(Translation). In regard to this pilot project in the draft, if the Members want to look at the draft section of this project, we can perhaps put it out next week. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Community operations. Total operations, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, it would be nice to see the draft proposal. I am wondering when the actual comprehensive proposal from the mayors would be put together. I understand that MACA the mayors met, they talked about January 15th as being a time line. There must be a comprehensive transfer proposal under way.

I remember talking to the deputy minister about this in committee and she said that at that time it would be a bit longer. When can an actual comprehensive proposal outlining what is being proposed come forward and the implications of same? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Minister.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The draft proposal we are talking about was put out when the Keewatin mayors were meeting in Keewatin. They had this idea for quite some time now and the draft proposal is now available for evaluation by the Members.

However, the comprehensive proposal the Member is talking about will have to wait a little while because the Keewatin mayors will have to meet about this again in Rankin Inlet. The comprehensive report that the Member is asking about will have to come out a little bit later in the year. It will have to come from the Keewatin mayors but we will be offering him the draft proposal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Mr. Picco's time is up. Mr. O'Brien, do you want your name struck from the list? Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My clock is not working, so I will depend on Mr. Picco or yourself when I am getting close to my time period. A question to the honourable Minister in relationship to the pilot project in Keewatin. I was happy to hear that the capital projects that will be approved over the next few weeks, that they will not be changed or tampered with after the fact. My other question is what changes, if any, would take place in the other aspects like operations and maintenance and operation job transfers and so and so forth? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Minister.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Keewatin mayors will be meeting in Rankin this month, I think during the week of the 17th, 18th and 19th and the public is also welcome to this meeting. There are also invitations to leaders to attend this special meeting and they will be discussing some specific projects as well. When the leaders in Keewatin meet, all the questions and answers will probably come out in the report.

However, what I am saying is probably premature because they have not met to discuss this item yet. Thank you. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another issue that is related and concerns me and I think is related and maybe not. What impact, if this were to go ahead, would this have on the decentralized model that has been put in place now and agreed to by all parties with the transfer of jobs to the smaller communities like Arviat and Baker Lake and other communities? Would there be any impact or change in what has been agreed to?

What we know to date is that all parties, the federal government, NIC and this government have agreed in principle with the decentralized model. What we do not seem to know at this point is what is the schedule of it and that is one of the issues which I brought up in the House with Mr. Todd. So what impact, if any, would this project if it goes ahead have on the agreed decentralized model?

Thank you. Madam Minister.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The NIC report, Footprints 2, when they were meeting about this report, I attended most of the meetings and I also agreed with this report and the three parties, NTI, GNWT and federal government at the time supported it also. As I indicated earlier, the NIC report, if you guys were to read the whole report, as it is, if it goes under capital projects, they will be meeting about capital projects under community operations.

All these capital projects are listed in that report and this will not have any effect on job transfers to communities or decentralization. We are in support of this initiative We are not going to take any jobs away from anybody because we have already agreed to this decentralization model. We are not against any NIC models at all. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe earlier you indicated and I just caught a piece of it as I was coming in as you were speaking about the possibility of jobs being transferred to a central location that would coordinate this organization. Can you elaborate more on that? What jobs and where will they be and what area would they be in, in order to coordinate this particular project?

Thank you. The honourable Minister Manitok Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to the NIC report, Footprints 2, they are following closely with this report and we are also in support of what is contained in the report. My staff and I have read this

report. Perhaps smaller communities for example, will not see too many changes. Regarding the other communities that are going to be allocated staff, we are not trying to take away the allocation of this staff, this is going to be more of a support to Footprint 2. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.

My question, just to focus in a little more on the transfer positions or the possible transfers. If I hear you clearly what you are stating, is for example, in my two communities Arviat and Baker Lake that this proposal when put in place would have no impact. We will not change the decentralized approach that has been agreed to by all parties. There will be no change in the allocation and number of jobs and the type of jobs that have been identified for our two communities. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Minister.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The mayor of Arviat, Peter Kritaqliluk, has a concern coming from Arviat. He is always involved with the Keewatin leaders meetings. I can also say that the Footprints 2, is supported by the government here. We are in support of what is contained in Footprints 2. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you. The honourable Member for Arviat, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Not only is my clock not working, but my ear phones are not working either. If we can have somebody check out the system? I only had pieces of what you were saying. I am sorry. It was coming in all broken up. I want to make it very clear, and I would like you to state here that what has been agreed to by all parties regarding the decentralized model. The last meeting indicated there was full support by all parties, all signatories, that the decentralized model would go ahead as laid out in Footprints 2.

What we do not know yet is the schedule, which Mr. Todd says, we are going to get next month. I want to make it clear, and I would like you to make it clear that these pending jobs that are going to be transferred into the various communities such as my two communities of Arviat and Baker Lake, that they will not be changed in any way. Thank you.

Thank you. Before we proceed, Mr. O'Brien, do you want a technician to check your ear piece and what else? Mr. O'Brien.