Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the information that I have on hand, and all that I have heard coming out of all the communities in our ridings, is that the implementation of the new rent scale is going very well; people are informed. It has been on TVNC and it has been in all the major newspapers. The local housing authorities are informed. There is some individual client counselling that still has to be done. People are well-informed of the rent scale.

No, we will not look at changing the implementation date. We have gone through a process for almost three years doing this scale and April 1st is the date -- that has been put off many times -- it is something that you have agreed to already. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Minister for this initiative. There has been a lot of work done in terms of trying to keep the resources coming in from the federal government to our government for the housing projects.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did not answer my question. Will those people who are in public housing right now, who didn't have a chance to get counselling -- which the Minister supports -- who did not privately or collectively meet with the Housing Corporation administrators, be given that opportunity to do so? Can we delay this for those tenants who didn't receive counselling? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that all clients will be counselled. It's my understanding that the information is flowing out there in the communities about the new rent scale. It's my understanding, through the Housing Corporation, that everything is on schedule and going ahead according to plan. No one from my department has told me yet that there is a lack of communication out there. I will look into the issue, but at this time I'm not prepared to extend the date of the implementation of the new rent scale. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it my understanding then that those tenants who didn't receive counselling, their rents will still change effective April 1st? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Taloyoak this fall, the rent scale was finally passed through the Special Committee on Social Housing. After that it came to this House and we dealt with it in committee of the whole. Prior to that, well over a year ago, the whole process was kicked off with community consultation. That was the Housing Corporation along with the local housing authorities having meetings in every community. After that, we had major meetings in every region where leaders were involved. That was the consultation process. The recommendations from that process were given to the Special Committee on Social Housing through the regional meetings. Then we had our meeting in Taloyoak to go over the recommendations, and we made many changes to the scale so it would accommodate people and reflect what people's needs were.

One portion of the new rent scale is going to go up, but there will be a portion of it where rents go down. We have a cost-of-living portion in there. It will allow people to travel between communities to work. It will allow people to go to school and get their units back and not lose them in their community. So there are many good things about this rent scale, as well.

We've had the workshops with the local housing authorities. The majority of the client counselling is done. So it's something that has been in the public and in the community for at least a year, so people should know about it. The new rent scale -- as everybody agreed to, as this House agreed to, Cabinet agreed to -- will be implemented on April 1, 1995. Thank you.

Question period has lapsed. Item 7, written questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Tabled Document 40-12(7), Fort Smith aircraft maintenance facility history of the Government of the Northwest Territories decisions and communications with Fort Smith.

Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Tabled Document 41-12(7), report on the Thebacha Campus applied arts and library building project in Fort Smith.

Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Mr. Koe.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 6th I shall move the following motion:

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, notwithstanding rule 3(1)(a) that when this House adjourns on Friday, March 10, 1995, it shall be adjourned until Monday, March 27, 1995; And further, that any time prior to March 27, 1995, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with my motion today.

Thank you. Item 14, notices of motion. We'll take a 10-minute break.

---SHORT RECESS

Item 16, motions. Motion 11-12(7), Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the term of the 12th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is due to expire on November 14, 1995;

AND WHEREAS it would be desirable to hold the general election earlier than November 1, 1995;

AND WHEREAS section 9(3) of the Northwest Territories Act, the Governor in Council, after consultation, may dissolve the Legislative Assembly thus causing a new Legislature to be elected;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that this Legislative Assembly requests the Governor in Council to dissolve the 12th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories by August 31, 1995 to permit a general election to be held on October 16, 1995.

The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm introducing this motion as chairman of Caucus. I would like to speak briefly to the motion which I feel is fairly self-explanatory. The term of the 12th Assembly is not due to expire until November 14th of this year. That would mean that the general election across the territories to elect the 13th Assembly would be in January 1996. As Members are aware, Mr. Speaker, January in any part of the territories is not a good time for a general election.

Mr. Speaker, as the 11th Assembly did in 1991, a similar motion was introduced so that all residents of the territories were aware, early, when the general election would be held. As you aware, there is a weakness in our system, as we still don't have the power to dissolve ourselves and go to the people. This authority, under the Northwest Territories Act, still lies with the federal government. Therefore, we are required to advise the federal government of the majority will of this

Assembly concerning dissolution and a time for the next election.

Mr. Speaker, the date for the general election proposed in the motion of October 16th would permit this government and the Assembly to endeavour to complete important initiatives that have been ongoing for a number of years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That concludes my comments on the motion.

---Applause

Thank you. The seconder of the motion is Mr. Pollard.

Question.