Kieron Testart

On that basis, then, the approved NWT Manufactured Products Policy says that a product that is from an approved manufacturer must be made a term of any contract that it applies to. Yet, on a recent request for tender, the form that was publicly issued said "whenever possible" it would be using NWT products. Can the Minister speak to this inconsistency between the policy and what is being issued on the forms from Infrastructure on procurement?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the Business Incentive Policy, which states:

"The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to encouraging local production as a foundation for the Northwest Territories economy and will, when purchasing goods, services or construction, provide an incentive in favour of NWT-manufactured products." Further, the Manufactured Products Policy has the stated objective to "encourage local production as a means to diversify the NWT economy; and foster and maintain the investment, jobs, and income produced by local manufacturing."

These policies are very...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a difference between self-governments, community governments, and private sector, and that is really what is at the heart of this. You know, it is not about building the units. It is about allowing the private sector to offer that market space and to provide a private sector solution. I am hearing more of a top-down approach, more of a maintenance of the government monopoly. Let's let the private sector come in here. Will the Minister at least reach out to the NWT Chamber of Commerce, to the various chambers of commerce and businesses that wish to...

So, no. I think what I am hearing is that there is this new funding made available, that there is an opportunity for co-investment, but what does that really mean to people who want to get into market rent, for people who want to build equity through their properties to potentially resell them, potentially rent them out and turn it into a business opportunity? Is that something that this fund will facilitate?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the concerns raised by constituents and the business community concerning the GNWT's market housing program. The framework is, in effect, shutting out local businesses and entrepreneurs from being able to enter and stay in the property rental and real estate business. It goes without question that the GNWT must have a strong housing policy which supports lower income residents and families, yet there must be diversity in how this goal is achieved. Maintaining a government monopoly is clearly not effective, nor does it ensure no one is left out in the cold...

Before anyone assumes that this is a Yellowknife-based issue, it is not. The Norman Wells Chamber of Commerce has published a letter that is asking for the GNWT to allow fair market rent to be established by the market supply and demand and for the GNWT to base its programs around that through the Housing Corporation. Is that something the Minister is willing to do in the community of Norman Wells and in other regional centres?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation spoke about the sometimes challenging circumstances with limited resources that the Corporation operates under. I have a solution for the Minister. That is to let the private sector come in and help unburden some of those resources for the people who don't really need them. In many communities, GNWT employees are being given Housing Corporation-owned property. Will the Minister agree to enter into market lease agreements for 50 percent of private market inventory owned by the GNWT Housing Corporation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is not that I don't like the comments but that the comments are confusing, and I think a reasonable person would assume differently from the logical contrast of the two comments made. Mr. Speaker, the Minister just said that he is not happy with all of the sections of the legislation. If he could speak globally, what would he like to see come forward that wasn't included? Thank you.

I would expect that that response would be what the Minister would say publicly whenever asked, and yet he gave very different comments in the January 30th edition of the Yellowknifer. Can the Minister explain why he made those comments?