Mr. Chairman, I have a letter. I just wanted to ask the Minister a question. A request was sent to the department regarding taking over duties of CHRs. The Minister responded, "Since health education is an integral part of public health programs, and community health representatives work with and sometimes under the direction of other members of the public health team, examples are nurses and regional environmental health officers, regional nutritionists and regional health promotion officers, clerk interpreters, as well as community groups, to transfer only selected functions of the community health representative to the band council would fragment a comprehensive approach to public health services and may increase the cost of services. Therefore, the department is not in a position to support your resolution at this time."

My problem is, what is the difference whether you function out of a band office or out of a nursing station to deliver those programs? I do not see anything here that suggests it will fragment if you transfer it over to the band councils. I just do not see how it could happen. Even when Morris A kid was the regional director and before that there was another gentleman who we used to work with. When the transfer of the CHR program started going to the communities the suggestion was that it go to the community, not to the nursing stations. When the program was first delivered under Monique Begin, the whole purpose was for the community to start controlling their own health. I am not seeing that happen.

Your letter suggests that not in a million years are you going to see something like this go to a community board. Rather, your suggestion is, at this time, you are not supporting the regional councils with regard to their resolution to take over that responsibility. Exactly what is your department doing in that direction of community self-government, community self-sufficiency and community transfer initiatives? We are getting mixed messages here. Why would you be saying something like this and still suggest that you support the transfers?