WHEREAS Members of this and previous assemblies have expressed concerns about the extent and quality of reporting by the NWT Housing Corporation to the Legislative Assembly and the resulting impact on the ability of committees to perform their oversight function;

AND WHEREAS Members and the Auditor General of Canada have expressed concerns with certain business activities and decisions of the NWT Housing Corporation;

AND WHEREAS there is a critical need for adequate, accessible and affordable housing in NWT communities;

AND WHEREAS Members are not confident that the NWT Housing Corporation is making the most effective use of its resources to address the need for adequate, accessible and affordable housing;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Legislative Assembly request the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a performance audit of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and report thereon to the Legislative assembly;

AND FURTHER, that the performance audit examine the corporation's organizational structure, activities, practices, attitudes, philosophy, decision-making processes, internal performance measures and procedures to ascertain the corporation's planning and management capacity and effectiveness;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the audit examine the adequacy and appropriateness of the corporation's governance model and accountability relationship to the Legislative Assembly and its committees and, in particular, the quality and relevance of the business plans, main estimates and other documents put before the Legislative Assembly and its committees;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Auditor General examine such additional factors as she, in her opinion, feels are relevant;

AND FURTHERMORE, that all employees and officials actively cooperate with the Auditor General in providing all appropriate documents, records, papers and information;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Assembly request the Auditor General to complete this audit as expeditiously as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, I mentioned that the time has come for a certain motion put forward by one of the Members and here’s another motion whose time has come.

It took 30 years for us to have a review of the NWT Housing Corporation. I often speak that the Housing Corporation Act of 1978 is very old. It comes from a distant colonial past that we are doing this for you, your own good. In fact, some of our policies, Mr. Speaker, still do that, like the EDAP and mortgage assistance policies. Well, we’ll lend you the money, but we will still build it for you and you will have to pay us. That’s kind of ridiculous. That’s not what people in my constituency or throughout the North want anymore, Mr. Speaker. If it’s their money, then they should feel free to do what they want and build the quality construction that they want and need. This is one of the ways that we have to release those ties there, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation Minister is just going to have to let go of our people and let them be free with regard to the programming.

Free!

---Laughter

Kevin A. Menicoche

Nahendeh

In fact, in all of our policies and guidelines, of the key words missing is quality construction. We are making it adequate. We are making it accessible and affordable, but the biggest single concern that is brought to my attention time and time again is quality; quality in construction and, indeed, quality in providing the services and programming that the people have. Often, they get frustrated with the multi-layered bureaucracies that even the one department has.

Mr. Speaker, some of the functions that were there before are no longer there anymore. Once, in the act, it called for a creation of a board of directors, but those are gone now. So that is one function of accountability that is gone. It is not there anymore. The Minister has the ultimate authority in his entire department. Single-handedly, he is making decisions. That is something that is gone, as well. That is from the old colonial days when we, indeed, had a Commissioner that, through his goodness and his will, things happened. Now, that is gone again. I continue to reiterate that.

Overall, the corporation does need an overhaul. Many of its original functions are no longer with it, like providing social housing. We just, in fact, transferred that responsibility over to ECE, but yet we are still functioning as a social housing unit, so that, too, has to be reviewed there, Mr. Speaker. I think the biggest thing is that, throughout the North, people are saying let’s overhaul the Housing Corporation. I know that the corporation is extending every effort to do that, as well. Here, having it done by an external source, the Auditor General's office, is just another way of getting outside eyes looking in and seeing how things can be done a lot better. That is all people want, is to make sure they have an accountable organization taking care of them. They have a responsible organization and a relevant organization, Mr. Speaker. With that, I will conclude my statement in just saying that I look forward to this Auditor General’s report and a revamping of the Housing Corporation. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause