David Krutko

Can we turn back to page 1 in regard to Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009? We’ll bypass the preamble and go to clause-by-clause.

Clauses 1 and 2 approved.

Does the committee agree that the Minister brings his witnesses?

Mr. Speaker, I too will be supporting the motion. I know from talking to local housing authorities the frustrations they’re facing just trying to meet the required collection, which was, in the past, 90 per cent of all…. Most of these LHOs were able to collect 90 per cent of their rental revenues, but because of the income switch it’s basically that they’re having problems with tenants, Income Support, trying to get the documentation in place, trying to ensure that they’re able to meet their 90 per cent.

In regard to statistics I saw just last week, the majority of our LHOs are now, in some...

Question has been called.

Committee motion to amend the Schedule in Bill 1 carried.

I’d like to thank the Minister and his witnesses.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to table the document from the United Nations in regard to the General Assembly, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Document 24-16(2), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, tabled.

I would have you turn to the Schedule on page 3. We’re on page 3 of the Schedule: Interim Amounts of Appropriation for 2008-2009 fiscal year, part 1, vote 1, Operations Expenditure.

On the bill as a whole.

The bill as a whole approved.

Mr. Speaker, in regard to the quality and the condition of these units, as I say, most of them were purchased from the government when they sold off our staff housing. Again, a lot of these units are aging over time, and I think we do have to bring them up to a certain rating. I’d like to ask the Minister, working with his colleague at the Ministry of Housing, if they can look at implementing a program to assist those communities and developers to upgrade those facilities and also expand them, so we can allow for more teachers and more resource people to be able to take advantage of these...

Environment and Natural Resources, appropriation authority required: $1,765,000.

Environment and Natural Resources, $1,765,000 approved.