Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it is critically important to ensure that within the terms of reference it is specifically pointed out that this consultation process should be within the community, or with the community whereas the terms of reference are absent particularly in that direction.

Mr. Speaker, recognizing that the terms of reference have also been established for the public administrator at the Mackenzie Regional Health Services -- which I also tabled -- there is no reference in developing a strategic plan or admission statement in that document. Can the Minister explain why he judged that it was necessary to direct the public administrator at the Fort Smith Health Centre to take on these tasks over the duration of his appointment, but not the administrator for Mackenzie Health Services? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I met with the public administrator appointed for the Fort Smith Health Centre, Mr. Ellis to discuss his work, and Mr. Ellis expressed a strong interest in pursuing a strategic plan and continuing the work of health planning. He is well qualified in this area. I think the honourable Member will know from her experience with this gentleman, that he is not one to act in isolation without consulting community leaders and community groups.

I think that he has a good reputation for working with local governments, band councils, Metis locals, and even M.L.A.s, Mr. Speaker, although that is not always easy. Mr. Speaker, I guess I felt it went without saying that Mr. Ellis would act in a consultative fashion, and I do not believe that it is necessary to spell it out in the terms of reference.

As to the Mackenzie public administrator, Mr. Speaker, since setting up that public administrator, the Department of Health advises me that they have had some experience assessing the role of a public administrator and it is true that the terms of reference for Mr. Ellis are more extensive and broad. That is the result of that experience, and perhaps an improvement of the public administrator model since the Mackenzie public administrator was set up. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask in my final supplementary if the Minister of Health would make a commitment to table in this House a comprehensive outline of the process the public administrator will use to develop the mission statement, strategic plan, goals and objectives for the Fort Smith Health Centre including his plans for community consultation which is critically needed? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I will certainly be prepared to do that in due course. The public administrator's primary job right now, Mr. Speaker, is to make sure that the health centre is running smoothly, that patients are served and that the primary health care needs are met.

However when he is able to do the strategic planning work and develop a process I will certainly be pleased to table that information in this House. Thank you.

Oral questions. Is this a new question, Mrs. Marie-Jewell? Is there anybody else who has an oral question? Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Education this time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Education a question as to why the South Slave Divisional Board is allowed to purchase a bus, and it is located apparently in Fort Smith to transport the Snowdrift students on the weekends when all busing services in Fort Smith are out on contract for the requirements of transporting students? Thank you.

Mr. Arvaluk

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure about the historical reasoning behind this so I will take that as notice and attempt to explain it tomorrow. Thank you.

Question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Social Services. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Social Services is probably aware that payment directives have been established to specify the process through which alcohol and drug contributions funding is to be distributed to various counselling programs and treatment centres across the territories.

These requirements that all O and M contributions must be reviewed, and referred to a board of community representatives before they are approved which is the board of management. It is a requirement, Mr. Speaker, under the Financial Administration Act, that these payment directives must be followed. If any public office becomes aware that these requirements are being contravened, they can be found guilty of an offense.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that for the 1992-93 contribution applications the board of management for alcohol and drug services were not even allowed to meet. Finally, a month after the applications were approved a telephone conference was held with some board members, but even at the time the department did not provide the board with copies of the funding application.

Can the Minister of Social Services explain why his department has disregarded the process of community representation in decisions about alcohol and drug funding? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the board of management has had a great difficulty obtaining a quorum during the period in question. The chairperson was seriously ill and even hospitalized, other members of the board were unavailable at critical times when meetings were attempted to be organized and the board was operating with a bare quorum. It was difficult for the board to meet for logistical reasons, Mr. Speaker.

I can tell the honourable Member that since I became Minister, the board did meet -- I think it was sometime in July -- and they did then have an opportunity to make the reviews that the Member has referred to and to look at funding applications at that time. So they were finally able to meet and things had been brought up to date. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister tried to explain whether the board could meet or not, but I am more concerned in regards to the payment directives not being clearly followed.

Will the Minister immediately undertake a review of the actions of his officials in the alcohol and drug community mental health services, to determine why this serious breach of the Financial Administration Act has apparently taken place? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I will undertake the review, but I will not assume that there have been serious breaches of the Financial Administration Act until after I have received all of the information following that review. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated that the board of management had difficulty in forming a quorum. Sometimes this difficulty arises from the board not being in full complement. Will the Minister make a commitment now that he has ensured the board of management for alcohol and drug services would meet regularly, and is supplied with the information that is required to perform the functions that have been assigned to it by government policy? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, since the role of that board, and many other boards and agencies of the government of the Northwest Territories, is under review not only by the government but by committees of this Legislature, and since we are operating in times of financial restraint and it becomes increasingly difficult to pay for the costs of many boards and agencies, I cannot make the commitment to the honourable Member today that it will be possible to continue the operation of this board.

The matter is under review, and I have had a chance to receive the views of the board. I will look forward to getting the views of the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions however, before making a final determination about the future of that board. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.