Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m not quite ready to join this group hug yet, but I will give credit where credit is due. I’ve been going on with all the other departments about the size of headquarters. One of the first things I noticed with MACA was the reduction of a number of people at headquarters — or positions; I don’t know if they’re vacant. It’s still a good thing to see. I notice the balance between Yellowknife headquarters and the regional area offices is starting to balance out. I think it’s a good thing. MACA should be one of the few departments where it is balanced out.
Where I really have a concern, again, is the number of positions cut in the Beaufort-Delta and, in particular, in Inuvik. They’ve been hit hard. I know there are a few vacant positions; I’m not sure if these were it. I could fight to have every one reinstated. I’ve always said, understanding that reductions are necessary, that we’ll take our fair share. That’s the word there: we’ll take our fair share. We’ve been hit awfully hard; MACA in Inuvik is one of the departments that has been hit fairly hard. My understanding was that it provided services to the communities. I’m not sure what the thinking is on that. If they plan on providing these services to the communities out of headquarters, I can always get to those details later.
As far as some of the training for the communities goes, I notice a lot of folks who come down to Yellowknife for training, and I think that’s something that can be administered or done out of the regional offices. It would save a lot of travel time and travel money bringing them down here. I’ve noticed quite a few, actually. I see the School of Community Government’s gone down a bit. I’m not sure if that’s where MACA was going with this — to have more of the training done at the regional level. If that’s their thinking, then I think that’s a good thing.
Other than that, it’s been said a couple of times before…. And at first to even consider taking out the rec coordinators, after we’ve run a program in the Beaufort-Delta Aurora College for how many years to train recreational leaders, and some good graduates came through there. The person who was doing it out of Inuvik was just a top-notch individual who enjoyed what he did. He did it because he enjoyed it, not because it was a job and he was paid to. To consider taking the positions out in the first place, I think, was very poorly thought out. It goes against what we’ve been saying are our priorities of the 16th Assembly, in particular our youth. I’m glad to see it go back in again, and I think with the resistance you got not only from the Members…. I think the public had a lot to do with this, because it was something that was very near and dear to them. I’m glad it got straightened out, because we had the message out there that youth
are our priority. I think by keeping these folks, we’re actually saying the youth are a priority and we’re going to prove it.
Other than my concern with the positions in the Beaufort-Delta — in particular Inuvik; I know they’ve been hit awfully hard.... I think we lost a Lands person
and some community planner, somebody
who works with the communities. We’ve lost too many people. We’ve got an oil and gas person, I think, who’s on the hook, and yet they continue to add more oil and gas people in Yellowknife. I can’t figure that one out for the life of me. Anyway, I think you’re moving in the right direction, especially with balancing out between headquarters and regional office. I will commend and compliment you on that.
Those are my opening remarks. I probably will have a few questions when we get into the detail.