(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are experiencing a severe housing shortage in my constituency, as well as across the NWT. These are the main roads to our ongoing social problems and continuing health-related problems which, in turn, affect the very lives of people in the communities in a detrimental manner. Many people are struggling to make a living at a time of high unemployment, fiscal restraint and job cuts. The social and health problems, in turn, place a higher demand on services and a budget that has already been cut to well below what is really needed.

I realize that the government's staff housing units are being transferred to the authority of the local housing associations through the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation programs, and I applaud the Minister for this endeavour in allowing housing associations to have more involvement and more decision-making powers at the community level, in keep with the GNWT's initiative of empowering communities. It is important that we continue to look at housing issues and problems at the community level. I hope this will result in more flexibility in the allocation of staff housing units and social housing under one umbrella, which will free up more units to local people as needs arise.

As the Member representing the Amittuq riding, I will have more specific questions concerning these programs to the appropriate Minister during question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.