Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question.

---Laughter

I don't know the current status. I have the audited interim statements up to September 30th available right now, which would be of the first half of the year. From what I understand, in the Baffin there are currently three municipalities in a deficit position. The current statements should have been available December 30th. I have asked the department to bring forward that information -- which is not available at the current time -- and will commit to getting back to the Member on the situation of the hamlets in the Baffin. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the new Minister of Public Works. No, it's you, John!

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of Public Works was quite a vocal defender of negotiated contracts in appropriate circumstances, provided the government was assured of obtaining good value. I have a couple of requests for negotiated contracts arising from Inuit-owned corporations in my constituency. I would like to ask the new Minister of Public Works, is he open to the concept of negotiated contracts with Inuit corporations where good value for money is offered on government staff housing and office accommodation? Thank you.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's not up to me to decide that particular question. It's up to the department that requires the service. They may make a suggestion to us that it could be by way of negotiated contract. If I receive those requests, then I deal with them accordingly. There are incidents in the Northwest Territories where negotiated contracts prove good and, when they do and the department has requested them, that's the direction I'll take, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I have managed to persuade a department of the government that they are very open to a negotiated contract for services in my constituency, could the Minister enlighten me as to what kind of approval process is required to take the next step? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, if there is a department that needs a particular service or if they are of the mind that they would like to have that particular contract negotiated, they would bring it to Cabinet. Cabinet would make a decision on that issue and I would then get my instructions from Members of Cabinet to go out and do the negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson, supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister knows, I live in a community that depends on the sealift for the supply of construction materials. Therefore, there is quite a bit of advance time required for approvals of contracts. With sealift deadlines approaching, is it possible that a request for a negotiated contract for summer construction in my community could be dealt with fairly expeditiously by Cabinet? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, it really depends on the particular issue. If the Member could be more specific I could give him a better answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was absent when the Minister of the Housing Corporation made his Minister's statement on the rent scale implementation. I am glad he made a statement outlining what the corporation is doing. However, I would like to ask the Minister a question. Perhaps I should explain, I was not part of the Advisory Committee on Social Housing that Mr. Morin spearheaded. At that time I was on Cabinet. I did address some of my concerns directly to the Minister. Is this rent scale profit driven or is it based on the cost of the units?

Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The new rent scale is based on neither profit nor the cost of the unit. The rent scale is based on what people can afford to pay and a Canadian-wide rent scale that CMHC uses. But ours is still quite a bit less than what the federal government would use. Thank you.

Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My supplementary is to the same Minister. Is the rent scale based on the percentage of the household income?

Mr. Morin.