Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate it if nobody falls asleep during my speech.
--- Laughter
My reply to the Budget Address would not be complete without expressing my concerns about the difficult situation facing many of our elders. I am concerned that, in some cases, support we are giving to elders has not kept up with increases in the cost of living. I am also concerned that sometimes it seems as if the right hand of the government is not aware of what the left hand is doing. Take elders' housing, for example. The Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation has made a positive announcement this session about housing for elders. The NWT Housing Corporation does not charge any rent to elders on old-age pension who are living in social housing. However, another department of the same government has pretty well doubled the amount charged to elders living in senior citizens' facilities. I want to describe the situation at the only elders' facility we have in Baffin, which is in Iqaluit, because right now, an elder from Pangnirtung is at the centre. This is the only facility in Baffin and it is depended on by people from other Baffin communities, not just Iqaluit.
I am grateful that elders living in social housing are forgiven rent. But why, I am asking myself, should the same elders who are living in a govern ment-supported elders' facility be paying such a large increase? This is the money that, in lots of cases, is being used to support an extended family. These elders are responsible for buying their own clothes. I would like to suggest that elders have a need for spending money like the rest of us. This is a big change for everyone, especially people on fixed incomes. I understand that this is the way elders are often charged in the South, but our elders should not be compared to elders in the South because their situation is quite different from those in the South.
When I ran for election, I promised to try to help improve the situation of our elders. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that many of our elders are in a very difficult situation as far as money is concerned. They have nothing in their houses. Sometimes they are alone. Often they are expected to care for grandchildren.
I know that our cost of living has increased a lot. I also know that the cost of living in my constituency is much more than that in Yellowknife. Has this been taken into account in determining what is a fair monthly payment for rent in an elders' facility for an elder from Pangnirtung, compared to an elder living in Fort Smith or Yellowknife? I would like to know whether the big differences in the cost of living have been taken into account in raising these charges or whether, like the Canada pension payments, everybody is treated the same no matter where they live.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we have paid enough attention to the situation of our elders in this budget. I know, as MLAs, we all depend on and respect elders in our constituencies who are our leaders and advisors. We pay tribute to them all the time. Mr. Speaker, I've heard our Ministers and our Premier say that the budget will not be cut on the backs of the poor. May I suggest that we should also agree that the budget should not be cut at the expense of our elders.