Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today as I said earlier, my questions are for Mr. McLeod, the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, and it's about the senior citizen and disabled persons tax relief program. The municipal council of a tax-based community can, by passing a bylaw, exempt the eligible property of a senior citizen or disabled person from part of the taxes where the senior citizen or disabled person is the owner or part owner of that home. The bylaw sets out the percentage of taxes to be exempted up to a maximum of 50 percent.
The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs pays the municipality in an amount equal to the amount specified in the bylaw. The taxpayer has no tax liability with respect to the amount paid by MACA. According to a clause in the Senior Citizen and Disabled Persons Tax Relief Act, if a senior or a disabled person is a part owner of a home with someone who is not another senior or another disabled person then they are not eligible for the program.
So my question, Mr. Speaker, is this. In correspondence with the Minister in July 2005 he indicated that the legislation would be reviewed as part of a broader income security reform initiative which I believe is not yet completed. It was also stated that MACA would be undertaking an operational review to ensure the consistency of delivery throughout the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister, has this been completed and is there a system in place now that will allow for seniors and people with disabilities to benefit from this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.