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Roles

In the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere

Historical Information Roger Allen is no longer a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Last in the Legislative Assembly October 2004, as MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes

Won his last election, in 2003, with 55% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Question 94-15(3): GNWT Rent Scale Policies March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under legislative rules to last administer a fee, in his statement back to me he says significant change that seniors' households will now be assessed rent, thus the question is raised again to the Minister, is he willing to or is he planning on introducing policy changes to that effect on charging seniors rent, based on his statement in his reply to my oral question? Thank you.

Question 94-15(3): GNWT Rent Scale Policies March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regrettably the Minister is so ideologically married to the old doctrines of this government that he is not willing to consider a change from a rent geared to income to a more levelized kind of rent scale that we so advocate here to help the people adjust to the changes in social economies. Mr. Speaker, that brings me to the point I want to ask the Minister. Has he decided to suddenly introduce new policy changes that would now charge seniors rent, contrary to the old policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wasn't going to comment on the flat rent scale rate, but I kind of got dragged into the debate here, Madam Chair. If you really look at the cost effectiveness of housing in the Northwest Territories you really must look at your pro forma income statement, and talk about the social housing expenditures, and go back down into the financing sources, and talk about your LHO rent recoveries and the revenue. I think it has to be clearly advocated to the Minister and his officials that the decline in actuals on the rent recoveries, that certainly has to allow us, as Members of the Assembly, to point that out. With the number of houses you currently have and based on your rent recoveries based on your rent geared to income, must allow us to advocate to you that you really have to change your philosophy and your

policy. I don't beg to differ. I just want to go back to my Member's statement, Madam Chair, and I talk about having to being able to manage to make the transition from one economy to another. I'm going to leave it at that, because it's going to be an ongoing debate, I am sure, because we bring different philosophies to the table. So that's my philosophical statement.

What interests me even more, Madam Chair, on February 23rd there was a press lease by CMHC saying that finding down payments just got a lot easier. I'm going to refer to points here, because I'm just wondering if the ministry had looked at the number of options that had been announced to try to encourage homeownership through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to enable many Canadians to move into affordable housing and homeownership. It talks about the down payment, and it says that they may get from any sources, such as...(inaudible)...incentives and borrowed funds, however borrowers will still have to prove their ability to meet their debt requirements in order to qualify for mortgage insurance. The mortgage insurance was raised last fall with the federal Minister, and I am just wondering if he had committed. I recall he made a commitment to cover the mortgage insurance for the Northwest Territories, and I'm just wondering if there was any follow-up to that with the federal counterparts.

Again, I believe that it's worth talking about the principles of economic freedom in the North. I think we need to really look at the investment portfolio, and I'm glad to see that the Minister had spoken about previous attempts to establish buyer/seller markets in the North, not only in tax-based but also non-tax-based communities, and allow the free market to dictate, because I think the individuals, from my analysis of your pro forma income statement, very few people now have the capability of moving to homeownership from the public housing portfolio. That's a concern I think we have from a fiscal perspective.

I'm going to concentrate on two elements here on page 2 of your statement, and that's the continued federal commitment to housing across the Northwest Territories. I'm wondering if you're looking at perhaps using this zero percent down payment as a mechanism to encourage that level of homeownership and homeownership investment. I also refer again on page 2 to your fourth point where you talk about to ensure that developing private housing market in non-market communities. I think that's probably one avenue you may want to address and see if there is a partnership with CMHC to come into invest in those non-market communities. Recognizing you also have some difficulty in trying to improve the markets in small non-tax-based communities, I'm pleased to see that you still have under your mandate and also under your policy and framework that you are promoting the sale of public housing to those who can afford it. I think that's the first step for first-time home buyers. In my many travels, as Tom would know and Jeff would know, it works very well in other jurisdictions in the small rural communities across Canada. So I am pleased to see that you had made reference to this in your comments on page 3.

I'm glad to see that the ongoing work is to make sure that those tenants who have stable employment have the capability of paying and are now intending to move into homeownership.

One area that has been of great concern across the North is the high cost of utilities: home heating and electrical power. As you know, the temperatures dip below normal and I am of the understanding from my constituents that some of their power bills have jumped 100 percent. On average, last year they say they were paying $130 a month, for January and February it jumped to $260. Another issue is the heating fuel. They were saying some of the home heating costs went from an average of $240 up to about $454, and that's something we should look at again.

So in the overall context, I'm pleased to see the Minister has addressed several key points to promote homeownership, but on the other hand I think it still remains a question of whether at some point in the next several weeks or months the NWT Housing Corporation will look at other mechanisms to deal with what is really important in the context of their pro forma income statement, and the fact that social housing expenditures continue to rise and the LHO recoveries remain relatively low on a percentage basis. So I will leave that, Madam Chair, as a question I would like the Minister to respond to. Thank you.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 25th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Earlier we received concurrence from the committee that we would progress on to the review of the NWT Housing Corporation, and I would recommend that we would continue with reading the reports into the record. Thank you.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee recommends that the committee review the Department of Transportation and also the NWT Housing Corporation until concluded. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Written Question 10-15(3): Bill Of Intent To Achieve Provincehood March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is to the Justice Minister. On March 16, 2004, I delivered a written question to the Premier asking the

Premier to provide an in-depth political analysis of those sections of the Constitution Act, 1982 that would give rise to the question on the bill of intent to achieve provincehood. Mr. Speaker, insofar as the Premier did not provide the answers to my original questions, I will ask the Justice Minister to provide definitive answers to the following questions:

  1. Will the Justice Minister provide an analysis of the applicability of relevant past provisions of the BNA/Constitution Acts?
  2. Would the continuity of laws that are not consistent with those of the act be impacted?
  3. Would changes to the judicial system be required? How would it affect the other territories? Would we require their participation?
  4. Would revenue from federal government and provincial taxation be impacted?
  5. Would the continuity of laws and governing resources, such as the Territorial Lands Act, be impacted in the interim until laws are established under section 92?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 80-15(3): Attendance At Pipeline Environmental Review Meetings March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question to the Minister then is would his department take a more proactive approach in trying to help educate the smaller communities in trying to adjust to some of these environmental processes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 80-15(3): Attendance At Pipeline Environmental Review Meetings March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is regrettable that they didn't have an observer at the meeting because it is important. I think it is also important that the Minister table in this House an example of the socioeconomic framework agreement that these working groups can use as a tool to help develop themselves throughout the process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 80-15(3): Attendance At Pipeline Environmental Review Meetings March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the context of my Member's statement, I too want to ask the Minister of RWED whether he can confirm that he had a departmental official designated as an observer to the environmental assessment impact workshops in Yellowknife on March 22nd to 24th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Support For The Land-based Economy March 24th, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In today's economic environment, the heading in any major newspaper could read "Land-based Economy in Conflict with Commerce-based Economy." Mr. Speaker, during the last few days, a workshop was held at the Northern United Place between members of the non-government organizations, industry representatives, renewable resource councils, hunters' and trappers' committees and other vested interest groups.

Mr. Speaker, I was informed that much of the work done is not about alcohol and drugs as much as about grief. It's about the loss of a culture which few Canadians are aware of. The work of this group, as I am to understand, is about how we begin to manage the shift, making the transition from a land-based economy into a commerce-based one.

Mr. Speaker, undoubtedly there are many expectations from communities for this government to support this shift in economics, education, culture and employment-driven

policy. One major expectation we've seen from our observations is that everyone must work in the diamond or oil and gas industry, Mr. Speaker. These expectations will never be met, Mr. Speaker. Why would it not? Mr. Speaker, we know only too well that people must prepare years in advance before they become proficient in any trade or occupation and, in our case, being political masters in our own land.

Mr. Speaker, in my consultations, people who work in the communities have expressed that we need to educate ourselves on how industry and government work. The people need to know what kind of benefits a pipeline deal offers in the context of socioeconomic agreements and land-access agreements.

Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult to fit into a two-and-a-half-minute statement all the variables that need to be considered in the overall shift in our economic growth. What I want to state very early is the work of these groups is highly recognized and appreciated in my riding. Therefore, I want to see this government make a concerted effort to support a land-based economy until such time as individuals, Northwest Territorians, make the full transition into a commerce-based economy.

I want to wish the participants of these workshops a continued success in their work and endeavours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause