Thank you, Mr. Roland. Good morning, Members. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday Mr. Dent announced the Al Woodhouse Memorial Bursary. Mr. Woodhouse and I were friends for several years as board members with community futures. In 1992, when I became manager of the Baffin Business Development Centre, Mr. Woodhouse was the person who signed my cheques. Mr. Speaker, Al had a very developed sense of humour. In 1990, Al and I, along with several Northerners were in Calgary for the Federal Liberal Leadership Convention. It was at that convention we elected John Chretien leader of the Federal Liberal Party. Al and I pulled off a classic joke on Mr. Todd. That story will have to be told at another time.

Al Woodhouse and I travelled at various times to most Baffin communities and some southern locales with community futures. One memorable trip we made was to Pang. Flying into Pang, the weather was getting stormy and the plane was bouncing around pretty good. Al knew that I did not like flying at the best of times and came to sit next to me. Al went on to tell me that if the plane went down, the best place to be was at the back of the plane. The only problem being we were sitting as far front on the plane as you could probably get. Al knew that and had a good laugh. Mr. Speaker, Al Woodhouse was well known all over Nunavut for his balloon figures, which he would make for the children. Anytime Al saw me with my kids, he always remembered their names and used to do little tricks with balloons for them. Mr. Speaker, Al Woodhouse was a co-worker and a friend, and I congratulate Nunavut Arctic College and the Iqaluit Rotary Club on their bursary that Mr. Dent announced yesterday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. I would like to recognize in the public gallery, Tom Suvissak from Pelly Bay.

--Applause

Good morning and welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees for the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for the first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. Bills 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12; Committee Report 2, 3, 4, and 6 with Mr. Ningark in the chair.

Thank you, good morning. I would like to call the committee to order. We have a number of items for the committee. Item 19. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Do we have the concurrence with the committee that we shall do as the chairman of the OMC indicated to us? Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. We are on page 4-16, 1997/98 main estimates. I would like to ask the honourable Minister if you wish to bring in the witnesses.

Thank you, I will, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, seat the witnesses please. Thank you. For the record, Madam Minister, would you please introduce the witnesses to the committee?

Sorry, I did not hear you.

Madam Minister, would you please introduce the witnesses to the committee?

Yes, Mr. Chair. I have to my left, Penny Ballantyne, deputy minister for MACA and to my right is Vern Christensen, ADM for MACA. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, welcome to the committee. We are reviewing the 1997/98 main estimates of Municipal and Community Affairs, page 4-16, community development, operations and maintenance. Total operations and maintenance is $61,622,000. Agreed? Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. The honourable Minister, Madame Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have done presentations mostly to counsellors, but we also have done presentations to band members, to Metis councils and to the public. We have also done presentations to regional leadership meetings and we have done presentations to just about every organization that involves communities. I have also done radio programs in Inuktitut for the eastern Arctic. The communities know what has been happening with community empowerment since we took the lead in MACA. We have done community presentations through all different kinds of agencies. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will ask Mrs. Ballantyne to do a detailed information to the Member. We have been doing information presentations to communities through our co-ordinators in each region. Those have gone well. Those were just to introduce the package. Of course, we would have facilitators for these communities. I will get Penny to elaborate on that.