Bill Braden

Thank you, Madam Chair. This new committee process, under whose direction is it operating and to what level will our government be reporting, Madam Chair?

An aspect that should concern the committee, Mr. Chairman, is that with some of this new information that’s been presented, we now have been assured the information that we can be certain of is that 118 units are going to be built for the investments stated in the Minister’s opening address, not 185 units as the Minister stated; 118. I’m concerned that the Minister is overselling the program and, again, when I’m asked to consider my vote for any allocation, I want to know what I’m getting for it. The Minister is not giving us straightforward information here compared to what he said in his...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to sort of continue with the discussion I had earlier, and this is on the ambitious plan here to invest the $33 million in 185 housing units. Mr. Chairman, I’m still looking for clarification or assurance that this entire program can and is being committed to, regardless of the support of the federal government. I know I’ve asked this question once or twice in different ways here, but I’m still not getting the clarity that I’m looking for. Can this entire program be financed in the allocation of the appropriation that is requested here, or do...

Thank you, Madam Chair. It still doesn't help resolve my concern that by the time we get to the point where we have to vote the Housing Corporation's expenditures here, we may not know, even if we defer the corporation's detail approval, even if we defer it to the end of the month, we may not know in time. So I'd like to know what's plan B here. If the feds don't come through in time, is the Housing Corporation still going to commit to a $33 million/185-unit housing program, or just what is the extent of what we're able to do if the feds don't come through, Madam Chair? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to start with a few specific queries to the Minister’s opening statement. It starts off, Madam Chair, right in the third paragraph where the Minister told us that in the coming fiscal year, the corporation is planning a significant increase in housing delivery, some 185 units, $33 million. A number of them are replacements for public housing; the Supported Lease Program to assist people to become homeowners. These are very much at the core of why we want a successful housing agenda, but, Madam Chair, the statement then goes on to say this ambitious plan...

Mr. Speaker, to the reference that the Minister made to the many different partners, stakeholders, that are coming into play here. Is there a collective will, Mr. Speaker, to recognize that we have an urgent situation on our hands, and a will to take action? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for Mr. Miltenberger as the Minister responsible for energy and renewable resources, and it regards the state of our caribou populations, Mr. Speaker. We've essentially seen, from many indicators, that as the herds have been declining, we've known that for some time, but the rate at which they're declining is speeded up, it is now something that is really causing a lot of concern. Mr. Speaker, what is the government doing to manage the alarming trend of declining caribou herds and avoid the terrible legacies of the past as it plundered the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Does the Premier then concur with the information that the Minister has provided, that we should be anticipating something by this spring?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We were exchanging some views about the mandate of the Housing Corporation in my last turn, and there was a discussion about some of the commitments and the paperwork that’s on record regarding the evolution of this project. Mr. Chairman, I pointed out at least one of several documents dating back to April of 2004, which outlined the work plan for doing this. If I recall the Minister’s words, he said it was something I pulled out of my hat. It is not something I pulled out of my hat, Madam Chair. It is a document that the corporation circulated for committee to help...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is getting somewhere for me now. I guess I can say I’m not concerned right now with whether or not the federal government does approve this money. Of course, I’m very, very hopeful of that, but the business before us is how much money we approve and for what. Now there’s new information I think that has come across, is that the Minister is saying we can’t afford to build 118 houses with the allocation already requested here. So if I vote for this, what I’m voting for is 118 units, not 185. I’m voting to see 118 units built for $33 million and if the feds...