Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In response to the amalgamation of the departments, I just want to make it clear that, my view, as the member representing the Mackenzie Delta, is that we have been here for a year, this amalgamation was discussed in regards to the overviews that we did last year. It is also on the document that we accepted in this House that we will be looking at the possibility of that amalgamation. We will have an opportunity to discuss it.
In the case of the Mackenzie Delta, the community that I represent, there is a real question of doubt in their minds about how government operates. You have infrastructure, which consists of Public Works who have their own garage, a maintenance office, vehicles and, take care of a few buildings. Then you have the Housing Authority, which takes care of the housing units, and they have a garage, a maintenance shop, equipment, and also you have the hamlet council who has a garage, and equipment and, also, they take care of their responsibilities in the community in regards to buildings and structures.
Somehow, there has to be a real need of coordinating these efforts so that you do not have people who are trained and deal with specific areas in regards to maintenance of buildings, operating equipment and taking care of the day-to-day operations of the water treatment plant in regards to the hamlet, the recreation facilities and, also, the maintenance of the roads. Then you have another department, the Housing Corporation, whose sole responsibility is to maintain housing units on behalf of the Housing Corporation.
So, we have to somehow take a look at it in the context of who are these departments there to serve and what the cost is of maintaining and operating these different departments. Yes, I agree, that it has to be looked at but it has got to be done in such a manner that we do take into account the individuals in the community that do work for these different departments that are going to be amalgamated and how those individuals could be reallocated in consideration of saving those jobs that are in the communities that are few compared to the other centres in the regional centres versus the head office, usually in Yellowknife and other locations.
Also, this was a measure we were looking at in terms of saving money, especially in these days of financial restraint and the deficit, we do have to find a new way of doing government better. I think we have to allow this process to happen but it has to be done in a coordinated fashion with input from the regular members through committee structures and, also, through the community empowerment. Allowing them to take over responsibilities such as the housing authorities, through public works, through the hamlet offices, though the bank offices and look at the possibility of allowing those communities to do things that could be more productive and also a reasonable way of operating small communities where you are talking 500 or 600 people, where you are talking sharing the resources that are there.
Instead of splitting up the departments where they are responsible for a small portion of infrastructure in the community and another group is responsible for another portion of that community. We have to look at amalgamating these groups so it serves the people of that community best. That is my view, that we have to look at it in that context and not look at it in the context of how many people are going to be in the head office or how much it is going to cost. I think we have to look at the cost factor, and also, the economic viability of how this is going to happen. Thank you. Mr. Chairman.