Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of personal privilege under Rule 20(1) to insert some truth into an inflammatory news story reported by CBC Television yesterday evening.
The report misinformed viewers as to my eligibility to receive a ministerial housing allowance in Yellowknife. Let me state the facts for the record. And these are the facts given to the reporter in discussion with myself and the deputy minister of the Executive, but left out of the story.
My statutory declaration signed in the fall of 2007 confirms that I maintain a principal residence in my constituency. That remains true and accurate. I still own property in Inuvik. I pay the mortgage, I pay the gas, the power and the water bills on that property in Inuvik and I live in that residence when I am in Inuvik.
Following my election in 2007, I moved my family to Yellowknife and I am entitled to reimbursement of housing costs in the capital. I entered a lease for accommodation in the city and remain the tenant of record on that lease. I have repeated confirmation from the appropriate deputy minister that as long as that remains to be true, I am entitled to this benefit. Let me be clear that I am not receiving any additional benefit or allowance over and above that to which I am entitled.
I have updated the Conflict of Interest Commissioner regarding the recent changes in my personal life and I will continue to make necessary representations to reflect this reality as required. Our attention at the Legislative Assembly should be focused on moving forward and improving the lives
of Northerners, not on inflammatory and misleading reports that rob those not in a public arena of their right to privacy.
Mr. Speaker, the CBC’s journalistic standards and practices states the media must be socially responsible. In my opinion, the CBC failed to live up to its obligation last night and fell short of its duty to provide consistent, high quality, socially responsible information. I trust that these facts I have provided, for the record, will allow NWT residents to make their own informed decision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.