Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, the decentralized Nunavut model indicates that health and social services will be transferred to Baker Lake. My question to the Minister is, will the Minister give consideration to transferring the new CEO to Baker Lake for the Keewatin Health Board? Thank you.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, No.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Another detailed answer. Why would the Minister not give consideration to transferring or putting this person's position in Baker Lake when it is indicated in Footprints 2 in decentralized model that is where it is to go. This, in itself, would show support from this government for the decentralized model. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, primarily, first of all because all the senior staff of the regional health and social services board happen to be in Rankin Inlet and I cannot see a CEO operating in one community when all

the other senior staff are in a different community. Secondly, I do not think it is for this government to determine what the policy of the new government will be in respect to health and social services boards, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It should be noted that the people in Baker Lake have no difficulty in accepting the rest of those positions to work with the CEO. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this government, NTI and the federal government have agreed on the decentralized model. I do not think it is the intention that we wait until after 1999 to start putting pieces together. So my question is, will the Minister reconsider this request by the people of Baker Lake to have this position and any others that are necessary to have this operate as a fully functioning operation relocated in Baker Lake? Will you consider fast tracking this request? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a Nunavut politician, I think we all recognize that Mr. Anawak, the Interim Commissioner, has a significant role in outlining what the implementation and establishment of a new Nunavut government are to be. Certainly the honourable Member can forward his wishes to Mr. Anawak and have him respond to it. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Ng is the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, I would then ask him if he would communicate in writing to Mr. Anawak to see if Mr. Anawak is willing to agree to have this issue addressed and to fast track this transfer. Thank you, Mr. Todd.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand the Interim Commissioners' office is due to have their implementation plan to us by the end of March and at that time we can assess what is there and have their comment on proposals and responses to that plan. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Well, some of us believe that certain functions of government are better performed by the private sector. Others, of course, choose not to and that is everybody's personal preference. The reality is we did a pilot project in the Keewatin under the Brookside group and as my honourable colleague, Mr. Picco, from Iqaluit indicated in earlier questions, we are still trying to access the success or failure of that. There is no intent at this stage of the game to go any further than we have in Keewatin unless we have got a success. I am going to check with my deputy minister on what the status is of the evaluation of the Keewatin project. Some of us have got the fortitude and envision, if it is successful, to move forward and do it elsewhere. I suspect quite frankly, it will go no further given the short time we have got left and that it will be left up to the new Nunavut government as it proceeds forward on April 1, 1999.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand through community empowerment hamlets will be taking over housing associations. There is going to be a loss, these properties that privatize. What would happen to the hamlets? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Yes, I think I should point out to my honourable colleague that use of the private sector is not privatizing. We are using the private sector to deliver a service, the use of the private sector to deliver the property management services for staff housing and leased units only. It has got nothing to do with the housing association inventory. In some cases, like Iqaluit I believe, the housing association delivers that service for us. I do not see where there would be any loss in revenue at this time unless there was a specific issue in a specific community that my honourable colleague is alluding to. Thank you.