Item 3, Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, public housing rent scale has been an issue that's been on the books since the 13th Assembly and was carried over to the 14th Assembly. It's a very complicated one and I have spoken many times on this issue regarding my concerns over the harmonization policy. I have taken an opportunity to look at other jurisdictions and I was quite impressed with the Government of Nunavut. The Minister has taken the approach there that they have to find an appropriate solution to reflect their unique circumstances. I wanted today, for the record, to read out some of the improvements that are going to be implemented by the Government of Nunavut to deal with public housing.

One of the changes is to change their monthly assessment to yearly household income assessments. This allows tenants an adequate time to adjust their budget for rent impacts due to wage increases. The tenants are also allowed to continue to request rent reductions if their income falls during the course of the year. That income will also be assessed on net household income, not the current practice of gross income.

Income support clients will no longer be assessed a flat rate of $32. They will be assessed using the same formula as all other tenants. This change is in cooperation with the Department of Education, income support division, to ensure the method of assessment will not adversely affect other benefits income support clients receive.

Minimum and maximum rent has been modified to reflect community costs. They also allow for a deduction from the base rent to be introduced for the condition of the unit, for overcrowding and community-specific cost of living.

The seniors, the students and youth have been identified as having special needs and there will be a cap on the income assessment for youth up to the age of 25 years old who are not living in their own unit. This maximum assessment allows youth to contribute to the household rent while allowing them to save on their wages.

This change also addresses the disincentive to work issue that is targeted to seasonal employment as youth begin to participate in the workforce. Mr. Speaker, the students will continue to live rent free while at full-time attendance at school and the seniors in core need will also continue to live rent free.

Mr. Speaker, we also must work together to find an appropriate solution that meets our unique northern and Aboriginal circumstances of the Northwest Territories when it comes to housing our own residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Member's statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Delorey on February 18, 2003, regarding the GNWT's share of medical travel co-payments.

During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, the department spent a total of $8,964,218 on medical travel.

In addition, a total of $1,635,050 was spent in medical travel co-payments. This included: $1,265,697 from federal non-insured health benefits; $186,068 from NWT extended health benefits; $22,008 from NWT Metis health benefits; $20,781 from indigent health benefits; and, $140,496 in payments made by individuals, many of whom would have been reimbursed by their employers or insurance companies.

In addition to these amounts under the medical travel assistance program, the Government of the Northwest Territories pays the total cost of medical travel for its employees, including those in casual employment. As reported in the 2001 public services annual report, this represented an expenditure of $1.93 million for the 2001 calendar year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Welcome to the Legislature. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize my constituency assistant Ms. Deb Pottle in the gallery. She's been over here working to help me out for a couple of weeks. Thanks for coming over and welcome to the Legislature.

Welcome to the Legislature. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during yesterday's question period, Minister Ootes answered a question asked by Mr. Bell and he stated that the graduated rent scale and cap on rent changes under the government's harmonization initiative would apply to all individuals. Mr. Speaker, this is not reconcilable with information that was received by Members through briefings and pamphlets. I would like to ask the Minister today if he could explain this apparent shift in policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it isn't a shift in policy. I inadvertently stated that the graduated rent scale used under the GNWT's harmonization initiative would apply to all individuals. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the cap and the grandfathering provisions apply only to seniors and students who are currently in the housing units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This question is also for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and stems from a response given to Mr. Dent in committee of the whole on student financial assistance accelerated remission rates. We understood that there was going to be accelerated remission for nursing and social work students. The staff at ECE have indicated that that's not the case but, curiously, they suggested that the remission on that will be the same as it is for student financial assistance students. If they are in large tax-based communities, it will be $1,000 for every three months and if they are in non-tax-based communities, it will be $2,000 for every three months. I wasn't aware that there was a difference in remission rates between tax-based and non-tax-based communities. Could the Minister clarify?

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The intent behind that is to ensure that we continue to attract individuals to the small communities, to the non-tax-based communities where there is a need for social workers and health workers, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So it's just for health care professionals and social workers and nurses. It's not, for instance, if someone gets a physical education degree and takes those student loans, they are going to get a different rate of remission in a tax-based and non-tax-based community. Can the Minister clarify and confirm? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is correct, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question at this time will be directed to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation in line with my Member's statement. Mr. Speaker, we also accept the fact that the first 700 kilowatt hours of usage of power in a community is subsidized to the rate of Yellowknife and we are very thankful for that, otherwise there might not be very many people living further out of the capital. My question to the Minister is how long will this rate rider stay in effect, and why is it that it seems like we have saved money by going to the gas turbine engines, but we are still seeing increases. Thank you.

Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the estimate is that the rate rider will stay in effect until some time in June or July. Thank you.