Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the main difference would be the communities would like to be able to make some of the trade-offs between departmental budgets that right now are very difficult for us to make after the budget is already approved. For example, if a community decided its priority was for a classroom extension, for example, and it was prepared to defer the construction of a garage or an upgrade to a road in order to get that classroom extension, what the Keewatin mayors are talking about is having the flexibility to be able to make that kind of decision at a local level. That is not a flexibility that communities currently have. What we are really doing with the proposal is trying to figure out a way that we could give them that kind of input while still preserving the ability of the House to vote the budget and for there to be full disclosure in the House as to what it is that communities want to build. We are really struggling to find a way in tough times to give communities some very meaningful input into what their priorities are. The difference would be communities would have an earlier opportunity to suggest those kinds of trade-offs and because they would be block funded for all of their capital they would be able to make those trade-offs in a way that is extremely difficult for us to do now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Ballantyne on Committee Motion 10-13(5): To Approve The Estimates For Community Monitoring And Evaluation Activity, Maca
In the Legislative Assembly on February 9th, 1998. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 10-13(5): To Approve The Estimates For Community Monitoring And Evaluation Activity, Maca
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 8th, 1998
Page 666
Ballantyne
See context to find out what was said next.