Robert Hawkins

The Minister is right; she did provide a response that, yes, they know that. Her response also said they’re looking at it, but the reality is that this response was lacking in the sense that it didn’t seem to have a plan to bring someone in or a long-term plan to solve the solution. The issue comes down to the fact that I’m being contacted again by more constituents saying that this continues to be a very important issue and they’re concerned is the government hearing them. Would the Minister commit to getting an answer and update before the end of this sitting so if there are problems, we can...

Mr. Speaker, clearly, paralysis by analysis, as said many times by my colleague Minister Miltenberger. The reality is, we can move on this issue. Cabinet agrees the working poor need coverage. I haven’t heard any opposition on this side of the House that the working poor needs coverage and I can guarantee you today that if you went outside of this building, this ivory tower, and asked the everyday person in the public if the working poor deserve coverage, they need coverage.

Mr. Speaker, the reality is quite simple. What’s stopping Cabinet from moving on an initiative that they like, we like...

I appreciate the answer, because that was very clear -- status quo, which means if you’re in the working-poor bracket, that means nothing. At least it’s clear and no one’s fooled by that. So the reality is, what’s holding back from immediate coverage to the working poor if that will be the long-term principles and guidelines? What’s stopping this government from making that immediate decision? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Blake Lyons, a constituent in Yellowknife Centre, as well as Murray McMahon, another constituent from Yellowknife Centre. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My oral questions will be directed to the Minister of the Housing Corporation, which I’m sure he’s completely surprised. I will be following up on my Member’s statement as I talked about the affordability issue and adequacy issue in my Member’s statement.

Can the Minister explain what actions are being taken about the affordability challenge in Yellowknife?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I also want to talk about housing in Yellowknife.

According to the 2009 Housing Needs Survey, there are 6,742 households in Yellowknife. While the city is often overlooked in discussions about housing in the NWT, I note that this is where most of the households are located in the North.

It is true Yellowknife housing is different from the housing issues in other NWT communities. The survey identified that 14 percent of Yellowknife households have affordability issues. That means there are 928 households struggling to come up with that 30 percent or more to help...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In short, I will be supporting this motion as it goes forward.

The lack of quality housing is a challenge in the North and when we make it completely unaffordable, the ground is never stable for a family. If you talk to all the housing experts out there, they’ll say that a good, solid home...An unaffordable home is one of the primary problems where problems at home start. They can’t afford to be there and all of a sudden it creates a ripple effect into other issues. It’s just an endless spiral.

I’m not convinced that if we move from 30 percent to 25 percent on the...

I thank the Minister and I will agree that the statistics speak for themselves. It’s a matter of how you put them in order. With 928 households through the housing survey still in need -- and he may want to suggest they have other options -- but with almost a zero percent vacancy rate in Yellowknife, options are few and far between. If the Minister is interested in advice -- and he’s gone through several Members today and it sounds like he’s taking advice today -- I would highlight the fact that one multi-family unit being built in Yellowknife does not address the affordability and suitability...

Clearly a one-size policy doesn’t fit anybody across the North. That approach certainly hasn’t addressed the adequacy issue. As I said in my Member’s statement, 928 people in Yellowknife alone, that’s 928 families alone are paying over 30 percent of their gross income on fixed expenses. I still haven’t heard how the Minister is addressing the affordability challenges in Yellowknife.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was getting ready for the House today, I was walking down and I saw a man dressed in black and at first I thought was that Johnny Cash, but it turned out to be our wonderful Mr. Whitford. Noticing that he was in black, I was wondering if the Clerks Table was afraid he was going to take them up on the Honourary Clerk of the Table role, but he’s dressed finely in his captain’s uniform.

Mr. Speaker, lastly, I’d like to recognize the Mildred Hall Pages who have been serving us quite well here for the last few days. Thank you for their work and I appreciate them here.