Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, there’s a distinction we have to make as we talk about the homeless. Or are we talking about individuals who may be hard to house? They are, I believe, in almost every community, including the one I come from. They have had every opportunity. Their families don’t want them staying in their houses. They have addictions issues. They have lifestyle issues. So if there is an issue of not enough houses for people, there are waiting lists for public housing.

We do struggle with the issue of hard-to-house, where they have often had programs, and they have often left the houses in...

Mr. Speaker, I can see a number of people from my constituency of Thebacha: Mr. Al Dumont, Mrs. Lynn Dumont, Paul McAdams, Loretta Laviolette, Marilyn Napier and Ethel Chalifoux. I’d like to welcome you to the Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity today as the lead Minister to provide an update on the activities of the Refocusing Government Strategic Initiative Committee. The Refocusing Government initiative is one of five strategic initiatives that form the backbone of our government’s strategic plan. These five strategic initiatives have their foundation in the vision, goals and priorities we developed as a Caucus.

The actions planned under this initiative are to conduct program review, change the GNWT’s approach to infrastructure, improve human resource management in the Northwest...

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...

Mr. Speaker, clearly we are interested in working with the committees and communities. In Yellowknife we’ve just opened Bailey House. We have the Salvation Army. We have the Side Door over here for youth. In some communities there are places for those who are hard to house to stay. But clearly, it is an issue, and we are willing to work with our Members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While I have some familiarity with the file, this is an issue that’s clearly within the mandate of the Minister of Health and Social Services. I will ask her to respond.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Hon. Floyd Roland will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the Western Premiers’ Conference in Prince Albert.

Once we conclude this budget process, we’re going to be moving almost immediately into the business planning process for 2009–2010. We’d be willing and interested to come forward in the business plan. We could discuss those issues as well, sit down with the Chair of the Social Programs and the other Members to look at how we can make changes to the program delivery to better reflect the needs and issues raised by the Member.