Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are waiting lists, I would suggest, in every community for housing. If the Member has a specific suggestion in terms of some creative partnerships and financing that could be done that's not going to require capital, then I am sure, as a government and as a Housing Corporation, the Minister would be very interested in hearing what those suggestions are. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Justice. Recently it was brought to my attention that the RCMP detachment in Fort Simpson is considering a reduction in staff. This is a huge concern to me and my constituents. Here we have a riding, my riding, that is poised for economic growth and, of course, the negative affects that come with it. Of course, the Fort Simpson detachment services four satellite communities of Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie, Trout Lake and Wrigley. I would just like to know if the Minister is aware of the RCMP in this regard in reducing the staff of the Fort Simpson detachment.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been advised that there is one vacant position in the Fort Simpson detachment that the RCMP is not planning to fill at this time. I have been told that this is based on the workload that they currently have in the detachment. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is well aware of how budget and budgeting cycles work, especially when you reduce or take away a position. I would just like to ask the Minister if it is possible to keep that position resident and not really take it away from the budget, because once we take away a position it's so much harder to replace that position and to justify it again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The total staff complement for the RCMP would not be reduced. The contract that we have with them pays for a certain number of personnel, but the RCMP often make decisions about where to place staff and as demand changes, the location of staff will change. So if the need increases in Fort Simpson, I would expect that the RCMP would make sure that that position was then filled in that community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am just trying to request the Minister to speak with the RCMP, of course with whom we have a contract, to get some kind of commitment that certainly they won't staff that position now, but at least they won't remove that position. We are going to grow and that's going to happen soon in light of the pipeline and the activities that are associated with it. It's certainly trying to pick up speed. We are looking at filing the application this year, so a lot of things will start to happen. Lots of people will start passing through the communities and we will certainly experience unwanted negative effects like drifters and people passing through. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly commit to the Member that I will discuss the staffing issues with the RCMP the next time I meet with the chief superintendent, but I will remind Members that it's always an RCMP decision as to where staff are located and they make their decisions based on the volume of work. There is no intent for us to reduce the total staff complement with the RCMP. In fact, I am hoping that we will, over the next two years, be able to increase the level of staffing in our contract with them to respond to the request that they have submitted to this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In most of the communities across the Territories, we are working with the LHOs to develop a partnership agreement. Our approach from the corporation's standpoint is that we work together as a team. For the most part, under the partnership agreements, the social housing program delivery falls under their authority. Although we set the general terms of what the requirements are, we also try to work so we give some room for those partnership agreements to incorporate some of their loan standards. We also have some communities that we work directly with under management authorities. It's fully...(inaudible)...However, it's more in the management of our programs and their delivery. So we do have some say and authority with how the requirements are set, however, we give flexibility for most of the LHOs to make their own decisions. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So then for example, the six-month residency requirement that I referred to in my Member's statement today, would that be something that is a rule that is developed at the local level or is that something that would be put in place by the corporation? Thank you.

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have the historical detail as to how the six-month rule came about. I believe it's an NWT Housing Corporation rule that we requested the LHOs to follow. I would have to double check that, however. In every case we try to ensure that the rules that we put in place are consistent, although I can't say with any certainty whether that's something that came directly from the corporation or LHOs. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be able to relate to the problem that we have when somebody moves from one NWT community to another? So if they are living in Fort Resolution in public housing and they move to another location and apply for public housing, that six-month residency may create a problem. In another instance I referred to is a single mother who goes south or goes to another community to upgrade their education, comes back to the home community for the summer, is ineligible now -- they've left that public housing unit -- for public housing. Does the Minister understand the problem as it relates to mobility of NWT residents amongst different communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.