Mr. Chairman. Yesterday I spoke on this issue and I am in support of the community empowerment.
Very briefly I just wanted to mention because I would like to let everybody know that I am in support of this. I have spoken to my riding about this and right now Igloolik and Pond Inlet are willing and waiting to start controlling their own affairs. I just wanted to mention that they are ready and I feel if Iqaluit is not going to be the same, we may have to wait a longer period. Also, I will be asking a question a little bit later on like if we are giving all the departments, many departments together - it would be a bit difficult so I feel that we have to start small and also like, for example, Igloolik will take over Social Development and Pond Inlet would take another department. That way, they will learn from each other and as I stated before, that we are willing and are waiting.
I feel like we do not want to start from the top. We have to start from the bottom. That is the only way that we can succeed. When we first got a social worker in Igloolik in the 60s, even though they were working for the Government, they did not prepare for the future at the time and they did not predict what was going to happen in the future and that was the time that we saw what would happen. We felt that as long as the world is turning that we will be able to survive at that time. Like a lot of people were paying $2.00 a month for rent and $67.00 that they made in the month when they started working. As we went on, we realized that it was difficult because it seemed that they started from up and went down but I feel that I would like to advise you that we have to start from the bottom and go up. Because it would be from difficult to positive. That is the way I would like to see it happen.
First of all, I would like to see the Cabinet, like for example, using social development. Like if you have one million in Igloolik and we would use this for social development - that we would get it in one lump sum. It would be used for one year and after a year, or before a year, if the one million is already finished, what would happen - for example, what would happen. Maybe somebody could answer that question. If we run out of money before the time. That is an example that I use. It does not matter how much. But when it finishes and we still have three or four months to go, what would happen to the people that we are supporting with that social development? That is the kind of problems that I question myself and am wish to get the answers.
I know that it is going to be difficult at times because we have to prepare for the future and this is what I just wanted to mention Mr. Chairman. Thank you.