(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That job has been offered to that person already. Thank you. (Translation ends)

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Ms Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, he has.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is for the Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Earlier this year, I spoke about the shortage of social housing in Iqaluit. We are short approximately 70 housing units. This government seems devoid of a social housing plan, buying new housing. My question then is to the Minister. It is about time we put away the rhetoric and stopped blaming the federal government for not funding new social housing construction. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, what plan other than using excess staff housing that was announced yesterday in the budget, does the government have to alleviate desperate need for basic proper shelter for the people of the Northwest Territories?

The Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, the Member talks about rhetoric coming from myself, when I tell him that he should listen to himself once and awhile. I have spent a lot of time, many hours thinking of how we can deal with the housing shortage in the NWT.

It is true, I am not just blaming the federal government. It is true that they have cut all of our funding for building new social housing units, and the amount of money that they give us to run those houses has been capped. We spend, as a government, more per capita on housing than any other government in the country. That just goes to show how seriously we take this issue.

What we have done is spend about $50 million approximately each year to assist northern residents build their own homes. The idea behind that is that as these people move out of social housing units and into their own homes, and become more independent, they free up the social housing units, and we can offer those houses to other people.

I talked to the Standing Committee on Social Programs late last year about a plan that we were working on, trying to increase the number of new housing starts. I am pleased to say that, I believe on this Friday I will be presenting the proposal to them subject to Cabinet approval on Thursday.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is easy to be well versed in rhetoric when I have to listen to it for the past 15 months coming across the floor of this House. Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question to the Minister is, when exactly was the cut off date for the construction of new social housing from the federal government?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have the exact date, but it was either the late 80s or early 1990.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So while we have been waiting, fiddling as Rome burnt for the last seven years waiting for a housing strategy to replace the federal money, according to the timeframe that the Minister just gave us, we are running up into a situation now where we have got like as some of the Members talked about, people staying in matchbox houses. My question to the Minister is, if we can find $60 million to finance Internet, and fibre optics, why can we not find $60 million to building some social housing for the people?

Mr. Arlooktoo

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of what the Member is talking about, the $60 million for the Internet. So, I cannot answer the question.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has been thrusting forward on their plan, as Mr. Dent has said and as Mr. Todd has said, about the $70 or $60 million for this new telecommunications empire that is going to rewire the north, and with the territorial contribution of same. That is the question I am asking Mr. Arlooktoo, maybe now that jiggles his mind. Can the Minister tell us why we cannot get some of those types of monies and put it into the social housing needs, Mr. Speaker, of the people for the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker. I think the numbers are not $60 to $70 million. I do recall the Minister of Finance announcing a $13 million initiative to start up the digital communication network earlier. One of the ways that we need to look at these types of issues is in a global scale, on the broad level. The digital communication network, in our opinion, is something that will greatly improve the communication systems that we have. It will save money in many areas, including education and health, in different conferences, et cetera, which would free up money that would have otherwise been spent in those areas that we could use for social programs.

Thank you. Again, I would like to remind the Members that when directing a question to a Minister when it is acknowledged, but also to ask a question related to your preamble. In this case, it was regarding social housing and not the Internet. I would ask the Members to restrict to the preamble that they have made to the question. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of MACA and it concerns the community empowerment initiative. My question concerns the liability of the hamlets, towns, and municipalities that take over programs and services of the Northwest Territories, what is the liability contingency on these hamlets, towns and villages? Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs. Ms Thompson.