Tom Beaulieu

The Minister speaks of the money that’s going to be coming to the corporation over the next couple of years or so. Has the Minister looked at what exactly would be needed to lower core need? Has he taken a good comprehensive look at what is needed to lower core need?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, between 2004 and 2009 the housing needs have grown from 16 percent to 19 percent across NWT. Mr. Speaker, that should not happen. My estimates are that the NWT Housing Corporation has in excess of $100 million per year to address social housing needs across the Northwest Territories.

In addition to that, CMHC’s affordable housing money, the NWT Housing Corporation, in my estimate, spent around $900 million to address social housing needs between 2004 and 2009.

Mr. Speaker, how does a corporation that is designed to address...

I am not really clear whether or not we can split it from the response, but I assume that we can. Can one of these pieces, whether it be resource revenue sharing or devolution, be negotiated to completion without the other one being negotiated to a completion? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I’m just asking, because of some caution in the future that I wouldn’t want to see a land use plan that consists of when everybody put all three governments -- the federal government, the territorial government and aboriginal governments -- put in their land use plans and then the area that each of them wished to… It’s not, I guess, essentially claimed for the various activities, whether it be resource development or parks or protection of the land or something that’s set aside for future resource development, that adds up to 100 percent and not 140 percent and everybody’s caught...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll keep my comments brief as well. I think one of the few consolidated efforts that this government has put forth over the last several years that I agree with is the consolidation of utilities. I would be curious about the placement of positions as a result of the shift of $30 million-some-odd dollars in utilities going from the various departments to Public Works creating quite an unusual increase in the budget of 65 percent. However, that’s recognizing that’s probably going to be a good thing with commodities such as fuel, when one department can administer...

I recognize that the sawmill didn’t work out, although it existed and created lots of business and put some income into the community and some employment. As I’ve often indicated, the low employment in Tu Nedhe communities, I was more or less thinking of opportunities for some other business in both Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e, opportunity for a business similar to the type of businesses that the investment corporation now supports in other parts of the North. There is no business in Tu Nedhe that is supported by the investment corporation. That’s basically what I’m asking. Are there plans...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, on behalf of the Tu Nedhe residents, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a few people for the kind contributions and selfless acts during Christmas holidays.

Mr. Speaker, Christmas can be a trying time for families, particularly elders living alone or single mothers in small communities. For some of these, the Christmas Hamper Program provides the only opportunity to have a nice Christmas dinner with their family.

Mr. Speaker, each Christmas the Salvation Army here in Yellowknife runs a Christmas Hamper Program in collaboration with Air...

Mr. Chairman, just shifting gears for a minute here, one of the other key areas in both Tu Nedhe communities, Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution, seem to be small loans. I’m not sure if that’s some sort of venture capital needed by some smaller scale businessmen in the community just employing one or two people and just some capital to get their business off the ground. Right now, the structure is set up where the economic development officers don’t work directly for the department but actually the department has a contribution agreement with the local organization to bring the EDOs into the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, previously in Fort Resolution, the NWT Development Corporation, prior to their amalgamation into the Business Development and Investment Corporation, supported a business in the community of a sawmill. Similar supports to the businesses that are successful now under that investment corporation like Acho Dene Fur Clouds and Fort McPherson Canvas Shop. I understand from discussions with local people that there was always an intention, even though that business of the sawmill did receive a lot of support from the government, ultimately at the end of the day...

No, thank you, Mr. Chairman.