Debates of October 21, 2005 (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, further to my Member's statement today, I would like to pose my questions to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I made a statement about the fact that there are a lot of small businesses and northern businesses who go through the ups and downs of running a business in the North, where everything is high. But they stick around, they pay their taxes, they employ our people, they train our people, in the hopes of taking advantage of an economic boom. One of the things that's going to happen when the pipeline comes is that there's going to be a real potential for building houses. The Minister of Housing is not only not looking at the North, but he won't even meet with people who come to tell him about a proposal. Could I ask the Minister why he refuses to meet with northern contractors who could possibly do the job? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have met with people in the private sector; I've toured different plants in the territory; and I've talked to a lot of people in the private sector about coming forward with a proposal that's a good business case and has financially sound information in it, so that we can proceed on pilot projects. I have not received anything from any of these companies to date, yet they're asking for $3 million to make an investment from this government, with no documentation to back that up. So unless we get that documentation, we will continue to talk with other interested parties. I know that I mentioned that there are interested parties from Hay River talking to companies down south to look at the possibility of developing portable facilities in the North, so that they can construct these facilities in the North, and it has to be accessible to the transportation links in the North with regard to the pipeline project. The effect of that project will be up and down the valley, and it has to be assured that those communities up and down the valley have access to these programs. That's the whole emphasis behind this program.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I have been talking to those individuals. I have toured their plant. Again, we're waiting for correspondence to come back from the different parties. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to wonder why the government thinks it would be a great idea to invest $26 million in an ATCO/Novel project in Calgary, but thinks that that's an unreasonable thing to consider a $3 million investment. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know, from the Minister, in exactly what way he communicated to these companies that he's looking for a proposal. Was it a letter? In exactly what form did he invite these people to submit a proposal? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Mr. Speaker, just to clear up the Member's issue regarding the $20 million, we have made no investment in this project. The only time there will be a financial investment will be at the end of the pipeline project, when we will consider looking at acquiring these facilities. So there is no investment by way of dollars switching hands here. It is not going to happen for the next five years.

Right now, it's basically a concept that's being put forward, which is unique in regard to the possibility of having a way of solving our housing crises up and down the valley. I think, in order to do that, we have to think outside the box of how we are going to meet our housing crises in the Northwest Territories, where we have communities with almost 80 percent core need for housing, and in most aboriginal communities, which consists of 20 of our communities in the North which are aboriginal, we exceed 35 percent core need. We have to solve that problem, and we can't do it the way we're delivering programs today where we're building 50 houses a year. We have to have a way of dealing with the crises that we face going forward.

As I mentioned, in four years, if we continue to deliver the program as we are, we're going to need 4,000 houses in the next 10 years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't appreciate the Minister burning up question period time without answering my questions. Mr. Speaker, my question is very specific. There are builders all over the North -- in Hay River, in Yellowknife, and other places -- and let me just talk about the one in Yellowknife who is willing to use people who are in our correctional centre. He is willing to train people. He has built houses. I want to know, very specifically, how and when is the last time he talked to the builder in Kam Lake about how he could get involved in this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Mr. Speaker, again, I met with the individual a year ago. Basically, at that time, we asked him to put a proposal forward. It has to have a good business case behind it, and it has to be financially sound. That was the offer given at that time. To date, we have not received any correspondence regarding that proposal. So unless we have a proposal, we don't really have anything to talk about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was there in the tour with the Minister. I recall a proposal, but I may be wrong, so I'd like to ask the Minister, when is the last time, or in what form -- in a letter, e-mail, phone call -- did he communicate to that business in Kam Lake, that we have this investment opportunity in the government, and what can you do, is submit a proposal. I want to know when and how. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 210-15(4): Using Northern Construction Firms

Mr. Speaker, we have staff in our department who deal with the business community in regard to proposals, tenders and whatnot. Right now, we are talking to the individual about the project that we're doing in Norman Wells, with the Metis local in Norman Wells, through the development corporation, and the company she's talking about is part of that proposal. Our people have been talking to them regarding that proposal. So it's not that we haven't been talking to them. If anything, we've been talking with them in the last two weeks, making sure that that proposal is sound and going forward with the partnership that was formed in that case.

Again, there have been ongoing discussions between my office and the individual she's talking about, in ensuring that whatever he does, it has to be on paper, it has to have a good business case, and it has to be financially sound. Thank you.