Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess what I'm trying to get is that, you know, I've been trying to really advocate for housing for our people in our communities in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. And, you know, I've been trying to really work with the Minister of Housing Corporation of how we could address and build relationships with Indigenous governments. You know, I see these MOUs are good ideas but, you know, they're they only go so far, and I don't hear no commitments from this government at all in trying to fix these problems we're having in our community.

So will the Minister work with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance.

The capital estimates allocate some $35 million to Housing NWT. As I've said many times, I am firm in belief that this money would be better spent through contribution agreements with Indigenous governments. Does the Minister agree that Indigenous governments in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding are efficiently and effectively managing their financial resources with respect to housing and programs and strategies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This year, when I went through the budget and went through the committees and we discussed it in the House here, at the end of the day I voted against the budget. And mainly because of there was really nothing there. We got rounded off to 2 percent of the overall budget that we got in my riding. And that's still concerning.

My question, again, to the Minister is that if this is not carved in stone and we could have further discussion on this, whether it would be highways being 30 percent and housing 11 percent, is there a way we could increase that so that we are really...

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. A couple questions: the reduction that you have here, we have got a total capital budget of $328 million. In regards to my riding, this fiscal year with $3.4 million for public housing repairs with no homeownership repairs in the communities, I am just wondering like, and my colleague, Mr. O'Reilly talked about the you know, the percentage in terms of highways and versus housing etcetera, my question to the Minister: is this budget here carved in stone, or can that be adjusted? Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, this issue is really not going to go away. I mean, we had 50 years to get our act together to provide housing for people here in the Northwest Territories. And in the Minister's statements earlier, she talks about the MOU and the great success she's made in the Sahtu region. But the chiefs are very clear on what I heard on Cabin Radio on August 26th on the SSI meeting. The chiefs made it very clear, bring your cheque book. So what we're saying now, Mr. Speaker, is that we want to see the Minister to come to our communities and look at building new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am directing that question to the Minister of Finance but then the Premier spoke up and passed that on to Housing. So I'm not sure if the Minister of Finance was able to speak to this question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are running out of time in this Assembly to make good on our promises to improve the lives of our residents. I have not had the privilege of a membership in his House for as long as my colleagues, but that doesn't mean I have been idle in advocating for the needs of my riding of the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. But I have had to look at what has been done before my time here to get a clearer picture of the resources available, budgets, action plans, policies, legislations, and a mandate having for my work and why I so often speak to how existing resources...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This issue here has been brought up while I was doing my door to door last year, and there were issues even then when I was listening to my constituent members. And the Yellowknife North used to include Dettah and N'dilo before. And then their recent in the last review of the electoral boundaries changed and they included N'dilo and Dettah in the new riding Tu NedheWiilideh riding. And so when I was going door to door, some of the members were talking about, you know, they were they really didn't want to see that happen mainly because their language and culture. And...

Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to table the document of a private home of Lutselk'e. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mandate promises a leasetoown policy for the winter of 2020 with an average of 25 leases to own homeownership agreements signed per year for 2020 and 2023. Can the Minister update this House on how many leases have been signed to date? Thank you.