Mr. Chair, as far as new initiatives and youth go, we’re just continuing to enhance the programs that we already have in place. Obviously, we are always looking at ways we can improve the programs we provide to our youth. Thank you.

Can the Minister elaborate what enhance the existing programs means? Maybe he can list the youth initiative programming that we offer under our strategic plan. Thank you.

We have a number of great programs designed for youth. When I talk about enhancing, I think if there are ways that we can improve on the amount of money that we give them, I think that would go a long way. As far as some of the programs go, we have our youth

contributions, youth centres, youth core and we have a regional youth sporting event. We have a number of great programs that are designed for our youth.

Under strategic planning, I have a particular question. I guess I will have to prompt myself because the Minister said I guess the questions were mine because he didn’t want to answer them twice. Would this be the section to ask about active living for seniors? If not, maybe he could inform me as to what page that I need to ask this question.

Mr. Chair, actually, I think the Member is free to ask questions on any page he chooses. If he chooses to ask them on this page, then I will do my best to try and answer it. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I accept that offer from the Minister. I guess he didn’t mean that I shouldn’t feel sorry for myself because my question wasn’t asked, so I will ask it on this page. What type of application can we involve in getting seniors more active? I suggested it in the opening comments. I was looking for an answer of what type of programming, services we can offer seniors to maybe working with youth. This seems like an area or type of planning, development and research under policy support for the department. We do not offer specific budget line items for seniors in this regard. As I highlighted in my example in my opening comments, I wasn’t specific at the time, but I was referring to the NWT Seniors had received a contribution through the Sport and Rec who gets their funding from MACA, but seniors cannot get support money directly from MACA because there is no programming mandate. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, was there a question or was that just a comment? I don’t believe I heard a question.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins, was there a question embedded in that?

Why?

Mr. Chair, I have all evening too, so I am prepared to answer all the questions that the Member is going to have on every single page that we are reviewing. If I missed an answer in all his questions in my replies to general comments, I apologize. Hopefully we can continue to debate the numbers in the budget and the work that we’re doing. We do try.

We have a number of programs. Get Active NWT is one where through the Sport and Rec. I think it is the NWT Parks and Rec Association where they do a lot of fantastic work. We’ve actually had one group take us up on some funding. We had an Elders in Motion conference here about two weeks ago. It was well attended by folks all across the

NWT. They got a lot of valuable learning tools and a lot of valuable exercise out of there that they can go back to their home communities and use that when they’re working with the elders and seniors in the communities. There was, I believe, close to 100 people taking part in this conference. I thought it was a great example of how we’re using some of the money from the Sport and Rec Association specifically that put this program together. I thought they did a fantastic job.

If there are ways that we can improve how we distribute money or if there are ways we can work with the seniors more closely, I know we welcome any input from all Members of the Assembly. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, just for the record, I don’t take issue with the Minister offering to answer my questions. I more so took issue with telling me not to feel sorry for myself because he didn’t answer my questions.

Specific to the issue at hand, what will it take to get policy initiatives that develop opportunities for seniors to be active in their living? The Elders in Motion sounds like an example of it. How do we make it policy? How do we support it? How do we give it a budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Williams.

Mr. Chair, I appreciate that answer, but one of the problems with that is we don’t have a direct policy for a mandate under a department. How do we get a policy statement by a department where it falls under an activity description that supports seniors and active living? We have one under MACA that truly represents and bolsters the needs that fall under youth and certainly what support the youth need. How do we get one in the Municipal and Community Affairs that supports seniors with dollars? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I can commit to working with committee and receiving some input from them. When we go through the next building business planning process, there’s an opportunity. If committee comes forward with some recommendations, then I will commit to the Member that we will look at that and I will work closely with the Minister responsible for

Seniors in the NWT to see how we can improve our support for active seniors across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Chair, I will accept that as a fine answer. Thank you.

Committee, we are on 6-13, Municipal and Community Affairs, activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $4.395 million.

Thank you. Page 6-14. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under community government, although I don’t need to go back to 13 because it’s just the page here, but it is the break-out of that particular page. Under community government, can the Minister explain how community government at $168,000 is broken out and proscribed?(sic) Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. We’ll go to Ms. Young.

What is the framework of the application-based based on? Thank you.