Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to support the motion, because if this motion and if this new policy were implemented, it would necessarily result in there being less money for the local housing authorities to work with because it would in fact reduce people’s rents.

I think the responsible thing for us to do is to look at housing system-wide and say is there anything that could offset this loss of rent. So we would be trying to affect a positive change for a certain group of people that would see their rents reduced.

I do support that, Mr. Speaker, but I think, at the same time, we need to look at the sustainability of our policy right now for seniors over 60 living in public housing to pay zero rent. It’s a difficult subject to broach. It was brought in in the 13th Assembly, but as our population ages, as more people are gaining access and even some people who are currently in public housing are surpassing that age of 60 years, we have to ask ourselves if that is sustainable going forward for our government. For the seniors that I have spoken to, I believe that seniors are concerned, too, about whether this is sustainable and whether this can continue on indefinitely. I think they would rather get ahead of the game and pay some modest amount; even if it was a small amount of money. Nothing that would put them in any kind of difficulty financially, but if they could contribute in some small way.

I would like to see these things looked at in tandem. I realize this is not what the motion says, but I think for us to suggest that the housing authorities and the Housing Corporation should take a loss in rent by implementing this new policy, I think we also need to look at where we could make that difference up. That may be an area that could stand some review and some analysis.