I believe it was just a comment. It sounds like a comment. Any further compliments or comments, Mr. McNeely?

None, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. McNeely. Next we have Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up with a couple of more questions hopefully regarding the apprenticeship stuff. So when I was given the list of positions there, I was told that there were three types of apprenticeships, but I have heard of a plumber. So do we look at all five trades or is it just the three trades that we are looking at? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we do look at them all. All we need is to have a Journeyman within the communities who can do the apprenticeship. So we are open to all apprenticeships. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You forgot to start my clock. In regards to this apprenticeship, so is it the Red Seal has to be working for the LHO or can it be somebody in town?

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Thank you for reminding me about the clock. We are on the second round for most of the MLAs and we do have to keep in mind that we have a lot of information to get through. So, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do try to do the apprenticeships through the local housing organizations. We have made exceptions, though, when the local housing organization does not have the Journeyman certification to provide the training. So again, clarification saying that preferably within the local housing organizations but we will make exceptions if there is no other option. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I apologize for that there. I am sleepy and I noticed my time was not started yet. I thank the Minister for that answer and I guess I am looking forward to seeing this corporation having 15 apprentices every year in place. I understand that there are some challenges of people succeeding, but we should have 15 apprentices out there because we have a shortage of the trades in the Northwest Territories, and so I am looking forward to the Minister's plan and the corporation's work on it.

Just back to my last concern in regards to utilities. You have heard me say this before: has the corporation looked at developing an incentive for the tenants to actually save, whether it is the power, the fuel, the water? Has there been an incentive in place? Have you looked at developing it yet? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So currently right now and we at the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation are subsidizing all of public housing tenants, utility costs. Once the utility costs are transferred over after the three years, yes, we will definitely look at it an incentive program and training program so that people can actually be rewarded for conservation. It is important. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Nothing further from Mr. Thompson. Next we have Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I was trying to come to an understanding in terms of where it could be appropriate to ask this question, but I understand in the section community housing services within the department I think the Minister had stated that there are working agreements with Aboriginal governments and they are continuing on building that positive working relationship. So if it is okay, I would like to ask the question in that respect. The simple question is: whether it be Inuvialuits or with the K'atlodeeche First Nations, how are these agreements contemplated? As I said earlier, whether these agreements are borne of the intergovernmental agreements that some First Nations have entered into the GNWT as a follow-up. Subject matters include housing, and so is it predicated on that or is it predicated that, you know, they have a land claim and then the GNWT, through the Housing Corporation, could engage them in terms of building or working relationship. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU I will call it so I do not stumble on my words anymore, was kind of a unique situation. They lobbied the federal government directly to get the access to the funding. We cannot tell Aboriginal governments to lobby or not to lobby, so I cannot say what the federal government plans are in the future regarding that. I know that the federal government is really supportive of First Nations and of building partnerships, but I cannot say any more than that. I can say within the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, though, that we are looking at any form of partnership with Aboriginal governments.

I believe it is the right way to move. I think that self-government is, for me, a priority that the Government of the Northwest Territories takes seriously and works towards. So it does not need to be formal. Aboriginal governments do not need to have land claims to be able to enter into partnerships with the NWT Housing Corporation. All they need to do is to approach me and we will try to work towards some kind of partnership. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is very good in terms of building a relationship and I think it is integral and in some instances critical that, you know, agreements and understandings be made so that we look at efficiencies, but it seems clear that, you know, if you engage the GNWT, especially the Housing Corporation, it is not necessary that you have a land claim agreement to come to an understanding with government to, I mean, in one instance deliver houses or its program or services.

So if that is not the case, then what is perhaps the guiding principle in terms of these agreements with the Housing Corporation and First Nations in terms of ensuring that local housing at the community level are made available to people who live in the communities? What is the key principle? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the Member is correct, it does not have anything to do with land claims; however, the guiding principle is that the Government of the Northwest Territories does believe in self-governance, does believe in land claims, and so within that we are looking at ways to partner appropriately with our Aboriginal governments. It is not okay to just put lip service to it. So we are very flexible on what they look like. For example, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, they get their money now directly from the federal government. We have a partnership that says we'll provide land and we'll take ownership and deal with the collections after. They get the economic development.

The Yamoga Land Corporation came to us. They want partnership. They have $500,000 that they're going to put on the table to deal with some of the issues with their residents. Salt River First Nations are actually doing some housing ownership programs within their communities, and so we're looking at how we can partner to give them materials.

So each Aboriginal government that has come to us is looking at a different type of partnership. We are open to whatever Aboriginal governments come to us; whatever they're putting on the table, we are open to looking at and trying to form a true partnership. Not a partnership that is dictated by the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Housing Corporation, but a partnership where both organizations come to the table and provide something. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Nadli.