Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Gary Bohnet and Mike Bohnet, the president and vice president of the Metis Nation. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a very important person to me in the gallery, my wife Linda.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I would like to recognize the honourable brother of Ben McDonald, long time Yellowknife resident and union activist.

Welcome to the Assembly. Are there any further recognitions of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Are there any further recognitions of visitors in the gallery? Oral questions. Oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Honourable Premier of this government. As I indicated in my members statement, the concern of the ... (inaudible) ... forum, which is profound concern, is housing for our government staff, and the educational staff.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated also that there is increasing enrolment of students in the area of Nunavut. Not only in the Nunavut area, I am sure across the territories.

Mr. Speaker, I also indicated there is no alternative housing available for the teaching staff in the smaller communities. Mr. Speaker, there is no guarantee to ensure once all of the staff houses are sold, that there will be housing available to all government employees within the jurisdiction.

My question to the Honourable Premier, is does the government have a strategy in place to ensure that there will be housing available for the teaching staff during the life of this government? Thank you.

Thank you. The Minister of

Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I have got, I see we have got the president of the NWTTA, it will give me an opportunity to elaborate on the fact that we do have a plan in place to ensure that there is adequate housing, not just for teachers, though they are a distinguished group -- no question, but for others out there.

The fact of the matter is that we will provide letters of guarantee, in some cases, leases if it is necessary, for the private sector in the communities to ensure that there is adequate housing for the new teachers, or new mechanics, or new whatever, that is required in everyone of these communities. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same honourable Minister, Mr. Todd, the Minister of Finance. The Minister has indicated that for every sector may be providing or supplying houses to the GNWT employees.

My question is, will the honourable Minister guarantee that once the private sector is supplying houses to government staff, that they will be affordable, reasonable rent within this system? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Let me assure my Honourable colleague that the part of the plan we have in place will also to include affordability and, I think, the reality is that this government policy will continue to be when we no longer are in staff housing per se.

I want to ensure that while, some may view it as a revenue generating source, it is in fact a liability and we want to assure them in 1999 with the two new territories, that liability is decreased, and we will put the onus of responsibility for providing houses in the hands of the private sector and we will provide the appropriate paper or whatever security it should require for that private sector to go out, find the investment money, the mortgage money, et cetera to construct homes in a cost effective way and, more importantly, an affordable way to our employees in these communities. Thank you.

Oral questions supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary. Some communities, municipalities have indicated interest in getting into leasing the government staff houses to the employees within the system. My question is will the government ensure once the municipality is in the business of leasing homes they will be guaranteed those homes will be used by the government's employees. Thank you.

It is our intention Mr. Speaker for that to happen. Yes that is correct.

Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you. I hope this is not a repeat of yesterday but, anyway, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker. The five year capital process is a significant policy that permits this government to determine priorities and where money should be spent. I would not want to give my honourable colleague any other perception that it is anything else. I think at this time in the debate yes, that when we are talking about community empowerment et cetera, we are in a very young evolutionary stage when it comes to that, but up until this date the 5 year capital process in this Assembly and previous Assemblies has been an important tool in determining the priorities and where the money is spent at the community level and provides a mechanism, as I said yesterday, under the previous Premier and under this Premier, where we went to the communities and asked them to establish the priorities so it provides a mechanism for the constituencies to priorize the importance of capital projects. It provides a mechanism for the MLAs to be directly involved, and it provides a mechanism for the committees, however imperfect it is, provides a mechanism for everybody to be involved in the process.

So it is an important way in which we do business. There may be some changes that are going to come about due to community empowerment et cetera which will be debated in this House and in Committee but, at this time, it is a very important process. Thank you. Thank you.