David Krutko

Since the Minister touched on steps, one of the issues I hear quite a bit from aboriginal employees who are in the public workforce is they are trying to enhance themselves, go back to school and take training, go to university, you know, get their doctorates, get their different degrees to basically move them up the ladder. But there seems to be a lot of reluctance from people from within the administration to see aboriginal people succeed and be able to be the bosses of their bosses. I think there is a threat out there that people are afraid that by moving these people up the workforce...

Mr. Chair, my question is in regard to human resources strategy but also on the policy side. This department is now responsible for ensuring that the policies that we do have are implemented but, more importantly, dealing with the Affirmative Action Policy. With these cuts that are taking place, a large number of aboriginal people are being let go, yet as a government we’re somewhere just under 40 per cent of aboriginal employment in this government. I think we have a policy that clearly states that we’re supposed to do what we can to ensure we have a reflective workforce and, more importantly...

Mr. Speaker, also in my Member’s statement I took issue with regard to the residency clause that’s in place for individuals who are born and raised in their home communities. They’re band members in those communities, but if they leave the community for less than a year and come back to the home community, they have to wait three months before they can get into public housing. Yet there are vacancies.

I’d like to ask the Minister: is there a possibility that the Minister or the department can make special exemptions for people who are disabled, people who have already been in public housing...

Mr. Speaker, in regard to my Member’s statement in the area of people with disabilities that live in small communities and the challenges that they face — more importantly, the lack of houses in our communities to accommodate people with disabilities — this government has taken steps to look at barrier-free houses. I know that the Member for Yellowknife mentioned that there were the eight units built here in Yellowknife. In regard to barrier-free houses, we have built houses in seniors’ housing which are barrier-free. We have built seniors’ facilities which are barrier-free. We have the...

Again, Mr. Speaker, the individual had to move to Inuvik with his dad, because his dad got a job in Inuvik. Now he wants to move back to Fort McPherson, because his dad’s job will expire June 31. Yet it’s been less than a year since his dad left Fort McPherson, and now he’s being told by the housing authorities, “Sorry; you cannot get into a public housing unit, because you are not a resident of Fort McPherson.” If anything, a person with a disability should be our top priority and go to the front of the list for housing.

With that, I will be asking the Minister of housing questions on this...

If the Minister can get information on the aboriginal affirmative action statistics in regard to the 31 per cent –– what the implication of that percentage is going to be, and with the number of P1 and P2 layoffs, and exactly where they are. Can he provide us that information before we conclude this department?

Agreed. Tab 4 in the grey binders. Bill 4, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act. Clause 1.

Clauses 1 through 20 inclusive approved.

Again, working with the private sector with regard to housing we have the development corporations, community corporations, and also a few individuals who are looking at that by way of business opportunities. It is a major capital investment in a lot of our communities. You’re talking about a very high cost to construct in a lot of these communities. If anyone wants to take on this endeavour, they are going to be on a long term, being able to recoup their investments.

I’d like to ask the Premier: are there any programs that we may have where we can invest in these type of projects where the...

Clauses 101 to 120, pages 78-99.

Clauses 101 through 120 inclusive approved.

Agreed. SergeantatArms, escort the witnesses in. Mr. Minister, can you introduce your witness, please?