Jane Groenewegen

Is committee agreed?

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. The only item we have before Committee of the Whole today is Tabled Document 3-17(3), NWT Main Estimates 2012-2013. I would like to ask what is the wish of the committee. Mr. Menicoche.

In terms of the feedback that did come back from the seniors, can the Minister please tell us if there was a categorical disapproval, or did this new policy review meet with categorical disagreement from the seniors, or was there also some widespread support for this?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, the Honourable Robert C. McLeod. Since 1996 a policy came into place in this government where seniors living in public housing over the age of 60 would pay zero rent. I believe the initial intent of this was to target seniors in small, remote communities where people in the housing units had not ever been involved in the wage economy, had come more from a traditional economy, but in the government’s wisdom decided to apply it to every community and every senior living in public housing...

Thank you very much, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister Miltenberger, before you make your response, would you please introduce your witness for the record. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. At that time we’ll ask the Minister to introduce his witnesses for the record. But in the interest of time, we will get underway. There will be 10 minutes allowed per time that Members speak and you can always go back if you want to. Just in terms of format, as well, does committee agree that we will make our general comments and allow the Minister to respond to general comments just once at the end of your general comments? Agreed?

Thank you. We will proceed with that after a brief recess. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly that has also been my experience, that the message is mixed and I have in fact heard comments from some seniors saying that if I’m a tenant of the Housing Corporation, at least if I’m paying my $90 a month rent I feel like I can phone them up when my tap is dripping or I can ask for the kinds of services that any tenant would ask the landlord for. Certainly the feedback that we have received is very mixed as well.

I’d like to ask the Minister if it’s this government’s intention to then proceed with the implementation of the rent charged for seniors beginning on...

Some representatives and leaders of seniors’ organizations are now asking to postpone the implementation of this policy in order to conduct further consultation. I would like to ask the Minister if he thinks that further consultation would result in a different decision by his corporation that he oversees.