This is page numbers 5263 - 5292 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was social.

Topics

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We try to work with the tenants as closely as possible and not get to the point to where we have to go to a collection agency. That is one of the options that we are looking at, but it would be our

desire to just work with the tenants, work out a repayment plan with them. There is some garnisheeing that goes on, but as far as reporting to a collection agency, that is one of the options we have been looking at. It is one that we are quite hesitant to pursue, because I would personally, as the corporation would, like to work with the tenants and have them come to us.

I can assure the Member and public that if this continues to be a problem and with the declining funding, we may have to look at all options. If that is one of them, then we will look at that. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to stress I hope the Minister doesn’t take this personally, but that is quite a travesty to hear that we are not motivating our tenants by those types of things. I can tell you for a fact, that recently someone had an overpayment and the GNWT, well, the FMB sends the leg breakers. They start phoning them regularly over a simple error. They threatened credit bureau. They threatened everything but the kitchen sink to be thrown at them. But housing arrears accumulate to $23 million. Someone should be given a head shake over there to say, how long are we going to persist?

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is, if we don’t take our arrears seriously, somebody who decides not to pay can go get a truck if they want because their credit isn’t stained. They can go buy a skidoo. They can do whatever they want, knowing that nothing is hanging over their head.

Mr. Speaker, what is the lead foot problem on this issue to stop the government from saying, well, we will just talk to them? We need to motivate them. What is stopping the Housing Corporation today for initiating a new policy that says anybody who owes arrears, we will pursue it through the credit bureau and send it to a collections agency? We have the outright responsibility to do this. Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I would like to think the motivation for these folks is to be able to stay in their own homes. It is something that we are working on. I have told the Member that this is an option we are seriously looking at.

Part of the problem, as we all know in this Assembly and the Assemblies before, the collection of arrears becomes very politically sensitive. Everybody says you should collect the arrears and then when you try to put the process in place to collect on arrears, all the Members start getting phone calls. So it’s one that we are pursuing. I can assure the Member that it’s not one that we’re just letting go by. We are pursuing this and we have looked at options. The Member said it correctly, we’ve had people complaining about a tenant with a $50,000 truck sitting outside their house and they’re in arrears and this person has got an old, beat up GM, but they’re paying their rent faithfully every month. So it’s situations like those we want to have

a look at. If reporting it to the credit bureau will motivate a few individuals to start clearing up their arrears is something that as a corporation we are seriously looking at. Thank you.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The Minister highlights a perfect example that I’m well aware of the fact that good tenants sometimes have to drive less nice vehicles, where tenants who aren’t paying -- and the fact is we have people who aren’t paying -- can afford, because their credit rating is good, so they can run out and afford to buy a fancy truck.

Mr. Speaker, when I hear the word “if” and when I hear “looking at the option,” that tells me we’re going to do nothing. Mr. Speaker, we can get a ministerial directive today in this House by saying we’re going to do this, we’re not going to sit on our hands and sit on our butts through this whole process, we should be collecting every single receivable we have because it’s impacting.

So will the Minister, in this House today, make that commitment to the people here that they will follow up immediately and enact this to everyone? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Some of these tenants do have a nice, brand new Lexus outside their house, but I assured the Member that we are doing what we can to try and work with those that are in arrears. If reporting to the credit bureau is one of those, then that is what we are planning on doing. I mean, we have an Arrears Management Strategy that we’re working on right now and we realize that arrears are accumulating. Part of it I’ve accepted responsibility as Minister of the Housing Corporation is because we didn’t pursue them as aggressively enough as we should have to get to the point where we’re in the situation we are today and we’re having to play catch-up. So I can assure the Member and all Members of this Assembly that we are doing all that we can to start working on the collection of arrears, because it is going to have an effect on the funding from CMHC. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The time for question period has expired; however, I’ll allow the Member a final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be frank, the Minister shouldn’t be worried about a little whining on this side of the House. The fact is the Minister should be more worried about the fact that they have $23 million outstanding and, he’s got it right, the declining funds should be motivation enough. The fact is if you start implementing a credit bureau process, you start implementing a collection process, what better motivation will it be to go and pay your past due arrears? Mr. Speaker, that’s the issue. Would the Minister immediately enact a policy and stop talking about we’ll think about, we’ll look at it, maybe? Because that doesn’t

show leadership. Would the Minister do this? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

We do have a process in place. It may not be the one that the Member likes, but there is a process in place, it’s a work in progress.

I’ve been quite encouraged by the number of people that are coming forward to work out repayment plans, because they understand that they need to deal with their arrears, it affects their ability to access Housing Corporation programs and we are looking at reporting to a collection agency and people are getting evicted and terminated for not dealing with their arrears. So we do have a process in place, it’s been in place for a while. It’s one that does have some challenges and needs to be improved on and that’s what we’re doing now, because we realize we need to start collecting on a lot of these arrears. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled Conference of Management Authorities (Species at Risk) Annual Report 2009-2010, and Northwest Territories Species at Risk Committee Annual Report 2009-2010. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Communities and Diamonds: 2009 Annual Report of the Government of the Northwest Territories under the BHP Billiton, Diavik and De Beers Socio-economic Agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole on bills and other matters: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012; Tabled Document 75-16(5), Response to the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and Territorial Governments’ Interim Response to “Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future;” Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act; Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act; Bill 9, An Act to Amend the Tourism Act; and Committee Report 3-16(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the Child and Family Services Act, with Mr. Abernethy in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

October 25th, 2010

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. On our agenda today are tabled documents 4, 30, 38, 62, 66, 75, Bills 4, 8, 9 and Committee Report 3-16(5). What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to continue with Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, and do the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Finance and, time permitting, Bill 8 and Bill 9.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Is committee agreed?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Agreed. Alright, with that we’ll take a short break and we’ll return with Tabled Document 66-16(5), Environment and Natural Resources, Finance and then Bills 8 and 9, time permitting.

---SHORT RECESS

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to the break we agreed we would be reviewing Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, starting with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Miltenberger, do you have witnesses you’d like to bring into the Chamber?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, could you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber?

Mr. Miltenberger, could I please get you to introduce your witness for the record?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have to my right Mr. Gary Bohnet, deputy minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Department of Environment and Natural Resources starts on page 11-1. We will defer the department summary on page 11-2 and go straight to page 11-5, page 11-6 and page 11-7, the wildlife section. We are on Environment and Natural Resources, information item, wildlife, activity summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $250,000.