Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that next month's bills will be the last ones on which the surcharge appears. Starting in April, the surcharge will not

appear in communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister or his department make a public statement on this in regard to some press release or something that can go out in the newspaper so people are aware this will be concluded and they will no longer see it on their power bill? Maybe you could give them some comfort.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A press release may have already gone out. However, I will check with the Power Corporation and ensure that one is sent out at the end of the surcharge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding the public hearing process, I mentioned. There are initiatives such as the AADRII Corporation in Fort McPherson where they have found a new way of possibly saving customers money in the long run, bringing down the rates in the communities that make such an effort to try such an initiative. Is there a possibility of these initiatives coming into effect sooner than the present timeframe because of the latest Public Utility Board hearings?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not certain I know how the disease is transported from community-to-community. I have always gone on the assumption that it is dog-to-dog, but I shall have a scientific response for the Member and I will share it with him. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our department has been working with Municipal and Community Affairs and municipal councils in an effort to address the difficulties and the problems that have arisen as a result of what you might call an outbreak. I am not even sure that is an accurate word to use, but part of our problem is we are not clear who is responsible for addressing this problem. In most cases, it is the responsibility taken on by municipalities, but we are down to even quibbling about who is responsible for paying for the shots that have to be administered, where the money should come from and who should be carrying out the vaccinations. I have asked my department to simply take the lead in making sure the job is done and sort out the details of who should be carrying this on as a normal practice and responsibility, later on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. It is in relation to local district education authorities. In Fort Smith a request has been made to the Minister by the band and Metis to look at moving from an elected to a permanent board. This issue also came up in my constituency meeting a while back. I indicated, in my opinion, it was an issue that had to be addressed through the DEA and at the community level, through an extensive consultation process before any further steps could take place. However, I would like the Minister to clarify the process that would be required, if in fact any changes were going to be made to the

board structure? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the first instance, the requirement is that a petition be submitted to myself for consideration. The department and I would review the request and determine whether any further consultation was required. That consultation could be in the form of a plebiscite, a public meeting or resolutions from the DEA. There is no set formula for what the consultation could be. It would depend entirely on the situation of the individual community and our assessment of what would demonstrate there being clear public support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate to this House on the issue of the petition as to how many signatures are required? Is it a percentage of the population? Is it three names? Is it 25 percent of the ratepayers on the electoral list? Could the Minister please elaborate, since it is a critical first step? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the number is 50 names on the petition but I will provide the Member with the correct number if that is not, in fact, the requirement.