Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, while answering my questions about Novel housing, the Minister of Finance said the following, on unedited Hansard, page 2,153, and I quote, "It seems that there is an inherent dislike to the fact of trying to use this concept as one that could help families in the Northwest Territories, especially those in the smaller communities."
Mr. Speaker, this is an absolutely appalling and unacceptable statement from a Cabinet Minister to very legitimate questions about a concept that will define and determine the work of the NWT Housing Corporation and this government for at least the next decade.
Mr. Speaker, I must say I have an inherent dislike for the way the Minister is constantly defining the important questions we must debate in this House into a small town versus big town issues. It is their favourite way to distract, discredit and divert the attention away from the real issues like their lack of ability to come up with good answers, Mr. Speaker.
Here are some more dislikes, Mr. Speaker. I have an inherent dislike for the distinct possibility that, if this Cabinet continues to fail to do its due diligence, this concept is going to create more big, fat bank accounts for multi-national corporations than the homes to our families in the North. I have an inherent dislike for the complete lack of respect this government has shown for the northern manufacturing industries. From the beginning, it has never hidden the fact that it had no faith in any of our own home builders.
Mr. Speaker, I'm just a big girl from the big town in Yellowknife, but I have to tell you, I have an inherent dislike for the government using its annual budget to promote an idea by one business and really putting its credibility on the line. How is this different than the government asking the diamond mines to buy nothing but coffee from Tim Horton's? Just think of that, Mr. Speaker.
Finally, I have an inherent dislike for the fact that this government fails to see this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where northern businesses can build them, northern labour force can work in them, as well as our small town families living in them. Instead, the government is blind to do one idea without due diligence, and puts it into a budget, and lobbies the federal government for an idea that it has already stated is not up to...