Debates of October 15, 2010 (day 17)

Topics
Statements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a number on me as to how many people were processed through that, but I can tell the Member that anybody in the Territories who is being considered for a placement into a long-term care would have had to have gone through TAC. So I will get back to the Member on the exact number. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I do have some concerns about the operation of the TAC, particularly around travel. There are a number of our residents who are either in their home community or perhaps who have been placed in a facility outside of the NWT. I’ve read the policy that’s on the department’s website. I don’t see anything in there about travel and how people are moved from one place to another. So I’d like to ask the Minister, since the policy doesn’t help me out here, do we repatriate residents who have been placed in a facility outside of the NWT? Do we repatriate them into the NWT, assuming, of course, that our facilities have space? Thank you.

Yes, we do, especially with the opening of the Territorial Dementia Centre and the Hay River Assisted Living Facility. We did review clients outside of the jurisdiction, our clients in other jurisdictions, to see if they can be moved.

Territorial Admissions Committee are administrators who review the files to see where our clients should be best placed within the Territory. Questions about how do they get paid to be moved would be on a case-by-case basis. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. It’s my understanding that when residents are moved from an outside facility back into the Territory’s, that the department will cover their costs. If we, for instance, move somebody from a small community outside of Yellowknife to, say, the Territorial Dementia Centre to Aven Cottage because they happen to have dementia or Alzheimer’s, it’s my understanding that that travel is not paid for by the Department of Health and Social Services. So I’d like to ask the Minister why we would cover costs to bring somebody from outside the NWT in, but yet we won’t cover the costs to bring somebody from within the NWT to a facility that they need. Thank you.

That would not be based on the regions or the facilities. It wouldn’t be because they’re being moved from out of Territories or something like that. I would think that’s a question of insured services versus uninsured services, something that we hear all the time. Hospital-to-hospital transportation, that would be considered insured services and that’s covered under Medicare, medical travel. Long-term care is not considered insured services, so for some residents those are not covered. How the authorities deal with that is often they try to look to see if they need to go anywhere for medical travel, they will try to combine them. Authorities work hard to observe the cost as much as possible, but transfer from a long-term care to long-term care is not considered an insured service. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m a little confused by that answer. If we cover travel costs to bring somebody from outside the NWT to a facility within, then I don’t understand why we wouldn’t cover them to move from within the NWT to another facility.

I’d like to ask the Minister a question as well. It’s my understanding -- and this is anecdotal evidence, I don’t have much except for what constituents have told me -- that we will cover costs for family members to visit patients who are in a long-term care facility outside the NWT, but we will not do the same for family members visiting patients within the NWT from an outside community. So can I get an answer to why there is that discrepancy? Thank you.

I would appreciate getting more information from the Member, perhaps, on the specific situation. It’s case by case and it’s depending on the person and what facility they are in. We pay for medical escorts, but we do not have a budget to pay for somebody to visit anybody in long-term care at any time. It’s a question that we get asked all the time, so I would need what facility they are in and what condition and under what circumstances they were asked to have support. If they’re indigent, if they’re on income security, sometimes we’ve covered those. Sometimes they’re covered under employer’s benefits. There are so many different varieties, so I’d appreciate getting more information from the Member. Thank you.

Written Questions

WRITTEN QUESTION 15-16(5): CORE HOUSING NEEDS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Can the Minister provide me with the core need breakdown of the following groups, by community, in both percentage and number of units:

seniors;

singles (non-senior);

couples (non-senior); and

families (greater than two people).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tabling of Documents

TABLED DOCUMENT 82-16(5): WORKERS’ SAFETY AND COMPENSATION COMMISSION 2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2009 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

TABLED DOCUMENT 83-16(5): ANNUAL REPORT ON THE NWT MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY PENSION PLANS

TABLED DOCUMENT 84-16(5): LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY RETIRING ALLOWANCE FUND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2010

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

BILL 12: AN ACT TO AMEND THE LIQUOR ACT

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 18, 2010, I will move that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; and Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Thank you. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. On our agenda today is Tabled Document 4-16(5), Tabled Document 30-16(5), Tabled Document 38-16(5), Tabled Document 62-16(5) and Tabled Document 66-16(5). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, for opening comments.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Is committee agreed?

Agreed.

Agreed. Before we proceed with Tabled Document 66-16(5) we’re going to take a short break. Thank you.

I’ll call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break committee agreed that we would review Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012. First we’ll go to Mr. Miltenberger for opening comments.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m here to present for the committee’s consideration the 2011-2012 Capital Estimates of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The estimates outline appropriations for government and community infrastructure investments of $155 million in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

The estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation in 2011-2012 totalling $16.4 million. The appropriation for these investments will be sought during committee’s review of the 2011-2012 Main Estimates. The NWT Housing Corporation’s proposed 2011-2012 Capital Plan, however, has been included in the estimates document as an information item for review and comment by committee.

Including the proposed housing investment will bring the total planned infrastructure investment in 2011-2012 to $171 million. This means that over the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly we will have invested over $1 billion in badly needed infrastructure in the Northwest Territories.

The 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 capital budgets represented an unprecedented level of investment for our government.

We made a conscious decision, as part of our fiscal strategy, to invest in infrastructure at a time when private capital investment was declining in order to help mitigate the effects of the economic downturn. We will have injected over $700 million into the GNWT economy over this year and last, creating significant contract and employment opportunities and addressing infrastructure needs across the NWT for health facilities, schools, highways, airports and other transportation requirements.

We will also continue to provide a stable source of funding for community governments so that they can properly plan to address their infrastructure needs over the long term.

Although smaller than previous years’ budgets, the 2011-2012 Capital Estimates still allow for a substantial level of investment, and permits the completion of many of the projects begun during the 16th Legislative Assembly. As Members are aware, starting in 2012-2013 we will have returned to more historical levels of capital investment in order to maintain a fiscally sustainable path.

Major highlights of the Infrastructure Acquisition Plan include:

$37 million for highways and winter roads across the NWT;

$25 million for school replacements and renovations;

$28 million to continue to fund community governments for infrastructure;

$13.6 million for replacements and renovations to health facilities;

$10.5 million for airport replacements and improvements;

$12 million for small capital projects across all departments;

$5 million for the Deferred Maintenance Program; and

$3.9 million for the Capital Asset Retrofit Fund Program for energy efficiency upgrades to existing GNWT buildings.

Following remarks by the Honourable Michael McLeod, we are prepared to review the 2011-2012 Capital Estimates with the committee.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We’ll now go to Mr. Michael McLeod for his opening comments.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon. I’m here with the Honourable Michael Miltenberger to discuss the 2011-2012 Capital Estimates of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

As lead Minister for infrastructure, I was tasked with revising the Government of the Northwest Territories capital planning process, with the aim of improving how we plan for, acquire, deliver and maintain infrastructure necessary to deliver required programs and services for our residents.

The changes we have implemented as a result ensure that all major projects are properly planned and costs are accurately estimated prior to seeking approval from this Assembly. This improved process, including the consideration of the capital budget in the fall rather than the late winter, has not only enabled us to increase our own investment in critical assets but has also allowed our government to take advantage of both new and accelerated federal infrastructure funding. The results of this improvement are reflected in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 capital budgets. These budgets represent a combined investment in excess of $700 million, including an unprecedented $485 million in 2009-2010. Community governments also saw investment of $127.5 million over this period.

These changes have improved the delivery of large capital projects; for example, the Department of Public Works and Services managed $162 million in capital projects in 2009-2010 and is currently managing $149 million in 2010-2011. Major contracts have been awarded on over 95 percent of these projects and work is being successfully completed within the approved budget.

One of the major changes to the capital planning process was to make deferred maintenance a priority for investment. Since the inception of the Deferred Maintenance Program on April 1, 2008, significant progress has been made to reduce our deferred maintenance deficit and keep critical building assets operational. Through a combination of large capital projects, complemented by our Deferred Maintenance Program, we will have reduced our deferred maintenance deficit by approximately $145 million by March 31, 2012. Diligent management of our government’s deferred maintenance deficit will continue to be a priority for many years to come. The 16th Legislative Assembly can take credit for recognizing this significant problem and developing a vigorous and sustainable plan to address this issue.

While proper project planning and managing our deferred maintenance deficit are priorities, our government is also mindful that we need to be innovative and look for ways to reduce the energy consumption of our buildings and minimize their impact on the environment.

Through the delivery of our infrastructure programs the GNWT is demonstrating its commitment to responsible energy management and environmental stewardship.

I would like to highlight two building projects that will be completed within the next few months that highlight how our new process is working to provide focus on energy and the environment.

The new data centre in Yellowknife, currently nearing the end of construction, has no heating plant. The facility will obtain its required heating from the computer equipment hosted in the building. Excess heat from the new data centre will be shipped to the GNWT central warehouse next door and help reduce this building’s fossil fuel requirements and in turn reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The new GNWT office building in Inuvik will obtain its heating requirements from the Northwest Territories Power Corporation power plant that is located directly across from our new building. Waste heat from the power plant will be shipped to the office building via a short pipeline and should eliminate the requirement to heat this building with natural gas.

In conclusion, I would like to say that despite the challenges we still face, much progress has been made to improve how we plan for, acquire, deliver and maintain our infrastructure. A more rigorous planning process has produced solid projects. We have eliminated the need to return to the Assembly to seek additional funds for those projects that were developed through planning studies. We have significantly reduced and will continue to reduce our deferred maintenance deficit and we have demonstrated an ability to think outside the box and seek opportunities, where appropriate, to develop innovative projects that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Many energy efficiency initiatives are underway, including the adoption and use of biomass fuels.

I look forward to discussing the 2011-2012 Infrastructure Acquisition Plan with the Assembly so we can continue the good work we started three years ago when we first gathered here as the 16th Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger, do you and Mr. McLeod have witnesses you’d like to bring into the Chamber?

Does committee agree that we allow the Ministers to bring in their witnesses?

Agreed.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Mr. Miltenberger, could I please get you to introduce your witness for the record?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Margaret Melhorn, deputy minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod, could I please get you to introduce your witness for the record?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me I have Paul Guy, deputy minister of Public Works and Services.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Is committee agreed that we proceed with general comments in response to opening remarks?

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to start by saying that I’ve been listening closely to the remarks that have been made by the Ministers and there was considerable material that I agree with and support, but I want to note in most general initial comments here that I recognize the international economic considerations and to some extent the decisions of this government have placed us in a position where I recognize the need to support the government’s fiscal strategy that sees us through these times of uncertainty. I stress that we have a combination here of the international sort of globalized factors such as the recession and some of the decisions of this government that have placed us in a vulnerable financial position. Thus with those there is a need to be somewhat cautious. I support that approach.

I recognize that we’ve enjoyed considerable capital budgets in the last few years resulting largely from federal programs, such as the Building Canada Fund, the Economic Stimulation Fund and, of course, the Affordable Housing Initiative. I also recognize that we’ve made very good use of those funds. There have been some tune-ups to how we achieve our infrastructure and how we plan.

I saw a very interesting article that I will forward to the Minister of Public Works and Services, in Focus magazine, about large infrastructure projects and some of the phenomena that are associated with that in jurisdictions throughout the world, many of which are reflected in our own jurisdiction. I see some progressive progress on that in terms of delivering our infrastructure.

I also want to recognize the internal energy efficiencies and move towards renewable energy and new initiatives in that direction, and some of the savings that we’re making. I think we’re doing a good job there. I think we’re becoming a leader on that in Canada. I want to recognize that and stress that there is a need now. What used to be considered thinking outside the box is no longer, so we need to redefine that box and start thinking outside of the box again.

One of the ways to do that, of course, is specifically with full-cost accounting. We’re still looking at a conventional accounting approach. As a result, many of our efforts have stayed in the southern parts of the Territory, despite that fact that with a full-cost accounting approach there are huge opportunities for savings and moving further north. I think we have some projects in terms of using waste heat from fossil fuels, such as in the Inuvik project, that are getting quite far north and I’m happy to see that now. But many of the renewable energy projects, I think the Tli Cho community of Behchoko is about as far north as we get and I see great opportunities for further gains there. Just by way of example, if we throw into the mix what the cost of building, expanding, maintaining, cleaning up after tank farms, the gains that could be made would become immediately obvious. That just does not seem to be part of the accounting yet. Hopefully it will be this year.

I also recognize that much of the work we do in infrastructure is really demonstrating the potential ways and in many cases the best ways of building infrastructure to our residents and our businesses. I think this is a very important step that we are taking in demonstrating these things, because it does provide a bit of a market for these. I hesitate to call them new technologies. They are not. They are old technologies that we are finally implementing. It does provide a platform for recognition by our residents and I see some uptake by our residents and businesses. That is to be commended.

I think most of my other comments are departmental specific. I did want to perhaps recognize a couple of things that perhaps we had some discussions on already, but one of them is the need to, when we have situations that are identical in two different communities where we are contemplating infrastructure and there is relatively little cost to choosing one community over another and that perhaps a preferred community is economically deprived relative to the other often as a result of whether or not they have had infrastructure projects, that should be part of the decision-making. I think there is a tendency for Ministers to take that to an extreme and think that we are suggesting that be a major factor in governing those decisions. That is not true. I think I am suggesting, and others, that it be a consideration. I am hoping that will start the... We have raised the point before, others and myself, that when we put in large infrastructure, we need to be sure that O and M dollars are clearly identified and part of the budget so we don’t have really financial awkwardness in dealing with that situation. If we don’t plan for it, it can cause unneeded kerfuffles. I just wanted to, again, profile that little piece.

When we get into Education and perhaps Public Works and Services, I don’t doubt we will hear about the need to address some of the schools, the deferred maintenance on schools, and I think we let some things slide there. I would like to see a comprehensive approach with that.

Finally, the evaluation of the capital formula funding for community governments, I think that has been unchanged. Members have in the past and again this time around, I am sure, such as myself, will be raising the need to have a look at that and recognize that economics have changed since we established that fund, $20 million or whatever it is.

Mr. Chair, thank you very much. I will leave it at that.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. We will go to Minister Miltenberger for a response.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Member’s comments. We collectively have managed our way through, in this Assembly, some very significant issues with the wrench in the economy to what is happening in the world around us. I agree that the billion dollars would not have been possible without the cost shared dollars with the feds, some of it 50 cent dollars, some of it 75 cent dollars.

The issue of energy efficiency is a key one. I know the Member has said he is tired of hearing about the $60 million, but that was a commitment of this Assembly that is going to pay dividends for us. We will continue to look at the issue of full-cost accounting so we can fully capture the cost and negatives and pluses of any particular project that is being suggested.

The economic variable that the Member has talked about, we have acknowledged that we will look at that. Of course, I would just like to point out, when the Member mentioned two communities of comparable size and circumstance, it would of course automatically mean that this would be a criteria that applies everywhere except Yellowknife, which would have to be considered so that we do have a level playing field, but it is one that could require discussion. I think it would have some complexities that would be discovered as we look at it in detail. However, we recognize that it has been raised by committee.

The issue of the formal funding for communities I think are reviewed on a regular basis but, once again, we would look to the advice from committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Next on my list is Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It takes a whole effort of the Assembly to work towards our capital budget. I am very pleased that we are able to get through it earlier, just because of timing in some of the communities that don’t have roads and have only access by winter roads. If you get the materials and supplies in at an earlier time, I am going to be pleased with that aspect of our capital estimates. As MLAs, we work hard in lobbying the Ministers, lobbying the government in writing or raising issues in the House and trying to get our fair share of resources for our constituency. I can say that is certainly the Nahendeh riding. I feel that we have our fair share of resources, but constituents also point out that a lot of the lacking issues... I will kind of raise them as we go along.

I think the biggest thing for me is that many other ridings, including Yellowknife or Inuvik, have their huge projects like the Dementia Centre or the super school in Inuvik and other schools that are very expensive. However, in my riding I have two smaller communities, Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, that all they are asking for is to have a look at their schools. I hope that there is a time that we can start building or replacing the schools in the smaller communities once again. It has always been Trout Lake’s contention that their original Charles Tetcho School has never been replaced. In fact, Education decided we use the community hall to take care of the educational needs. We never replaced a school in Trout Lake. That is something that is high on my agenda. I certainly would like the government to consider that as we move along.

I am pleased to see that there is some planning study money for the school in Nahanni Butte as well. They have outgrown their school. It is a log home. It is a log construction. I would like to see that school be in... It depends on the study too, I guess, and the engineering, Mr. Chair. The community would certainly like to see improvements in that area.

I spoke countless times on the highway system in the constituency I represent. I have five out of my six communities that are road accessible. In the wintertime, there are six. When I travel to my constituency, hold my constituency meetings, it is always high on the agenda as well. The roads, roads, roads and I noticed that the Minister of Transportation is up there. Maybe he can indicate some of the investments in Highway No. 1, Highway No. 7 that are coming up in the capital estimates, or else, if he chooses, I can wait until the appropriate time when the department comes up too, Mr. Chair. I continue to press for it, especially for Highway No. 7. It is one of the gateways to the North by road. I always press the issue that the federal government created a new Nahanni National Park Reserve. They want the world to see it. One of the ways to do it is through our highway system. I would encourage the Finance Minister to use that argument when he can with our federal counterparts and Minister of Transportation as well.

I am pleased to see that a lot of the little issues are being taken care of as well. I am pleased to see Transportation is looking at runway lighting for Nahanni Butte as something that is being worked on for seven years. It is a small expenditure, Mr. Chair, but it is a huge pay-off for a small community like Nahanni Butte and all the visitors that go there and are concerned about the safety in the evenings, and it’s about getting there earlier as well. So I’m certainly very, very pleased with that expenditure.

I would be remiss not to also mention the highway that goes from Fort Simpson towards Wrigley. You know that that also needs a lot of work. The residents of Wrigley use that as their lifeline. They are continually frustrated. There was some investment this year, but it was just so hard to keep up, but that will be one of the legs that has to be improved as we work towards a Mackenzie Valley Highway system, Mr. Chair. When that becomes a reality or should a future pipeline meet it, I really think we should start planning on improving that portion of the highway too.

In terms of Fort Simpson, it is the regional centre and in my recent constituency meeting in Fort Simpson, residents also spoke about the need to upgrade the hospital. I’m pleased to see there is going to be some investment in the capital budget. It looks like there’s some planning dollars for it. You know, I would only urge a couple of things. I know that we are looking at standard buildings, but if this is becoming a regional centre, we’ve got to plan 20 years down the road as well. We’d certainly like to see replacement of a full operating hospital in Fort Simpson. Who knows what the future will bring. Like with the development of the highway, development of a pipeline, increase of any development such as mining, you will certainly see Fort Simpson grow.

So in the planning, putting the work towards it, I would like to see them consider those factors. Minister Lee was with me in Fort Simpson and we heard clearly from residents, “include us in the planning.” A couple of them are actually staffed to make the hospital more user friendly and make it ergonomic, because they are the ones that use it on a daily basis. So that’s certainly something that I would urge as we work towards the planning of that.

The other huge issue is housing. The Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation did indicate we are going to be faced with declining funds, so I’m not sure how we are going to invest in housing in the future. First things first, get people into the units that are there, the units that we built. Get them into there. Spend money. I do agree that we do have to spend some money on reinvestment and renovations and retrofits of the existing homes. That’s where the need is. But we do have to wrap our heads around how we provide housing in the future. Hopefully something comes out either with the federal government or some kind of lobbying effort.

We are speaking about having an NWT Day in Ottawa. I don’t know if housing and the declining CMHC funds is part of our strategy, but I would certainly like to see it as well there. It’s a big issue in all my communities. Just in terms of housing, as well, a lot of it is when we build houses, people with higher incomes aren’t eligible for programming, Mr. Chair. I feel, and I know, that these are the people we want, the people with the higher incomes that can make the mortgage payments, that won’t fall in arrears. So these are the people who should be in homes and not rejected. I will be speaking about that later on in the week, because I really feel that’s one of the ways to get money back into NWT housing programs, one of the ways of having more money to build more houses in our communities.

I would just like to thank you for the opportunity for commenting on the opening remarks to the Minister of Finance. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. We’ll go to Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank the Member for his comments. He raised a number of issues across the North and, of course, in his riding. The capital process in the last while has changed and we are starting to certainly see the benefits of using this process that requires us to follow a number of steps. We are quite satisfied that the changes are positive. The capital process and the capital budget have been really challenged in the last couple of years as we went forward to deliver many projects across the North. A lot of the regional centres have seen fairly large expenditures and large projects go into the communities.

We have also worked quite well with the smaller communities in doing replacement programs and new infrastructure and also infrastructure for alternate energy in communities such as Kakisa and Fort Simpson, and McPherson and Inuvik.

There are a lot of projects the Member has referenced in the budget for planning studies. The school in Nahanni is one, as the Member is aware. We also have other schools that are being looked at and considered, Lutselk’e and others. There is still some work being done for facility condition reports. I think one was down in Trout, and Education has that in their hands now and are reviewing it.

The Department of Transportation still continues to be involved in providing a lot of capital investment. In this coming budget that we will be dealing with on Monday, the budget for transportation is at $60 million with roughly $30 million to $40 million carryover from last year. So it will still be fairly significant and as the Member is aware, we continue to support and do a lot of the renovations and work that needs to be done on Highway No. 7. Everyone is, of course, in agreement that it’s something that will enhance tourism as we improve the quality of this road.

We’re also working in the Member’s riding to work on some of the airport work that needs to be done. The reallocation in Trout is going quite well. The lighting in Nahanni Butte, of course, as the Member has indicated, has been a concern for some time. We had to find some comfort that putting in the runway lighting, that the training was also there for people doing the maintenance and that these lights are not going to get damaged, because the cost to replace them is quite high.

The Wrigley road is also seeing investment and will continue to do so. This is a stretch of the road that will probably be used quite a bit as the pipeline project goes forward, and, of course, we would continue our discussions with the proponent of the pipeline to ensure the road is of a standard that would withstand the increased traffic flows as this project is in production.

The Fort Simpson hospital is in the planning study. There will be all kinds of opportunity for the community of Fort Simpson, and all the surrounding communities in the region that utilize this facility, to provide input. Consultation is part of our planning study and we also would expect that we would talk to industry to see if there are any concerns or anything that could be flagged as an issue for them as the pipeline project and oil and gas progresses in that area.

Housing will probably be better served if the Minister responsible responds to the concerns regarding the declining funds and the work that he’s doing with CMHC along with other jurisdictions from across Canada to flag that issue. It’s been on the drawing board for some time and I would leave it to him to respond to that. He’s indicated this morning in his statement that there’s been a lot of work, over 700 houses constructed in the last little while and over 1,000 repairs done. So there are considerable things happening with housing, but I would defer those comments to the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation.

I thank the Member for the issues that he’s brought up. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Next on my list is Ms. Bisaro.