David Krutko

I call Committee of the Whole to order. Items in Committee of the Whole today are: tabled documents 4, 30, 38, 62, 66, 75, 98, 99, 100, 101, Bill 4, Committee Report 3-16(5), and Minister’s Statement 65-16(5). What is the wish of committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

In regard to the other aspects, I think that as the Housing Corporation who really does benefit communities economically and socially and by job opportunities and training opportunities for a lot of people, and more importantly, trying to get our young people into the apprenticeships, this is one department that really can achieve results in communities, especially when we talk about the economics and social conditions of our communities, high unemployment and economic opportunities. I think that one of the ways that we should be looking at is... I know the whole area of breaking down...

Mr. Anderson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the seconder of the motion, I, too, will be supporting the motion.

Again, I think it’s something that we have to be aware of. Jurisdiction to the west in regard to the Yukon, they do use the 25 percent income threshold and I think it’s something that we should be seriously considering to have a similar type of economic arrangement where we have a large urban centre, but also we have a lot of remote communities.

I think, Mr. Speaker, it’s important to realize that what we’re finding, through statistics and also through poverty studies, that there are communities where...

Thank you Mr. Chairman. One of the issues that has come forward is in regards to the last Needs Surveys that has been done compared to the last one done previous was 2004. I think one thing that we see is there is still a question about housing core need. Basically the lifecycle of a lot of our housing units, I think that we have to face the reality that at some point in time the housing units that we have basically have used their lifecycle. There is no way that you can repair them and you can’t replace them. I think that is one of the reasons we are barely keeping our heads above water to...

Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister, can he also look at the overall operational costs that are being provided to the different LHOs and, if possible, bring them in line so that we are able to get a better return on our investment by those dollars? Thank you.

Next on the list I have Mr. Jacobson.

Minister of Housing.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the Minister for that, because I think that is how we’re going to have to approach it. We have to do it region by region and try to look at the number of units in the different regions and look at an overall recovery cost across the board.

Like I say, we have some 2,200 units throughout the Northwest Territories and if we can break that down by region and try to have a rate that’s accommodating, I think, at the end of the goal, I’d like to ask, working forward, that we do have a territorial rate at some point going forward. I’d like to ask the Minister if that’s...