Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Finance. I mentioned in my statement that I truly believe that there is something that this government can do to assist the residents of my riding who happen to live in Northlands Mobile Home Park. I also mentioned in my statement that I feel that there’s a different mindset required by this government with regard to this particular situation; maybe not for this situation, but also for other issues which have come before us.
I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he will commit to working with his Cabinet colleagues to re-examine the Northlands issue to take a can-do attitude and to try to look for an out-of-the box solution to this particular problem.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a fairly good idea of what we can do and what we should do and I’ve laid that out to the Member, we’ve laid it out to Mayor Van Tighem and the City of Yellowknife.
Fundamentally, this is a municipal issue. The condo corporation has to get itself organized. It’s a private corporation. I know there are issues there. The mayor has indicated that they can borrow money as cheaply as us, and as I’ve indicated, as well, from the start, if there are things we’ve overlooked or totally missed, of course we will be prepared to consider those. But this file has been live for the last 17 years or so, and it’s been examined very thoroughly and the fundamental issues stay the same. The condo corporation cannot get itself organized enough to come to the table with the municipality of Yellowknife to sort this out. That’s a fundamental first step. Thank you.
The Minister well knows that because this issue has been ongoing for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean that we shouldn’t continue to be involved. It’s an extremely difficult situation. It has many variables and I believe that this – and I know the Minister doesn’t agree with me – government needs to take some moral responsibility for the Condominium Act and for assisting residents. We assist many residents in our territory and I don’t know why the residents in my riding should be any different than residents in any other riding.
The Minister says that they know what they can do but I don’t think he advised me what they think they will do. I’d like to ask the Minister, on behalf of my constituents, can you elaborate for me just what you and your Cabinet colleagues are willing to do to assist Northlands residents with their problem?
As we indicated in our discussions with the mayor last week – a very good discussion – this is fundamentally a municipal issue. There are things that have to be worked out with this condominium corporation. It’s not the position of the government to get involved in those type of circumstances. There are things that have to be done, there are funds that have to be raised, there are debenture votes that have to be taken, there are changes to the condo corporation that have to take place first before anything else can happen. The debate about what can and what should the residents of Northlands pay in terms of a debenture vote are the people in the city of Yellowknife. If this was put to a debenture, are they prepared to help take that burden? Those are where the decisions have to be made and that’s where the responsibility starts.
I find it just simply reinforces my belief that we have not a can-do but a can’t-do attitude across the floor from me. I feel that it’s important that this government indicate that there is some support for these residents. I totally agree that the residents have to get themselves together, the condo corp has to get themselves together and they need to take action. I consistently tell them that, and other Members and other people within the city tell them the same thing. However, we can’t wait for the first stone to fall before we actually take action. I think this has to happen together and I don’t see that from the other side of the floor.
The Minister has given a number of reasons why the answer to the city’s letter was no, and the borrowing limit was one that is a particularly difficult hurdle that this government has to deal with. I feel that it is the most valid of any of the reasons that the Minister gave. I’d like to know from the Minister that should the Government of Canada give us a decision that allows us a greater room in our borrowing limit, which is presumably to come somewhere around the end of March, would the Minister commit to revisit the city’s request for either a no-interest or a low-interest loan – it doesn’t have to be a no-interest – so that it will assist the residents in Northlands financially.
The City of Yellowknife has indicated to us that they don’t need to borrow money from us, that they can get money at as cheap a rate as we can. They acknowledge that fundamentally this is a responsibility that falls within the purview of the City of Yellowknife. Should we get an increase to our borrowing limit, as the Premier has indicated, we have to maintain our fiscal discipline for the next couple years to get ourselves clear so that by year three and four we can invest money in key strategic infrastructure initiatives. If the City of Yellowknife at some point takes some further steps in terms of the Northlands issue and they come back to us, of course we will look at whatever their request may be at that time.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for at least telling me that if the city comes back with something, they’ll consider it. I’d like to know from the Minister, then, as well, that if there will be other suggestions that will come forward, perhaps from other Members, perhaps from myself, will the Minister be willing to consider those in the same vein.
We’re open to all suggestions that haven’t been considered in the last 17 years or so, and we will, of course, give them all the consideration they deserve.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
