Thank you, and congratulations, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, since the staff housing strategy was implemented last year, one effect has been to put pressures on employees to look for alternatives to higher rents. As I said in this House at the time, the pressure on employees with lower incomes and larger families would be especially acute. I was concerned at the time, that the ground might not have been adequately prepared to allow those employees pressured by higher rents to seek home ownership as an option.

There were only about half a dozen home ownership units available in Iqaluit from the Housing Corporation last year. That meant increasing pressure on our government to make the relatively few single detached housing units available for sale to these employees with the greatest need. The general perception in my constituency is that the process for appraisal of these units has been generous. The prices offered to those employees fortunate enough to live in them has been so reasonable as to be quite attractive. But, that is not my concern today, Madam Speaker.

I am, however, very concerned about the process for allocation of these prized detached housing units, once they are vacant or otherwise available, since it is occupation which allows an employee the opportunity to buy. There is a perception in my riding that the process of allocation of these units may be unfair and that there may be different standards in place for management, HAY plan staff or employees of certain departments than other less-privileged employees.

I have also been made to understand, in the discussions of the staff housing strategy, that the government would not undertake repair work on staff houses eligible for sale. In the spirit of the government getting out of staff housing, the idea was that employees who purchase these units would undertake the repairs at their expense and those costs would be reflected in the appraisal. My constituents are also concerned that renovations have been undertaken on detached units in Iqaluit which are prime opportunities for employee purchase, in order to benefit incumbent employees, especially employees of the Department of Public Works and Services, who might then wish to apply to purchase these units.

Madam Speaker, on both these accounts, I'll be pursuing this matter through oral and written questions. Thank you.

---Applause