Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see that the government is open to making changes and modifications with the new staff housing strategy, and that the desire of ordinary Members to review the policy is welcomed. I am pleased to learn of the four month delay in implementation. The policy has been rushed and many questions are still unanswered. I am glad to see the government is proposing to replace the invidious hardship allowance. I look forward to the details of the shelter assistance policy. I hope it will consider the number of dependents in a household as well as household income.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kakfwi and his deputy minister, Mr. Lovely, have been characterizing the anger and opposition over this rent increase as mostly coming from employees who are in it for the money. People, to quote Mr. Lovely, they will be happy to say "goodbye" to. They would have us believe the loudest complaints are coming from two-income, white transient families with a cottage in the south. In fact, this increase is hitting long-term dedicated employees with families who are committed to staying in the north because of their dedication to being teachers, government administrators, people we do not want to lose. It is also hitting lower level employees with families especially hard. These are often Inuit, most of them are women, these are the core of our clerks, secretaries, classroom assistants and junior teachers who happily constitute between 40 and 50 per cent of the present public service in my region. I will have some specific questions about one such employee later today.
I would like to close this statement by quoting from a very well-respected constituent and a long-term northern resident, in a recent letter to the Minister, Mr. Mike Gardener, writing in his personal capacity and I think some of his advice has been heeded. "I felt I should write you as someone more neutral and detached than some others, being a non-government employee. I do not think anyone can really say they can be detached from the effects of this proposed new policy of yours if it goes ahead as planned. The effect would upset the whole territories for many years to come. Already I hear so many people talk about leaving the north and they mean it. Its effect would be disastrous for years to come unless a drastic revision of your policy is publicized as soon as possible."