Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I, too, will support this motion; however, I think Mr. Hawkins pretty well summed up my concern regarding the essential community workers. The way it is written right now, we are pretty well tied to making sure that these are the people that are going to get these units that are coming up and we are tying the corporation down by indicating that. Just bear in mind though that I think that if the essential workers don't get these units, that they will be available for the local people in the communities that they are there for. I will support this motion, Madam Chairperson. Those are just my general comments. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Now for round two. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. This will be concluding remarks, at least to address Mr. Zoe's questions about what did I mean here about restructuring the initiative. I go back to the Cabinet, which issued the directive. The directive, I believe, according to where the Housing Corporation says it wants to go or can go, is much too loosey-goosey, Madam Chairperson. It tells me that we are putting taxpayers' money into a certain program, but then allowing it to go just about any way the corporation wants, depending on what goes wrong. Not

acceptable. I would like to see this, although I will never actually see it because it is a decision of Cabinet, but I would like them to look at restructuring the directive so that the Housing Corporation has much more explicit instruction about the expectations for costs and cost recovery, for occupancy, for turnover and turnaround.

Madam Chairperson, what really concerns me, although I know this is such an attractive feature of this program in the communities, is that when we put a brand-new three-bedroom unit on the ground in Fort Providence for $115,000. That is a pretty attractive price. For one thing, the Housing Corporation, from previous information that I have got, isn't charging any overhead or administration. It is essentially putting in a subsidized unit, and people like private sector buyers or private individuals in these communities are getting a pretty good deal, because our Housing Corporation has put a unit there and is selling it at a subsidized rate. That is not appropriate at all. If we are going to enable a market to develop in these communities, we better follow market rules. This is where I am saying restructure the directive and tighten it up so that we don't have this water sloshing around in the pail here, like my colleague said before. That is my answer to Mr. Zoe's question about what I mean by restructuring. That is my direction, Madam Chairperson.

This is Committee of the Whole, so the person who moved the motion doesn't have to be the last speaker to it. Does anybody else want to speak to it?

Question is being called. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

--Applause

We are on page 8-11, NWT Housing Corporation, activity summary, operations expenditure summary, $35.956 million.

Agreed. Thank you. Pages 8-12 and 8-13, information item, NWT Housing Corporation, active positions.

Page 8-15, information item, corporate summary, operations expenditure summary, $93,518 million. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If the Minister could enlighten me as to why corporate travel is almost $700,000. Where do we spend most of our travel? Is this sending employees across the territory fixing things? Maybe if we can get some enlightenment on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we serve some 23 communities and we also have our district operations, so that's the majority of those costs. You can see it's less than what it was in 2003-04. The majority of travel is dealing with regional operations and our local housing authorities. As Members all know, they all want me in the communities and the ridings they represent to deal with housing issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Corporate summary, operations expenditure summary, $93,518 million.

Thank you. Page 8-17, information item, executive, operations expenditure summary, $618,000. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Minister never adequately addressed my question with regard to HR functions of the NWT Housing Corporation. What's the plan for that function of the corporation?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as the Members know, they are looking at establishing a centralized human resource operation in government. Right now, we are looking at five positions moving to that operation from our shop. That's in light of the centralization for the human resources operations for the overall government.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. That's a very unique approach to relocating HR to a regional centre. I will be very supportive of that.

I'm just looking under the executive on page 8-16, in the last line it says "it ensures that the delivery of the housing programs and services to the residents of the NWT is in accordance to the Social Housing Agreement with CMHC." So I assume the agreement is still in force. Is that how it's working, Madam Chair?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, we are still obligated to that agreement until 2038. In regard to the social funding aspect; with the decline of the social funding that's there, the O and M and the amortization of those funds we received through the Social Housing Agreement are going to decline over that period of time. But we are committed to that agreement until 2038.