Mr. Speaker, the three most important things in the basic cost of living for all our residents are food, energy and housing. This Assembly has made it a priority to address the soaring cost of living. Because our small communities have little economic development, they must be subsidized at increasing costs, with significant implications to our residents and to the GNWT budget. In the budget presented, I see little comprehensive and effective government action to actually address these costs. I want here to suggest a basis on which to move forward on this key issue.

When basic needs are derived from resources that are imported from increasingly remote locations, costs cannot be controlled and rising costs result. Money and economic resources are pipelined out of the community as fast as they comes in and are concentrated in fewer and fewer large corporations without any relationship to the community. Environmental impacts rise and eventually are felt globally. Everyone pays those costs, but few have input into the decisions that could address those impacts. Development of skills related to providing those resources is not enhanced. Finally, increasing subsidies are required to provide the basic needs necessary and to address the social and other consequences that naturally arise from this situation. This is what we currently face.

In contrast, many benefits can accrue when basic needs are met, largely from local resources. Costs can be controlled, financial gains are maximized

and distributed locally, and economic interactions circulate money in the community. Environmental impacts are quickly addressed because they're felt immediately and locally, and community capacity rises. Indirect benefits include a strengthened social fabric, respect for the land and people who provide for the needs of the community, and an overall increase in community capacity. Economic development becomes specifically designed to local conditions and resources that vary widely, and it doesn't actually yield diversity.

Mr. Speaker, while we have the challenges of climate change impacts and soaring fuel costs, we also have solutions that will address both of these and the cost of living. We have an incredible potential to raise vegetables, herbs and even grains, as was demonstrated in the '40s through the '60s. Our varied crops are phenomenal. Our potential for harvesting meat is high, with marine mammals, bison, moose, waterfowl and the long-term caribou. Our forests offer….

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our forests offer an amazing potential for diversifying our diet, from birch syrup to nutrient-laden mushrooms and other foods. Renewable energy is available in every community, varying from area to area. Building skills and materials are available, but need investigation and development.

The Minister of Finance noted yesterday that we are totally vulnerable to rising costs and global economic conditions, yet he failed to address how to become less vulnerable. Instead, this government's sole response seems to be to join the madness and pursue mega-development with predictable social, environmental and local economic consequences.

Mr. Speaker, I urge this government to recognize the incredible potential and innovation of our culturally diverse people and to provide real incentives, opportunities and requirements for environmentally, economically and socially sustainable development. We need to meet real needs with real solutions. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin I would like to make special mention of Red Friday, where people wear red to honour the troops.

Mr. Speaker, today’s Member’s statement is to talk about a couple of community grassroots events that will be happening here in Yellowknife. The first one is the Gumboot Rally. It will be happening tomorrow, Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. at the Yellowknife Education Board parking lot. It will be the scene of fun, games and a lot of laughs at the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, where they are holding their 16th Annual Gumboot

Rally.

The rally is the association’s major fundraiser to maintain programming throughout the year. The YACL is a non-profit organization that supports families, children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities so that they are included and able to contribute to community life here in Yellowknife. The association provides services in eight different programming areas, including employability, family projects, living and learning with FASD projects, literacy outreach centres, respite, supportive living, skills training and inclusions.

Mr. Speaker, at the Gumboot Rally 15 to 20 teams will don hilarious costumes — and their gumboots, of course — to come out and compete in such games as basketboots, skinny ankles, boot toss and catch ‘n boot. Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of notable prizes that will be donated by Canadian North: two trips, which can be a trip to Edmonton or Calgary. One is for the person who raises the most money, and the other is for the person who gets the most sponsors. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the event there will be a barbecue.

I’m just letting folks know that there are still packages available. Every year teams don funny costumes. In past years we’ve had the Loan Arrangers from the TD Bank, Aurora Jiggers from the college, the Flashers, Sisson Judges and the Hippies. So Mr. Speaker, that community event starts on Saturday. I’m making special note of our sponsors who make sure this event happens. They are Canadian North, YK1, Artisan Press, Northbest Distributors, BHP, and the Gumboots, as well as Coffee Break.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, I had two community events that are important in Yellowknife, and they’re grassroots. Of course there’s the Walk for the Cure of diabetes, which I’ll be attending as well. That happens here at the Legislative Assembly on Sunday, May 25. Registration starts at 1 o’clock. I’ll just say in closing it’s put on every year by the Lions Club. I want to thank them for leading that initiative starting here at the Legislature on Sunday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins, The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to bring up a problem that we’ve been having in our community of Tuktoyaktuk since February of this year. Our x-ray machine has been broken down. The residents have to fly to Inuvik to get an x-ray done, and that’s not acceptable in this day and age. We have to get a timeline on when that machine will be brought back to town. I’ll have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the family of the late Jim Peterson, who are in attendance today. I appreciated the remarks this morning. Welcome to the Peterson family.

I’d like to recognize Candy Brown from Fort Simpson.

I’d like to recognize a long-term Housing employee, Mr. Jim White, of Yellowknife Housing Authority.

I am pleased to recognize the family of Jim Peterson: his wife, Margaret Peterson; his daughter Amanda, Jim’s son Chad and also close friends Jack Levesque, Sandy Osborne and Don Santos. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize an aboriginal filmmaker who made it in the world in the film business: my brother Raymond Yakeleya.

If we’ve missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. Hope you are enjoying the proceedings. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement with some questions for the Minister of Justice.

Considering the very tight rental market in Yellowknife at the moment and considering the rent increases that many of my constituents are facing, can the Minister advise if the proposed

amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act will address the issue of limiting rent increases?

I am going to rule that question out of order. That is on the order paper for today as legislation.

Interjection.

Oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mr. Speaker, earlier in my Member’s statement I spoke of the serious issue of lack of housing for teachers, and I’d like to ask the Minister of ECE some questions.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise me if the department has any strategy for providing teachers’ housing in smaller non-market communities?

Thank you, Mr.

Beaulieu.

Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Speaker, we realize that housing is a big issue in the Northwest Territories, especially for professional staff that we have in small communities and those most isolated communities. Our department has been working with the communities, with the leadership, with the Housing Corporation. I’d just like to highlight that we’ve met with district education authorities, the council and also with the superintendent this past couple of weeks in Norman Wells. We did highlight housing as one of the priorities of our discussion, and there have been a couple of options that were brought forward.

Mr. Speaker, I’m glad to say that our department is following up on those options. Follow-up meetings will be undertaken, and I will certainly address that with Members here. Mahsi.

Can the Minister advise the House if there is any dialogue that’s tied to developers as far as providing private market housing in non-market communities?

Like I said, the ongoing consultation will be between the superintendents, the DEAs and our department. It’s all preliminary right now. Certainly the private contractors will play a role. We are working closely with the Housing Corporation as well. They have dialogues with local contractors in the communities. What it comes down to now is forming a partnership with the communities. We are in the process of forming a partnership with both ECE and the Housing Corporation and with the small communities that were faced with housing shortages.

Can the Minister advise the House of anything specific that he can mention in the

House about what type of work has occurred between ECE and the Housing Corporation in this area?