Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about gender-based analysis. Promoting the equality of men and women in our society and government is a good thing. Our current Premier has promised policy action on this particular matter. A number of my constituents were initially very excited about the news that this government was going to do something, but yet actions seem to have fizzled.

We all know that the GNWT policy Equality of Men and Women in the NWT is 23 years old, Mr. Speaker. Recommendations to update it were promised by this Premier back in 2009 and 2010 budget fiscal years...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

I guess as a general policy do the tenants pay the electrical power, the heating fuel or the water and sanitation bills? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Mr. Chairman, specific to page 5-58, I was looking at the numbers here. I was just trying to get a sense as to programming value and make sense of it. If I look at electrical power, we go in the actuals of 2009-10 budget year of $6.5 million but it drops. We will call it relatively stable for the 2010-11 to the 2011-12 year. I am just trying to get a sense of how power has gone up, everything has gone up, but I am just trying to follow why the numbers haven’t really changed much. It just seems as if they don’t fluctuate the way everyone else’s house is going up. My power bill has skyrocketed...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Mr. Chairman, is there a departmental break-even point where statistical average bank on that... By way of example, 90 percent of rent recovery is where it provides enough money for operations and maintenance of that LHO, or is there another number targeted? More specifically, what is the target for break-even point? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Mr. Chairman, on these particular LHOs -- and I wish to, of course, thank the Minister for willing to provide that information -- does it come with an accompanying deficit elimination plan of any sort to address that 24 percent shortfall? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Does the Minister have any statistics as to how many of their Housing Corporation clients are on income support?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Mr. Chairman, in the last five years what has the department done to... How much money has the department bailed out these LHOs? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Has the Housing Corporation developed any discussion papers or briefing notes to that effect? If they have, can they share it with committee members?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was just trying to follow that exchange that happened a moment ago. I am just trying to get a sense. A local LHO, what do they do with the revenue garnered through the rent process? I think the question I asked last week was how much on a recovery basis per LHO for rental. We have about a 76 percent average. So where does that money go that they receive? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 43)

Thank you, and I’m really careful in how I want to say this because I don’t want to sound as if I’m stereotyping people in these situations. So I’m trying to be very careful, but if somebody left their windows open and the heat on, the everyday person would be paying for that. What happens from a Housing Corporation or an LHO point of view to make sure that doesn’t happen. The average everyday person who leaves the lights on has to take ownership when they go to work, the kids go to school, those types of things. If they leave all the lights on, they have to accept that if they want to do that...