Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) to move this report into committee of the whole for today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Thank you. Committee Report 8-14(5) is moved into committee of the whole. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, I would like to call your attention to a visitor in the gallery. Mr. Steve Kutcher is a past district governor of the Kelowna Lions Club, and his wife, Joy, are visiting with us.

-- Applause

The unusual part, I guess, is that Steve was coming here some 50 years ago but a late spring prevented him from landing here and his job took him elsewhere, so he did not come. After 50 years he has finally made to it to Yellowknife. In addition to that, they have just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations.

-- Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again I would like to welcome my constituency assistant, Mr. John Banksland, to the gallery. Thank you.

-- Applause

Mr. Banksland, welcome. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Welcome, Ms. Brown. Thank you very much for coming to our Assembly. The Chair recognizes the honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5, returns to oral questions.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to Item 5, returns to oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Steen, you may return to item 5, returns to oral questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by Mrs. Groenewegen on June 12, 2002, regarding the definition of "local" in the Business Incentive Policy.

The Business Incentive Policy (52.04) includes the following definitions:

Local business -- a northern business which has been resident in the subject community for the six months prior to application and in addition complies with the following criteria:

1. a) maintains an approved place of business by leasing or owning office, commercial or industrial space or where applicable, residential space, in the community on an annual basis for the primary purpose of operating the subject business; and
2. b) maintains a local resident manager; and
3. c) undertakes the majority of its management and administrative functions (related to its operations in the subject community) in the subject community; and
4. d) has applied for and received designation as a local business at least two weeks prior to the tender opening.

Subject community -- the community wherein the work is being undertaken. In those cases, where the work is undertaken outside the legal boundaries of a community, the Government of the Northwest Territories may:

1. a) define "community" to include that community in any case; or
2. b) where two or more communities are both very close to the work site, the Government of the Northwest Territories may define "community" to include both or all adjacent communities.

In all cases the definition of "community" shall be included in the tender documents.

Mr. Speaker, a copy of the policy is available on the government's website. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Any further returns to oral questions? Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen, following up on my statement and my concern about the continuing housing shortage in Yellowknife. Can the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation advise what steps are being taken to address the critical shortage of both quantity and affordability of social housing in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have issued a procedural directive that would change some of the policies for the tax-based municipalities, specific to Yellowknife, that would conform to the comprehensive Affordable Housing Strategy that we had introduced in the House several months ago. This will require the NWT Housing Corporation to address the increasing demand for home ownership delivery in the city, as well as working in concert with private developers to ensure that the housing needs are constantly met. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to see if I could explore for a bit more detail though. What is the relationship, Mr. Speaker, between the Housing Corporation and the Yellowknife Housing Authority in assessing and planning public housing needs in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The relationship between the Yellowknife Housing Association and the NWT Housing Corporation is that they are an agent of our corporation delivering the social housing program locally. One of the key points to try to put our public housing tenants into private home ownership is that we have now adopted a policy where we will work with those tenants who are at the core need threshold income levels over the next several months to put them into home ownership programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that some attention is being focused directly on that client group. Could the Minister provide the Assembly with any kind of market assessment, a picture or a snapshot of what is the current and potentially the future demand for public housing in Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no certain numbers. The numbers tend to fluctuate. As you know, the migration to the larger centres is imminent with development and employment opportunities. That is why I referred earlier to the fact that our policy areas are in a constant state of flux as we try to adjust them to the constant demands. At this point I do not have any specific numbers, but on a percentile basis it is fairly high. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the absence of any real concrete information about homeless people, or those who are in desperate need of housing, I do not have a lot to give them. I am wondering if the Minister would be able to give me some pointers on what I can say the next time a constituent phones up and says they have no place to go. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.