Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy New Year, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome yourself, my colleagues, the interpreters, and all of our staff back for a constructive and productive winter Session, and for the last year of our Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I hope you had a wonderful break, full of rest, relaxation, and time spent with family. I wish this was the case for all the residents of the territory, however, for many of my constituents and others, there was no break from the daily struggle of surviving. With soaring fuel and electricity rates, escalating rent and grocery prices, most residents are living pay cheque to pay cheque, and many are having to make the hard decision between paying a bill, or their rent, and having food on the table.
Further compounding their woes is the quality of housing that is available in our territory. When you spend excessive amounts of money on your rent and all you receive in return is a moldy, pestinfested apartment, with sketchy heating and people smoking crack in the hallways, it's extremely demoralizing. Mr. Speaker, several of these apartments are in my riding and several more exist throughout the city. Windows are broken and boarded up, fire extinguishers are set off on a regular basis; mold is present, and raw sewage is leaking, and many are often without heat.
Mr. Speaker, it often takes months for any response to my questions. And when I do get one, they are often vague and lacking details.
I asked for the plan to move residents into Nordic Arms, purchased by the department a year ago this month, and was told "sometime after the renovations are complete" which appears to be slated for April 2023. However, when I requested the sequencing plan to accommodate the renos and move in the residents, it's appears to me there isn't one.
Mr. Speaker, when is this Minister going to do anything for my constituents and others in the territory? Where are all these units she has continuously promised? Where are the contracts with NGOs to run the shelters in Yellowknife and Inuvik? Imagine my surprise, Mr. Speaker, to recently learn that the highly anticipated homelessness strategy, a priority to all 19 of us and promised for April 2023 last session, isn't even being led by the housing Minister anymore. Rather, this critical and desperately needed strategy, and subsequent action, is now being led by the Premier and EIA. What does this say about the state of the strategy, that in the 11th hour, the GNWT feels it's better for a whole new Minister and staff to execute it rather than the department where the expertise supposedly lies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
