Thank you, Mr. Aumond. Committee, once again, we’re on page 6-22, activity summary, Municipal and Community Affairs, community operations, grants and contributions, contributions, $200,000. Agreed?

Thank you. Page 6-23. Mr. Krutko.

I just have a question on community operations. I want to just throw a general question out there. Has this department ever considered decentralizing your department and putting more of a focus on a community-based effort by way of a regional operation? It seems like all your positions are at headquarters but I don’t see anything in the regions. But if you’re talking about community operations, if anything, you should be closer to the communities. So I’d just like to know, has that ever been considered by way of restructuring this department so that you’re more community based but, more importantly, closer to the communities either at the regional centres versus at headquarters.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The ones that we have in headquarters are usually support to the regional operation folks. So the bulk of our positions and the bulk of our work is done in the region and these folks here are just support to the regions. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, the reason I raise the question is because I’ve been working on projects in my riding, regardless if it’s looking at shoreline erosion for Aklavik or main street chipseal for Fort McPherson or some sort of youth centre for Aklavik or even an outdoor skating rink, but it seems like that corporate knowledge is no longer at the regional level. I mean, either through retirement and whatnot. But yet a lot of this information is still compiled at headquarters. I think that you have to find a way to improve the relationship between communities and not say, well, sorry, we gave you the money, that’s the end of it; we’ll wipe our hands of you and walk away. For me, you still have a fundamental role to play because you have the corporate knowledge that those communities need so that they have the information so when they consider things such as shoreline erosion, which the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs was responsible for the last time they did any major work on shoreline erosion for Aklavik, that information is still at headquarters.

The same thing in regard to the main street chipseal program for Fort McPherson. Again, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs along with the Department of Transportation did a study in nine communities. Again, that corporate

knowledge is at headquarters. I think we have to find a way of getting that information and getting the resources and the people that have that knowledge or basically have that information. It’s easy to access from the community level and not have to call headquarters or talk to somebody at the regional office who does not know what you’re talking about or has never had the experience or has the knowledge of what happened in the past. I think it’s important and that’s something that has to be considered by headquarters and, more importantly, these positions cannot just simply stay at headquarters. There has to be that process of ensuring that you have dialogue with the communities, with regions and, more importantly, help them build that capacity and, more importantly, have that information so that when they do develop a proposal or whatnot, that the information is there that a lot of money has been spent already so that we don’t have to redo all that research and development all over again. So again, I think the department has to re-look at these positions and, more importantly, find a way to get them closer to communities, especially down to the regional level.

Mr. Chair, we still continue to work closely with the communities. The people at the regional office are usually their first point of contact and they should be able to provide them with all the information they get. I know in some cases copies of particular reports were provided to the regional office, to the communities, but there’s still the first point of contact and they’re working closely with the communities. If they need more information as to what went on in the past, then they’d normally contact community operations in headquarters and they’d be able to provide them with that information. The regional offices are usually the first point of contact and they’re working quite closely with the communities in any… If a community needs assistance, then they would usually call the regional office and they’d do all they can to provide the assistance to the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. We’re on page 6-23, information item, Municipal and Community Affairs, community operations, active positions. Any questions?

Page 6-25. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Just a comment. Committee, we’re on page 6-25, activity summary, Municipal and Community Affairs, School of Community Government, operations expenditure summary, $2.950 million.

Committee agree?

Page 6-26, activity summary, Municipal and Community Affairs, School of Community Government, grants and contributions, contributions, $760,000. Agreed?

Page 6-27, information item, Municipal and Community Affairs, School of Community Government, active positions. Questions?

Page 6-29, activity summary, Municipal and Community Affairs, lands administration, operations expenditure summary. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a question here with regard to the review of the

Property Assessment and Taxation Act. When we discussed business plans I believe there was some information about that, that a comprehensive review was coming at some point in time and that we were doing discreet amendments much closer, I guess, in time. Anyway, if I could get an update on when the minor amendments or discreet amendments are coming forward and when a full review of PATA is coming forward. Thank you.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.