This is page numbers 1443 - 1480 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Yes. As I already indicated, the work of modernizing and bringing home the mineral resources regulations in order to enact the Mineral Resources Act is already underway. It's a very important piece of work that's happening in the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. At this stage, we're expecting that, within the next 18 months to two years, there will be some drafting regulations that are available for consultation with the Indigenous governments, and by 2023, hopefully, things will be ready to roll out. That process is meant to be inclusive, it's meant to reflect the same sort of level of co-development process that the Mineral Resources Act underwent, and we want to make sure that we do that and engage all of those same stakeholders to the same level and degree so that they have a role and a voice to play as we develop these regulations, including improving and modernizing the transparency section.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I want to thank the Minister for that response. I said last week that any review of the fiscal regime for mining in the Northwest Territories is fatally flawed if there is no ability to analyze the actual revenues we receive. I want a healthy mining industry, but we also need to make sure that the public and Indigenous governments get a fair share of the revenues. Can the Minister explain how there can be a fair and balanced review of the fiscal regime from mining when the actual revenues are secret?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

What was released last week wasn't a benchmarking report, it was step one of 12 different steps that are going to be used in order to evaluate the resources royalties sector within the regulations. That approach is one that is using a representative sample. Rather than saying what does this mine today, at this point in time, at this particular ore body, what does it pay in royalties, what we want to do is ensure that when we develop our royalty regime, we are actually developing a regime that's going to work into the future regardless of the ore, regardless of the location, regardless of the company. We want to ensure that our royalty regime is one that is going to be reflective of any type of resource activity that's happening here. What that report did is: it took a theoretical mine, a diamond mine size and one that's a metal size, took that and then compared that mine across all the different fiscal regimes so that we would know how the different fiscal regimes work, how the different tax regimes work, and know if we are going to be receiving a similar amount of resource revenue, royalty revenue, as it would in another jurisdiction.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that recap of what's in the study. Canada is a supporter of the extractive industry transparency initiative and has provided funding to a variety of countries to implement the standard, including Peru, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mongolia, all countries that actually disclose this kind of information, but we can't do it here. Canada has implemented the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act, which is similar to the standard, but there are problems with the way the data is reported. I'll probably talk about that next week. Can the Minister tell us when her government will get on board and begin to report government revenues paid by individual companies? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Microphone turned off] ...with the principles set out by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

It is a good sign that two of the largest companies that operate mines here in the Northwest Territories are themselves supporters of the modernization of the regulatory systems worldwide. That is, I think, good news. It's reflective of the fact that we have good corporate social citizens here. The ESTMA Act is a federal act. It applies across Canada. We're part of a federal jurisdiction, and so to the extent that those same corporate companies that are operating here are reporting their information on that federal piece of legislation, then certainly that information is available and relevant when someone's trying to evaluate what kind of royalties they're paying here in the Northwest Territories. As I've said, Mr. Speaker, as far as modernizing our regulations, we're going to be using those best practices. I appreciate hearing that there will be some examples out there, albeit right now on a federal level, and it's certainly something we're going to continue to address with all stakeholders and do that in a measured and properly engaged process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement alluded to the social ails of my people, especially the ones in housing's public rental units. I believe it's time this government realized that it is the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation that is creating this homelessness situation. They keep throwing out the most vulnerable people like we're not human beings, let's throw them out to fend for themselves. This is totally unacceptable. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is not a business. It is to deliver social housing, social programs to my First Nations people. My question is: will the Minister reconsider evicting my people for the foreseeable future as winter is now setting in? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is a social program. We do provide housing right at the ground level. We do have adequate rent assessments that are being delivered. I do understand where the Member is coming from. Looking at the evictions and our process, I just want to let the Member know that it is a lengthy process that is administered and that we follow throughout the Housing Corporation. Also, as the Minister for the Housing Corporation, safety is the number one issue, illegal activity, as well. We address all of those concerns first, before we actually get to the state of ultimate eviction notice for the clients. Right now, the Housing Corporation will not be evicting anybody during the winter months, and, should we see safety as an issue, we will have to deal with those case by case. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi for that, Minister. I spoke at length of the social ills faced by the people. Those are the parts you have to remember, all the people of my community. Will the Minister consider involving other departments to address the myriad of social problems faced by my people? This could come in the way of referrals to see, perhaps, a mental health counsellor, or if the community had an alcohol and drug counsellor, that would even be better.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

When we are dealing with our clients within our public housing units, I just want to inform the Member that we do have a number of programs that are available through the Housing Corporation. One of them I just want to explain is the northern pathways program. That does have wraparound services. That does work with the client to get them out of homelessness and work towards having them either become a home owner or entry back into public housing. I do work with my colleagues, as well, to identify stronger solutions that meet the needs of the Northwest Territories, and I look forward to looking at initiatives as I continue my tours throughout the Northwest Territories and also seeing how we could better adequately work with the people.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi for that. I believe housing has many empty units, and perhaps one could be converted to house the homeless. Mind you, this will need to be a collaborative approach by all departments to deliver this program. Will the Minister consider this option and meet with community leader to discuss possible scenarios?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

I just wanted to also reflect that, on the tours that I did take throughout the Northwest Territories, I did go to the Member's community, and there were a number of units that we did identify that were beyond economic repair. I did see a lot of potential in that community. We also will be meeting with the Indigenous groups, as well, as a follow-up, because that is what we had done during the tours, and identify ideas and solutions. Homelessness is an issue throughout the territory, and looking at the number of programs that the Housing Corporation does have, I will be available to work with the Indigenous groups in the Member's community and help them to identify solutions and access the funding that the Housing Corporation does have.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Deh Cho.

Ronald Bonnetrouge

Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho

Mahsi for that. I note that the Minister mentioned that a lot of the units that she saw were beyond economic repair. I think, as community leadership, we see those situations as being a lot different than her statements because they do, in fact, look livable. They need a bit of work, some minor work for repairs and everything. Because the idea we threw out to her was: fix them up to the basic level, and then let's give them away. That was one of the scenarios, anyways. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further questions for the Minister, but I do want to say mahsi to her for giving consideration to the needs of my people. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Today, I would like to touch base on the housing, of how it has been allocated. I have talked about it. We live in a small community. We all do not live, some of them, everybody is not treated equally. Therefore, Mr. Speaker [Translation ends] ...Monfwi constituency, as I alluded to earlier in my statement, is more of that of Sahtu region. Mr. Speaker, imagine my surprise when I saw the Monfwi riding was only budgeted for 12 projects while the Sahtu region was budgeted for 33. These are NWT actual numbers, Mr. Speaker. The first question I have is: how is it that the Minister's constituency is set to have three times, three times, more housing projects than the Monfwi constituency when the Monfwi constituency has the greatest need of all our territory? Please explain.

Question 421-19(2): Allocation of Public Housing
Oral Questions

October 28th, 2020

Page 1457

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Member, for your comment. I just want to elaborate on that. The Sahtu region has established their own housing society. They do work in partnership, and we do have community initiatives where they take on their own housing projects within that community. Also, this year, we do have a roll-out of RCMP units that are coming out. The community of Deline, as well, has accessed federal money where they directly did not go through the Housing Corporation. My region is very active for housing solutions, and they have worked in conjunction with each other to try to find and alleviate their housing issue and their housing problem on their own. They did also look at the homelessness, as well, and looking at men's shelters, women's shelters. Right now, there is a lot of innovation that is happening throughout that region and a lot of success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

All of the communities, we do have a housing authority, as well, associations, so we should be treated similar. I just want to get across an equitable and fair process within this government. That leads me to my next question. Where the Minister alluded to earlier about the pathway program, with the distribution of these projects, housing projects into the communities, I have questions on the pathway program. Could the Minister explain how the Housing Corporation arrived at a particular income threshold for eligibility under the pathway program?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

In developing the northern pathways program, we had a lot of interest throughout the communities. A lot of our programming that we do develop starts at the community level and looking at the needs throughout the Northwest Territories and looking at the income threshold. The purpose of the northern pathways program is to help homeless people transfer into public housing or either home ownership. With wrap-around services, looking at that opportunity, we are also working with the addiction issues that we do have in the Northwest Territories, and we do work with the department of health.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

I would like to give an example of a family-size versus a single-size income. The Housing Corporation bases home-ownership assistance on need. Family income is how the Housing Corporation determines that. What role does family size and disposable income play in deciding if the family has too much money to qualify for the pathway program?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

This is a discussion we are having within our department, as well, and I do hear the Member's concerns, as well, because he had brought this up in the past, before. We are a traditional territory, as well. We do have elders who are located in our public housing units, and we do have additional family members who do care for them. As the Housing Corporation, we do look at household income to determine the amount of rent that is going to be charged for that individual. Right now, I am looking at that, and I do come from a smaller community. I see this right at the grass roots. It does become an issue because it does happen that the elders who are either living privately or within the public housing units, that they end up not being qualified for certain programming. I do hear the Member's statement and his concerns. I will be working with my department, and we are actually looking at that and reviewing that right now.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.