Thank you. Please be seated. Good afternoon. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Housing, Mr. Allen.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, it is a simple truth to say that we all want safer communities and we all have a role to play in achieving this. The RCMP have a significant role which creates high expectations. We expect the RCMP will respond to our calls for help. We expect them to take action when we are victimized by crime. We expect them to get involved in programs that reduce crime.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has a vision for the future of policing in the NWT. It is one that includes improved access to police services and better coordination of restorative justice activities between the police and communities.

To achieve this vision requires a solid partnership between communities, the government and the RCMP. I believe that the Department of Justice has always had a positive relationship with the RCMP. I also believe that we are building good relationships with communities through our support for local justice activities. However, I do believe that we can do more to deal with the many policing issues facing us.

Mr. Speaker, officials from the department are working on a plan to deal with these issues and enhance the law enforcement capabilities of our communities. As part of this plan, we are examining ways to improve safety on the highways and to keep detachments in communities like Holman, Wha Ti and Paulatuk that only have one officer. We are also considering ways to improve the law enforcement capability of communities that do not currently have resident RCMP officers. As part of this process, we are looking closely at the needs of all communities. In the interim, the RCMP has assured us that they will increase the number and duration of their patrols to these communities.

Mr. Speaker, recently there have been reports that the Yellowknife detachment of the RCMP was not able to meet certain needs of the citizens of Yellowknife. In response to this report, a meeting was held last Friday between a senior official from the Department of Justice and the commanding officer of the RCMP "G" Division. I can report that this meeting was very positive. People will be pleased to hear that as a result of this meeting, there will be no immediate changes to the level of

policing provided in Yellowknife. This includes continuing to operate the DARE program.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is a strong supporter of DARE, which is the RCMP's Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program. This program is designed to give fifth and sixth grade students the skills they will need to help them stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. It also helps children deal with and avoid violence. This program is an excellent example of how police can work to reduce criminal behaviour before it starts. There is also a plan to bring this program to Hay River in the next few months.

While this addresses immediate concerns in Yellowknife, there remains a need to examine the resources dedicated to policing in all communities in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Justice will dedicate the necessary time and resources to come forward with a plan to deal with the many policing issues facing us. I expect to have this plan ready for Cabinet this June.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the residents of the Northwest Territories that we will continue to work closely with the RCMP and with communities to make the Northwest Territories a safer place to live and work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, February 6th marked the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's accession to the Throne. The Northwest Territories is pleased to join other provinces and territories across Canada in marking this Golden Jubilee year.

To celebrate this anniversary, and in keeping with our priorities and a desire to focus on youth and literacy, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will be supporting a book project to stimulate children's imaginations and creative writing skills. Students from grades 1 to 12 will be invited to write a story they wish to share with Her Majesty. The best stories will be selected and published in a book that will be given as a gift to the Queen.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add that a book of congratulations and a pictorial display, along with memorabilia of past royal visits, have been set up in the Great Hall for public viewing. On behalf of the Department of Canadian Heritage, we will be distributing 300 portraits of the Queen to public agencies and organizations across the Northwest Territories.

Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will be moving a motion of congratulations to Queen Elizabeth.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I invite Members of this House to join us and Commissioner Hansen at our break this afternoon to launch these initiatives marking the Queen's Jubilee. During this break, Commissioner Hansen will announce an additional initiative by her office to commemorate the Jubilee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, today I am very pleased to tell you about the progress that the Department of Justice is making to recruit, retain and advance priority one employees within the corrections services.

As we all know, Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of the offender population in our facilities is aboriginal. I believe that in order to provide effective and appropriate services to these offenders, the people working in our facilities should reflect the cultural diversity of the people they are working with.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say we have already made significant progress in this area. There are currently seven corrections facilities operating in the NWT. In six of these, more than 50 percent of the staff are priority one. In two of these six facilities, over 70 percent of the staff are priority one. In our probation services, 63 percent of the staff are priority one employees.

I am also pleased to inform you that many of these staff are in mid management or management positions. Right now, three out of the four managers of the young offender facilities are priority one employees. This is an excellent indication that affirmative action is progressing very well within the corrections services.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice wants to ensure this trend continues and that we are able to maximize the opportunities for our staff in the facilities. This is why I have asked the department to develop and implement a human resources action plan. This plan will provide our employees with training and development opportunities that will allow them to move forward in their careers with corrections. Through this plan, corrections employees will have the means to gain the skills and experience necessary to become leaders in the corrections field.

Mr. Speaker, I am very excited about this plan, as it will encourage and promote the leadership potential that our employees already have. Mr. Speaker, the development of this plan is a priority for me and for the Department of Justice. I expect to have a more detailed framework for the plan ready for discussion with my Cabinet colleagues in April 2002. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, the responsibility for housing is primarily located within the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. The mandate of the Housing Corporation is to assist communities to assume the role of providing housing to their residents and to sustain northern economic development.

Mr. Speaker, the corporation has a variety of programs that support public housing, home ownership and home repair programs. Some of the programs are the Extended Down Payment Assistance Program, also known as EDAP, the Independent Housing Program, EDAP Repair Program, Independent Housing Repair Program, Sale of Housing Materials Program, Northern Territorial Rental Purchase Program, the Sale of Public Housing Initiative, Seniors and/or Disabled Maintenance Program, and Elders on the Land Initiative.

Mr. Speaker, this is a long list of programs. On one hand, it sounds as if this government has at its disposal a variety of programs available to make home ownership and home repair affordable for many northern residents. On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, I wonder how much the average resident knows about the availability of these programs.

Mr. Speaker, there is a listing of programs of interest to seniors in the Seniors Information Handbook and there is some basic information on the corporation's website. I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that perhaps the public is not very well aware that there are programs available, nor are they sure of who they should talk to about qualifying for assistance.

Other than news releases on programs when they are initially announced, we hear very little by way of advertising on programs that are available to assist members of the public with their housing problems. Not only do we need to advertise these programs, Mr. Speaker, but we need to let people know how to find out if they qualify. If these programs are expected to help people obtain and maintain affordable housing, Mr. Speaker, then let's go out there and let people know they exist and we are willing to help them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the harmonization initiative was undertaken because there was a need to make changes in how this government assessed income and set the rental rates for public housing and income support clients. The public housing program, administered by the NWT Housing Corporation, and the Income Assistance Program, administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, assessed financial needs in different ways.

There is also a need to ensure that the people with the greatest need receive assistance. The harmonization initiative brochure tells us that harmonization will ensure that eligibility for government support is determined in a fair and equitable manner. As I understand this, Mr. Speaker, this means that benefits to income support clients and low-income families will be improved, and I understand that it will also mean fairer public rent scales and, Mr. Speaker, I understand that there will not be disincentives to employment.

Mr. Speaker, in Hay River, there are over 100 public housing units. People occupying these units include students, single parents, seniors and low-income families. If, in the implementation of the harmonization, we see that there is in fact more equity, fairness and affordability, then I believe the positive benefits to those most in need will be welcomed.

During question period, I will be asking questions related to the positive results we can expect to see under harmonization. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call attention to some of the problems I see in my constituency because of the shortage of suitable, adequate and affordable housing. Mr. Speaker, because there is a shortage of housing, I see low-income families sharing houses that are too small to begin with, leading to overcrowded...in some situations, the facilities cannot accommodate the number of people by the use of running water. Regarding the effect it has on those families with regard to the public safety, health and well being of these families.

What choice do these people have regarding large families and supporting their families and trying to realize that the lack of housing accommodation does have an effect on the family, especially in our traditional, aboriginal communities? There is a custom that continues on of sharing, caring and ensuring family support is there, right from the grandparents down to the children.

Mr. Speaker, it is very visible that homeless populations are increasing in our communities, where people are living in tent frames because they have been kicked out of housing units by this government.

The housing shortage does have a very important impact, not only on the lives of the people, but it is more visible in low-income families. Lack of affordable housing accommodation also has an impact on the community to devour programs and services by employing people from outside of the community and not having staff housing available for those people.

For example, professional people such as nurses and teachers find accommodation in our communities. In most cases, they have to share that accommodation with either each other or a few of the teachers and nurses to pay the cost of acquiring these houses in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this government has to add to the amount of affordable housing in our communities and not be in a position of selling off the remaining government-owned housing units in our small communities. If anything, they should be enhancing the program.

Mr. Speaker, the government has to address this important issue of housing problems. The people in the smaller communities face this challenge day in and day out. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister questions on this matter later. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have significant housing issues in Yellowknife. There are very few houses for sale and very few new ones being built, largely because of the high price of land. There are not many mobile homes on the market, although I understand we may soon see some development in this area. There are hardly any apartments or rental accommodations available. It is obvious that the market is tough for all income levels.

Mr. Speaker, you can imagine if people with resources are having trouble finding accommodation just what those who have the least are going through.

People who are single and homeless can go to either the Salvation Army shelter or the Women's Centre for overnight shelter. A year ago, their chances of being reasonably accommodated were pretty good. This winter, both shelters are full every night. In fact, Mr. Speaker, both shelters are filled over their capacity pretty well all the time.

For instance, at the Women's Centre, there are 24 to 30 people every night. This is in a place with nine beds that is funded for 16 people. Mr. Speaker, overcrowding, as we all know, can lead to violent situations. On occasion, the Salvation Army and Women's Centre may have to evict residents as a result, just to protect the others.

Mr. Speaker, we could end up with people who have no options for shelter during the coldest time of the year.

This is made worse, Mr. Speaker, by the RCMP shortage and their recent announcement that they will not have the personnel to respond to situations involving an intoxicated person. We are in danger of having someone freeze to death.

Mr. Speaker, Education, Culture and Employment, through their income support program, provides funding to these shelters. They will have to respond. They must fund more bed space and increased staff.

Mr. Speaker, I will be following up with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on this issue later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The harmonization initiative was originally conceived to resolve the differences between the way two departments of this government assessed income and thereby setting rents for people in public housing.

The harmonization initiative has been underway for two years now, Mr. Speaker. Every person who receives income assistance or is living in public housing will be affected by changes that are to be implemented under the harmonization strategy.

People who live in public housing include low-income working people and seniors on fixed incomes.

Mr. Speaker, this government has announced that those changes will take place on April 1st of this year. The problem is that we do not seem to know what the changes will be.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we know that some people will see rent decreases and some will see increases, but even the people who will be affected by these changes are telling us that they do not know what this means. How much will their rent be?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has stated that the corporation is looking at asking for a deferral on the implementation date. The department responsible for implementation of the harmonization changes is still working to orientate their employees on how rent will be set for housing units and how income will be assessed for those tenants.

Apparently, this is not a simple process, Mr. Speaker. The people who are employed to calculate how much rent is going to be charged are struggling with the details. How then, Mr. Speaker, is a tenant supposed to get any information about the proposed changes?

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that the harmonization strategy is ready for implementation in its current state. Until this government knows what the implications are going to be and until the details are known, and until the tenants know exactly where they are going to stand, I urge the Minister to reconsider this initiative and how it is being rolled out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the issue of housing shortages in Yellowknife. We are well aware that we are experiencing critical shortages in every area but today, I would like to speak on the need for housing for senior citizens in Yellowknife. I would like to do this by telling you a story of a woman in my riding who is a single woman and who was, until recently, on disability assistance. She is an ex-government employee.

She called me because she received a letter in January saying that when she turned 65 in February, she would not be eligible for the disability pension that she had been receiving. This was not a very nice happy birthday message for her. She tried to see if she could get into some other sort of housing, public housing, or in the Aven Seniors Centre. She was told that there was no room available and that the line-up had an indefinite list.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that she is an aboriginal single women, originally from Mackenzie Delta, and she had worked for government for many, many years.

I think what we have here is unless you are a senior citizen who is retiring and who is lucky enough to have made payments on your house, or unless you have double income that could support a mortgage, there is just no way for you to have a home.

I tried to get some assistance for her through the Department of Health and Social Services and Education through income support to no avail. When I last talked to her, she had to sell her house in my riding and she has decided that she will move to Grand Prairie to be with her daughter. She was very sad about that because she is from here and she wants to retire here and there is no home for her to go.

I believe that this is just one of the stories around the city. I know there is a lot of need for housing for senior citizens. They are just not able to afford the kind of prices that are being asked in the private market. The government has to look at the shortage of housing in Yellowknife. I have not heard anything that is positive. I will be pursuing this issue with the responsible Ministers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.