This is page numbers 55 - 89 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was violence.

Topics

Further Return To Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 62

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(English not provided)

Further Return To Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

No, we are not receiving translation. I will request a five minute break and see if we can address this issue.

---SHORT RECESS

Further Return To Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Question 44-12(5): Cost Of Living Factor In Rental Adjustments
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

I will call the House back to order. Order, please. Thank you. Before we proceed, Mr. Pudlat, I would like to recognize Mr. Mike Paulette, the vice-president of the Metis Nation.

---Applause

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Pudlat, would you like to attempt your question again, please? Thank you.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can you all hear me now? Thank you. My questions are going to be directed to the Minister of Housing. Coming from Baffin south, many Members have constituents who are unemployed or underemployed, as a result of lack of employment opportunities in the communities or lack of supplies like soapstone. These people are concerned about the impact of the winter. Can the Minister explain why people are left out on the street in the winter because they can't pay high rents? There is a lot of unemployment in our communities. Sometimes it is very difficult for a tenant to pay high rents. It is especially hard for the unemployed people.

Madam Speaker, I would like to stress that with the staff housing strategy, the government is aggressively promoting home ownership. Is this promotion of home ownership access the result of the Minister's wishes to achieve changes to territorial housing rents?

There are people who are unemployed and some people are being evicted from their houses because they can't pay for their rents. If you are going to have such high rates, we would like to see the government reduce the rents that have been increased. We would like to see people living well and not on social assistance.

Today, our lifestyle has changed dramatically. Can the Minister answer my question on what plan the government has regarding the smaller number of access units, to encourage and support those social housing tenants interested in home ownership? Thank you.

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Pudlat. May I remind Members to attempt to keep your preambles to your questions as precise as possible. Without taking away the fundamental right of freedom of speech for Members, I would also like to request the Ministers to make every attempt to keep your answers as precise and short as possible. Thank you. The honourable Minister for Housing, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wages Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For those people with lower incomes, the new rental scale review program may even, in some cases, lower their rent. For those people with higher income, it will never exceed 25 to 30 per cent of their gross income, including the cost of living. Thank you.

Return To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wages Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 63

The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, the honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

Supplementary To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 63

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have unemployed people who are paying a lot of money for rent. Our constituents have to be aware about what is happening with changes to social housing and rental rates. Would it be possible for the Minister to answer this question briefly and precisely? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 63

The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Right now, the Housing Corporation is doing a house-to-house survey of the 5,500 housing units we have. Every person in your riding that lives in public housing will be consulted and they will know how the new rental program affects them. They will be consulted with and it will be explained to them in their own language. That is the process we will be using.

For those people who are unemployed, this isn't going to affect them. If you are not capable of paying rent, if you are unemployed, that is what the social housing program is there for, to assist those people. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Question 45-12(5): Rental Scale For Low Wage Earners Or Unemployed
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 63

The Speaker

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question as well for the Minister responsible for Housing. It deals with the situation that aboriginal people in Yellowknife find themselves in. Recent surveys have indicated that Yellowknife is, by far, the largest aboriginal community in the Northwest Territories and yet we are almost being ignored as far as housing allocation is concerned. At least, this is the information I'm getting from aboriginal people who live in the city. Sometimes the Dene, Metis and Inuit people who live here feel discriminated against.

I would like to ask the Minister what is the policy for the city of Yellowknife, when it comes to dealing with great numbers of aboriginal peoples who choose to, or by circumstance, find themselves living here in Yellowknife? Their need is as great as it is in the communities, at times. What is the policy for Yellowknife?

The Speaker

Thank you. The Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 46-12(5): Housing Policy For Aboriginal People In Yellowknife
Question 46-12(5): Housing Policy For Aboriginal People In Yellowknife
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yellowknife is different than the outlying communities. The need is different, as well. The majority of the need in Yellowknife is an affordability need and the majority of the need in the communities is there is just no housing available. It's as simple as that. Yellowknife has public housing, it has the North Slave social housing and there is also the access program. Thank you.

Return To Question 46-12(5): Housing Policy For Aboriginal People In Yellowknife
Question 46-12(5): Housing Policy For Aboriginal People In Yellowknife
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Housing. The Advisory Committee on Social Housing was established by this Legislative Assembly. The committee includes ordinary Members, and yourself, Mr. Minister. It is expected that the committee will provide recommendations to the government on social housing issues. Does the Minister see any conflict between his role as a Minister and as the chairman of this committee which will make recommendations to the government?

The Speaker

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. No.

Return To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Supplementary To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho

Thank you, Madam Speaker. After a period of time operating, many committees find their terms of reference need to be slightly revised. Members of the Advisory Committee on Social Housing are concerned that the committee is not as effective as it might be. Does the Minister agree that the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee on Social Housing should be revisited? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 64

The Speaker

Thank you. Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I agree that the terms of reference of the advisory committee have to be revisited. We are still attempting to have a meeting of the advisory committee so that we can go over the terms of reference again and make recommendations to this House on how to change them. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Question 47-12(5): Conflict Re Minister Of Housing Corporation's Roles
Item 5: Oral Questions

Page 64

The Speaker

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Finance or, perhaps, the Minister of Health. It would be appropriate for Mr. Pollard wearing either hat. I think Mr. Pollard was quoted in the media, saying that he is considering the possibility of raising our territorial tobacco taxes in order to replace lost revenue. I just wonder, has the Finance Minister made a decision, at this point, on whether or not he will raise territorial tobacco taxes to replace lost revenues? It would probably have a positive effect on the perversity factor and it would protect the health, especially of young people, of the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

Thank you. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.