I cannot top that, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday there were some questions regarding the sale of staff housing and leases. Mr. Speaker, it is my belief that the sale of staff housing has not been thoroughly thought out. Yet, approximately 530 staff houses that are still owned by this government have been bought and paid for, and actuality they generate an excess of $1 million revenue net to this government. A government that needs this type of revenue. Without guaranteed staff housing in communities, many of the people that we need, and will need, will have no place to stay if we proceed with this plan.

Forced growth alone in the Baffin Region, for example, is approximately eight percent per year. Over three years that means 24 percent increase in students in our schools, for example. Where will we house the extra teachers we will need to help educate our children? Will we have to lease these units at cost about the new Western Territory and Nunavut government? That would be asinine.

The Finance Minister has repeatedly said the sale of staff housing is an intricate part of our deficit reduction scheme, but how do we reconcile that with the need to provide adequate housing to staff, especially in the smaller communities where there is no housing market? This has to be reviewed.

In my community the dropping of housing leases, as explained in my questions to the Minister yesterday, indicated it is still a very strong area of concern, and we have a housing market. I would ask that the Minister sit down with the MLAs and explain what process will be in place to guarantee housing for staff and cases where because of financial or other consideration or other consideration they can not or choose not to purchase their unit.

Mr. Speaker, the NIC recommended holding on to staff housing and I also asked the Minister to review again, this policy, so that when Nunavut is created, and when the new Western Territory begins anew on April 1, 1999 that those governments will not be put into position of having to build more staff housing because the 13th Assembly sold all of our houses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.