Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The $40 to $50 million that the government announced some days ago is over and above the numbers that we have in the main estimates. To answer the Member's question, it is over the two years rather than this one fiscal year.

Contributions, headquarters, total region, $3.856 million. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister has alluded to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development not making commitments to solve housing problems in the north as outlined within the Report of the Royal Commission for Aboriginal Peoples. How active is the Minister pursuing this type of funding? If he could also tie that into the statements that in southern Canada the federal government would be paying these costs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Housing Corporation, through the president has had numerous letters, phone calls and meetings discussing the need for more housing. I have, on several occasions, met with the Minister of DIAND, Jane Stewart, on the issue and also the Minister Responsible for CMHC, Mr. Alfonso Gagliano, on this issue. Leading up to the federal response on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, I did meet with the Minister of DIAND twice in the several weeks following up to her release. Although we were pleased, they made mention of the fact they recognized the severe housing shortage across the country and we also like to believe we had a part to play in ensuring they made mention of that fact, there were no specific funds earmarked for the north.

It is an area we are still working on. In addition to dealing with federal ministers, we have passed on information, statistics, copies of letters, et cetera to northern MPs. I understand they have used some of that information in correspondence and committee meetings in Ottawa. Thank you.

Thank you. I have Mr. Henry and Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and I thank the Minister for that information. I am not sure if he touched on the major point of my question which was his comment that aboriginal people in southern Canada would receive funds for housing. He has indicated this government is putting the money into housing because Indian Affairs are not doing it in the north. If the Minister could address that, I would appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Mr. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reserves and status Indians of southern Canada receive on-reserve housing funding from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and we, in the Northwest Territories, do not receive any from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. I stand to be corrected on whether or not the Hay River Reserve receives some, but I do not believe so.

The transfer funding that we give for social housing is from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, mostly for operations and maintenance for social housing but it is from that particular department of the government.

Thank you. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If, in fact, the federal government does provide funds for aboriginal people living on reserves, is the department actively pursuing requirements they may have as regard to Hay River Reserve? I believe that is the only reserve that we have in the territories. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our position on this issue has always been very clear with the federal government in that the federal government has a fiduciary responsibility to provide adequate and affordable housing to aboriginal people, whether it is on or off reserves or whether it is for Inuit of Nunavut or elsewhere, they do have that responsibility. In general, their response has been that through CMHC transfer funding, they have passed on that responsibility to the Government of the Northwest Territories by providing funding through the CMHC. That is a point that we disagree on. Thank you.

Thank you. Contributions, headquarters, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to affirm my support for the Minister in this department that the federal government should be providing these funds. I find it a little difficult though, to see what incentive there would be for the federal government to live up to their responsibility if the Government of the Northwest Territories is just going ahead on their own saying, if you are not going to do it, we will do it. I do not see much of an argument for getting reimbursed for those funds spent on housing. Does the Minister have any comments on that? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is certainly a point that has crossed our minds. If the Government of the Northwest Territories, decided to step in and provide additional housing, does that take the federal government off the hook, so to speak? Does it make it easier for them? I guess the short answer would be yes, in the short term, but our demographics and the way our population is growing right now will ensure that unless they step in fairly soon, what you will likely have is a situation here in the north similar to the news report you saw of Davis Inlet, et cetera. I think, with the housing program that we have now where we encourage home ownership and less dependence on the government which allows some people in social housing to move out of those houses and open some houses up for the less fortunate, that we have contained a part of the problem. The day will come, in the not too distant future, in a matter of a few years, I think, that unless the federal government steps in, and we have shown them all the numbers, that we will have much larger problems. I believe that they understand it. The, mention made by Minister Stewart in her address on her response, I think was significant but as I said in my opening comments, disappointed that they did not go that next step, but we expect them to sometime down the road.

Thank you. Contribution, headquarters, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad to see the corporation has developed a western Arctic affirmative action plan. It would be very nice if the other agencies and government departments followed the example of the Corporation. What I would like to know is, is this affirmative action plan for current staff or will this be for new positions?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The intention is that this initiative will increase the net aboriginal staff, but the training opportunities that we identified are for promotional-type actions for existing employees.

Thank you. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The statement had indicated that there would be four new positions created. Could the Minister indicate where those positions will be?

Yes, Thank you. Mr. Minister.