That would include us looking at the whole issue about the seniors home heating subsidy. When we talk about the residents, these individuals where they sleep and eat. These individuals have been considered that they’re staying at their grandparents’ place. Those are areas that have been brought to our attention that they don’t actually live there. We need to look at the policy itself.

Those two issues, I’d certainly like to follow up with the Minister. He spoke about reviewing the Income Support Policy. Is it specific to the seniors home heating subsidy or else is it the whole income support programming that they have? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, with any request that comes forward to our attention, we do look at our policies and we make changes to the effect where it benefits the communities. This is an area respecting the seniors fuel subsidy. I made a commitment to look at that piece of work. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

I certainly support a review of the program guidelines and criteria. I think what people were really saying to me is there’s got to be some flexibility when you’re evaluating this criteria and not just be so stern and be by the book. That’s what the people are looking for. I’d like to ask the Minister: can he direct his department to start to have a heart there, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, this is an area that is always before us every fall time and the winter season. We prepare our client service officers to deal with this matter in advance. As I stated, whenever there is a challenge or issues that are being brought to our attention, we work on the policy and if we need to change the policy. If that’s the case, I will give the Members a heads-up. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member makes a very good point and it’s a concern we’ve heard from a lot of small communities in the Northwest Territories. Recognizing that, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs -- and I think we’re going to be debating it when our budget comes forward -- have identified funding to start a training process, because we see our responsibility as being able to get out there at the regional level, have regional training workshops, get into the communities, work with the firefighters in the communities in identifying their needs and their shortcomings as far as training goes. The department has taken it upon itself to put forward this initiative and -- we’re looking at after the budget’s past on April 1st --

being able to get out in the communities and start working with them identifying their firefighting needs. Thank you.

Considering small and remote communities are more susceptible to house fires -- we have the highest number of deaths per capita in Canada -- this government will work with the local fire marshals in finding funding sources to develop real capacity in each community with the funding Thank you.

[Microphone turned off] …to use this funding to identify capacity in the community and work with the communities to improve it where we’re able to. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, considering the volunteer firefighters are risking their lives to protect the communities that they live in, can we implement a comprehensive checklist and systems whether everything is proper, valves functioning, breathing apparatuses, heated fire truck facilities, and proper safety gear and training? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that would be the goal of the department, too, is to ensure that all local firefighters are well trained and the fire marshal and assistant fire marshal would be able to go through the equipment with them and do a checks and balance of all the equipment they have, to make sure things are working properly. It is our goal to ensure that we work with the communities as best we can to ensure that their fire departments are properly trained. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for that. The firefighters in each community... Can we look forward to getting some help in regard to getting new bunker gear and new breathing apparatuses and heated garages in some communities, please and thank you?

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make sure that the Minister commits to me today that he comes in to the small and remote communities all across the Territory and makes sure our firefighters are protected and properly equipped. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we would go into the community and work with the community to identify the shortcomings as far as their firefighting ability goes. As far as equipment goes, we’ll help them to identify the equipment that they need and then they would have to work with the municipal government to ensure and they would have the ability to purchase the equipment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of the Housing Corporation in terms of working with the home ownership of the housing in my region. We seem to be running into a lot of issues with land tenure on the Commissioner’s lots and sometimes that prevents applications from being looked at or being seriously considered for approval. I want to ask the Minister if, in his strategy, would there be some movement in terms of how do we deal with the land tenure issue, especially for the elders in my communities.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Land tenure does sometimes get to be a hindrance as to people’s ability to access some of our programs. However, we’ve been very fortunate lately that we’ve been working with a lot of the band communities and they’re making band land available to their constituents so that they’re able to access the home ownership programs, which helps the Housing Corporation quite a bit, but more importantly, it helps the residents of the community quite a bit because they will be assured they have land tenure and they’re able to put their house on it.

As far as Commissioner’s land goes, I mean, there’s a process where they can apply for the purchase of Commissioner’s land within the community and it’s one that would go through the

proper process and then they’d be able to purchase the land if it’s available for sale. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes these seniors and these elders that do have land in the community and sometimes when they make an application they find out that they owe money on this land here and sometimes that prevents them from being eligible for an application to fix up their houses there. I want to ask the Minister: is his department looking at how do we look at issues around arrears or outstanding bills that elders have without them knowing and, of course, they need their houses fixed and it stops them from being repaired?

Mr. Speaker, we are coming forward with a slight change in policy to address some of the Member’s and other Members’ concerns. It is one that we would have to bring before committee and have the discussion with committee, but we do recognize that it has been a problem across the Northwest Territories and we’re taking the necessary steps to do what we can to help homeowners access some of the programs we offer. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, certainly I look forward to the new policy. I’m so happy I just about choked on it here, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to hear what the Minister has said. I wanted to ask the Minister, there are 600 families in the Sahtu and 330 families make less than $75,000. I want to ask the Minister in regards to the public housing units in the Sahtu. Will the Minister also be coming forward in terms of rent scale adjustments so that families do have an equal chance to make it in society in terms of adjusting their rents that is liveable in the public housing units?