Again, public safety is a concern not only to the Member but to all of us on Cabinet as well as the Regular Members. We are conscious of our fiscal reality. But I can commit to working with Cabinet, the Minister of Finance and Cabinet, my colleagues, to see if we can address the issue.

Mr. Speaker, that wasn't a no. I will take it. I will follow-up again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister.

Masi. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have some questions for the Minister of Housing. Last week I spoke about the nine-plex and the seniors’ complex that the Housing Corporation and the Health Department worked together to build, a nice facility. Will the Minister please advise the House if the Housing Corporation is looking at developing a four-unit complex for smaller communities to help ensure elders stay in their home communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is really nice to be able to say yes sometimes. So yes, we are actually looking at a four-plex model that we will actually be providing. We are trying to move away from the independent units. We recognize that there is more cost effectiveness and energy efficiency with units that aren't single. Yes, I can commit to looking at a four-plex for the smaller communities. Thank you.

---Applause

I should stop now. I got a yes and leave it alone.

---Laughter

I know, I know. Too late. It is on the record. Will the Minister look at maybe -- I'd like the answer "yes." Now will the Minister look at maybe a pilot project in my region in the smaller communities or one of my colleagues' smaller communities? Will she start looking at doing that? I know you're looking at it but actually let's get some action and actually do it and put some -- how do you say it? Feet to the ground and go and make a commitment to doing a pilot project next year in one of the regions or five pilot projects as you did with the nine-plex. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I will commit to doing a pilot project of at least one four-plex for seniors in a small community. I will not commit --

to it being in the Member's community

---Laughter.

in that I'm very conscious that I need to make sure that we put units based on need, not just units based on political will. So I will make sure that we look at the wait list, we look at the amount of seniors in small communities, and the small community with the greatest need will receive the pilot project.

Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I sort of, kind of thank the Minister for her answer. If it's a yes in my riding that would be great; however, I'd like to actually see maybe five four-plexes in there and look at that for a pilot project. So it's just in different areas of the territory, so if it's a designated community, hamlet, town, village, across the territory. Even some of them may be communities of Inuvik maybe we could look at, you know.

---Laughter

So we could look at that. So --

-- Mr. Speaker, can the Minister make a commitment to work with us to get these projects -- at least five. I know there's a long waiting list; I've heard of a whole bunch, and I think every Member here has heard that. So will the Minister make that commitment to at least five pilot projects? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I'll talk to them. I will not commit to doing five in the communities. I try to honour my word and I try to be reasonable and be able to achieve what I commit to, and so I will commit to doing one pilot project of a fourplex and after that do an assessment.

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few more questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. So given the fact that these new services will be introduced to the intoxicated and homeless population downtown, what is the future of the day shelter? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, we just recently renewed the contract for the day shelter in its current location. I have made a commitment to move the day shelter to a different location recognizing the public outcry against its current location but we had to renew the contract because we haven't actually been able to find another location. We're prepared to move it as soon as we find another more suitable location for the day shelter.

However, on top of that, we have also moved forward with expanding the hours; it's now a 12-hour a day from seven to seven. That should happen in the next couple of months, we're just working out the details with the provider. There has been some suggestion that we try to utilize one building for both the sobering centre and the day shelter; there would have to be separate entrances. That might prove to be a way to control some of our spending, but we have to be aware that we may not be able to find a location that can meet both those needs.

So for today, the day shelter is in its current location, the hours are being expanded, and a few other additions are being added and hopefully we can find another location to satisfy the demands of the downtown core.

Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to this Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Development has reviewed Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Vital Statistics Act and wish to report that Bill 5 is ready for consideration in the Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Bill 5 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) to have Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Vital Statistics Act, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) and have Bill 5: An Act to Amend the Vital Statistics Act moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.

---Unanimous consent granted