Thank you. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect to my colleague that is a fairly generic question. I wonder if he can be very specific as to the communities and as to where the shortage will be? I will be only too happy to respond to him accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not want to go into specifics on which community in particular because there are concerns politically in those small communities where people do not have housing and when you have a shortage of social housing and when you are talking about staff housing. I think the Member is fully aware of the concern. I understand that there might have been something on the news today about a concern in the Kitikmeot region. I heard the same concern in the Baffin region. I am asking the Minister now, what he has done to help this serious situation in regard to the shortage of staff housing, not only for our teachers, but also, for our nursing professionals and our medical professionals who, indeed, have brought this up before. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to be evasive but first of all I do not respond to the news. Secondly, as I said, if I can get specifics as to what my honourable colleague is talking about, I would be only too happy to respond. We respond on a day-to-day basis, and a week-to- week basis and a month-to-month basis on shortage of housing. If there is a shortage of housing out there and my honourable colleague is specific, we will answer as quickly as we can, but I think we are dealing with it on a day-to-day basis. I have not heard anybody talk about a major crisis. But if there is, I will be only too happy to handle it. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is a concern and it has come up in this House many times. Then, my supplementary question to the Minister of Finance, the Minister in charge of staff housing, would he address the concerns of the shortage of housing in our communities here in the Northwest Territories if he received a letter from the president of the NWTTA, the president of the UNW, other interested groups, boards of education, who have continually, I understand, written? I have seen some letters to the effect of the problems with staffing in our communities. Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my honourable colleague that where there is a specific problem we will deal with it in a specific way. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the specific response to a specific way that a specific Minister just mentioned, I would also like to specify, for my final supplementary question, that when he addresses these concerns in the communities as outlined by the boards of education, and by the health boards, et cetera that maybe he would commit to informing the Members of this House so that we will also be specifically informed of what actions have been taken by the Minister? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Sure, Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am not trying to be flippant. I mean, if there are all these letters and concerns about the lack of housing, there are always concerns about housing or the lack of housing, et cetera. Maybe my honourable colleague would do me the pleasure of being able to table them in the House this afternoon because he has time to photocopy them. I would be only too happy to respond to them.

Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

First of all, unless the information I am getting across my desk, ... I do not see a housing shortage crisis that relates to staff housing. So, let us be clear. If there is adequate proof and if there are letters I have not seen, I challenge my honourable colleagues to table it in this House. That is the first question. You indicated there was a crisis. The second question about reprofiling dollars into the Department of Health. Mr. Speaker, I apologize. Actually, I did not hear the question very well because my hearing aid was off and I do have a problem with my hearing. I wonder if my honourable colleague could ask the question again so I may be able to answer it in a direct and concise way. I apologize to him. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Roland, your first question again.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I apologize to my colleague for being unable to hear him at the time because I had not pushed the hearing aid quite in. It is in now. Mr. Speaker, to ensure that I give my honourable colleague a concise and accurate response to that very important question, I am afraid I will have to reluctantly, and I say reluctantly, have to take it as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Steen.