It is no secret that there exists a long waiting list with individuals and families waiting to access public housing. How, then, do you explain demolishing existing stock and using the land for units that are not for public-housing use? It will be lands that are lost for this use.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Private business is very important to the North, and it is very important that we support this sector. The question I have for the Minister of housing is: why would your department not provide the private sector an opportunity to provide the units for use by the RCMP, and would you reconsider reviewing this decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased that the RCMP will have 45 new housing units available to them within the next year. The service the RCMP members provide is invaluable to communities and the residents they serve here in the Northwest Territories, and as such, I am pleased with the initiative.

Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation is set to supply the RCMP with these new housing units throughout the NWT. These units will go primarily into market communities where there are established real estate developers. Some of these developers have expressed concerns as to why the NWT Housing Corporation is encroaching into the private sector supply of market housing and not providing them an opportunity to supply the units.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation indicated that the construction of these new RCMP units is not to impact the current housing programs and not to impact the public-housing stock or wait list. However, for Hay River, where RCMP are receiving 12 units, this will require the demolition of several public-housing units.

Mr. Speaker, how is this not impacting the public-housing stock when the land is being re-profiled for use by non-public-housing tenants? This eliminates the land available for future public-housing use. The NWT Housing Corporation has stated on many occasions that they would like to see current tenants own their own home. Now they have their chance to make that happen. Instead of demolishing the existing units, units should be first made available at reasonable cost to tenants who may be in a financial position to own and maintain a home.

Mr. Speaker, turning to the construction of the units, it is my understanding that the RCMP units will be put out to tender shortly. What I am expecting and what I will hold the NWT Housing Corporation accountable to is that all the units will be built in the North by northern contractors and workers. It is not in our best interest as a government to bring in modular homes from southern Canada as all that does is bleed money out of the North and provides no benefit to our businesses, suppliers, and workers. With this project, we have an opportunity to put our businesses and people to work while providing much-needed training. Let's do the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Another area is the red tape. I think that contractors find that the amount of paper that is required to be filled out for payments, and for other areas, as well, is starting to increase to the point where they actually have to hire somebody to manage that. Yet, there is no opportunity to recoup that.

I would ask the Minister if her departments are looking at the paperwork and requirements they put out to contractors and whether there is something that they can do to reduce that amount of paper requirement. Thank you.

The next question has to do with payment to contractors. We find that, in talking with a number of contractors, they have been waiting for payment for up to five, six, seven, eight, nine months. What I would like to ask the Minister is: what will your department do to ensure that our northern businesses are paid in a timely manner for work done? Just so that we can avoid financial hardship and that we're putting them under.

I thank the Minister for that answer. The second question is with respect to the BIP policies. What will your department, ITI, do to ensure that our current BIP policies are doing what they are designed to do, with respect to the application of them, fairness, and monitoring, to ensure that our northern businesses and residents are really benefitting from them?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions I have today are for the Minister of ITI and Infrastructure. Yesterday, I made a statement on the economy. The reality is that, outside YK, the government is the economy. My first question to the Minister is: what is your department's plan to put our northern businesses and residents to work as soon as possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is important to me at this moment in time is the homeless situation for men in Hay River. We have a number of people living on the streets in this cold weather. With all the resources we have at our disposal, we allow it to happen. Why? Because these very people who we know, who we grew up with, and who are our friends do not routinely contact us as they are just trying to stay warm and stay alive. In this situation, we have to be proactive and take the first step in making contact and identifying immediate solutions before somebody freezes to death.

Mr. Speaker, can you imagine yourself walking around outside all day, trying to keep warm, with no place to stop and rest? I know I cannot. You can only understand it if you live it. Maybe we, with some of the bureaucracy, should go live on the street for a few days or a week so that we can get some small understanding of what some people have to go through day to day, month after month, year after year. This government needs a reality check when it comes to the homeless, and experiencing living on the street may just do that.

When we talk about addressing the homeless situation, that is usually what we do: just talk. There are all types of temporary solutions that would work. However, when this government gets involved, it morphs into an unattainable major project that goes nowhere due to lack of funding, liability issues, government red tape, and the "not in my backyard" argument. Government has to be involved in a supporting role to identify and commit the resources required to support workable solutions identified and put forth by the community, and those people who are homeless, as well.

In Hay River, we currently have a group of concerned people and institutions working together to provide a temporary and immediate solution for a men's warming shelter to cover off this winter. This is not an easy task when you need an acceptable location, building, power, water, fuel, permits, and the volunteers to make it happen.

I will be looking to the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for Homelessness to provide some immediate financial support to assist the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, who is willing to take this project on and turn it into something more permanent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The other and, I guess, last question that I have for the Premier is that we have been here now for roughly five months, I guess, since the writ was dropped. In my community in Hay River and, I guess, in the regions, contractors are looking for work and people are looking for jobs. What is this government's plan, immediately, I guess, to start looking at putting people to work and ensuring that contracts are put out there?