Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The devolution of decision-making authorities over public lands and waters from Canada to the Northwest Territories has been a matter of debate and negotiation for much of my lifetime.
Our strong belief is that NWT residents must have the capacity and authority to protect and manage public lands in the Northwest Territories to ensure that our Territory’s abundant resources are developed in a sustainable and responsible manner, and that NWT residents realize the financial and economic benefits from development in their Territory.
This government has worked to put in place resources, tools and processes to prepare and advance our government, our people and our Territory to the point where we now have a Devolution and Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement-in-Principle within our reach.
On Friday it was reported in the media that the chief negotiators for Canada and the Northwest Territories have initialled a draft AIP and recommended it to their principals. Regional aboriginal governments have been invited and supported to participate in the negotiations leading up to this draft AIP.
The draft AIP is a substantial document and our negotiators have provided until October 31st for all parties to consider the agreement and determine if they want to proceed as signatories.
In the meantime, I would like to provide NWT residents with an update on the progress that has been made on this file in recent months.
Mr. Speaker, early in this government I suggested devolution could be put on the back burner if we could not find enough common interest to continue negotiations. We found this common purpose at our regional aboriginal leaders table.
An inclusive negotiation process has progressed over the last two years involving representatives from all aboriginal governments, as well as the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories.
We have actively worked in this forum towards a devolution and resource revenue sharing agreement that is in the interest of all NWT residents.
In September a draft agreement-in-principle was brought forward by our chief negotiators built on an agreement presented jointly to Canada in 2007 by the GNWT and four of our Territory’s aboriginal governments.
While a draft AIP is not binding, it provides the necessary parameters for negotiations leading to a final agreement on devolution and, at long last, the transfer of authority over public lands and waters in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I have said all along that without devolution, our future remains more of the same: remaining dependent on Ottawa to make the major decisions about resource development in our Territory while watching the revenues from that development continue to flow south.
We have waited a long time to consider this critical step in our political development. We are at a sensitive and critical juncture in this process.
Regional aboriginal governments are determining their participation in a draft AIP. Members of this House are being briefed. It is important that all of us understand the magnitude and positive potential of this draft AIP.
In the weeks ahead, this government will provide more information on the AIP and its provisions. However, while a draft is under consideration by parties, I ask that we all respect and support the established process. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is Small Business Week, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate entrepreneurs and their businesses across the Northwest Territories. I would also like to recognize Co-op Week and the 16 cooperatives that serve residents in the Northwest Territories.
Small businesses play a vital role in the economy of our communities and our Territory. They provide products, services, knowledge and skills that are the foundation of sustainable local economies and enhance our quality of life. Mr. Speaker, spend some time in any of our communities and you will find the heart of local economies lies with our entrepreneurs and the small and medium-sized businesses they operate.
As jurisdictions across Canada celebrate Small Business Week I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the contributions that these businesses make to the Northwest Territories economy. From the one person home-based business to the entrepreneur who took an idea and turned it into a business employing dozens of Northerners, our small and medium-sized enterprises consistently punch above their weight when it comes to the impact they have on our economy.
These businesses create jobs and wealth in all sectors and in all five regions of our Territory. Ranging from traditional economic activities like trapping and basket making to manufacturing and agriculture, we see the residents of the Northwest Territories taking advantage of the economic opportunities this land has to offer.
The Government of the Northwest Territories understands the vital role our small and medium-sized businesses play in keeping our economy vibrant and strong. That is why we have increased our investment in the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Policy to $3.5 million for 2010-2011. That is why we have developed programs like the Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program, which has seen this government distribute more the $4 million in assistance to tourism businesses since 2007.
Mr. Speaker, one of the five goals of the 16th Legislative Assembly is to have a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions with opportunities and choices. It is an important goal and it is one this government remains focused on. Through our continued commitment to develop programs and services that help our small and medium-sized businesses succeed, and through the skill, intelligence and hard work of our entrepreneurs, we can realize that goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is pleased to share news about the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that focuses on increasing accomplishments of aboriginal students across the Northwest Territories.
The success of all students is important for the Northwest Territories. However, aboriginal students have been lagging behind non-aboriginal students. While we are making progress on this challenge, we nonetheless want to enhance the improvement.
Mr. Speaker, the initiative’s long-term goal is to develop and implement a territorial plan to help eliminate the achievement gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students. We need a plan to ensure all children have the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and ability needed for the future. I believe this plan will help us achieve a well-educated population able to meet the needs of our future economic well-being.
The Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative Working Group was established in April 2009. Partners include Aurora College, district education councils, aboriginal governments, the NWT Literacy Council, the NWT Teachers’ Association, the Native Women’s Association, and the departments of Justice and Health and Social Services. The working group helped direct the initiative’s focus and developed the following priorities:
early childhood and child care;
student and family support;
literacy; and
aboriginal language curriculum and resource development.
Mr. Speaker, with the assistance from the divisional education councils, I am holding a Minister’s forum in each region this school year. We are using the working group’s priorities as the basis to facilitate discussion and partnerships with and between local and regional aboriginal and education leaders.
The first regional meeting took place in the Sahtu region from September 28th to the 30th. It went very well and had a great turnout. Many community and regional leaders attended all three days of discussions, including my colleague MLA Mr. Norman Yakeleya. The level of engagement from the participants was outstanding, with support for building community connections as a common theme.
Community forums held on the third day of meetings gave special attention to looking at what can be done at the local level. Aboriginal leaders and educators from the same communities identified education issues and developed plans of action. Attendees made a commitment to start moving on plans and working toward short-term goals.
We intend to keep Members informed of our progress as we work towards healthier, successful aboriginal students and informed, involved parents and community partners.
We also want to commend the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative Working Group for developing the important priorities to improve student success.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to participating in more discussion on aboriginal student success over the next several months at the regional Minister’s forums. We have already made progress and I’m eager to see our students improve even more in the future. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Family violence is the deliberate use of force to control another person. Abusers do not just lose their tempers or simply have problems with anger management, they choose to hurt and control their victims.
Family violence is a community issue; it takes a community response. I would like to highlight two initiatives that the Department of Health and Social Services has spearheaded with the Coalition Against Family Violence as a part of the NWT Family Violence Action Plan Phase II.
Mr. Speaker, the first is the recent release of Supporting Northern Women. This curriculum is a sustainable in-house training resource for front-line shelter workers. It is also useful to any professional working with clients who have experienced family violence. Developing this curriculum took a collaborative effort between non-government organizations and government to build capacity for shelter workers across the NWT. Our shelters provide emergency housing, safety planning and help with the applications for emergency protection orders. Because of them, women and children have a safe place to live while they think about what their next best step is.
Mr. Speaker, the second initiative that I would like to draw your attention to is the recent work undertaken by the Yellowknife Interagency Family Violence Protocol Committee. This committee works to develop a more coordinated response to adult victims of family violence and is made up of representatives from various government departments and front-line service provider agencies.
Mr. Speaker, in 2009 the committee began to implement the use of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment in family violence cases, known as ODARA. ODARA is a very simple to use risk assessment tool that calculates whether a man who assaulted his partner will assault her again in the future. It is useful in safety planning with women and can be used during bail hearings and court processes. ODARA allows service providers from a wide variety of backgrounds to talk about risk in the same way. They can make more consistent and informed decisions about the best way to help clients. Strong leadership is important to this project. Since 2009, 99 front-line workers, 140 RCMP members and 17 Crown prosecutors from across the NWT have been trained to use ODARA. Another train-the-trainer session will be held later this month. This tool will also be useful with other initiatives that are being developed, like the program for men who use violence.
Mr. Speaker, family violence is a serious matter. It is important for all of us to send the message that it is not acceptable. It does not happen by accident. Abusive people know exactly what they are doing. We need to treat family violence as deliberate. Wellness is a goal identified under our strategic document A Foundation for Change, more specifically increasing support and services for people who experience family violence.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the work that is being done to fight family violence. I know we are on the right track and are making a real difference in the lives of the victims and their families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House today, tomorrow and Wednesday to attend the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment meeting in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address the issue of common sense in health care delivery decisions and the opportunity to save money and improve outcomes.
Starting with an example, my constituent`s daughter is currently a student in Victoria. She has the basic NWT health coverage which is available to students. She has a history of stage 4 cancer beginning at age seven and her survival is considered a bit of a miracle. Now 27, she learned that because of treatment received, she is at risk for developing a secondary cancer. She was asked to go to Vancouver this fall for a follow-up at the B.C. Cancer Agency.
Medical Travel advised that the ferry trip, food and accommodation would not be provided since she was not a resident in Yellowknife. Further inquiries to the Inuvik office confirmed that no funding would be provided. They did note that if she was a resident in Yellowknife, her flights to and from Edmonton would be covered, as well as some living expenses. Mr. Speaker, this would have cost far more than a return ferry trip to Vancouver. Where is the common sense here?
Inuvik confirmed that this same scenario occurred to a student in Grande Prairie last summer. How is it that students are not properly covered when they go away to school? There is a similar lack of common sense in the situation with the MS patient in Hay River that is profiled by my colleague for Hay River South.
Mr. Speaker, there is a desperate need for some flexibility and horse sense here. Everyone understands the needs for rules and routine procedures, but why can we not institute a process for bumping up decisions when there are clearly options for reduced cost and better medical outcomes such as prevention, early diagnosis or treatment?
Every one of my colleagues have been frustrated with situations brought to the Minister where savings, prevention and better medical treatment could have been achieved, but because it was against the rules, the Minister claims she cannot make an exception. At a minimum, we need a process that gives a patient the option of coming up with cheaper medical travel when travel is needed, and the opportunity for system approval of this. Savings might be from a closer location for treatment, a less costly though perhaps a bit slower form of travel, or just staying at a friend’s, with compensation that is much reduced from that of a hotel room.
Mr. Speaker, let’s put some common sense and flexibility into our health system. Let’s change our preference from bureaucracy to a strong focus on prevention, resolution of medical issues and opportunities for reduced costs. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously the days are getting much shorter and the weather is turning cold. Snow is on the ground both here in Yellowknife and at the Mackenzie River crossing at Fort Providence.
Back in July when it was much warmer, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Abernethy and I had the opportunity to tour the Deh Cho Bridge Project in Fort Providence. Work was continuing on the piers and the approaches, but there was no steel anywhere on site. We were told then that the steel would be showing up sometime in mid-September, but it didn’t.
It is now the third week of October. I would like to know when exactly the steel will show up in Fort Providence. The Minister and the department both are still adamant that the bridge would be operational in November of next year. I hope they are correct.
The reason I remain so concerned, Mr. Speaker, is that if we miss the date, it will cost us at a minimum $8 million in debt servicing cost and, Mr. Speaker, aren’t we expecting costs to construct this 1,100 metre steel bridge in Arctic conditions to go up?
Mr. Speaker, when talking about potential costs to this government, where exactly is the construction audit at? Will the Minister be reporting back to the standing committee or this House on the findings of that construction audit? It was supposed to take two months and it has been six months. We haven’t heard anything. If we are paying for costs for that audit, has it cost us more than we budgeted for?
I recently visited the Department of Transportation’s website and I didn’t find a summary or a breakdown of funding sources for the annual operation of the bridge. Mr. Speaker, originally the government stated it would commit $1.8 million for the Deh Cho Bridge Project, which was the actual cost to operate the ferry and maintain the ice crossing at Fort Providence on an annual basis, and the decision of the last government, which would be to commit another $2 million annually to the project.
With the delays in getting the project complete, these numbers have changed. Mr. Speaker, so have projected toll revenues. Just last September the Minister and department stated that toll revenues would be $5.1 million per year, and just recently that number had fallen to $3.2 million. What was a $3.8 million contribution, Mr. Speaker, has risen to over $5 million. The real economics of the project...
Mr. Ramsay, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The real economics of the project should also be put on the Transportation website as well, and I’ll have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently had the good fortune to attend the very first NWT Anti-Poverty Summit. I was one of about 80 participants; participants representing 20 different NWT communities and 29 NWT organizations. This event was organized, planned and developed by two social justice non-government organizations: Alternatives North and the NWT YWCA.
The summit explored the issue of poverty in the NWT, what it is and what it is not, looked at the efforts currently being taken to tackle poverty, which ones work and which ones do not, and determined how we can move forward on anti-poverty.
Attendees heard from well-known advocates and leaders in the field, as well as a federal politician who has a motion to eradicate poverty before the House of Commons, from each other, and, last but not least, from comedian Mary Walsh, a long-time advocate against poverty in our country. It was two days of intense discussion by people passionate about their work and committed to improving the lives of NWT residents who have to endure poverty.
The summit summary, Mr. Speaker, states that eliminating poverty must become the government’s top priority and that everyone must be involved for any actions to succeed. The development of a government Anti-Poverty Strategy called for in the motion passed in this House in February is of paramount importance and it must be based in legislation, not policy. Without an anti-poverty act, we can expect that long-term coordinated efforts and accountability will both be lacking, and the development of any strategy or legislation must involve all parties. It will not succeed if it’s developed in isolation by government.
Mr. Speaker, a report will be prepared with the priorities identified and the recommendations made during the summit. That report will be presented to this Assembly in the near future. It will provide a thorough review of where we are in relation to poverty in the NWT, and it should be a starting point for further work for the next steps.
In May of this year, in a statement to the House, the Premier committed to the development of an overarching discussion paper. It’s now time for the Premier and this government to act on those words and begin the work that will eliminate poverty in the NWT. I will have questions for the Premier at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, have some issues in regard to the devolution process which has been reached between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government with no involvement of the Dene and Metis up the Mackenzie Valley.
Mr. Speaker, the Dene/Metis Comprehensive Claim was based on a 1988 agreement-in-principle, which was signed the same day as the devolution agreement was signed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada. In regard to having those two agreements signed on the same day was because the Dene/Metis were not able to negotiate participation agreements that are in the Inuvialuit Agreement and the agreement that’s in place in Nunavut.
The whole intention of having those agreements in the Dene/Metis claim was because the Dene/Metis wanted to have some assurances that they were going to be able to negotiate elements of those agreements.
Mr. Speaker, the intention of the devolution of oil and gas and minerals and the transfer to the government of provincial-like authorities is to manage those resources in the interests of all Northerners and all regions in the Northwest Territories, including First Nations. At the same time, First Nations can be assured that the transfer will not abrogate or derogate from any existing treaty, aboriginal rights or land claims, and also the protection under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution.
By excluding the aboriginal groups from these negotiations and now going forward with simply the majority of two, which should consist of eight aboriginal organizations in the Northwest Territories, is basically a movement with a minority consensus and not having the majority of members on side or even, in this case, a simple minority.
We’ve talked about working together with our partners, working together with the people of the Northwest Territories. When the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories, who make up 50 percent of our population and are talking about self-government negotiations for land claims and the implementation of existing land claims which clearly stipulate in the land claims agreements the Government of the Northwest Territories shall negotiate with those aboriginal groups when it comes to the Northern Accord and devolution.
At the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to also talk about the draft agreement-in-principle for devolution and resource revenue sharing that has been achieved between the federal government negotiators and the GNWT negotiators.
As long as I have been a Member of this House, the Regular Members, and maybe even the Cabinet Ministers, have literally ground on whoever the leader was to advance the agenda of the Northwest Territories when it comes to resource revenue sharing and devolution. We told Joe Handley that he should be like Ghandi and walk to Ottawa to make a statement how we should have northern resources controlled in the North, as the federal government continues to be the gatekeeper on the development and management of our resources, and how as development proceeds and advances that our chances of getting the kind of deal that we need would actually probably diminish.
When we look at an opportunity like the Mackenzie Gas Project that’s ahead of us, and you look at many other projects, and you look at the royalties that those kinds of projects could generate and how we in the North could share in the benefits of that, it’s pretty exciting and it’s pretty amazing.
I am not here to say that I represent anybody other than my constituency and we haven’t even had a chance to discuss this yet, but listening to Mr. Krutko it sounded like he was representing the voice of the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories. I’m here as an MLA and I’m not here to collectively speak for anybody. I will say that we have an opportunity before us. It is a draft. It is an agreement-in-principle. It is not a final document. I think it would be responsible on all of our parts to look at this very seriously.
I, for one -- as Mr. Krutko often says -- would like to congratulate the government and congratulate this Premier for putting together...
---Applause
...a credible team of negotiators that went to Ottawa and negotiated those federal negotiators right to the edge of their mandate and came back here with something for us to talk about. We’ve got something to talk about. Let’s show the leadership we won’t ruin this or blow this thing up before it even gets out of the gate.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very glad to see that after almost 30 years of work there’s an agreement-in-principle for devolution of our lands, resources and royalties. The Northwest Territories has hit a huge milestone. There will be many opportunities for the people to come out of this.
We have always talked about our land and our future, but the federal government has been controlling all major developments that take place. The federal government also takes all the royalties. That’s just wrong. Millions of dollars every year, dollars that should be supporting our government and aboriginal governments.
We must not forget the control of our lands and resources, and regulating access to our land, and ensuring that the environment is protected. I believe we can do a better job than the federal government.
Doing this work means hundreds of new jobs in the Northwest Territories and all the benefits that will come with them. There will be opportunities for our people. In the long run I believe Northerners will be doing even the highly technical jobs that would be filled with Southerners first. Growth means opportunity.
We’re still years from getting that control, that money that those jobs when the agreement-in-principle is signed. Signing this is the next step toward finally getting this job done. We need to have the courage to move ahead, the courage to make improvements, to make the deal and improvements for all of our people.
I’m in favour of the AIP. I believe we can work together with aboriginal governments on a better deal for all of us. There’s just great potential in this benefit for all communities.
We just finished doing our business plans. We all know how tight this government’s finances are. We know how hard it’s going to make the needs of our communities for jobs, education and health care. In the long run devolution can help us meet these needs and we must be thinking about the long run, not just the short-term political agendas.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak to you about the school playground in Fort Simpson. This fall, at the start of the school year, many parents and children at Bompas Elementary and Thomas Simpson School in Fort Simpson were concerned about the state of the schools’ playground. It seems that, especially over the summer months, the playground was used by drinkers, marked up by graffiti artists, and generally vandalized. There were broken liquor bottles on the ground and rude pictures marked on the buildings and equipment. There was litter and garbage everywhere.
Some parents and children helped to clean the playground. Local school staff and Public Works and Services staff have made a good effort to get the playground clean and ready for the start of the school year. Public Works and Services and the RCMP are looking at ways to increase the security of the playground so that it is not used for drinking parties in the summer.
The parents group met with myself and Mr. Sean Whelly, the mayor of Fort Simpson, and detailed their dissatisfaction with the state of the school grounds. I did take the time to inform the Minister of Education and the Minister of Public Works and Services for immediate action to address these concerns. I’m glad that they were both responsive and corrected some items, as well as a big thanks to the staff of the school and parents who saw a need and made the effort to respond.
The question remains: How could we have let our school playground and facilities become this littered and in a mess? There must be a plan in place to ensure that this never happens again. The community takes pride in our school; our government must recognize this as well. At the appropriate time I will raise this issue with our Ministers.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to speak about the draft devolution resource revenue sharing deal.
Imagine my surprise that parts of this significant landmark for the Northwest Territories was quoted on CBC last Friday. Imagine, we could be at the very brink of moving closer to a provincial type of government and we don’t know yet 100 percent if all the aboriginal governments are on side with us. Are we going to initial this historical deal with or without them? Is this not a hassle-free approach to becoming a legitimate-sized government? Will this approach leave out the recognitions of aboriginal governments? I hear the drums beating.
How is this going to affect our relationship with the aboriginal governments in the North in regard to the treaties, the land claims, and the self-government negotiations? Where is the written confirmation that our aboriginal governments are partners and in support of this deal? Imagine the power of having all the aboriginal governments and this public government initial this agreement. We’ll be speaking with one voice, no question about it.
We have a chance to bring everyone under one tent. No one has to be left out or separate from this deal. We cannot take the “do alone” approach. We all have people in our communities for the very first time hearing about some of the details, thanks to CBC. These people are concerned about how this will play out in their lives. Do we not want them to know the details of their lives and their children’s children’s lives that will be altered?
We strive to be both an accountable and transparent government. Why are we doing this in a manner that looks like a backroom deal? We must be up front and honest in our dealings. We need to listen to our people. We have a responsibility to our northern counterparts to include them in our discussions. Isn’t that one of our goals: a strong and independent North built on partnership? We see beyond our lives and know for certain that when we all have governments on equal ground we stand a chance to make great waves on the lives of the people in the North. United we stand, divided we fall; and fall we will should we proceed without our partnership with the aboriginal governments.
I will state again, as many of my colleagues have done time and time again, about accountability and transparency. I say, Mr. Premier, give the people the respect and dignity to have a say in their destiny.
Mr. Yakeleya, your time for your Member's statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
I say to Mr. Premier, give the people the respect and dignity to have a say in their destiny. Give each resident in the North the opportunity to voice their opinions on this deal.
We must move forward on the path of unity and sometimes this takes time. That’s what we have today: time to know how this deal is going to go down in history to be proud or to be chapters of regrets. I ask the government to take their time on this deal.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we know, the transfer of the Public Housing Program to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment experience did not work. The transfer was meant to harmonize the Public Housing Program and the Income Support Program, but this was not achieved and, if anything, it had the opposite effect and created much more problems for public housing tenants.
As a result, the Public Housing Program was transferred back to the NWT Housing Corporation; however, the old rules are still in place from before the transfer took place and now remain in place. It is these guidelines that have been the source of all the problems. So what we thought as MLAs was a victory by moving the program back was short lived.
Under these guidelines there are more and more public housing tenants now continuing to accumulate greater arrears. These tenants who are already finding it difficult to make ends meet are now slowly losing hope of ever being free of the thousands of dollars of rental arrears. In many communities unemployed tenants are being charged maximum or economic rent because they are not following the rules that we as MLAs thought were thrown out with the transfer back to the local housing organizations. However, this was not the case. Many of these tenants are still the same tenants that were in public housing before the transfer to ECE and now, because of the new rules, they find themselves continuing to accumulate arrears.
This government must completely correct the mistakes made by past governments and must fully move back to the old system where tenants on income support or tenants who are simply unemployed are charged $32, not $1,800. I thought this government understood the problem was not with the people that were delivering the program, it was the program itself. We must go back to the original program.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
