Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Rocky. She's coming to Tuktoyaktuk first.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for NWT housing. When the current rent scale was developed years back, was there any consideration given or any thought given to rent scaling on a newer unit to an older unit? Some of the units, like I said, were built in 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in the communities that I represent. Is there any possibility for the department to look at a rent scale in regard to monthly rent? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You're going to start following the best practices by some of your officers who are doing their job. I commend them and all, what they're doing, and working safely, and stuff like that, but when you're starting to do that, that's almost a Member's statement, but for myself, that has to stop. You shouldn't be buzzing hunters, and in regard to safety and that of them, and your workers. More a comment. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In regard to that, I know there were some houses that got destroyed in the Delta. Some of my friends lost, I think, two or three houses. There was one floating down the river. I don't know how cumbersome or how hard it is to get the application in to you to get approval, and what's the timeline on that approval? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's okay. That's good, then. It's not to each community; it's to the different claims group, I guess. Is that correct, Madam Chair?

Last week, I had a commitment from this Minister. I am not looking for assessments. I am looking for a start date, like what time we could start being able to start choosing a T4 system or a month-by-month and a start date. Thank you from the people of the Northwest Territories who are going to really like our Minister of housing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can you feel the excitement? I can feel the excitement from the 32nd annual hockey tournament for the IRC Cup in Inuvik, Mr. Speaker. A little bit louder than that.

---Applause

I feel like I'm in an arena now. It's good. Today, Mr. Speaker, hockey games start. We have 14 teams total. We have four A Division teams, 10 B Division teams, and they are vying for the IRC Cup, which is the Stanley Cup in our region. Everybody wants to take that cup home. I took it home quite a few times. It's a pretty good feeling. I spoke to the mayor of Tuktoyaktuk today. They have kids who...

I am in shock. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Minister. Note, just in regard to that, I think that people across the territory are going to be able to do a little bit more with what they get and what they have. I thank the House.

Mr. Speaker, I heard that good news again, about the T4s and the month-by-month, from the housing Minister. I just want to make sure that, across the territory, people know that they are going to be able to go. On what date are we going to start using that system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people of the Northwest Territories voted for change in our last election. People are struggling, especially in our small communities. They have no jobs, no hope, no future. They feel that their territorial government is not listening and not responding to their concerns.

Across the NWT, including my riding of Nunakput, we heard the status quo is not working. The government is not doing enough. Our people are counting on them to help. They told us, as MLAs, we should be starting to direct the government, and not a handful of bureaucrats in Yellowknife.

We have heard...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's a good day today, Madam Speaker. The Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is going to make changes for us in regard to our T4 system. Can we try to work with the Minister to get a timeline and using her Minister's directive in telling her staff before April 3rd, before this House is convened, that we have something in place where the LHOs could just start utilizing the income verification by cheque stubs in the communities instead of a T4 system or make it optional? Thank you, Madam Speaker.