Marci cho. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, everybody's talking about the houses on this side here with the Housing Minister. We're going to be asking the Minister of Housing. I too will continue with the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation has the ability to touch on every aspect of our mandate. It can impact the economy by providing communities with local housing projects that will see five or six people in the communities trained and working on renovating homes. These projects can also look at employing the 18-to-30-year-old group as youth employment rates are very low. We all know that having employment and a good house goes a long way to addressing the wellbeing of communities and its people. In other words, employ people and put them in good housing; you'll have healthier populations than people without jobs and in poor housing. Mr. Speaker, even in the area of governance, when you show the people in our communities that we care enough to make sure our citizens are living in suitable and adequate homes, we will see that leadership becomes a lot easier to deal with.
A chief told me that when we signed on to a devolution agreement he thought the government was going to be a partner moving forward. He said, “that is not what has happened.” Mr. Speaker, the communities look at the government in the holistic sense and not department by department. It is important that we know that. I think the NWT Housing Corporation could do very well with the communities by developing good communication and it also can work with each community in developing a housing development plan, specific to that community. This housing development plan could have real targets in reducing core need for that community. This housing development plan could be the blueprint for the NWT Housing Corporation to address core need in every community. I'll have questions for the Minister of Housing at the appropriate time. Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
