This is page numbers 521 - 547 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th 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 housing.

Topics

Further Return To Question 277-12(7): Number Of Pys At Housing Corporation
Question 277-12(7): Number Of Pys At Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 534

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I asked the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat about the affirmative action review committee. I was surprised to hear that the review committee is an internal one because I believe many of the concerns and problems with the affirmative action program are caused by lack of internal initiatives. My question to the Minister is, why was a decision made to have the review committee composed only of internal Government of the Northwest Territories employees?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 534

John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was felt that people from within the government would have knowledge of the efforts that have been made in the past and the results of those efforts and that, by consulting with people in the government, they could see where people wanted to go with affirmative action and where we had fallen down. And that, as we consulted with external groups by various means, we would be able to provide information on the history and the present and take direction from external groups on where we needed to go in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 534

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In the initial exercise to set this review up, there was some criticism because of the way it was shaping up. Aboriginal groups were used as part of the initial focus groups. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not the input and information from these aboriginal groups is being used to design the study?

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, we were given a considerable amount of information at the original meeting. That information has been taken into consideration and we will use that information as we consult across the five regions of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

Fred Koe Inuvik

If that's the case, I would be very interested to know what the terms of reference for this review committee are. Will the Minister commit to table the terms of reference for this review of the affirmative action program?

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

John Pollard Hay River

I'll table the information that I mentioned before, the make-up of the committee. I'll table the terms under which they're going to conduct this particular exercise, and I'll also table the process they intend to use. I'll also table what will happen to the information that is compiled, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

Fred Koe Inuvik

Mahsi. One of the issues of the affirmative action program is the issue that deputy ministers were supposed to be accountable for the programs within their department. I would like to ask the Minister whether a process or a procedure was ever implemented whereby deputy ministers were to be measured. I think it was to affect their merit pay, if they were able to meet the goals they were to set under the affirmative action program. I would like to know whether that was ever implemented or not.

Supplementary To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, all Ministers are conscious of the affirmative action policy, the affirmative action program and the affirmative action results their departments are achieving. The Ministers individually deal with their deputies and measure them against the objectives that they've set, and Ministers deal with deputy ministers on the objectives they set in this particular area. When deputy ministers are reviewed and performance is reviewed against the objectives they had set, this is one of the areas that is taken into consideration, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Question 278-12(7): Make-up Of Affirmative Action Review Committee
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Titus Allooloo Amittuq

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again to the Minister of Housing. Since the document has been verified by the Minister that the English version is not the same as the Inuktitut version that was given out to tenants, since the wrong information was given to tenants saying if they don't come forward with their income, they don't have to pay rent for their unit, since that incorrect information was given to them, is the Minister prepared to give to those unilingual tenants an additional one-month notice after giving them the correct information? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working right now with the local housing authorities. I understand that every three days, approximately a little over 10 per cent of the people are coming forward. The local housing authorities verify their income and the local housing authorities have told us they are going to start working at nights and in some cases hire extra staff to visit people in their homes, explain it properly and they feel they could meet the deadline. But in some cases where tenants are out of town or on the land or do not understand this document, then we would consider working with these tenants to make sure they do understand. Any rental decreases or increases would have to wait until they fully understand that. Thank you.

Return To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Supplementary To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 535

Titus Allooloo Amittuq

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister knows, because of a lack of communication that has taken place in the past or other problems, right now in my constituency there are people being evicted from their houses in 40 below weather. They have no place to go when they have been evicted. I'm trying to say, Mr. Speaker, that the answers the Minister has been giving us...If these people with the wrong information do not come forward with their income, their income assessment will be based on the maximum. I'm afraid those people who do not come forward because of this wrong information the

Housing Corporation gave, will be in the same boat as those in my constituency who are being evicted in 40 below weather.

Mr. Speaker, I am questioning whether the government is considering the Inuktitut letter as official, with the same status as the English letter they have sent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 536

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Morin.

Further Return To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 536

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are going to be working with the local housing authorities, as well as the tenants, to ensure that all people understand the rent scale. Even as of today, people are working aggressively at the local housing authorities to try to get people to understand the new rent scale. This notice is no different than any other notices that are given out. Occasionally, to calculate rents, people are requested to come in and verify their income and they should do so.

As of April 1st, the rents will go to the maximum if they do not come in. What we'll do is work with the tenants, and if they did not understand that or it was beyond their control -- if they're out on the land or whatever -- then we would make it retroactive. You also have to remember that there are people whose rents are going down. For 30 per cent of the people, rent is going down. So it wouldn't be fair to those people to leave their rents higher just because they didn't understand this documentation. So we would work with them to ensure it's taken care of.

Members have raised a legitimate concern and we will work to address it. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Question 279-12(7): Extension For Unilingual Tenants Re Rent Increase
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 536

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.