David Krutko

If possible, will the government consider bringing in a supp so that we can conclude those projects?

Again the question I have is we’ve had a report not that long ago where there were 137 units sitting vacant. I think that we have to realize there is a cost to operate and maintain those units. We have to realize that that is an ongoing cost that we’ll have to pay, whether people are in those units or not. We have to find a way to invest the resources we have while realizing we may have to shut down certain units and say, sorry, we cannot operate uneconomic units because it’s just not viable. I know people don’t like to see boarded-up units, but at the end of the day you have to make a...

My question was on the previous page in regard to additional costs.

I apologize.

Can the Minister tell me exactly how many communities are in that situation and how communities are requesting a carryover, so that we can get an idea what type of impact this is in regard to community stimulus money?

Can we have some order in the House? It’s kind of hard to hear the Minister’s good answers.

Mr. Chair, again, like Mr. Menicoche, I would inform the hamlet that this funding is there and they have had some situations with the SAO and whatnot and having to find an SAO, so they have been without an SAO for some time. But again, I know that Fort McPherson has been able to access federal funding where they were able to purchase Jaws of Life and they purchased an emergency canopy that sits on the back of a vehicle. They were able to access federal funding so that they basically can do some highway rescue. But again, I think it’s something that I think is important that we do work with...

I also think we should note that a $100 million contract was let through a negotiated contract for the school in Inuvik. A hundred million dollars yet I can’t get a goddamned house built in my riding for $300,000.

In regard to the Building Canada funds, the stimulus funding, again, some of the communities haven’t concluded those expenditures, regardless if it’s solid waste sites and whatnot. I’d just like to know what is the possibility of carrying over those funds to conclude those dollars that have been allocated in regards to the federal stimulus fund or the Building Canada funds. Is there a possibility of carrying those dollars over into 2011-12?

Again, I think that we have to be realistic here that we as government probably can’t cover off that $7 million. We are going to have to look for that internally. There are other things that have been requested in regard to shelter policies, looking at the possibility of other programs that people are requiring. I think also with the number of vacant housing units that we have on the ground, regardless if we’re trying to get them occupied, there’s still an ongoing cost to operate and maintain those units. You can’t walk away from that. I think that we have to be realistic that we have to...