(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Finance. Perhaps the Minister of Finance could answer my question. I have raised this issue before. I know that hunters were provided assistance and this program no longer exists. Can the Minister of Finance, who has stated before that they would try to deal with this issue, tell this House when he will be providing assistance to the hunters? Or, will he be taking this question as notice? Perhaps in 1995, they will be dealing with this issue. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to express my gratitude. We will probably be finishing today, Mr. Speaker. During the session, my constituents were expressing their concerns, and there were other matters, but I would like to thank them. They often help us along the way. They don't just express their concerns, they also help us. We can move further with the help of our constituents. We have to represent our constituents and they help us along the way.

I probably won't be able to go to all the communities in my constituency during the Christmas holidays, so as I won't see everyone during the holiday, I would like to wish them a merry Christmas, especially to those people who have physical disabilities and they can't go to any activities during the holidays. I am sure there will be other people who will help them. I wish everyone a very merry Christmas. We will be taking time out to rethink our priorities. With that, Mr. Chairman, I would like people in my constituency and citizens of the NWT to have a very merry Christmas. Thank you.

---Applause

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have another question I would like to raise. The basic rent scale, even though it will be for a year, for the residents in Baffin South, as Dennis mentioned before, it is getting harder and harder to get jobs. The prices of everything is going up. We are all aware that it is getting harder and harder to earn a living. Ottawa is saying they won't give us any more houses. The people who are social assistance recipients, especially the older people...A number of people in the household work or in some households aren't working at all. There are widows who don't make any wages because there doesn't seem to be too much consideration as to how much money they are making. I'm wondering if our elders will be put into a situation where they will have a difficult time paying their rent, would the head of the house be responsible to pay for the rent, even if the household is a recipient of social assistance? If they don't pay their rents, then the head of the household would be responsible for paying the rent. Will that be the case? How will this be handled if these situations arise? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(Translation) Mr. Chairman, a short addition to my question. Is it wide open now, even if you are making quite a bit of money? There were certain limitations to be eligible for home ownership housing, are there certain limits now too, as for when a person may apply for home ownership under the Housing Corporation? And, once the housing associations have been informed about this new rental scale, even though some people are not eligible for home ownership, can they apply for this as well? That's my last question. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For further information on the rental scale that will be implemented in the next four years, I haven't actually read the contents and have a hard time understanding some parts of it. It seems to me that the Minister stated the people who are not making as much money and cannot pay their rent are usually evicted. But to my understanding, you are stating there are quite a few people who are making more money and can afford to pay their rent.

There are a lot of people who are unemployed and are not making enough money. The people who are employed and are making enough money to pay their rent are going to be encouraged to apply for home ownership. Since there is no application form that they have seen for home ownership, and if you are not eligible to be in a rental unit, do you have to apply for home ownership?

With regard to home ownership, Mr. Chairman, the rules in getting home ownership are not up to date as yet. The people who are applying for home ownership can't get one because the units are gone already. Once that list is going, there is no other way of accommodating those people who want to apply for home ownership. Do you know exactly how many have applied for home ownership? Quite a few have applied and weren't agreed upon by the committees who decide. Are there going to be more units available then? Are there any plans to be able to cater to that many applications for people who are making enough money? I haven't seen a plan in the rental scale document.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank the Minister of MACA for responding. We all know the Minister will be looking into this matter as soon as she can. Can the Minister indicate how unsafe this building was when they had to close it down and can she inform the House about whether she can send an inspector to inspect the building? I would like to know how long they have to keep the building closed and if she can commit to me to send an inspector down to inspect the building. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. When I first became a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Sanikiluaq was one of my communities that had a major concern about the community recreational centre. They raised this issue with me when I first became a Member. The hamlet stated they had to close down the recreational centre in Sanikiluaq due to unsafe conditions. I should state that residents of Sanikiluaq drew up a petition regarding the recreational centre. The residents have concerns about this centre. So, I'm asking the Minister of MACA if she can look into this matter as soon as possible and if she can inform the mayor of Sanikiluaq about the community centre. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I will be talking about...I have been talking with the honourable Member for Kitikmeot. I have met with him and they didn't mind me talking about this issue. There are people who come here to Yellowknife for health services and they have concerns, especially from my constituency. They stay at the Kitikmeot boarding home. If there is no room, they stay at another place. Madam Speaker, my constituents have a concern about the Kitikmeot boarding home. They were talking about having interpreters in their own dialects. They have to have an interpreter who can speak the southern Baffin dialect. Because of this, Madam Speaker, I would like to have plans made to have an interpreter in the Kitikmeot boarding home or in other places where the patients stay. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for his response, however, I would like to ask another question in relation to the closure of student residences. He indicated that there would have to be an assessment made if they are going to propose the closure of these student residences. What kind of assessments will you be making before determining whether you should close down our student residence? Because Arctic College is also a proposal, what kind of arrangements will you be making as a Minister for students from the surrounding communities?