Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to congratulate my colleague for a "yes" on the floor from Housing. I think that's a great start.
Madam Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance can provide an idea of how much property tax arrears the GNWT forgives every year in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I certainly can provide that data. I don't have the number in front of me right now on the fly, but I can certainly commit to get that to the Member. And I'll have it before tomorrow if she wants to follow up on it. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister, for the commitment. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I've got the Finance website open in front of me, and just for everyone's sake Property Tax Arrears Program is designed to help residents who have property tax or residential lease arrears in the Northwest Territories. And so, given that information, I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance can confirm if Housing NWT clients can use property tax arrears to pay rental arrears? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the property tax arrears is for homeowners who are paying property taxes. So in that respect, someone who is living in public housing would not have access to that program. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm seeing here that it also extends to residential lease arrears. And so I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to what that difference is and if it also extends to damages incurred within residential lease arrears as well, and if that confirmation can be made. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's not my understanding that this extends to residential leases. Certainly if I am wrong about that, I will certainly correct myself going forward. And there was a second half to that question that has escaped me as I stood up. So I apologize, you might have to see if the Member wants to oh, damages. Damages, Madam Speaker; it's come back to me miraculously.
Madam Speaker, no, it wouldn't extend to damages. Again, it is really focused on property taxes and does generally extend to homeowners. So it is not well suited to dealing with arrears under public housing. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Finance might want to review their website then, because it does clearly state on the website that it is for residential lease arrears.
But my last question for the Minister of Housing is if this program doesn't apply to Housing NWT itself, to be able to use Property Tax Arrears Program to pay off arrears, what other process is available to Housing NWT to forgive public housing arrears? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I can certainly commit that the Department of Finance, which is where any loans or other matters that are forgiven, for example, student financial assistance, anything of that nature that is going to be forgiven as an obligation or debt owed to the government, does come through the comptroller general's office, and I will see that that office does connect in with Housing NWT to ensure that if there are programs underutilized or ways that we can support that department, that office, that we will do so. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
