Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just got back from the community of Lutselk'e where I had a constituency meeting. And it was very touching when I was in the community, and housing still continued to be a big issue in my community. I had a mother that come up to me crying, looking for a place for her and her child, that's couch surfing in the community.

So also, I want to talk about this issue that I brought up back in March. Again, I just want to continue to speak on the housing in my riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, because these problems aren't going away and what's been done simply isn't enough to meet the needs of my constituents.

I want to remind the House of an issue I brought forward earlier this year, the case of Mildred Lockhart who -- there was a story done on CBC this year about her situation. And Ms. Lockhart is also a single mother and has two adult children. And she's also a cancer survivor. She's been battling cancer for a while, and now she's in remission. And she really needs help. And so I'm here to advocate for my constituents, and especially her, in our community of Lutselk'e.

In this case, Ms. Lockhart is also a resident of Lutselk'e whose home is in terrible state of disrepair, going on six years now. Every winter, Mildred finds sewage backup in her bathtub and the sink. Mildred must bail upwards up to 16 buckets of 5-gallon pail a day, and that's over 300 litres of raw sewage backing up into her bathtub and sink. Just hearing about the situation would make even the strongest stomachs queasy but it's far worse when you see the pictures as I have, Mr. Speaker.

Mildred has been idle. She's sought help from the Housing NWT through emergency repair program in March of this year. She was told her housing income was too high to qualify for the program.

Mr. Speaker, this story is just one of many in my riding of Indigenous people falling through the cracks of this government's policy. Despite efforts and those of my colleagues, the GNWT remains stymied by an excessive amount of red tape that prevents our constituents from getting the help they need. Furthermore, the nature of my riding as being unsettled and on seated First Nation traditional territory prevents the direct flow of resources from the federal Government of Canada to the Akaitcho communities. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Despite my efforts of my colleagues again, I want to emphasize that this is a very important issue in my riding. Furthermore, the nature of my riding being is unsettled, like I mentioned, there are $30 million available from housing projects by Ottawa and yet we see barely a penny because of this money must flow through the GNWT, often inflexible bureaucrats' channels.

Mr. Speaker, I have a feeling that if the office of the NWT Housing were knee deep in sewage backup, it wouldn't take the department long to find the money to fix the problem. All I am asking for is for the same compassion, flexibility to resolve Mildred Lockhart's problem, and to help so many more in all our communities in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for Housing has the money. She has the stash. She has the policy. She doesn't have to move mountains to help Mildred in her time of need. And I must address the fact that since I raised this issue months have passed without any changes to policy and procedures.

Mr. Speaker, here we are as MLAs who serve our constituents, not to defend the bureaucrats' status quo. I remain deeply saddened that this issue is so stubbornly persistent in my work as an MLA. It leaves me with one question for the Minister: will she show she has a heart and do the right thing to help Ms. Lockhart. Mr. Speaker, I also have further -- four more questions after this. Thank you.