Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe we’ve…. At least I haven’t been involved in any discussion where loans would be provided on the basis that the Member has mentioned. I could indicate to the Member that we are right now reviewing our thresholds and different ways we can help homeowners deal with the projects that would enhance their homes in terms of energy efficiency. I could certainly include this as part of the discussion so that we can get a better understanding and see if there’s a potential to do something with folks that have dollars locked in and want to utilize some housing loans to help them.
I know the Housing Corporation has helped many people in the North get into their own homes, and I appreciate the help that they have given. I think this would just augment it if they could look at something like this. It could augment a person’s or a couple’s ability to get into their own home. I think that will stimulate the economy. The more people we can have purchasing their own homes and living in their own homes, that’s always a good thing.
I’d like to ask the Minister regarding what he was speaking of earlier. Is that going to come through committee? It sounds like he’s interested in this. Will he be working with the committee to try to get our opinions on things that the Housing Corporation could be looking at?
Yes, Mr. Chairman, it is something that we’d certainly like to consider. My direction to the Housing Corporation was to do a number of things on a number of fronts. One of the areas that had come forward from the Members was the concern over housing projects being left empty because people can’t get into these units because of financing situations — whether it’s low income or high income. We are currently reviewing the thresholds. We can make sure every threshold on the low end for the communities is able to accommodate people adequately. There are different income levels, different costs of living in each community.
We’re also looking at the thresholds on the higher end so that maybe we can increase the number of people that would qualify by opening up by $5,000 or $10,000 more. We certainly wanted to be able to address the high number of people that we are starting to see in the community with high incomes but who just are not in the situation where they can go to the bank, either because they don’t know the process, they’re not able to qualify for loans for various reasons or they just don’t have the ability to wade through the process that’s there. That includes designing units from our organization. So there are a number of things we’d like to do, even though they’re over the threshold. The possibility of providing loans is something we can look at, as the Member has suggested.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister. I welcome his comments. Given the fact that it costs so much to live, especially in the smaller communities, people’s ability to save money for a down payment for a home is inhibited by the cost of living itself and the high rents that they have to pay.
I thought I heard the Minister commit to looking at monies people have locked up in things like superannuation as a ways and a means to perhaps allow them to get into home ownership. Again, I think that was a commitment I heard from the Minister, but he may just want to reiterate the commitment. I look forward to further discussions with the Minister. Mahsi.
As our budgets shrink and the commitment for federal dollars falls off the table, we certainly have to look at being creative, and I welcome any suggestions from the Members. I’ll make a commitment to the Member, as he’s requested.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last four questions on this topic went by so quickly.
The ministerial benefits policy. We got a very succinct answer from the Premier that, yes, they are set by the Cabinet. But we had kind of a less succinct answer when it came to who actually sets the policies that are in place right now. The Premier referred to perhaps looking at these and doing a review. But I’d like to ask the Premier: when he says that this policy is in place as a result of work done by the previous government, maybe he would know, having been in the previous government, was this ministerial benefits policy reviewed by the 15th Assembly Executive Council? Is that the scope of benefits that are being acted on today?
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Hon. Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The benefits policy was last reviewed by the last government and has come into effect for the life of this government. We as the Cabinet can do a further review of our own and make changes. As has been highlighted with the last round of changes that occurred, it gave the Cabinet authority to make those changes.
I really do appreciate the Premier tabling this, because this goes toward one of my issues with transparency. However, not everything that I want to know as a Regular Member is contained in this tabled document.
I would like to know if the Premier, in the spirit of transparency, would be prepared to table the results of the review that took place of the ministerial benefits policy in the 15th Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, the practice in this Assembly as well as other Assemblies…. This isn’t made by another government and remain with that government. I’m unable to go into material and request that information. But I can ask our staff to prepare some summary notes and sit down with the committee on that.
Yes, that would be most helpful. If staff would have access to the ministerial benefits policies, including benefits, amounts, and so on, that were in place prior to the review by the 15th Assembly decision on a new policy, which took effect at the beginning of the 16th Assembly…. If they could compare those two and provide that to Members or table that as a public document, that would be what I’d be asking for. Would the Premier be prepared to do that?
After having a discussion with staff to see what we’re able to do, I’d be prepared to give information to Members and, if we’re able to, to even table it.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
That’s all. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Ms. Thérèse Boullard of Yellowknife be reappointed as director of Human Rights during good behaviour for a term of four years by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories as recommended by the Legislative Assembly.
And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of appointment to the Commissioner.
Thank you Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for appointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel during good behaviour for a term of four years:
Mr. James Posynick of Creston, B.C.; and
Ms. Karen Snowshoe of Inuvik, NWT.
And further, that pursuant to section 50(1) of the Human Rights Act the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories the designation of Mr. Adrian Wright of Yellowknife as chairperson of the adjudication panel.
Thank you Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move the following motion.
Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Deborah McLeod be reappointed as deputy director of Human Rights during good behaviour for a term of four years by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories as recommended by the Legislative Assembly.
And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of appointment to the Commissioner.
Thank you Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move the following motion.
I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 24, 2008, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, February 4, 2009.
And further, that any time prior to February 4, 2009, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 13, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resources Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 2, Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minster of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 3, International Interest in Mobile Aircraft Equipment Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 4, Public Library Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minster of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 5, Professional Corporations Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Michael Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 6, Species at Risk (NWT) Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time.
