We’ll have to start calling you Mr. Bisaro, I think.

I thank you for the answer. I guess, since it is my understanding that the government at this point can add funds into the budget, or can add items to the budget, I am wondering why the Minister wouldn’t consider a motion to amend the Mains to add those federal dollars into this ’08–09 budget.

Thank you,

Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. That is something we need to look at. It is part of the process of going through the Main Estimates. Certainly we’ll take that into account.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman. The

request by MLA Krutko on the distribution of the money for Community Justice committees and then the response from Minister Lafferty on the federal funding…. I was wondering if it would be possible to indicate that, also in addition to the request from Mr. Krutko, if the federal money, once they have determined where it is going to go…. I am assuming they already know, since they made the cut. In accordance with that, I would like to have the federal funds incorporated into Mr. Krutko’s request also.

Thank you,

Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I believe that we can certainly provide that information that we have at our disposal.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Bromley.

Page 7-37, Community Justice and Corrections, Activity Summary, Grants and Contributions. Agreed?

Department of Justice, Activity Summary,

Community Justice and Corrections, Grants and Contributions, Contributions: $2.061 million approved.

Page 7-38,

information item, Department of Justice, Community Justice and Corrections, Active Positions. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman. The

same line of questioning on this from me, as I am still not clear on how the positions, the PYs, are being reported. I just want clarification on why there are only nine positions in headquarters Yellowknife, and 136 positions in the region, and also 69 positions in the Fort Smith region. I am trying to

determine if the department is counting these positions by where the individual is located or if it is a question of function.

Thank you,

Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. These positions that are highlighted here are based on each region’s…. The corrections or programs that are being delivered. It is not necessarily a headquarters position, but those are positions like Hay River, the South Slave Corrections. Those are the positions that are in that riding.

My understanding of reporting PYs is that it is supposed to be by function. I am just trying to determine if all of government reports PYs the same way, or if some departments choose to report PYs in different manners. My understanding is that the North Slave region just happens to be where the location of the corrections facilty is. Also, the Fort Smith region happens to be the location of the other corrections facility, which is based in Hay River. But that is not exclusively responsible for working in the South Slave region or the Forth Smith region only. The North Slave Correctional Centre is not only servicing North Slave.

My understanding is that a regional position works in the region and for the region, but if these positions are providing services to the whole territory, it should be recorded as a headquarters position. It skews the way we view whether or not cuts are being done in the region or headquarters, or whatnot. Again, going back to the comment made by the Minister yesterday that 80 per cent of their positions are in the region…. They may actually be located in them, but I think that it is a headquarters function. I am just trying to get more of an explanation on why these are considered regional positions.

Thank you,

Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Cooper.

Certainly for our Justice Department we can give a breakdown of how these positions are located and where they’re located, the regions versus the headquarters. We will be more than happy to give a breakdown in writing to the Members.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Chair, I seek unanimous consent to go back to 7-37, please.

Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Chair, the information that’s been distributed from the Minister…. I notice the money is distributed based on per capita. We’re always pounding on Ottawa’s door and saying that per capita doesn’t work for us in the Northwest Territories and we have to change that system. I’m wondering: have you ever looked at base-plus funding for these programs? Everybody realizes that any program, no matter what it is, always has up-front costs — administration costs, overhead costs — that we have to look at. In this case I’d just like to know: has it ever been looked at to have some sort of base-plus funding for these types of

funds? We’re contributing to community organizations in the area of Justice. We realize that there is an administration cost associated with these organizations. I’d just like to ask: has that been thought of or considered — how these dollars are evaluated?

Minister Lafferty.

Mr. Chair, that is certainly highlighted. We’ve already initiated with other departments and also with the federal government, so I think we are slowly moving in that direction. When we talk about per capita funding, that’s before us. So certainly the Member’s comments are taken into consideration. I think that’s an avenue that we need to explore with our Justice department and with other departments as well.

Interjection.

I’ve just been informed that we do have base funding as well. But certainly, Mr. Chair, we will explore that area. It’s all based on the needs of the communities, so we’ll do what we can as a department to work with the Members and figure out what are the best options, what we’ve been providing for the past few years and how we can improve in that area. Certainly we’ll be open to discussion in that area. Mahsi.