This is page numbers 701 - 746 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

Topics

Supplementary To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Further Return To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are taking a proactive approach, Mr. Speaker, trying to provide financial counselling to clients who are in arrears on their mortgages. We certainly sympathize with some of the hardships that some clients may be encountering. Again, we deal also in the context of homelessness and the potential these impacts may have on individual families where they may be having some financial difficulty meeting their mortgage payments. In respect to that, we want to provide financial counselling to those who are encountering those difficult problems. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise the Assembly when he anticipates that these new measures will be fully implemented, and are there any targets or goals that they want to set in terms of improving their collection record? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Further Return To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, this work has been progressing for the past several months and hopefully we will be able to work through it. It's done on an individual basis, so hopefully we will be able to work through some of the numbers here fairly quickly.

Further Return To Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Question 223-14(6): Improving Collection Of Mortgage Payments
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. It's with regard to something I raised in the House. I have written letters about the seniors' home heating subsidy program. Mr. Speaker, I made some recommendations to the Minister about the way the system works out now, based on calculations from last year's tax returns or tax assessments. Is there a possibility of changing the program so it would permit a seniors' income to be calculated in the year they are applying for the program? I haven't heard anything from the Minister. I wrote him back in January. I have raised this question in the House. What has the department done to look at adjusting this program to make it more fair for our seniors?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very glad the Member raised this question. I did indicate to him at the beginning of the session, that we would report back to him fairly shortly and hopefully during this session. I can report today, Mr. Speaker, that we will be offering an alternative to the present system of taking last year's income tax returns. We will be having a dual possibility, one of using last year's income tax or the previous month's earnings. That choice will be left to the individual to choose, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister, how soon is this information going to be processed, so that the seniors in our communities will realize there has been a change, so that they will have the opportunity to maybe reapply or say under the new criteria, I am not eligible for the program. Right now, they may have been rejected because of last year's information. How soon can this information be available to our seniors?

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have already told my senior officials in the department that I want this addressed quickly. I expect that within weeks, they will be contacting individuals who might be affected by this.

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a letter I got from the Minister, one of the questions I asked is will this program be retroactive from September 1, 2002 and he said it will be. Is that still the case? Will this program be retroactive to September 1, 2002?

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 713

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we indicated that we would do that, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, it did take a bit of time to work out the kinks in offering the program on a dual basis of choice. So we will be doing that.

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 714

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 714

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the winter is almost over, but I know for a fact a lot of seniors have been hurt by the program the way it was previously worded. For those seniors who feel they have been vindicated, is there any possibility of an appeals process so that, under the changes to this program, they can appeal their case and now qualify?

Supplementary To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 714

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

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

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 714

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have an appeal process at all times for those individuals out there who may feel that they wish to have this reassessed. Mr. Speaker, it's part of the social assistance appeal board. For the seniors' fuel subsidy, that particular appeal process is in place as well, so individuals can apply to the income support officers or local officials.

Further Return To Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Question 224-14(6): Seniors' Home Heating Subsidy Program
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 714

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are again for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, there is a risk leaving the new Wildlife Act to the next Assembly. We never know how many of us are going to get re-elected this fall and maybe priorities will change in the 15th Assembly. This act or a new act has been on the table for so long, I worry it may get lost in transition to the 15th Assembly. I am wondering if the Minister could advise... the draft legislation isn't going to be tabled until June. Are there still major areas under discussion or negotiation or is it just a case of the drafting not being done? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.