Agreed.

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 6-13, Community Wellness Programs, I have been contacted by the Yellowknife Metis Council and they have indicated that for the past couple of years they have been attempting to acquire Community Wellness Program funding which apparently goes to the city of Yellowknife. The Metis Council has not apparently received any of this funding whatsoever. They have informed me that if they were in any other community, they would be classified similar to a government because they have the Metis locals. They are wondering if there is any way they can be allocated funding directly without having to go through the City of Yellowknife similar to how other municipal governments receive their funding. As I said, they are looking for an assurance that they will be able to receive money. Could the Minister make some type of commitment to ensure the Yellowknife Metis actually do receive some money and they are not sitting on the outside looking in as they have in the past couple of years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I had indicated that it is page 6-13 under Community Wellness Programs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I cannot make that commitment at this time because of the fact that the Community Wellness Programs here are more specific for organizations and municipalities that are providing direct services in one form or another.

The honourable Member brings up a good point. I know the issue he refers to is the community action plan where we had some discretionary dollars, but that plan, as you know, we took out of commission as a result of some of our budget reduction measures in this current year's budget. Community action plan was a poll that was accessible to communities for a wide variety of general community wellness initiatives, as you know. That fund, unfortunately, is not available anymore. What we do try to do, of course, is stress as much involvement of all aboriginal groups and as broad a base as possible in some of the planning initiatives. For example, in the city of Yellowknife, there is, I understand, on the Yellowknife council working committee on Health and Social Services representation from the Metis Nation as well as other broader groups, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That brings up another problem, the fact that the Metis Nation has been mentioned here as being on this particular group the Minister was referring to. They do not represent the Yellowknife Metis Council or the North Slave Metis Alliance. Apparently, there are some areas of this government that are not recognizing that fact. Other than that, if this money is not for distribution as the past community action plan was, is this already designated for specific groups and programs then?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, firstly I would like to apologize to the Member when I spoke of the Metis Nation. I was incorrect. I have been informed it is the Metis Local involved with the Yellowknife working group, just to clarify that for the record. Mr. Chairman, on the Community Wellness Programs, as I said, it is more for specific programs being offered from organizations. I do not have the specifics for this year yet, but if I can use last year's, for example, some of the groups that have funding under this category, it was NWT Family Services, the Council for Disabled Persons, the Dene Cultural Institute, the Mental Health Association, the Seniors' Society Survivors and CNIB. Those are the organizations that received some form of funding under this category last year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does that mean this money is already designated for specific programs, services or is that money available for people to apply to receive money?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, not all of it but certainly a bulk of it in the respect that from what we understand, some core funding for some of these organizations, and of course, others depending on the level of services being provided through a contribution or a service contract arrangement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does that mean there is a bit of money available then for someone if they have a proposal that they can bring forward and perhaps get some money for a program?