Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement, I spoke about divestment of public housing by the NWT Housing Corporation. Along that line, I have questions for the Minister of Housing. For planning purposes, will the Minister get the NWT Housing Corporation to look at all of the public housing tenants to see how many of them are paying rent in the two top bands that are provided to authorities for rent amounts? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister advise whether he can incorporate a divestment plan, community by community, in these community development plans? Thank you.

Will the Minister agree to share that plan with us, the plan where it looks like the Minister is looking at divesting public housing, which I think is the right direction to go? I would like to ask the Minister if he is prepared to share that plan with us, indicating how many units that the Housing Corporation could probably divest itself of.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In 1974, the NWT Housing Corporation was formed, and one of the principles in forming the Housing Corporation was to develop markets in the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, CMHC, funded the capital construction costs of new public housing, either 90 percent or 75 percent, depending on the section under which the units were built. In addition, CMHC paid for 75 or 50 percent of the operating costs and the mortgage costs, until the CMHC mortgage of 25 to 35 years was paid off. At that time, the NWT Housing Corporation would make the houses...

The big question that everybody wants me to ask, and that is: is this money of Aboriginal engagement going to address the initial issue? When Taltson dam was first built, I spoke about this many times in the House, when Taltson dam was first built, it essentially relocated two communities, and it continues to kill all the muskrat and beaver on the Taltson River every few years. So I want to ask the Minister if there is going to be any discussion focused on that. Or is this just an engagement to look at the expansion, not to look backwards, not to look at what happened in the past, although the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, Mr. Chairman, I was going into detail. I will wait for detail.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There's a lot of work there. How much of this is for the Aboriginal or Indigenous engagement? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 382-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 382-18(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in the formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the Minister is telling me that there will be a contribution agreement signed and delivered before March 31, 2019, plus the technical work will also be completed by March 31, 2019? Thank you, Mr. Chair.