Thank you, Madam Speaker. Some communities have a higher cost of living than other communities and that is the purpose of having benefits. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

I appreciate that response, Madam Speaker. Again to the Minister of Personnel, which communities are considered off the highway system in this case?

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will provide the list to the Member, if I can find any. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Social Services. Now that she has tackled the issue of the salaries of alcohol and drug treatment centre workers, the solution of which I had the pleasure of announcing on her behalf earlier this session, now that she has basked in the warm glow of approval from having taken that initiative, has she developed a strategy to deal with the bigger question of the wages and benefits for community alcohol and drug workers throughout the Northwest Territories? How is that problem going to be tackled, Madam Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I indicated during the SCOF review, the community alcohol and drug workers would be looked at and the plan will be in place by September, 1994. So the department is doing something about it. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That is good news, Madam Speaker. I would like to know a bit more about what the department is planning to do to deal with this issue by September of 1994. What is the process that will be pursued? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The plans for the alcohol and drug program will be in place, hopefully, by 1994. The Members will be kept informed and consulted with. This may include looking at the agencies that are funded through our alcohol and drug contributions, whether they are making significant differences to the communities in terms of education and awareness or whether it is simply job creation. If that is so, I would like to get some input from each MLA. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I believe that the evaluation of the effectiveness of the community programs is a sensible approach and consulting with MLAs is also a sensible approach. If there are going to be evaluations undertaken, does the Minister intend that there will be some independent review done so that every community is assessed objectively, according to established criteria, so each community is evaluated fairly as compared to every other community. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My preference would be to also work with regional superintendents in that once the criteria is set and the guidelines are set, they oversee the projects rather than the headquarters trying to keep an eye on them from great distances. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Tourism and it's with regard to a reference made to the department yesterday in the budget address, where it makes reference to the department being reorganized and streamlined, and that decision-making has been decentralized, and that there has been increased authority and responsibility for funding and so forth to transfer to the regional offices. I'm trying to recall whether the Minister made a statement in the last session with regard to that. I would like to ask the Minister,

specifically what changes has this budget address made reference to, and if he could tell the House. Mahsi.

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I did make a statement earlier in the last session or the one before. The common complaint across the territories over as long as I can remember is the inability for the regions and the communities to move quickly, particularly, in approving loans and grants. So we did get Cabinet approval late in 1993 to designate financial authority to the superintendents for loans and grants to the tune of $250,000. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Supplementary for the same Minister. This increase in the grants to $250,000, one is for the regional superintendents. That has been in effect since late 1993. I would like to ask the Minister if there is any indication on the success of this new change in policy. Mahsi.

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Todd.