Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year in this House I raised the alarm about the length of time it takes for the rental office to process applications. Since 2011, there has been a steady decrease in the number of applications, but a steady increase of the length of time it takes to deal with them, until 2016-2017 that is, when that increase in time skyrocketed. During that time, almost half of the applications took longer than three months to process, and nearly half of those took more than four months. Earlier in this sitting the Minister stated that those numbers have since improved. Well, I sure hope so, Mr. Speaker, but there's still a long way to go.

I'm not criticizing the staff of the rental office. There are provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act that require landlords and tenants to settle disputes using the rental office, but the Department of Justice does not provide that office with the means to do its job in a timely manner. In Alberta, if a tenant commits a substantial breach, which includes things like not paying rent on time or committing illegal acts on the rental property, their landlord can evict them with 14 days' notice. If the issue is non-payment of rent, the only recourse that a tenant has is to pay the full amount owing.

In the NWT, only a rental officer can issue an eviction notice, which means that tenants who want to game the system can live rent-free for months. This happens all the time, Mr. Speaker, and it costs landlords countless thousands. To be clear, Mr. Speaker, when I say landlords, I'm not talking about a corporation that owns thousands of units and can absorb these extra costs. I'm talking about the small, independent landlords who might have one or maybe a few properties, and are just trying to get by or supplement their incomes.

The system doesn't just hurt landlords, either; it hinders the growth of our economy. Our system deters potential landlords from entering the market, which means fewer rental units and higher rents for tenants. Renters in Hay River feel these effects every day, Mr. Speaker. The lack of rental housing also makes it extremely difficult for businesses to attract out-of-town employees, which are desperately needed to address our labour gap and grow our economy. It also makes it difficult for organizations like the Hay River Health Authority to attract employees, which has a direct effect on the health of our residents.

Mr. Speaker, these are all issues that I've brought up before in this House, and I could go on. At the appropriate time, I'll have questions for the Minister of Justice, and if I have time, questions for the Minister whose department makes two thirds of the applications to the rental office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.