When we first hired the consultants to do a thorough review of the program that we delivered since the transfer of the program in 2006 we just wanted to capture what we’ve done to date and where we can go from here, what worked, what didn’t work, the causes of it. That is the review that has been undertaken. The report is finalized. The actual cost itself I will need to get back to the Member or Members on that. We’re still working out the logistics of it and there is an error in the report itself. So we’ve gone back to the consultant to provide more detailed information in that respect.

I’ll agree with the Minister that there was an error in the report and that was the decision to transfer it back. I heard from LHO people that this was starting to straighten out. I heard from people on income support who were going through their housing application process that it made sense after a while. I heard from people administering the program that it was really at the end of the day an administration and communication problem was to make sure that the little boxes that got checked at income support fed on through to the folks at LHOs. Was the administration problem and communication problem addressed in this review as one of the things that they could have cleaned up and fixed to streamline the process?

There were no problems. There were challenges that were before us. We worked with those challenges. We continued to improve the program where we met some challenges and we continued to improve in those areas. Right now we’re talking about transferring. I think we’re at that stage where we will be providing more information to the standing committee on a going forward basis on the detailed information. But we faced some challenges. We resolved those challenges, and we continue to improve our program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister agree that one-stop-shopping is more efficient and more cost effective to this government, on its ambition to make people more self-reliant and independent, than two stops? Thank you.

I think the importance is the service delivery, that we do provide subsidies to all Northwest Territories, whether it be one-stop, two-stop, three-stop shop. It’s a core service delivery that we deliver to the communities. So whether the Member is talking about all these shops, we do have a GNWT shop that we have to provide subsidies to the Northwest Territories on core delivery. Mahsi.

The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Housing. Given the constituents of mine are now paying over $1,000 for a bedroom in the respective communities, will the government finally conduct a thorough, comprehensive evaluation of how rent is calculated in our small, remote communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve already begun the process of reviewing the rent scale and how rents are calculated. We’re hoping to have that work… It’s always an ongoing process. We’re reviewing the policies and the rent scales to see how we can best serve the tenants of the NWT Housing Corp. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Will the government recognize the enormous challenges of living in our small, remote communities and provide the policy and evaluate various programs and services, such as the Public Housing Rental Subsidy, accordingly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the challenge that is faced by tenants is one that’s also faced by the LHOs in the cost of delivering some of the programs and the maintenance and that to the communities. As we heard yesterday, some of our responses were we recognize the fact that our money is declining from CMHC, so we’re taking steps to try and address a lot of the challenges we face. So we’re aware of the ongoing challenges faced by the tenants and the LHOs, and we’re doing what we can to try and alleviate some of the challenges so our programs can be delivered a lot smoother and there won’t be such a burden on the LHOs and the tenants. Thank you.

Will the government review all policies when calculating the tenants’ income with the monthly rental assessment for the NWT Housing unit, and ensure fairness and consistency regardless of who is the employer or the situation?

Mr. Speaker, as I said, reviewing of the policies is an ongoing process and

it’s something that we’re always very aware of, some of the changes that need to be made and situations change. So we are always looking at ways that we can improve our policies to best suit the tenants and the local housing organizations. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the government review all northern and settlement allowance implications of tenants living in small, remote communities with the high cost of living? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That would be part of the review of the policy is to review all of what’s calculated into the rent and see if there are ways that we can improve. However, we have to recognize that our LHOs have a job to do and we’re trying to do what we can; a good balance for the LHOs and the tenants. But it is an ongoing process and we are reviewing the rent scale and how rent is calculated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke in my Member’s statement about the program review office, which sits under the Department of the Executive. That office has been up and running for some 18 months to two years, and I know that office is doing good work. We’ve seen the results, some of the results. But as I stated in my Member’s statement, there is a distinct lack of sharing of the activities of this office. So I’d like to ask the Minister what projects has this office undertaken since it was established approximately two years ago. Thank you.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of the program review office was established in late 2008-09, to, as the Member had stated, look at the way we expend our dollars and the efficiency and the effectiveness of our programs. The work that’s being done is in conjunction with the Refocusing Committee that is led by Minister Miltenberger. My understanding is he has worked on setting up a meeting with the standing committee in early February to go over the information that has been gathered in the area the Member mentioned in her Member’s statement, the area of the general office space review. That’s an area that Minister Miltenberger highlighted in his budget address. There are other areas that the office has begun to do work on and do an inventory of, and that’s looking at some of our fastest growing areas of expenditures across government, and he’ll

be prepared to come forward with that in early February as to the work that they have undertaken. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that response. Unfortunately, I am aware of the results of the office study and, as I mentioned, I felt it was very well done. It’s hard for me to believe that in the last year, if it’s only been a year-- it seems like it’s a lot longer than that -- but in the last year to 18 months the office hasn’t been able to produce some other finite project. So I’d like to ask the Minister, once a project is finished, does the office produce a report on the project that it has undertaken and completed, and who receives that report? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I heard two questions there. Mr. Premier you can answer one question or both of them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work that the program review office has identified and will feed through our system, and our system being that of our planning and financial work that we do in preparation for budgets, our program review and development as we look at those areas. So that work will be used by us as Members of the Legislative Assembly to look at how we can, and make sure that the dollars we used are being used most efficiently. The areas, the inventory that was being done have been our health care provisions, looking at our education, adult education and training, as well as our K to 12 system has been inventoried; the work that will be presented to committee. So there’s been a lot of work done. The reports, in a sense, will be provided first to the Refocusing committee, Cabinet will then review that information, it will go to standing committee and will be incorporated as we go forward in our business planning processes in the years to come. Thank you.