Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we heard earlier, this program wasn’t part of the core program of the Housing Corporation. A few years back it was added. The program then was removed from carrying on. As the Member has asked for this reinstatement, much like the previous motion — and as the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation stated — from what area? It’s a small amount, yes, but all these amounts add up. As we’ve heard from Members of this Assembly, we should not be reducing on the backs of individuals, of the people who do our work. So when we go with the program areas, we’re now being told, “Don’t do this. Put in money that we don’t have right now.”
There are many programs that we have that are of great value, and this one, as pointed out, is…. If an individual is in core need, then they need a primary facility or a home, and the programs are in place allow for that. This is a $10,000 amount, as the Member stated, that adds to a secondary facility. For $10,000 you’re not going to build a facility that you can occupy in the winter for very long, especially in our cold winters in the North.
It is important that we do that. That’s why, overall, the government has some of the best seniors programs compared to any jurisdiction in the land. But to add to that, I’d have to ask Members: if we’re going to put this back in place, then we need recommendations of where we’re going to take it from. It becomes our problem of trying to reinstate programs into place. That can be considered as we look at these motions that the committee feels…. But again, as Members look at making these motions for reinstatement, as they’ve done in another department, we’re going to have to find this from someplace else. Clearly, as a government we haven’t met our target initially. This will put us even further out there if we’re going to respond back to Members.