Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions from Members under the executive? Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's really easy to say you want to work with the Indigenous groups but there's no follow up. You know, there's a lot of red tape. There's lack of communication. I mean, as an ordinary MLA, I even have trouble getting answers to my emails. I've gone from July 2020, some of the things that I've brought up I still haven't got answers to or conclusions to from Members that I feel are -- is -- they're very -- you know, they are in dire straits. I keep on going back and forth, and then I list a whole bunch of emails that haven't been answered and sent to this department, and I don't get an answer. So working with Indigenous groups, you have to have better communication than that. And which Indigenous groups, I wonder. Are there a select few? I'd like to know that because, you know, I've been an Indigenous leader, and housing is the most important thing and that is why with the previous Assembly, we had a working relationship with the Minister at the time for the Salt River First Nation, and it was an excellent working relationship, but at least I could pick up the phone and speak to someone. I don't see that happening anymore. And I'm not taking anything away from the housing authority because right now, I think there's -- finally, they've got a decent board in place; they have an excellent person that's running the office there. I've never met her yet, but I hear nothing but good things. But there's always this other thing on the side, and the main thing is -- I mean, two houses and 12 retrofits for a community that size when I have 212 people on a waiting list, that is unbelievable and unacceptable.

And I just want to know from the Minister, how is she going to fix that? I went with her for a problem last week. I thought by Monday, if I have one positive thing I'd be happy. I still have no answer. There's going to be a followup. I never get the followup. I want to know what's going on. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, I just -- I really want to stress, like, through the corporation, like, I got to do things fairly. If I do something in one riding, I got to make sure that I do it consistently throughout the rest of the territory. And I can't -- looking at the policies that we do have and if we have specifics that are there and we try to work outside of those policies, I got to make sure that what I have done is equal to what I'm doing throughout the territory. And it's just -- if it's not identified in there, that is a problem for us to try to -- making sure that we are doing things right and appropriate.

But the other thing too is working with the Indigenous groups, like I want to stress that we're not always -- you know, we put out those invites; we've got the Council of Leaders working group that we did establish. We have some Indigenous groups that did participate; some of them haven't. Some of them have questioned us and wanting to get involved or else just not wanting to provide input towards what it is that we're trying to strategize. But this is the table that the Indigenous groups are able to look at every single program that we do have, every single policy review, and every bit of change that we need to establish throughout the Northwest Territories, and that table is still open to every Indigenous group throughout the Northwest Territories that want to be a part and involved with that. But at that table as well too and encouraging those -- those federal applications going forward, that's -- I can say that within the time of this government, that's possibly the way to go and the continued advocation with the MP, with the federal government as well, with the territorial asks going forward and hoping to see those results. And I know that housing is quite challenging in the North, but I think as a corporation we have made significant progress. And looking at our 90-unit delivery and looking at another application good forward and trying to be fair and consistent throughout the Northwest Territories while we are placing those units on the ground. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. If you could be more precise with your answers to the Member, just because of the time. Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

I know I'm very emotional on this because I feel like, you know, how could the board -- we have an excellent board in place now. We've got the office straightened out at housing finally in this -- we're in our third year. You know, and I have a lot of respect for the people that are on the board and the people that are running the office right now. But we also have to have positive -- positive responses from this office with some of the problems that these people faced. Most of the people that I've come -- that I brought forward to the Minister about different issues and couch surfing and all these things, none of them have been answered. Oh, I'll follow up, she said that in the last time when we were on -- on the phone there with -- well, I'll follow up. Well, she never followed up. If I don't follow up, I will get no answers. And I think it's -- you know, and the monies that were allocated by the federal government to -- there's a few Indigenous groups. I think there was five or six of them, how did that come about? Like, I'd like to know why they chose those five or six groups that are getting direct Indigenous housing from the federal government, because that's the way that the Indigenous groups want it anyways. And I'm happy that they got it. But what about all the rest? You know, because I remember sitting at a table with the Akaitcho Chiefs, and all of a sudden 59 million's going to the -- to the territorial government, and we never saw a penny of it. And, you know, so it goes on. There's a lot of history to this stuff that I'm saying. And I thought once I sat here, that if my -- my answers, I'd at least get a yes or no answer and be -- and I don't expect special treatment. Absolutely not. I'm not a type of person that expects special treatment. I just want to make sure that my members get housing, that they could stop couch surfing, they could have pride in what they have and they could start changing their lives. That's all I'm asking. And, you know, it's really unbelievable that I have to bring this to the floor, but I have to, because my members in the community of Fort Smith, expect this, and I expect it for them. Everybody has a right to have a house, to have food, and to have the necessities of life, especially the people that usually go into public housing. So with that, I want you to -- I want to know when I'm going to get some of the answers to all my emails. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd have to review that with my -- with my department as well. But the specific one that the Member possibly could be referencing is that it's out of our policy and I'd have to really take a look at that and -- and see what it is that we can do. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.

I don't think it's the only one that I brought forward. I brought forward many, many emails to you, and I never get answers. I remember the two ladies that decided they had to move to Fort Smith to a larger community, and they're both Indigenous, and they were from the Fort Simpson area because of health reasons, and I went back and forth here all -- I went back and forth every day with emails, and they finally decided to go back south where -- where they were before because -- because they never got an answer of getting a house. And one of them -- both of them had problems, you know, and I never got an answer. Never got an answer for anything. So I'm going to stop write to the housing department. I'll start sending -- stop sending emails. What for? If you're just going to say well, this and that and never get a direct answer, it's a real problem. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. If you have nothing further, I will go -- Member for Monfwi.

Okay, thank you. I see that the Minister last week in the House submitted the housing mandate, and I believe that's going to be the reflection on -- well, whatever is there, it's going to be the reflection of the housing renewal policy. So I just wanted to ask when is that housing renewal policy is going to be completed?

Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have president Young respond. Thank you.

Thank you. President Young.

Thank you, president Young. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. I know that policy are great concerns for many regions, okay. So how is the people's voice going to be included in this policy, in the process?

Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This -- these policies will be reviewed at the Council of Leaders. All Indigenous groups will have these documents to have the time to develop them and to review them as well too, and, you know, just looking at the strategy that we had all information right from the ground level, right to headquarters, and right to the reports that we had established and it's -- it's contributing to all of those factors as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Monfwi.

Is there a date when the meeting will be taking place with the Indigenous governments or Council of Leaders that she's talking about?

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The meetings with the Council of Leaders, I think we just had met in the last couple of weeks. This is an initiative that's driven by the associate deputy minister, Jamie Fulford, and he is engaging with those -- this is what his job and his responsibility is, the renewal and the policies and the engagement with the Indigenous groups, making sure that we make those changes within the corporation. Thank you, Madam Chair.