I will let Mr. Martin answer.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the NWT Housing Corporation does have insurance arrangements in place, they are actually with the GNWT, and we do insure everything above a duplex; so multi-family dwellings would be insured. Anything below that, though, like a duplex as well -- I guess you could call that a multi-family as well, but a duplex and a single unit, we self-insure those units at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Mr. McNeely.
To the other half of my self-insured package or question: if you're selling a house there would you self-insure that as well to the buyer if it is somebody who is currently occupying social housing or a potential buyer out there for surplus assets, call it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you Mr. McNeely. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As stated, currently at this point we do not provide insurance for people who are looking at buying, except for our own units that we're keeping for public housing. Insurance has been identified as an area of concern that limits people, so it will be an area that we are going to be focusing on along with the other issues, co-payment and land tenure, other obstacles that we have seen as barriers for people. So yes, it will be something that we will be contemplating within the program renewal and figuring out how we can actually help people so they can get insured. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Anything further? Mr. McNeely.
Nothing further there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Seeing no one further on my list, I will call this section. NWT Housing Corporation, programs and district operations, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $31,707,000. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity, Programs and District Operations, under the NWT Housing Corporation Main Estimates 20172018 on page 361 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?
Carried
We have deferred this activity. Next, committee, we have an information item. This is an information item only on page 363, lease commitments. Do we have comments or questions on the NWT Housing Corporation lease commitments from any Members? Seeing none, we will head back to the -- actually, there's another information item on page 348 that I will draw committee's attention to, back near the very beginning. Page 348 is the financial summary information. It's quite a detailed section, so I will give committee a chance to look this over and see if they have comments or questions before we move on the total corporation. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now I'm looking at this page, is the number of the amount of money that has been paid back from the NWT Housing Corporation on this page? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Mr. Martin.
Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of dollars reinstated within our budget, that would have flowed through the GNWT contribution amounts presented at the bottom of this page. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Ms. Green.
No questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are looking at the GNWT contribution line here. Last year, it was $81,702,000. The proposal for next year is $74,943,000. Can the Minister explain that reduction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. O'Reilly. Minister.
Mr. Martin.
Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reduction from 2016-2017 in the GNWT contribution is attributable to a few significant sunset adjustments. The first sunset adjustment was $6.7 million, representing the last year of the Market Housing Program Initiative. The second adjustment related to the rural and remote housing program that was discussed previously. That program has sunsetted at $783,000. We also had sunsetted a three-year initiative for additional funding for hazard assessments over the last three years to deal with hazard assessments prior to modernization and improvement projects. That was $250,000 that was reduced. In addition to those sunsets, we did have the first year of the RCMP funding that would sunset in that budget as well, and that was $3.4 million. That was funding that was allocated for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. In addition to that, we had a number of budget reductions that have been discussed previously. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do not have a problem with this, but does the corporation have the budget reduction number handy, just so I have got that for reference so that I know what our contributions is, how it is being declined or reduced for next year? The fiscal strategy, what that total amount is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The total reduction amount for the Housing Corporation for 2017-2018 was $1.3 million. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to make it clear to the public, then, the reduction strategy, or the fiscal strategy, of Cabinet is driving down the contribution to the Housing Corporation by $1.3 million. I do not agree with that, and I just wanted to get it on the record. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Do we have any further comments or questions on page 348? If not, we will continue on to the total corporation. On page 350, there is also the active position summary on page 351. Do Members have comments or questions? Pages 350-351? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration on the main estimates of NWT Housing Corporation at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
We will defer consideration of the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Beaulieu.
Mr. Chairman, I move that the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried. I will now rise and report progress.
---Carried
First, I would like to thank the witnesses for joining us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Thank you to all the pages for sticking with us all night. I will report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 261-18(2): Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018. I would like to report progress with three motions adopted. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Do we have a seconder? Member for Range Lake.
---Carried.
Mr. Speaker, orders of the day for Thursday, February 23, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers' Statements
Members' Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner's Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
-
Motion 31-18(2), Extended Adjournment of the House to February 28, 2017
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
-
Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
-
Bill 13, Marriage Act
-
Committee Report 6-18(2), Report on the Review of Bill 7: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
-
Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2017-2018
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Masi, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, February 23, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:41 p.m.
