Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not know how many times that I am going to bring up the Housing NWT crisis but until I see some real progress, it's going to continue to be my top priority as long as I am a Member of this House.
Mr. Speaker, housing corporation was born in 1972 and in the last 51 years since its foundation, the agency has failed to meet the housing demands of our residents apart from them rebranding and exercising, in 2022, that gave Housing NWT, not much has changed beyond a slick new logo and familyfriendly name.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation has spent a great deal of time thumping her desk about how great of a job she has done on the housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. But let's face it, the GNWT and housing have no vision, no plan for solving our housing crisis and a half of century of failure is proof all we need. I find this even more frustrating when the Minister has few portfolios to occupy her attention and the boss is the Premier is a former housing Minister as well and who has often spoken her passion for the housing policies.
Mr. Speaker, I expect better from this government. Housing NWT has been applying for CIRNAC dollars from housing grants to address their own housing needs. That means needs of the people we serve. This means fixing up public housing units according to their schedule without any consultation or engagement with Indigenous governments, who gave Housing NWT the mandate to make these applications and spend the money on behalf of the Indigenous governments who are already struggling to meet their own housing crisis needs. It's unfair and out of touch to insist that these efforts are solving the housing crisis when they do little more than fix up the GNWT assets. Yes, it looks like a good photo opportunity to help the Minister's political fortunes, but it does not make a slick difference to our residents without adequate affordable housing.
As we need to do all we have to do is look to our sister territory Nunavut to see real progress on the housing file. Is it possible, Mr. Speaker, that without making real change, the NWT will continue to struggle in housing? Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of housing at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
