Debates of October 18, 2005 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have more questions for the Honourable David Krutko, Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, as a preamble to this set of questions, I want to say that on our pre-budget consultation, and what we’ve heard for years in the North, is that we have a critical shortage of adequate, affordable housing. It is a mandate of this government to address that need. I have no problem with investing money; however, I have a huge problem with wasting money. That’s the crux of the questions that I am asking today. For the Minister’s information, there are between 55 and 60 people in headquarters. I think that that’s a lot of people, given the transfer of the responsibility for the $30 million recently. So let me ask the Minister again, has there been any reduction in staff as a result of devolving the function for the social housing to ECE? Has there been any reduction in headquarters? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, there hasn’t been.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the changing mandate of the Housing Corporation that the Minister has referred to, does he anticipate that the new mandate will require the same level of staffing at headquarters? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the new mandate change, we are looking at using the same people that we presently have in house. We may expand in the area of land management because we don’t have any expertise in that area. So we may be seeing a slight increase there.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also, in my first set of questions, I referred to the contracting out of certain functions from the Housing Corporation. I have a few notifications for tenders that have gone out from the Housing Corporation here. One is for the development of a financial skills program, a two-day homeowner education course, and the other one is for a home purchase, a one-day education course. The people responding to these tenders should submit to the program development specialist in house. I am thinking if you are contracting out for one and two-day programs for people to learn how to purchase a home and manage their financial skills, what does the program development specialist do? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do, at times, have to depend on the expertise of other people outside of the corporation. Yes, we do have people who are responsible for different portfolios, but we are undertaking a new initiative with regard to identifying the liaison positions in communities. Before we allow those people to go in the field, we offer training to those individuals through our regional offices, or have someone come in and do that. I believe that’s the position the Member is talking about. We are trying to expand in that area in the liaison positions in communities where we don’t have program officers. On the Member’s earlier point, she was close when she said 55 positions. We have 54 positions in headquarters and 49 positions in the district offices. So you were pretty close. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Time for oral questions has expired; however, I will allow the Member her final supplementary. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not getting any feelings of assurance that the number of people at headquarters is being well monitored and managed. It would just seem too coincidental that you could take a $30 million program activity out of Housing, transfer it to ECE, and somehow you would need exactly the same number -- no, more people under the new mandate. It seems a little bit unscientific to me. Could the Minister give us a general idea of what the new mandate is going to include in terms of activity that could not only absorb the existing staff, but require more? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 151-15(4): NWT Housing Corporation Operations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the main component of the new mandate change is getting away from focusing on social housing and social issues, and getting into property management and expanding the properties that we do have. We want to find ways of partnering with different groups, individuals, and corporations, to try to leverage more funding from federal program dollars, CMHC. One of the main components we are working on is to ensure that we do have resources to manage. Because we are running this as a business, we have to be more proactive. I think the Member's concerns are valid. Through presentations to yourselves as committee members with regard to our mandate change, hopefully with the input of the Members, we can see where we are going. One of the biggest challenges we are facing across the Northwest Territories is trying to find land to do property development. That’s an area that’s crucial to look at. Again, we are taking into consideration how we are going forward, and with the input of the Members of this House, we have to move in a different direction with the mandate change. We are open to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The time for oral questions has expired. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to return to item 6, oral questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.