An Hon. Member

Hear! Hear!

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Mr. Speaker, we spend a substantial amount of money providing training and we are very thankful for that. We also spend a substantial amount of money providing counselling. We are thankful for that, Mr. Speaker. My question to the honourable Minister is this: is there any funding available from this government to provide elders and youth committees in the communities? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Mr. Pollard.

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kakfwi, as Minister of Justice, has been impressing upon Members of Cabinet that there needs to be a community justice system. Madam Premier, in her responsibility as Minister of Health and Social Services, has been saying that we need to get these issues back to a community level. There is going to be a disbursal of some funds to communities to get their community wellness strategy together.

At the bottom of all this is the recognition by these two Ministers that getting the youth and the elders working together, using the advice of the elders to keep those young people out of trouble, using their vast experience to guide problems that occur within communities is paramount. So I think that you will see, through both of these Ministers, some involvement of the elders' system in our communities, to either counsel those youth or to make suggestions on how we could make things better. It won't, perhaps, be direct funding, but they will be involved in the process. The communities will be left to decide how they spend the money that the Minister of Health disburses this summer, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

Thank you, Mr. Pollard. Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. With regard to the programs and services that the honourable Minister is alluding to, would the Minister tell the House what the budget is in the wellness program under this government? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Mr. Pollard.

John Pollard Hay River

Mr. Speaker, I'm speaking on behalf of two other ministries, so I'll take the question as notice and make an answer to the House tomorrow specifically. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

The Minister is taking the question as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, with regard to transfers and devolution of federal programs to the Northwest Territories, has there been anything done on the community economic development organization funds, the CEDO funds, that the feds have? I would like to ask the Minister, what is going on with this particular program? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Todd.

John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The CEDO funding, which is given to band councils and to Inuit organizations across the territories, is under review by the Ministry of DIAND, the same as EDA, community futures and all the rest. We are currently under discussions with them in an effort to try and protect that funding, and there are discussions, I believe, going on directly between DIAND and the parties involved in an effort to see what can be retained and what's going to end up having to go with respect to the federal cutbacks. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Brian Lewis

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.