Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion carries.

---Carried

---Applause

Thank you, committee. I have Norman Yakeleya. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for the record in terms of the early childhood development

initiative program, I just wanted to ask the Minister the status of this early childhood development initiative program in the communities or for this government.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I indicated earlier, that is a fund that has sunsetted, that there is one year left, about $500,000 that the federal government has on the table. The territorial portion is sunsetted and it has not been replaced. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The early childhood development initiative program has been doing a lot of good in our communities in the regions, and I had a phone call today about a concern from one of the communities in the Sahtu, and they asked if I would raise this concern. Right now they're scrambling for money, the program is up and has been running, and a lot of hopes were drowned out by not funding this program. This program has done a lot of good in the Sahtu region. It may not have any plans in winding down this program and how it's going to be told to the communities. It's not good; it's not good for us, for our communities and for our children. I got several complaints, several enquiries from Deline and Tulita. They are saying let's do something about this program, it has done a lot of good in our communities. We're talking about healthy living and healthy lifestyles, and it starts with our generation. A lot of good work has been done in this program. So it's something that this government really needs to bring to the attention of the federal government in terms of this kind of programming. They had the budget address on TV and we got some reports on the federal government's address. You know, walk their talk in terms of the early childhood development programs in our communities. They are very important, very key. It's something that a lot of families, a lot of children, a lot of organizations in the communities depend upon. If it's a sunset clause I understand it, and I just hope that in some way this government could work with some of the partnerships that they're looking at forming with regard to some development in the Northwest Territories. They have to put back into some of the resources and infrastructures in the communities with regard to doing business in our communities down the Mackenzie Valley in terms of natural resources that are being taken out of the Northwest Territories, such that these programs are worthwhile and worthwhile fighting for. So I think that the Minister should suggest in any way that they could look at supporting this program and continuing on with the people in the small communities. I think I want to offer that and I will keep bringing this up because it's a worthwhile cause and it's a crying shame, Mr. Minister, that this program here has to be sunsetted.

It's a crying shame, Mr. Minister. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister, did you wish to comment on the Member's concern?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this is a program with two parts. There's a component that Health and Social Services delivered, and there's a component that Education, Culture and Employment delivered. So I'll speak to our part of the program which is sunsetting and which was geared on having home visitors making young mothers aware of how to raise a child, some blocks and things that would help young children with some of their basic skills. The education side dealt more with literacy, language nests and that type of thing.

The hard reality is that it that it's a sunsetted program, and as we looked at the $2.7 million we had to cut and control in our costs, this was one of the areas that was looked at. I would point out, as well, that the 2003-2004 wellness initiatives funding between ourselves and the federal government into the communities which are First Nations and Inuit wellness programs, administered by the Department of Health and Social Services on behalf of the Northern Secretariat, totals $12.4 million. So it's a significant amount of money. This relatively small piece is sunsetted. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I don't think we have anybody else on the list. Mr. Yakeleya, you have a couple minutes left. Do you have another question?

Yes, thank you. I'll see what I can do within one minute and 30 seconds. The hard reality is also that there's the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline coming through the Northwest Territories. Surely the government and the development organizations can look at this worthwhile project in our communities. The hard reality is that this program is going to be sunsetted by the federal government, and the communities have done a lot of good work and our kids are getting into a lot of the issues that we're dealing with right now: tobacco, obesity, diabetes, STDs. Young mothers are having babies and even children are having children. That's the hard reality in our communities. I just want to voice my strong support and passion for this type of program and see somehow if within the life of this government that we could continue something like this. Is there any way of profiling that they could keep a program like this going for the young mothers in our communities? Mothers are getting younger and younger every year. That's all I wanted to say, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Member's concern, but at this point the program has been sunsetted. The federal government has $500,000 left in for the coming year, but then their portion will sunset as well. At this juncture, the budget we have does not include that particular amount of money. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Back to page 6-25, community health programs, operations expense, total operations expense, $61.601 million.

Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have neglected to ask for a breakdown of other expenses in previous pages, but I will not go back if the Minister will commit to providing that to me in writing for the breakdown of other expenses for $4.9 under supplementary health programs. Could I ask for the breakdown of $10.563 million under community health programs, please? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I may offer this to the Member, under supplementary health programs, $200,000 for travel and transportation; $688,000 for contract services; $4.293 million for fees and payments, for a total of $4.983 million. Community health programs, $381,000 for travel and transportation; $347,000 for materials and supplies; $196,000 for purchased services; $6.266 million for contract services; $3.352 million for fees and payments; $16,000 for other expenses; $6,000 for computer hardware and software, for a total of $10.563 million.

Thank you, Mr. Minister, for providing that detail. We will now move to the total operations expense on page 6-25, $61.601 million.

Agreed. Page 6-27, 6-28 and 6-29, community health programs, grants and contributions, contributions, total contributions of $47,524 million.