done. Once again, just for the recording mechanism, how would someone’s repairs slip through on an issue like that?
I appreciate the Member’s concern, and what I will commit to is to get a listing of all the projects that are to be delivered this summer and over the course of this building season. If the Member would share with me the name of these two clients, I’ll make sure that update is provided to him as well.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. I’ll certainly do that. I just want to ensure that once it looks like they’ll have to reapply, they’re not bumped off the list.
I’ll get the name from the Member, and I’ll make sure that we get any information and make sure that they’ve received fair, full and due process.
The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In my Member’s statement I mentioned two questions, which I’d like to ask the Minister at this time. I stated that the emergency planning coordinator position at MACA is an affected position. Assuming that the position is removed, I’d like to ask the Minister who will provide assistance to the communities in them preparing emergency preparedness plans.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The responsibility for preparing community response plans in emergency situations lies with the community governments, and that will continue.
Assuming that the capacity of local governments remains as it is — it tends to be quite stretched, I guess would be a good word — I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but at the moment the local governments do have the assistance of the emergency planning coordinator. If that position is gone, they’ll be left on their own. Is the government planning to provide any assistance to community governments to help them get these plans done, which should be an important part of their local government planning?
We will continue to provide assistance with community emergency plans. Most communities do them on their own right now. We provide a lot of support through our territorial emergency planning coordinator and will continue to do so.
The other question I asked was: who is going to assist the communities to access federal dollars to help to refurbish the communities’ and/or residents’ homes if there is, for instance, a flood or forest fire which creates damage to infrastructure within the community?
That responsibility will continue to lie with the community governments. We will provide support through our regional superintendents and our territorial emergency coordinator.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
I appreciate that regional offices will be providing some assistance. I suggest that’s probably not going to be enough. I’d like to know whether or not the department is going to be monitoring the situation should the emergency planning coordinator position not be there after this budget. I’d like to know if the department is going to be monitoring the situation and evaluating whether or not the communities are able to do these jobs on their own or if things are going to be falling through the cracks.
We’ll continue with business as usual. We monitor the situation now with all the communities in terms of where they are with their emergency planning and support that they require and request. We will continue to do so.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Oral questions, the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.
