Mr. Minister.
Debates of March 4th, 1992
Topics
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
The Chair James Arvaluk
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I realize what has happened traditionally in the past, but that is not going to happen in the future. The corporation is not going to go in and do the survey. The survey will be done by the community, and they will make sure that all people are represented by the vehicle that we use to do the survey -- whether it is the band, hamlet or whatever -- and we have to make sure of that, Mr. Zoe.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you. General comments. Mr. Zoe.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, the reason I am saying that is that the corporation has always done this type of survey, and I do not think it was done properly. One of the concerns that I have is; if the corporation is going to undertake this survey again the community residents are reluctant to give information to the people who are doing this survey, and it happens to be the staff of the Housing Corporation. We are running into problems because the people who are undertaking this survey do not explain properly what the survey is all about. They come back on a year-to-year basis and the residents get fed up. When the surveyor comes there and asks them a number of questions there are some residents who are reluctant to give information because they already gave the information the previous year. They say, "You guys come around, you ask us all of these questions, but nothing is happening." It is not explained properly so that the residents understand what the survey is all about. That is why I am making the suggestion to the corporation that if somebody else, the band for instance, is willing to undertake this survey using their own questionnaires that they have developed, if they can undertake something on behalf of the corporation where it could be explained properly to the residents, then I am sure we can get a good needs survey done.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 271
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The needs survey that will commence this spring -- it is very important that Members inform their communities of how important that survey is. The Housing Corporation will do some of that up-front work and try to inform people of how important that work
is.
Once again, Mr. Zoe, I said that the community will be doing the survey with the Housing Corporation's assistance. That is how it will be done. The questionnaire will be a standard questionnaire, because it is the need of one community versus the need of another community. It is not just Rae's need. We have to look at Good Hope's need, we have to look at Fort Smith's and Coral Harbour's. We have to look at them all and they all have to be equal. So it will be done in that fashion.
It will be done in your region and it will be done in the Dogrib language. It will be the Dogrib people who are doing it. It is not going to be the Housing Corporation people doing it. It will be your own people doing it with the assistance of the Housing Corporation.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Thank you, Mr. Minister. General comments. Mr. Zoe.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Henry Zoe North Slave
That is the point I was trying to make. In other words, what the Minister is telling me, Mr. Chairman, is that if the community comes forward and some arrangements are made with them, their survey can be undertaken by the community, a contract of some sort, to do this needs study for them. I understand that is what he has indicated to me. Am I correct?
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Once again, the needs survey will be done by the community with the assistance of the Housing Corporation. Thank you.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Zoe.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Henry Zoe North Slave
I understood, with the assistance of the Housing Corporation, but I am asking if it could be a contractual arrangement with a group to undertake a survey on their behalf, with their questionnaire? Is that a "yes" or a "no"?
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I suggest, Mr. Zoe, that once we come closer to that time of the survey being done, that your people may take the opportunity to sit down with the Housing Corporation people and work it out. I am not going to negotiate a contract with you here.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Are you okay now, Mr. Zoe?
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Henry Zoe North Slave
I do not quite understand what he is saying about negotiating a contract now. I am saying, if they do come forward, is that option available, rather than the Housing Corporation staff doing it. You are paying them to undertake the study. All I am suggesting is that if the band, for instance, comes forward and says, "We feel we can do a better job than your own staff. Could we undertake this survey on your behalf and come to a contractual agreement with each other to do the work?"
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will not commit to a contract here. No, I will not do that, but what I am saying is that the community will do it with the assistance of the Housing Corporation. It is going to be a joint effort. It is not going to be one or the other.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
An Hon. Member
It is not possible.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Order please. Mr. Minister, do you want to respond? Can you complete your response?
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
What I am trying to say is that it is going to be a joint effort. The community is going to be working on behalf of the community, and their representation is going to represent the community. There is going to be a Housing Corporation official to represent the Housing Corporation, and that is how it is going to work. It has got to be a well rounded group to do the survey. Thank you.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
General comments. Mr. Zoe.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Henry Zoe North Slave
My understanding, then, Mr. Chairman, is that option is not available to the communities. If a band or a hamlet wants to undertake the study that they are planning to do with their information, their questionnaire, that option is closed to them from what I understand the Minister is saying. Am I correct?
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
The Chair James Arvaluk
Mr. Minister.
Hiring Locally To Construct Housing
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 272
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Mr. Chairman, the survey to be done this Spring is to adjust all the needs in the Northwest Territories. I do not know how to have 52 different surveys asking 52 different questions in each survey all over the communities, and try to make sense of it to begin with. The question has to be put the same to each community. What we are trying to do is adjust the need and find out what the need is. No, the option is not open for the community to develop their own survey. Thank you.