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TuesdaySeptember2320147POLITICSHOUSINGPleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.FemaleAdultgreyandwhitemixLookingforanewhomeThenexttimeyouseeParisyourheartwillbebrightandgay.HercuddlesandherlittlepurrswillbrightenupyourdaySeniorsciteissueswithhomerepairsprogramWorkapprovedbyHousingCorp.stilluncompletedByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithwinterjustaroundthecornersev-eralseniorsintheNorthwestTerritoriesarewonderingwhyrepairsapprovedthroughanNWTHousingCorp.homeownersgrantsprogramlastspringhaveyettobecompletedontheirhomes.TheYellowknifeSeniorsSocietyiscur-rentlylookingintocomplaintsbyanum-beroftheirmemberswhosayfundsandrepairworkpromisedthroughtheHous-ingCorp.sContributingAssistanceforRe-pairsandEnhancementsCAREprogramwerenevercompleteddespitebeingap-provedlastApril.HalLogsdonwhositsaschairoftheso-cietysadvocacycommitteeiscompilingalistofcomplaintstotaketotheHousingCorp.onmembersbehalf.Hesaidsofaraboutfivemembershavecomeforwardwithseparatebutsimilardifficultiesre-gardingCARE.Theproblemsvaryfromindividualtoindi-vidualbutsomehavebeenapprovedasearlyasMarchorAprilaccordingtothemandnoth-inghasbeendoneLogsdonsaid.Forsomeitistoolate.SeasonalworkthatneededtobedonebeforetheendofsummerhasbeenpaidforoutofpocketLogsdonsaid.Twoofourmembersliveinthepartofthecitywherewaterdeliveryisdoneandoneofthetaskstheywereapprovedforwascleaningouttheirwatertanksaswellasfur-naceservicing.TheirwaterwascutofftheotherdaybecausetheyregettingputbackondeliveryLogsdonsaid.Theirtanksre-maineduncleanedwellactuallytheyhaventremainedunclean-theydiditthemselves.Theydidntwanttoscrewupthedelivery.TheCAREprogramassistshomeownersinmakingnecessaryrepairstotheirhomesbyprovidingbetween10000and90000intheformofaforgivableloan.Theprogramalsoprovidesupto3000annuallyforminorrepairsandmaintenancetoclientsonayear-roundbasis.HayRiverSeniorsSocietypresidentStanJonessaidhismembersareexperiencingsimilarproblemswiththeprogramintermsofclarityandtimeliness.Jonessaidhehasbeenwaitingforatleastamonthtohearifhehasbeenapprovedforroofworkandnewwindowswhichneedtobeputinsooniftheyaregoingtobeinstalledbeforewinter.WerenowintotheendofSeptemberandIstilldontknowiforwhenitsgoingtobeapproved.Prettysoonitsgoingtobetoocoldtobetakingwindowsouthesaid.JonesfeelsasiftheHousingCorp.employ-eeshavelittleconcernfortheneedsofseniors.HewouldliketoseemoreadvertisingfortheCAREprogramandmoreexpeditiousservice.Yougotodealwiththesepeopleandev-erythinghastobeontheirconveniencehesaid.Thereisntamile-longlineupofpeoplecomingthroughthedoor.WhydoyouhavetowaittwoweeksThenyougothroughtheinitialinterviewandtheyllgetbacktoyouintwoweeks.Itseemslikewerealmostabothertothemthatweshouldbetakinguptheirtimeandthisisaconsensusthatalotofpeopleinthegroupofseniorswerecon-cernedabout.HousingCorp.communicationsadvisorCaraBryantsaidtherecansometimesbedelayswiththerepairsprocess.Theprocesstoobtainconstructionandrepairservicescansometimestaketimegiventheavailabilityofcontractorsandthetenderingprocessshesaidinanemail.Insomeinstancesatenderdoesnotyieldanyoffersandmustbeputuptotenderasec-ondtimethusdelayingtheabilitytobeginrepairsorservices.SheurgedthoseexperiencingproblemstocontacttheHousingCorp.tohavetheiris-suesaddressedimmediately.TheproblemsvaryfromindividualtoindividualbutsomerepairshavebeenapprovedasearlyasMarchorAprilaccordingtothemandnothinghasbeendone.HalLogsdonYellowknifeSeniorsSocietyHalLogsdonservesasamemberoftheadvocacycommitteefortheYellowknifeSeniorsSociety.PhotocourtesyofYkSeniorsSocietyCommitteeeyesfallsessionforNWTombudsmanbillByMEAGANWOHLBERGAbillseekingtoestablishanombudsmansofceintheNorthwestTerritoriescouldbehittingthelegislatureoorthisfallfollowingcommitteediscussionsthatcontinuetopushforanimpartialofceofappealintheterritory.TheStandingCommitteeonGovernmentOperationsmetagainlastweektodiscusshowtoproceedwithitsinitiativetointroduceanombudsmantotheterritorywhichcouldserveasanindependentimpartialofceca-pableofinvestigatingpubliccomplaintsintogovernmentwrongdoing.AccordingtochairMichaelNadlisupportfortheinitiativeisstrongwithinthecommit-teeandwillmorethanlikelybediscussedwhenthefthsessionofthe17thAssemblymeetsbackinYellowknifeonOct.16.IthinkthecommitteewhollysupportstheideaandIthinkmorethanevernowisthetimetoimplementtheofceoftheombuds-manNadlitoldTheJournal.Thecommitteetabledareportlastspringinfavourofcreatinganombudsmanfortheterritory-oneoftheonlyjurisdictionsinCanadawheresucharoleisabsent.ThatreportnotedanincreaseingovernmentsizeandcomplexityintheNWTwhichNadlisaidcreatesneedformoreaccountabilitymecha-nismsdespitetheexistenceofanumberofotherstatutoryappealofceslikethelanguagescon-ictofinterestinformationandprivacyequalpayandhumanrightscommissioners.WhatwerendingintheNorthhereisaveryhugegovernmentcomparedtoourlowpopula-tionbaseandtherecouldbeinstanceswhereyouhaveaDavidandGoliathsituationwheresmallpeopleatthelocalcommunitieslevelhavetogoupagainstaverylargesystemhesaid.Theombudsmansofcemaybegivenre-sponsibilityforpublicinterestwhistleblowerandorpublicservicedisclosurelegislationaswellaccordingtotheMinisterofHumanResourcesTomBeaulieubutthatisstillindiscussion.Theproposalwasleftopenforcommentoverthesummer.Despitelittlepublicfeed-backreceivedNadlisaidtheoriginalsupportforthereportsndingsremains.Theonlymajorcriticismoftheproposalthusfarhasbeenthepricetag.ThecombinedcostofallstatutoryofcesintheNWTisestimatedtototal1.91millionin2014-15.Theombudsmansofceispredictedtocost400000initsrstyearand600000inyeartwodependingontheworkload.ButNadlisaidtheprosoutweighthecosts.Rightnowourgovernmentisat1.6bil-lionintermsofannualoperatingexpendi-turesandwhattheofcewouldcostintermsofwhatweveproposedthroughcommitteeislessthanhalfofonepercentofGNWTsannualbudgetsoImeanthatsverymin-isculehesaid.Cabinetandthisgovernmenthastoun-derstandtheidealsthattheresnogreatercostthanthedemocraticrightsofcitizens.Nadlisaidthereisstilltimeforthepublictohaveinputontheproposal.CommentsmaybedirectedtocommitteeclerkGailBennettatgail_bennettgov.nt.caortoanycom-mitteemember.POLITICSTERRITORIAL