Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Getting back to my Member’s statement, obviously the decision of the last government to transfer responsibility for social housing was a decision of the last government, Mr. Speaker. For however long I think about this, I’ll never ever comprehend or understand why that decision was made in the first place, but I want to get back to something else I spoke about in my statement. That is responsibility.
This government was elected in 2007 and it took them over two years to reverse that decision. One of the first meetings that Regular Members had with this government early on in the life of this government was to address the transfer of that Social Housing Policy from Housing to ECE. When that $30 million was taken from the Housing Corporation by ECE it seemed to happen just like that, in the blink of an eye. I’m wondering why it is taking so long to get the money back to the Housing Corporation from ECE.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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I’m getting tired.
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Anybody want to fill in for me, go ahead.
Mr. Speaker, as far as transferring the money back to the NWT Housing Corporation, Members will see that I think during this session as part of the supp process, as far as the reason it took so long, there were some details we had to work out with ECE. The actual block of money for the administration of the public housing rental subsidy is going back to the Housing Corporation and it will be done by the end of this Assembly.
I just wondered if the Minister could explain why one government could just walk in and take the money, even though, Members, I recall there are a few Members on the other side of the House that were here at the time, we initially denied the request to take that money. However, it was done anyway and it just happened just like that. I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that one government could easily take that money and transfer it and with this government it’s taking its time to get the money back to the Housing Corporation. If it could happen quickly then, why can’t it happen as quickly now?
That process was during the 15th. I can’t speak for the amount of time it took for it to go over then.
Being a Regular Member in the 15th Assembly, there were a lot of motions coming forward to transfer the responsibility of assessments back to the LHOs. One of the first things that we did as the 16th Assembly was try to get the responsibilities back to the LHOs, because we heard the two motions that we heard from the people across the Northwest Territories. We heard from LHOs that thought it should be back with the LHOs.
The transfer of the money back to the Housing Corporation is an item that’s before the House. I can assure the Member that it will be something that will be completed by the end of this session.
Ultimately the government did make the right decision and listened to the Regular Members of this House and listened to the public across the Northwest Territories who suggested that it was the wrong decision. I’m glad that they did eventually listen.
I’d like to ask the Minister, I know that he’s privy to the discussions on the 11 or 12 positions that were needed at ECE to administer the program. Even though it doesn’t fall under the mandate of the Housing Corporation, I know he’s been involved in discussions with his counterpart in ECE on those positions and what the status is of the HR plan dealing with those positions at ECE.
That was part of the discussions with ECE, was the positions. When it was transferred over, I believe the Housing Corporation gave up five or six positions, if I’m not mistaken, as part of the transfer back. I believe we’re getting the five or six positions back with the Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister when Regular Members might be able to see a comprehensive human resource plan related to the provision of the Social Housing Policy.
The details of the money transfer are going to be in the supp documents that we are discussing. As far as a comprehensive human resource plan, we are more than willing to sit with the Regular Members, as we have on a couple of occasions, and give them briefings on what the Housing Corporation is doing. I can commit to the Member that we can have the human resource plan as part of any future briefings that committee may wish.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
