Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is on municipal services in Fort McPherson. Over the past couple of years, the hamlet incurred a deficit of over $2 million. This deficit has affected the hamlet, the employees and the users of the services. My constituents continue to call, asking why they have to pay back the deficit, which the hamlet council took upon themselves for better services, only to be pulled deeper into debt.

I want to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, where is the control? At what point does the department step up and say there’s something wrong? Where are the auditors? Who authorizes funding to council when there is such a deficit? The department needs to realize that responsibility is shared.

Municipal service costs in Fort McPherson have drastically increased and this is affecting everyone. The local housing authority is not getting any extra subsidy for the increase in water, elders are not compensated for extra costs and they have a fixed income every month. Homeowners are barely making it as it is. Now they have to pay almost three times what they were normally paying.

Is there any way that the department can work with the community to lower the municipal service bills so that community members could gradually adjust to the increase? The department should consider a five- to 10-year payback on a deficit, not recover it in one year at the expense of community members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.