Bill Braden

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...

Okay. So then I want to go back to the opening statement then, Madam Chair, where the Minister said this ambitious plan is subject to continued support from the federal government. Then this plan is not subject. From what I've just heard, whether or not the federal government comes through with the bucks doesn't matter. This is the target that we're going to be proceeding with and that you're asking us to vote on. It is not subject to the federal government. Is that the way we should be looking at this now, Madam Chair? Thank you.

Madam Chair, so sort of best efforts on everybody's part, including the federal government, the previous government. We still have something in abeyance; it's not for sure. So I guess my own dilemma continues here, Madam Chair. The spending allocation by Treasury Board it's at the top of the pile. What are the chances that it's going to see approval before the end of our budget session, Madam Chair? Maybe we'll go at that. Let's take that angle. You know, if we, for instance, left the Housing Corporation's budget until the latest possible time, might we see approval of this federal...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Much of the money for new social housing and housing in non-market communities is predicated on the federal government providing a significant portion of the required funding.

With the recent change in government at the federal level, it is unclear when, or even if, the funding for northern aboriginal housing contained in the Kelowna Agreement or the Novel housing proposal will come to the Territories.

Members of the committee are concerned with the plans of the corporation should the potential federal funding for these new initiatives not materialize, Madam Chair....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed the management of wildlife is something that is incredibly politicized and bureaucratized in the North. Let's take a look, just for instance, at the very, very unattainable NWT Wildlife Act that's been out for I think over a decade now in consultation and still has very little chance of seeing its way to the floor of this House. Mr. Speaker, to the caribou now, I wanted to ask the Minister, we're putting a lot of resources, we have a lot of very good expertise and we're putting a lot of money into finding out what's going on among the caribou. I wanted to ask...