Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Minister a question on the highway chipseal overlay program that includes Highway No. 6. I’m wondering if this budget is what is going to be used to complete the chipsealing on a road that was reconstructed this year: kilometres 68 to 90 on Highway No. 6.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, previous to the transfer to ECE from the local housing organizations with the program, it was a fairly simple program, and with the low employment rates in the communities everyone knew who was working, so the individual was assessed a certain amount. He was assessed a certain amount, he came in, he paid his rent. It was not a requirement for him to continue to report each month that he remained unemployed or his rent would be moved to a maximum. That system seemed to be working fairly well. It was changed and then we asked it to be put back to the...

Mr. Speaker, my question basically was when the transfer occurred back again, when the decision was reversed to go back to the corporation or the local housing organizations, the rules that were in place, policies, procedures that were put in place to harmonize the two programs, did the Minister know that part of the transfer was also going to be occurring? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we know, the transfer of the Public Housing Program to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment experience did not work. The transfer was meant to harmonize the Public Housing Program and the Income Support Program, but this was not achieved and, if anything, it had the opposite effect and created much more problems for public housing tenants.

As a result, the Public Housing Program was transferred back to the NWT Housing Corporation; however, the old rules are still in place from before the transfer took place and now remain in place. It is these...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 66-16(5), NWT Capital Estimates 2011-2012, for opening comments.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason I’m asking these questions is because the CARE program is not addressing the issues with the seniors and the seniors wish to see targeted programs. So can the Minister, in addition to looking at a seniors home repair program, a targeted program for a seniors home repair program and commit to directing his staff and the NWT Housing Corporation to develop a program that targets seniors and disabled persons in a preventive maintenance program? Thank you.

I thought they would be the highest core need group; that was my understanding. However, can the Minister agree that once a unit or a house is considered beyond economical repair, that that unit is scheduled for replacement or should be replaced as opposed to being repaired? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. It is with great sadness and honour at the same time that I pay tribute to the last chief of Rocher River, a community that has not existed since the early 1960s.

On May 24th of this year Mr. Paul Biscaye passed away after being ill for almost two years. Paul leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Theresa, and six daughters, Anne, Sabet, Georgina, Julia, Violet and Gloria. Paul is predeceased by his only two sons, Raymond and Fred John. Paul was blessed with 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Paul was born near Big Gap outside of Rocher River in 1930 and was...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Overall I feel that the infrastructure and capital planning of the GNWT has improved over the last few years. I’ve started to see some changes to infrastructure in smaller communities. I still feel that there is a huge infrastructure deficit in small communities. Recognizing that through the New Deal that capital planning for a lot of the infrastructure upgrades in the small communities are now the responsibilities of those communities, I also have to say that I feel that the money given to the small communities for capital through MACA and directly to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Can the Minister provide me with the core need breakdown of the following groups, by community, in both percentage and number of units:

seniors;

singles (non-senior);

couples (non-senior); and

families (greater than two people).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.