David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we do have a budgetary process that has to pass through this House, and it has to be approved in that process. How it gets there is determined by the department and the demands of communities.

In regards to elders’ facilities, the population does fluctuate where we do have other alternative uses for facilities. I think because of the capital process, we go through departments, come forward with the capital requirements to this House, and get the capital dollars to construct them. In regard to those facilities, I believe that there was a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I don’t have that detail here, but I’d like to offer that to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have made it clear to ATCO and the other parties that we would like to have some sort of benefit that will flow through the North. I know that there have been councillors from Hay River meeting with ATCO and looking at the possibility of establishing some sort of a plant structure in Hay River. I think that it is important that we are able to work with the parties and allow the respective community leaders to meet with the different companies and see exactly what they are willing to put out. We have made it clear that we would like to ensure that...

Mr. Speaker, a lot of these facilities are built and designed with the Department of Health and Social Services, through the arrangement to provide seniors’ facilities in communities, and also in regard to alcohol and drug programs. The department, along with other departments, has done an assessment of all of the facilities that we presently operate with less than 30 percent capacity. We are presently in the process of working with those different agencies.

You touched on an area that was raised in the House earlier in regard to the Deline facility. We have a committee in place, and we’re...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in answering this question, we are not committed to this idea until the project is concluded, when the facilities will have to be abandoned and moved off site after the pipeline is built. So in order for us to make our expenditure -- there are no expenditures needed at the front end. The expenditure will be done at the back end. The rough estimate of what we were looking at is $90 million from the federal government. We assume that it is going to cost us in the range of…it depends on the negotiations. I think that we do have to be able...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member keeps referring to 42 units. As we all know, the last 20 units were implemented this year. At the time that it was presented to the House and we approved the budget, we made it clear to them that those 20 other units will not be on the ground. I would just like to have the Member realize that we went through a logistic problem the first time around, and we are going through it again. A lot of these communities are through the road access, and also ensuring that we have to deal with barging. As I said, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think we discriminate between...

Mr. Speaker, just to clear the air, we have not hired any consultants for this. It has all been done in house and also working with the Department of Finance, through our finance people, to deal with this. We have been working along with other parties, which includes Imperial Oil, to see exactly how they were going to be able to consider this as a possibility of a proposal that we are putting forward through our social impacts to be considered as part of the wishes of this government.

Again, Mr. Speaker, we have been in the process of developing this. Yes, we have been requesting federal...

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House about some of the steps that have been taken by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to further improve our energy management.

The Housing Corporation has taken a proactive approach to energy efficiency in its construction projects for many years. Additionally, the corporation has benefited greatly from the historically low rates of utility consumption by public housing tenants as compared to residents of private rental accommodations. Both efforts have lessened the impact of increased fuel and energy prices on the corporation and its...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize former constituents from Tsiigehtchic, Tina Norwegian, who works with the Status of Women Council, and a former colleague of mine in the House, Mr. Leon Lafferty, now a chief in Rae. Welcome to the House.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Housing Corporation reserves the right to accept or reject any bids based on the tendering process. It is spelled out in the tendering documents. It does not always have to go to the lowest tender. Because of that, we are looking to a legal opinion in regards to how this issue will be resolved. We are working on that.

Again, in regards to the Tlicho ability to take over housing, under their self-government arrangement they have that ability once they feel they have the capacity to do so. It is up to them to determine when they want to take over...