Return to Oral question asked by Mr. Krutko on October 8: with respect to methods to achieve community wellness. A commitment to community wellness means that communities will play a greater role in determining their own priorities for their healing and wellness programs.

In the area of addictions, the government is moving away from providing core funding to facilities and phasing in a per diem system. Once this is fully in place, communities will have the resources and will be able to determine where they purchase treatment for their residents.

Therefore, the government cannot ensure that any program, including the Tl'oondih Healing Camp, will receive funding over the long term. This will be determined by the communities they serve.

Mr. Speaker, a final return to oral question asked by Mr. Erasmus on October 16, 1996, in respect to policy - placement of aboriginal children with aboriginal foster parent families. I can advise that, as of September 30 of this year, there were 76 aboriginal children in foster care in Yellowknife. Fifteen of those children were placed in available aboriginal foster homes. As there were only five aboriginal homes available, the remaining 61 were placed in non-aboriginal homes, each of which is committed to supporting the values of the child's natural family.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Return to Oral questions. Ms Thompson.

I have another return to oral question, asked by Mr. Henry on October 10, 1996 on community empowerment.

Mr. Speaker, planning for community empowerment and transfer of authority for programs and services is proceeding, as I have outlined in this House.

These transfers will be achieved through Block Funding Agreements between our government and each individual community. These agreements will outline the results expected and the necessary reporting, monitoring and accountability requirements for the transfer programs and services.

Block Funding Agreements will also have a provision to permit changes to reflect any new or improved arrangements that become available as a result of the Municipal Financing Review.

Mr. Speaker, the Municipal Financing Review will deal with a number of broad and complex issues, such as taxation and revenue generation. These issues will require extensive consultation with communities, the NWT Association of Municipalities, the NWT Association of Municipal Administrators, and MLA's, and will take time. Therefore, we have set an outside date of April 1, 1998, for implementation of any new financial arrangements. It is possible we could complete consultations and make changes sooner, but this may be unlikely given the complexity of some of these issues.

The experience we gain with community empowerment transfers over the next year will, Mr. Speaker, assist the review of municipal financing. We will have first-hand knowledge of the kinds of accountability, monitoring, and flexibility communities and the GNWT both need.

Our review to streamline and improve municipal financing will proceed in parallel with Community Empowerment transfers. Community Empowerment Block Funding Agreements will be rolled into improved financing arrangements that are developed after full consultation with communities and MLA's.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms Thompson. Return to Oral questions, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Return to Oral questions. Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two individuals in the Gallery. The first constituent, Mr. Larry Aknavagak, former Mayor of Cambridge Bay and the current Chairman of the Nunavut Impact Review Board. With him, is Mr. Bill Tillman, legal counsel for that same Board, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to recognize today Basil Boudreau who is a new Catholic priest in St. Patrick's parish here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Father Boudreau, as he comes from the island that I was born on, Cape Breton Island. Father, welcome to Yellowknife.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome to the Gallery, a well-known journalist and investigative reporter for the Globe and Mail newspaper, Brian Lahgi.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Are there further recognitions? Item 6: Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process that was used for developing the paper that was tabled yesterday in this House was by the Constitutional Working Group that, I believe, reported to the CDSC. I sit on that as a western MLA, I do not sit there to represent this House, so I would not want to pre-empt any decisions that group as a whole would make, along with Mr. Steen and the western Members, so I cannot really answer that question, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Morin

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government has not had an opportunity as of yet to review the document that was tabled in the House. I do not think that I can respond to that question yet, thank you.

Oral questions, Supplementary, Mr. Steen.