Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a few opening comments on MACA. I guess a few good things to say. I’ve been impressed with the amount of money that’s going towards youth officer positions and also to the youth. I know Mr. Beaulieu has done a great deal in championing the cause for youth.

The one thing I just want to throw out there, this Youth Development Strategy, I wouldn’t want to see the department, you know, as important as youth is, every community is created differently, obviously, and I don’t know if you’re going to get the desired effect by going to a Youth Development Strategy. I think the money could be better spent going directly into communities where it would have an impact instead of into some consultant’s pocket. So that

would be my suggestion there, is talk to the communities and if you’ve got some extra money that you would be throwing at this Youth Development Strategy, I think, like I said, the money could be better spent directly on going towards community-funded programs, the things that are already working in the communities I think. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel on that. I think there have been lots of studies done and things of that nature. So I’d like to see that happen, but again, kudos to the department for finally taking a serious look at the youth and getting some money there. So that’s good.

On the support for capacity building at the community level, I think the department also has to be commended for the work that they’ve done there. I know it’s early days in trying to get this set up and it’s going to take some time to try to see the fruits of your labour, but you have to start somewhere and I think it’s a good initiative and I think LGANT has to be given all the necessary tools and help that they can in partnership with MACA and I know HR was involved in that too. but we have to do everything we can to try to find some homegrown talent in the communities, you know, to take over senior level positions inside the communities, because people are just coming in there and only staying for a short period of time and leaving and I think we really do need a made in the North solution for that. I think it’s something that’s attainable if you give people the training that’s necessary for them to take over and be successful. I think they will be in time, but again, that is going to take some time.

Another area that I’ve been pleasantly impressed with is the management of the Department of MACA and especially the Building Canada Plan, the rollout of that money. It’s been very well done. There’s been some concern about the back and forth between Regular Members and lists and things like that, but I think for the most part, you know, when you take that plan and it was supposed to be for seven years and it accelerated into a two-year program, I think you guys have to be given some credit for doing that and doing a very good job, in my mind.

So I think I may have some comments, Mr. Chairman, as we go through the detail of the budget, but I think for the most part MACA seems to be doing some pretty good things and juggling a bunch of different areas. So I think the management, again, of that department seems to be pretty sound and I thank the Minister for that, and the deputy minister. Thank you.