Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS quality and affordable housing promotes health, social and economic well-being of people and communities;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada has been a vital funding partner in the development of affordable housing in all 13 provinces and territories;

AND WHEREAS CMHC Operating and Maintenance funding for social housing is currently declining and will lapse completely by 2038;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada has not committed to making additional capital investments in affordable housing in the future;

AND WHEREAS 1.5 million Canadian households continue...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, have reviewed Hansard. I’ve also reviewed Hansard from last February 18, when we were in Committee of the Whole. The Member for Hay River South called me on a point of order when I was speaking, stating — if I could quote from page 387 of Hansard: “I have a point of order. Is Mr. Miltenberger speaking to this as a Minister of the Cabinet, or he is speaking to this as the MLA for Thebacha?” The chair at the time, Mr. Krutko, said, “Mrs. Groenewegen, you do not have a point of order, since you didn’t specifically state your order. But to be fair to all Members...

Thank you. We'll give you the information we do have. I do agree with the Member that the issue of land tenure is the significant one, to the extent that we've put some land where…. In fact, we're looking within the Tlicho, for example. They're looking at bringing in a lands person to help sort out some of the land issues. I'll get Mr. Polakoff to speak as much as he can to that type of detail.

That facility has been through the government process a number of times, to see if there was any interest within government.

This is the first real deal we’ve been able to sign, and it’s a lease arrangement that has a three-year life which could possibly be extended or evolved into ownership at some point. But we’re very glad to be able to report that we’ve finally got a paying tenant.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, June 2, 2008, I will move the following motion.

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories call on the federal government to extend the housing programs due to expire on March 31, 2009; and further, that the Legislative Assembly strongly urges the Government of Canada to commit to discussing a long-term funding strategy with the provinces and territories; and further, that a copy of this motion be sent to the House of Commons.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to make an observation. It’s interesting that a Yellowknife MLA — where the community’s getting a bypass road, dementia centre, École St. Joseph, a new clinic, Stanton upgrades, to a total of many tens of millions of dollars — is making a motion that in effect pits two small communities against each other and stands back to see what happens. Which is fine; we’ll of course live with the will of this Legislature. It’s just an interesting dynamic when all of us who live outside of the big centre will be turning on each other, while the territorial capital...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to provide the Legislative Assembly with an update on provincial and territorial activities currently being undertaken in the area of housing.

As Members may be aware, federal/provincial/ territorial discussions on housing nationally are focused in three areas. Firstly, provinces and territories have been aggressively emphasizing the need for Canada to reinstate the O&M funding that is declining under social housing agreements signed by most provinces and territories.

Secondly, Canada has also been asked to reinvest so-called legacy savings, surplus funds...

Mr. Speaker, those documents are very concrete. We’ve taken to heart the issue raised by the Auditor General about how these processes work. We need to better connect with district offices, with the LHO and with headquarters. We’ll work at that. We’re looking at the processes in terms of making sure they’re clear and applied fairly wherever you are.

I’d just add at this point as well that as we look at the amalgamation of health, social services, education and housing boards into a community service model, multi-purpose board, that is also going to bring together the ability to better...

I’d be happy to sit down with the Member and have the Member go to the Housing Corporation. She can pick which ones she’d like. We’d be happy to make sure she gets copies of those.

Mr. Speaker, I’d be very interested to sit down with the Member if he wants to talk about his particular communities in Nunakput. As well, the Housing Corporation would be interested to sit down, along with the other departments that have a role to play here through the business-planning process, to take a look at what’s currently there. There is a small community homelessness fund. There’s other funding in the larger centres.

Clearly, it is an issue, and yes, it involves families; it involves communities. The government can be of assistance. It also involves individuals who, at the end of the...