Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was hoping to make a statement on Novel housing this afternoon, but I couldn't do two things at once. I'd like to ask a question to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, and I'd like to make it clear that my problem with the Novel project isn't because they are trailers. I have already indicated in the House yesterday that we have great trailers in my riding. What I have a concern with is, given the track record of some of the things that have been done, especially the market housing initiative where 40 trailers had such a problem being moved into our communities, I don't want the government to have a legacy of subsidizing these big fancy oil companies, who need housing anyway, subsidizing ATCO, who's in the business of building trailers, and the government ending up with 1,400 units that we are not able to move. So far, I'm not seeing any sound plan. A $200 million project is massive.

I'd like to ask the Minister, when will he put...I mean, if the idea is so great -- obviously he thinks it's great -- why can't the public have a look at what the plan is?

Good question.

Are we ever going to get any kind of plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I put out verbal invitations to all Members of this House that they have an opportunity to tour the facilities at the site in Calgary where we had some 32 people who were attending the Far North Conference in Calgary two weeks ago. They had an opportunity to go through this facility. I mentioned the Minister of Housing had an opportunity to go through it. Ms. Ethel Blondin-Andrew, our MP, has gone through it. This is not something that is made up. It is actually a physically constructed conversion on site where people have the opportunity to live. I throw an invitation out there to anyone who would like an opportunity to review this. I put that to most Members here and most of the Members have taken me up on this offer, and it remains for the remaining Members of this House.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect, the Minister is not answering my question. How many times do I have to tell him I don't have a problem with the trailer idea. Okay? I'm sure it's liveable. I don't have a problem with that. ATCO is a professional trailer builder. That is not my question, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is suggesting moving 1,400 units, if this project goes through and it comes to fruition, from God knows where they're located. They're going to be scattered everywhere. I mean, it's not going to be in Yellowknife or on a road access area. They're going to be scattered all over the place. The Minister is suggesting, for example, 100 trailers per year are going to be moved. That's over 14 years. So what's going to happen to a trailer that's been sitting there for 14 years?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. I'll allow the Minister to answer that question. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, as a corporation and as people in isolated communities, things have been transported over winter roads for the last 30 years. We depend on the winter transport over winter roads every year in all our communities that are on road access systems. We have a transportation system that serves our communities by taking goods and services into our communities, and this is no different. The whole idea of having these camps located where they are along the pipeline right-of-way is to ensure that those communities accessible to those facilities will be able to transport them. They are all going to be along the Mackenzie River system. We have a transportation system where we move goods and services up the river by barge. We'll be able to barge these facilities to those communities and set them up. We are looking at developing a study to ensure that we have the land, we have the human resources, and we have the capacity to put these things in place over three or four years. We do it every year. It's not different than what we're doing today to implement houses in isolated communities from Colville Lake to Lutselk'e to other communities today. It's no different from what we're doing today, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize as northerners and northern businesses, we move things all the time, but I'm talking about the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation could not, and the Minister admitted it, successfully move 22 units from Edmonton. We're talking about moving these units from places that are scattered all over the place. I have not seen any plan that shows the Minister has this under control.

Another thing I'd like to see is the government be more proactive. If the government is thinking about spending $200 million on a housing project, they have an obligation to ask the local businesses, to say, "If we gave you $200 million would you be able to build us 1,400 units in the next 20 years?" Can we just talk about what options there might be other than flying to Calgary and having a tour there every week to enhance the business of Alberta and Calgary, which frankly does not need more than what they have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, an opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime. I think we have to take advantage of this. There's no way we can construct 1,400 units in the scope of this type of project. Without this project it would not happen. I think we have to realize the economics of this are bigger than a company in the Northwest Territories trying to take it on. We have to realize there is the potential for two more diamond mines in the next few years. There are major expansions in the tar sands in Alberta. We cannot compete with the present trade market to find people who can do this. The only way we can accomplish 1,400 units in the Northwest Territories in the next five years is through this type of a project. We are short, right now, 2,600 units in housing in the Northwest Territories. If we don't do anything in the next 10 years, it's going to be 4,000 units. Unless there is some better idea than doing it this way, and if we miss this opportunity, we may not have this opportunity again in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the level of arrogance of this Cabinet is just totally overwhelming. They make a decision. They think that it is a politically strong thing to just make the decision: it's my way or the highway. They don't believe that they have to talk to anybody else. They don't have to talk to the experts about TTC, they don't have to talk to any of the builders.

Why don't you just ask them? Why don't you, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, have any faith in our northern manufacturers, northern businesses, and at least give them an opportunity to answer as to what kind of training and what kind of building industry they could create over 20 years? They are not being asked to produce 1,400 units in one second. Over 20 years, could anybody? That is enough money and time to create a whole industry...

Thank you, Ms. Lee. I will allow the Minister to respond. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our housing crisis is here with us today. We have to deal with it today. We can't deal with it in 20 years. As I stated, this is the initiative that we are working on. It is unique, yes, but it will meet the housing crises that we are facing in the small communities up and down the valley. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Floyd Roland. I would like to know, as a Member of Cabinet, what specific information Mr. Roland had at his disposal in order to make an informed decision regarding the relocation of the TTC to Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Premier stated earlier, the information that was provided is the normal process when a Minister wants to get a decision made. He would put the information together, and it would be reviewed; as well, the information of Members around the table is considered at that time. Thank you.