David Ramsay

When we were going through that housing initiative and putting 500 new units on the ground in communities around the Northwest Territories, land tenure was a big issue at the Housing Corporation and additional positions were needed to allow the construction of those new units in communities and a number of employees were added. I’m just wondering, maybe we need to see an HR plan now for the Housing Corporation as well, because those positions were there. I know some of them were term positions but… How is the Housing Corporation going to utilize the people that are there already with these new...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess it’s kind of ironic, I was talking about this yesterday and the decision to transfer the Social Housing Program over to ECE three years ago or four years ago resulted in them needing to hire I think it was 11 or 12 new staff positions at ECE. This is coming before Members of this House requesting the establishment of five new positions for the administration of the program with the Housing Corporation. That’s exactly where it belongs. It was with the Housing Corporation. But there’s been no corresponding human resource plan on the 11 positions and the $1.2...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the last two years, one of the criticisms that was levelled at the department was the fact that it was hard for information data, research to get into the hands of Members so we could make informed decisions. As this moves forward, maybe the Minister could comment on how sure she is that she has the ability inside of the Department of Health and Social Services to actually get the information that is relative, that’s relevant, that is going to be required for decisions to be made as we move this forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m just wondering why sometimes it might take two years for the Minister and the Cabinet to realize it is a consensus government. It took two years of work by all Members of this House to turn this policy around. It took outrage by the public to get this policy turned around. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, it took two years.

I’d like to ask the Minister, maybe she could comment on that. Why did it take two years for the current Cabinet to make the right call on this policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize all the visitors in the gallery today. I, too, would like to join my colleague Mr. Abernethy in welcoming Mr. Blake Lyons, a former colleague at Yellowknife City Council and mentor of mine when I was a much younger man. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Maybe I could get the Minister to make reservations for dinner for him and I sometime. I’ve got a number of things that immediately come to mind when we’re talking about health and social services and ways that things could be improved upon. I would never say that we should be pulling millions of dollars out of the system. My belief is we have to be putting more money into the system. We have to be budgeting accordingly. That I believe fully in.

I also believe, like my colleagues, that I would stack our system up against any system in the country. That’s not really the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister when Regular Members might be able to see a comprehensive human resource plan related to the provision of the Social Housing Policy.

I just wondered if the Minister could explain why one government could just walk in and take the money, even though, Members, I recall there are a few Members on the other side of the House that were here at the time, we initially denied the request to take that money. However, it was done anyway and it just happened just like that. I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that one government could easily take that money and transfer it and with this government it’s taking its time to get the money back to the Housing Corporation. If it could happen quickly then, why can’t it happen as quickly...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome all the visitors in the gallery today. It’s always nice to have an audience with us. As well, I’d like to recognize a Page from the riding of Kam Lake that we have with us during this sitting of the House: Ms. Sarah Sibbeston. She’s the granddaughter of former Member Nick Sibbeston and a current senator. Welcome, Sarah. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to be speaking in favour of the motion as well.

If you look at the money and the amount of housing units that the Government of the Northwest Territories has put on the ground in our communities over the last five years, you would expect that there would be a decrease in the core need in our communities. There isn’t. Also, I’ve travelled to a number of small communities and the number one issue facing residents in the small communities is housing.

I want to support my colleagues on putting this motion forward. I believe that people should be given an...