Clause 5.

Clause 6.

Clause 7.

Preamble.

Agreed. Thank you. To the bill as a whole, as amended.

Thank you. Does the committee agree that Bill 11 is ready for third reading, as amended?

Thank you. Bill 11 is now ready for third reading, as amended.

Committee, I'm not sure the order that was intended. The Minister's statement is the next thing that your Chair indicated. General comments on the Minister's sessional

statement. Any general comments? If not, does the committee agree that the...Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have three questions on the sessional statement that the Premier addressed to us, with regard to the community capacity building fund. The Premier told the House that the eligibility criteria are designed to create incentives for all governments, whether public or aboriginal, within a community to collaborate in developing and subsequently endorsing the community plan that benefits the community at large. I believe we heard that in many communities that were in the paper, that the governments were not able to achieve consensus on how to spend this money south of the lake and around the lake here. We have, since, heard the Premier say that, at some point, this government may have to just step in and make those decisions.

Mr. Premier, I believe that we're a long way from that, and I believe that it's incumbent on us to provide some help and guidance in this new type of decision-making, first. For too long this government has been making some of these major decisions, and this approach has really supported the communities in terms of making decisions, in terms of this funding. Because we have limited funding, we want to give the communities an opportunity. I know at some point we're going to have to make a decision if communities aren't able to come to a decision, which may be seen that this government is taking back 100 percent control of how communities are going to spend their money.

So I want to ask the question to the Premier, Madam Chair. Is he prepared to make every effort to assist the governments within the communities in their decision-making process, and can we be helpers in this process in helping him make that decision, or, at some point, are we going to have to take control back of that decision-making process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The money in the community capacity building fund is money that's available over a three-year period. The Member is right; that this is a new way of doing government. We listened to people; they said they wanted to have control over their decisions at the community level, and we made that available.

We will help them. We will help them primarily through the MACA staff, but also other staff, if they request it of them to help set their priorities and determine how they may want to invest the money. MACA is also offering to help them, if they need to have a facilitator work with them on determining those priorities. If they are not able to make a decision by April 1, 2006, then we could step in and decide we'll do it the conventional way; we'll set the priorities for them and determine how the money is going to be allocated. But, Madam Chairperson, we don't want to do that. We would sooner let the communities make the decision and we'll act as facilitators. But if someone can't, then, definitely we would just do it the regular way, and we would listen to their needs, and tell them where we're going to put the money.

Can we help? Yes, we can each help, Madam Chair. We can help as MLAs. I believe all Members have a schedule of how much money will be allocated to each of the communities. We can, as MLAs, sit down with our community, talk to them about the criteria -- MACA has made that available -- and ourselves be facilitators on how this money can be spent.

Madam Chair, this is a new way of doing business, so it's new for all of us. But I think it's a responsible way that lets community leaders lead, let's them decide if they want to spend it on a capital project, if they want to spend it on helping to reduce energy consumption, or whatever it may be that's sort of in their control. They can choose anything, as long as it's spent to the benefit of their community. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Chair and thank you, Mr. Premier. Madam Chair, we've been told that we're in discussions with the proponents on the proposed Mackenzie gas pipeline, and that the federal government is to convert workforce housing used in the construction of the project into critically needed housing in our communities. Leaving aside for a moment that this housing might be received by the people in our communities that it is intended for, I wish to ask the Premier just how the feds are involved in this discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe the Member is referring to what we call the Novel housing. Yes, Madam Chair, we are applying, through the Minister responsible for Housing, to the federal government for funding from the federal government to pay for a fairly large portion of this. We don't have a firm commitment from them yet, but the federal Minister responsible for the CMHC is definitely very interested in it. Our ask of the federal government is $90 million, and our application is going forward soon. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My other question to the Premier is, will the NWT Housing Corporation see a change in their funding from CMHC, and what are the financial and other impacts to such a deal with regard to the Housing Corporation in the North, and will there be an impact with regard to other departments, either federal or territorial, if this department goes ahead on the Novel housing through CMHC, Madam Chair?

I have one more question, if you want to do it now.

Sure. Go ahead, Mr Yakeleya.