Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a concern about the Minister's new "axe" program, as they call it in Fort Liard. This new program is having a negative effect on the community. It is not helping the community, in fact, it is going the other way. I was involved in the decision to move in that

direction, and I thought, from what the Minister was telling us in the House, was that he was going to improve housing delivery. However, the real effect in a small community like Fort Liard -- normally they have been getting about six, seven or eight HAP houses in the past and they have developed a training component around it where they have about 15 employees being trained over the last few years and they had a good team. Now what has happened with this access program is that they are only getting one. So you are looking at 15 families with no employment. I am wondering if this new program is helping. In my constituency it is not going to help, Mr. Minister. How is it going to help? You said it was going to improve the situation. Initially, when this new program came in, it was not helping, in fact, it has caused some real concern in the communities.

Another thing coming in, and was raised by my colleague from Thebacha, is the requirement by the Housing Corporation to have the band councils pass a resolution releasing band land to the NWT Housing Corporation, in order to have a house built for a band member. Many band councils have had dealings with leasing some of their band lands in the past. Some have taken BCRs to not release any more land. In these two areas, the policy is going against band policy and it is causing concern. It is getting to the point where people are saying, "What is the use of applying for houses? Why do we not let the Housing Corporation build houses for everyone else and forget the band members?" It is becoming very complicated. Obviously this policy is not developed by Dene and aboriginal people. I know you are the Minister and you are aboriginal, but this policy is obviously not developed by us. Whoever your advisers are should go back to the drawing board. You sold it to us, Mr. Minister, and I took your word for it at that time, but I am finding it very difficult to see what benefit it is going to have in a community.

You are going to hear more about this, not only from me, but if you travel into the communities you will hear it yourself. I am telling you what I am hearing. I do not know how long this is going to go, but right now there is a negative reaction at the community level. I am very concerned that it might not meet the needs of people in the communities. I know your staff are going into the communities and doing their work, but it is going to be some time before this new housing program is going to be accepted, if at all.

I attended the Deh Cho regional council meeting and the Deh Cho tribal council meeting where the Housing Corporation representative attended. The idea of releasing band land in order to have a house built for a band member was introduced and it was not favourably accepted. There was an attempt by your corporation officials to try to sell this idea to leaders of the community, but it is not acceptable. I understand the releasing of band land is an important component of your new strategy and if you do not get it, how are you going to go about it? If it is a requirement by band councils to release band land in order to receive the new housing package, if it cannot be achieved, then I guess band members will not receive any more houses. That seems to be the message of your officials to the chiefs and band councils. It is not a very straight cut program. I was wondering if the Minister is aware of this situation, and if he is, what is he going to do to try to resolve the problems in the communities? How is he dealing with the

concerns arising out of the communities in terms of the new access program? Thank you.