Robert Hawkins

That being said, would the Minister investigate a policy where we do not discriminate against people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in the week, I brought forward a concern about the arrears process with the Housing Corporation and the fact that there isn’t consistency in the policy. The Minister clearly stated that if you were in public housing and you had arrears, they would make a plan so that you could pay back those arrears, so you wouldn’t be kicked out. I was trying to put the spotlight on the issue that if you had arrears and you aren’t in social housing but you qualify for social housing…If you qualify for social housing and you can only pay market rate, it’s going to...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I’m just going to talk about a couple areas, no specific questions at this time. I wish to reaffirm a couple areas. The first one is simply the Minister made note of legal aid and the improvements of legal aid services in our community. I really believe that was something that finally we got the Minister to be able to put dollars behind. He knew it was a problem, this side of the Assembly knew it was a problem, and I was willing to go toe-to-toe as long as it took, to at least get that need recognized and I was really glad to see it came in last year’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At least we agree that we are now talking about private housing out there in the private market. Mr. Speaker, that person in the private housing in the private market has a history and owes arrears in the past to our social housing side. Now, let’s agree to that point. Now, they owe arrears from the past dealings. Where do they go if they are being kicked out of private housing initiatives? Where do they go now because they can’t qualify for public or social housing? So where do they go now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to continue talking about the concerns of arrears with my favourite Housing Minister, the Honourable David Krutko. Mr. Speaker, if a person in market housing is being kicked out because they can’t afford to live there anymore, and obviously they owe arrears because that is what we are talking about, and they owe arrears so they can’t be put on the list, as the Minister clearly says, then where do they go if they are being kicked out of market housing and they can’t get on the list for social housing? Where do they go? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would this Minister look into that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are still missing the point on this issue, Mr. Speaker. I have a constituent out there who is in public housing right now. I can tell you if he wasn’t in public housing, his arrears as they were a few months ago, which were $2,000 or $3,000…This is a single guy with four kids and I can’t imagine him paying market rent forever. When he qualifies for public housing, he wouldn’t get in on this system. So how would he be able to afford to get into public housing if he has to pay his arrears? I think the policy is truly discriminating…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am still very concerned with this issue because I feel we are discriminating against those who are in most need. We are discriminating against them because they owe some money. I want them to pay the money back, but if they are prime candidates for social housing, they obviously are not prime candidates for market rent. Mr. Speaker, if they can’t pay market rent and we are forcing them to pay market rent, how are we ever going to get our arrears back? It’s perplexing. It’s like trying to push a rope. We are not going to get the money back. What we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time, I, too, wish to express my condolences to the fallen RCMP and their families. Mr. Speaker, it’s not too much to ask, as this Assembly has done, to take a moment in silence as we truly express our concern for what has happened.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way I can express in such a way to say the RCMP are truly a pillar in our communities. There is a connection in every way. They represent role models to the young, they keep us safe at night, and they protect our families.

Mr. Speaker, I will say in closing that the RCMP truly are a symbol of Canada in...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Minister. The reason I raise this point again is to reaffirm that we still have communities that we’re not meeting their basic needs, and by no means I’d like to restrict them by saying only nurses can get them or whatnot, or only lawyers or teachers or whatever the case may be as applicable. I wouldn’t want us to think that. I mean, we have to say something. If SAOs, communities want them to do whatever they want, that’s their business and that’s not my business. Our business here is to make sure that we give them that type of resource so they...