Wendy Bisaro

All those are good things. I don’t need a list of the activities that are funded. I’m just struggling to understand how a regional activity has a territorial focus, but that’s a comment. I don’t need an answer.

So I guess the next question would be if there are applications and the money at that $40,000 cap each is going to be less than the $200,000, would the department consider expending the remaining money in the $200,000 fund to a cap of actual? If people are applying for more money than the $40,000 that they’re going to get back, would we consider expending the full amount of the $200,000 so that they at least get more of their actual expenses?

Thanks for that information. I’m really glad to hear that it’s going to be a broad review. I just would like to also point out that I would hope that the Housing Corporation is going to keep in their sites that their review can have a large impact on those who are struggling with poverty and that it can be tied into our Anti-Poverty Strategy which we’re also working on.

I do want to comment on the need for seniors to have funding to assist them with their homes. It’s been mentioned by a couple of Members already. I think the Housing Corporation ought to seriously consider targeted funding for...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions here with regard to reviews. The first one has to do with the rent scale review which I understand is happening. I thought that we had been advised that it’s about... It seems like it’s been in the works for a year and I’d appreciate hearing from the Minister where that review of the rent scale is at. According to the business plan, it’s supposed to be ready for implementation on April 1st. I’d like to know if that’s still the case. Is the review done yet, I guess is where I’ll start.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question has to do with a part of the action plan which talks about a community consultation in Inuvik to develop a strategy for the implementation of changes that are required, and the timeline on that was February 2009. Can I ask if that is done?

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister for that summary. I appreciate that the department is providing funds and that they are doing what they can to develop shelter services in other communities beyond where they actually have bricks and mortar. It is something that we absolutely have to do. If it is a priority for this department to make sure that shelters are running and are actually operational, I have to go to Mr. Bromley’s comments about the Centre for Northern Families. This centre is struggling. If it is a priority for this government to provide shelters and make sure they work, why is it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although not a constituent, it’s my great pleasure today to recognize an old colleague -- and I don’t mean old in age, but a colleague I worked with quite a long time ago at Sir John Franklin School -- Mr. Ed Jeske. With Ed up there is Vivian Squires, who will soon be the new executive director for the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society.

Thanks to the deputy minister, or president, for that information. I’m glad that the Shelter Review Policy has been mentioned. I guess I need to say, first of all, that it’s a little unfortunate that the rent scale review is taking so long. I can understand why it’s being tied in with the Shelter Review Policy, but it is unfortunate that it’s something that Members have been asking for for probably three years now and it’s still not ready to come.

The Shelter Review Policy I fully support. I think it’s something which is long overdue and I think we have many policies with regard to housing that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am totally in support of this motion. I haven’t had many dealings with the Mine Training Society and I haven’t had dealings with any of the other organizations receiving ASEP funding, but the dealings that I have had with the Mine Training Society have been very positive. My experiences have shown that they are a highly successful organization and, as has been mentioned, they’ve used the federal dollars they have received to leverage matching funding for their partners over the years.

The partners have matched $16.5 million or so with $18.7 million since the inception...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will try to be short. Maybe I should sit down. No.

I would like to thank the Minister for that summary of all the wonderful things that we are doing, but it did not go to my question. If it is a priority for this government to make sure that shelters are funded, then why is the Minister not making sure that the Centre for Northern Families is financially sustainable? They are funded differently and that is the problem.