What a well-trained committee. Thank you. Committee agrees.

Will the Minister introduce the witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Mr. Jeff Polakoff, president of the NWT Housing Corporation, and Mr.

Jeff Anderson, vice-president of the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Is committee agreed that we are done our general comments? Do you wish to proceed to the detail?

Committee is agreed. On page 2-149 is the Corporate Summary. That’s going to be deferred until we’re done with the rest of the detail. So we will start on pages 2-150 and 2-151. Note that these are all information items. Are there any questions, page 2-150 or 2-151? Specifically, these are under the Executive, Operations Expenditure Summary: $1.121 million. Any questions? All agreed?

NWT Housing Corporation, Executive,

Operations Expenditure Summary: $1.121 million, approved.

Page 2-153, under Finance and Infrastructure Services, Operations Expenditure Summary: $11.816 million. Any questions? Mr. Krutko.

Just in regard to the committee report, there was a suggestion that in the Department of Finance, I believe, there were two financial officer positions that were going to be moved to the Department of Finance. But in light of the accountability process at the Local Housing Authority that the regional director of operations had to deal with, I think that…. I’d just like to know, in light of those transfers, what are we going to be doing to ensure that accountability practices are followed by way of audits and whatnot, to ensure that we have the financial processes fulfilled under our agreements with the LHOs, our regional director of operations and, more importantly, in light of the Auditor General’s report on that, and also realizing that the Department of Finance also has a challenge on its hands to recruit accountants? I

think it’s right across the board for most

government departments that it is a challenge just to fill those positions.

I’d just like to know, in light of that, is there a backup plan that we have if we fall back on our accounting of those audit commitments we have with the Financial Administration Act? I’d just like to ask: what’s the alternative to simply transferring those two positions to the Department of Finance?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. If I can call on Mr. Polakoff.

Thank you, Mr. Polakoff. Anything further, Mr. Krutko? Moving on. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I noticed that in the Finance and Infrastructure Services here, some of the land development and land issues take place. During my tours of my communities, particularly the Fort Liard district, there are various land issues. I’d just like to know how the Housing Corporation is addressing these and working with the communities to get some available lots to continue the delivery of housing programs and the delivery of new houses as well. Is it going to be a barrier much longer? What’s the strategy in terms of delivering housing in Fort Liard? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we’re going to, of course, work with the LHO; we’re going to work with the community government; and we’re also interested if there’s private land.

This is an issue in many communities across the North. In the Member’s riding, as well, it’s in part of the unsettled claims area, so we’re going to work with MACA as we look at land within the municipality. We’re looking at all these particular options. But I’d get Mr. Polakoff to maybe provide more detail. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, yes, I’d be interested to hear further details on the approaches we’ll take to delivery of programming on the amount of land that they have available in Fort Liard.

As well, I spoke about arrears in my Member’s statement, Mr.

Chair, so I

was just wondering.

I know that they’ve got land taxation issues in Fort Liard. People that have lived on the same land for the last 50 years. Some 20 years ago some kind of transfer happened, so now people are in arrears for land that they thought they had owned, and all of a

sudden they’re starting to pay tax. So I was just wondering if taxation arrears are considered when they apply for housing programming as well.

I think what I was trying to get at, Mr. Chair, is: are we sitting down with the communities and trying to identify the lands that are available for the Housing Corporation to use and to deliver our programs? Thank you.

Mr. Chair, we work with the communities to look at the homes that are available to be constructed — the type, the configuration of the homes — and of course, the lot location is a key piece, especially given the Office of the Auditor General’s concern about directing us not to put our infrastructure on tenured land, be it lease or purchase. We are working with the communities. But, Mr.

Chairman, with your

indulgence, I’d ask Mr. Polakoff to provide more detail. Thank you.

Mr. Polakoff.

Mr. Chair, I’m just wondering, specifically, if there was a line item or category where you’re dedicating resources to identify these land issues not only in my communities, like you said, but throughout the Northwest Territories. Is it in here or in another part of the budget?

Each district has some staff resources for land issues, with the staff that is there. As well, there are three land positions in headquarters.

Thank you. Moving on, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just going through the detail here on this page. I see travel and materials. It’s been fairly consistent with many of the departments we’ve seen — plus departments we’ll likely see as we move forward — that there’s about a 5 per cent reduction on materials and travel. We talked about refocusing, changing how we do business. I know they’re small amounts of money, but where we saw these decreases in other departments, we don’t see that here in either travel or materials. For instance, if we were to lose 5 per cent here on travel, you’d be going down to $8,000, and $3,000 in materials and supplies. In total, your department’s only doing a reduction of 3 per cent on travel and no reduction on materials and supplies.

To be consistent with the other departments, I obviously would like to see a similar reduction here. So when we get to FMBS, I’ll likely be making a motion to reduce your travel and your materials and supplies by 5 per cent across the board.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. I don’t believe there was a question there. Any response, Mr. Miltenberger?

Part of our plan, which is a two-year plan, is to…. Those reductions are kicking in next year. We’ve hit our targets for this year to comply with the direction. Next year, part of it is going to be a reduction of 7 per cent for travel budgets and reduced computer support services by 15.