The GN wants employees to be happy

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo wants the government to track the reasons why employees leave the territorial government.

This week in the legislature, Tootoo asked Olayuk Akesuk, the minister responsible for housing, whether the GN has any plans to see whether its new housing policy of withdrawing from staff housing, will drive some employees away.

Akesuk said the higher rents and new home ownership programs are supposed to encourage employees to buy homes instead of renting.

“What about the people who don’t want home ownership, that are here for a short period of time?” Tootoo asked.

Akesuk said “we want them to be happy” and agreed that it would be a good idea to track more closely why employees leave the GN.

“If it is a fact that the employees are leaving because of the high cost of housing, especially for those southern employees, yes, I do agree to keep a close watch on this,” Akesuk said.