Thank you, Madam Speaker. The GNWT tabled the long-term staff housing strategy in December, 1992. It was designed to ensure a more fair and equitable staff housing program, encourage home ownership and stimulate growth of a private sector housing market. Although there has been general support for the guiding principles of the strategy, there have been numerous concerns raised by the public, GNWT staff and Members of this Legislature on the implementation of the strategy. These concerns have ranged from inadequate consultation with tenant employees in enacting the rate adjustments of units, unfair allocation of units, the perceived favouritism to preferred staff, perceived selling of housing units under market value, the perceived improprieties in undertaking substantial renovations to units prior to selling them off, et cetera.

Madam Speaker, I wish to add my concerns to the ones brought forward by other honourable Members of this House. Under the staff housing strategy, only existing tenants are eligible to purchase a unit. An employee has to be allocated a unit based on their needs, before being allowed to initiate the purchase of a unit. This does not allow staff the opportunity to choose a housing unit based on what they feel would meet their current or future needs. If an employee is making a major

investment in their own home in a community, they should have the right of choice.

Madam Speaker, the most significant problem, I believe that the government omitted when developing their long-term staff housing strategy, was dealing with the staff residing in public housing units. A large majority of these staff are local aboriginal employees, already committed to the community. These employees, if encouraged and supported in purchasing their own homes, would not only add long-term stability to the creation of a private housing market, but would free up a valuable public housing unit for lower income tenants.

The GNWT has also indicated they went through public tender, or real estate agents, to sell off all surplus housing units. I disagree with this approach. I believe units should automatically be added to the local housing associations' inventory to address the local public housing needs.

Without getting into specifics, I am currently dealing with problems in my constituency as a result of the perceived unfair implementation process of the strategy. I can say that the Minister of Personnel is aware of the problem and is attempting to address it. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.