Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as is stands now, I am totally optimistic that we will be able to reach a solution which will be acceptable to the Foster Parents Association. The indications that I have from my staff, at this preliminary stage, is that they are making good progress in trying to resolve the situation, and as it stands now, there is no contingency plan in place because I am optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement on this, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for MACA. It is in reference to block funding. Mr. Speaker, what guidelines or policies are in place to ensure that Hamlet Councils will utilize local businesses?

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the block funding, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, through its commitment to Community Empowerment initiatives, supports block funding as a way for communities to identify local issues and plan and allocate resources to solve them, and take the responsibility for the design and delivery of local programs and services. Can the Member clarify if the business is the local business or is to an organization in the community? Thank you.

Mr. O'Brien. First clarification, clarification.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am referring to local business people in the community.

Ms Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be block funded, you have to be an organization that is (just a minute, I am just reading my information here). What we have said is that we can block fund to a single administration to a point which much be corporate. It should be able to pass legislation to be block funded. It should be able to sue and be sued. It should own property. It should be able to borrow. This body can take many forms. It can be a band council. It can be a band organization, Metis

locals, Metis organizations, municipal governments, societies and associations. We are open to discuss ways to officially recognize new organization types, so we are just in the process of recognizing other bodies. We have not made any definite decisions yet on recognizing businesses in the communities, but this one of the processes for Community Empowerment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms Thompson. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure that answered my question. My question was in reference to how will local business be protected, I guess, to ensure that they will get some work in the communities? Once block funding takes place, the block funding, for example, has already taken place. And also, how does Article 23 and 24 define the agreement apply to this? Thank you.

Ms Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That would be through local tenders and there is a business incentive policy that will be in effect. The local organizations that I just listed can be block funded. Does the Member have an idea of what community has that problem and which organization wants to be block funded or which business is worried about not being block funded or has trouble with the community being block funded, because the normal process would still apply where the businesses would not lose through the business incentive policy. We have a policy for those. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. Speaker, I thought we were supposed to be asking the questions here. I still do not have an answer. My question is what guidelines are in place, if any, to protect the local business person once the community is block funded, and the ones that are already block funded? Thank you.

Ms Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will refer the question to the Finance Minister. He is dealing with the finances to the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The Minister cannot refer a question to another Minister. It has to be a new question, Mr. O'Brien. Oral question, Mr. Henry.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good question by my Honourable colleague. I am optimistic that we will be in a position to make a decision whether to go or not to go with the Mortgage Investment Corporation within sixty to ninety days. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. My supplementary question is, has the Minister found ways to redeploy that money?