Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think I heard a concern about accountability in the Member's comments. How is the community now accountable for that funding, once they get a block funding agreement, since they do not come back to the House with that detail?

It is probably fair to point out, accountability does shift to the community level. When block funded communities, which are taxed-based go out for capital projects, we are not providing them with 100 percent of the funding often that is required for those projects. They are frequently going out to borrow to finance the other portion that is required. In doing so they go to the rate payers for approval. Often these money bylaws are voted on in a plebiscite. There is some very direct accountability to the residents of that community for how their council plans to spend the block funded money they received from our department. There is still accountability directly to those ratepayers. If the ratepayers think that the project the municipality is proposing, is not one they wish to support, they certainly can defeat that plebiscite and therefore, the approval of the bylaw. There are checks and balances and it would be wrong for us to leave an impression with you that once this block funded money is voted, there is no longer any accountability and the municipality can go off and build whatever they like. In reality it just does not work that way. Their capital budgets are brought forward for review through a finance committee of their council. They are voted and discussed in their municipal councils in a very public forum. If there is a requirement for borrowing to supplement the funding, that is provided through the block funding agreement, which is done through a plebiscite and voted on by the ratepayers in the community. I would like to end there by saying although that detail does not appear here, it certainly is accounted for at the community level, by the community residents, directly to their council. I hope that is helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.