Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it's important to distinguish in this motion here that the 32 percent figure is an arbitrary figure used by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in southern Canada as a recommendation of the maximum percentage of income that should be spent on shelter costs.

Shelter costs include rent, mortgage, heating fuel and taxes. By choosing 32 percent as the maximum percentage of income used in calculating rent, the department has ignored the high cost of goods and services in our communities. Paying 32 percent of your income for housing may be alright in larger centres where you can buy a litre of milk for $2.50, but it's a little bit different in Sachs Harbour where you are expected to pay $6.36 for the same litre of milk.

Mr. Speaker, this is a total household income. Many children earn...(inaudible)...wages living with their parents out of necessity or convenience. Some parents are reluctant to charge their children rent and some children just refuse to pay any. I hate to say it, but some children take advantage of their parents and this is a form of elder abuse. The point being is that if it is your name on the lease, you are responsible to pay the rent regardless of your personal circumstances. There are many elders living off a fixed income such as pensions, who, because other people live with them, pay more for their rent than their pension pays. There has to be some consideration of individual circumstances of each family in determining their rent calculations.

Mr. Speaker, during the pre-budget consultations, we heard from many residents who are concerned with the state of the housing units that they were renting. Many people talked about having no scheduled maintenance on their units in 10 years. I know elders who were promised repairs or modifications to their units several years ago that are still waiting today.

Mr. Speaker, there is a great dilemma for many of my constituents. Is it better to rent or to buy? The present way rent is calculated does not allow people to make their own choices. Any way you look at it, you keep having to rely on the Education, Culture and Employment office or the NWT Housing Corporation office.

Mr. Speaker, the high cost of living, the high cost of power, again goes back to this issue here and this motion here. The power in Deline was 57 cents per kilowatt; $2.66 per kilowatt in Colville Lake; Mr. Speaker, it's 11 cents per kilowatt in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, with the help of this motion, we can look at some equity and look at the housing units, take into consideration the high cost of living in our communities and that we ask that this motion be seriously considered by the people in Cabinet over there. Thank you.