Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, housing is a very important issue in all our communities. I would like to ask the Minister what are the rules and regulations regarding the number of meetings or AGMs that the local housing authority have in a year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since we put the harmonization to bed for the time being, we haven't asked any questions of the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. We don't want him to feel neglected, do we, Mr. Speaker? I would like to ask the Minister how local housing authorities are governed? Are they governed by a board of directors who are appointed or elected by the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, cataracts are getting to me, I think. Mr. Speaker, I am asking for unanimous consent to return to item 7. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the agenda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I'm talking about is, instead of sending an income support worker from Fort Smith into my communities or any regional centers into communities in the Northwest Territories, send somebody that is going to create a job so that people in our communities have the option of applying for a government job instead of income support. That's what I'm talking about, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad the Minister is willing to work with communities and Members on this issue. I think it is very important to all of us that we start putting government positions into communities. We need an economic base in those communities. I would like to stand up and argue, like Mr. Dent, on contracts that have gone south because they're not giving my constituents an opportunity. I'd love to have that argument in this House but I don't because there are hardly any businesses in my communities that take advantage of that. I'd like to ask the Minister... I don't want the Minister's personal opinions, I want the governments' position on this. Would he report the government's position in June? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Special Committee on Non-Tax-Based Communities was set up to include the relationship, mostly the financial relationship between this government and the communities. I'm not talking about that, Mr. Speaker; I'm talking about government employment in our communities. Move some of the government employment from top to bottom. That's what I'm talking about. You know, it's not fair for taxpayers that we don't employ people from our communities. It's not fair to the taxpayers that we keep people on social services in our communities. All I'm asking the Minister to do is see what kind of positions from this government we could put in communities across the Northwest Territories so that we can create an economic base in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the NWT Public Service as well as the Minister of the Financial Management Board. Mr. Speaker, there is a saying that to teach a person to fish he'll be independent but keep on feeding him fish, he'll always be dependent. Mr. Speaker, the Good Ship NWT and the NWT has been fishing with almost a billion dollar fishing tackle and fishing rod and they have been sending fish to our communities. Now I ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, would he undertake an exercise and report back in a progress report in June how we could put some of those fishing rods in our communities so that we could create employment and an economic base? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Andrea. Andrea and I used to share a lab table together in high school in science class. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize my constituents in their homes in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause