I’ll leave it at that and just say I suspect that the answer is no, or people would be doing that more and that’s why there is such a thing as LICs. But again, we’re talking about the cost of living here and we’re talking about people leaving the North faster than people are arriving in the North. So, I just hope there would be some consideration given to this as a priority to help deal with the real cost of living in the North. That’s all I had, just a comment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. We’ll deal with that last statement as a comment. Committee, we’re on page 363, Municipal and Community Affairs, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $3.915 million. Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up on the local improvement charge. It is allowable, for instance, in the city of Yellowknife to have a local improvement charge on a property for sidewalks for instance. So why is it different, then, for renewable improvement? Thanks.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Schauerte.

Thanks to Mr. Schauerte. I look forward to that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Again, committee, we’re on page 363, Municipal and Community Affairs, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $3.915 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Page 364, directorate, grants, contributions and transfers, total grants and contributions, $470,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Page 365, directorate, active positions, information item. Any questions?

Seeing none. Committee, page 367, lands administration, operations expenditure summary. Any questions?

Committee, page 369, public safety, operations expenditure summary. Ms. Bisaro.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have questions about two things here. I did warn the Minister in my opening comments. I want to know where we’re at with the 911. Are we moving forward at all, or are we simply going sideways or backwards? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A considerable amount of work has been done on this. I think we have requested some time with committee to provide them an update as to some of the work that we’re doing. Thank you.

Thank you. A briefing would be good. So, I guess, is there going to be anything concrete happening in the 17th Assembly? Thanks.

As I was saying before, we have done a lot of work. We’re looking for some feedback from committee and then I think the contractor has done a lot of good work for us. My understanding is these are all complete and we will have some time with committee to get some feedback from committee and, after that, make a determination if it’s feasible to try and implement this during the life of the 17th . There would be some

money attached to it, obviously. It more than likely will be a transition issue, but the work is completed and we will provide committee with an update. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I will wait anxiously to hear what’s coming in that briefing.

My other question here has to do with the ground ambulance and highway rescue situation. As I understand it, the Minister mentioned in his opening remarks the funding of $400,000 to enhance community capacity in this area. I would like to know…and I think on page 370 I believe it’s mentioned. Yes, it is. I hope, Mr. Chair, I can reference a number that’s on page 370 that also goes to page 369. The ground ambulance and highway rescue is set at $400,000. It’s been that, the same as last year. There was an increase from 2013-14, which I was glad to see, but it’s still a minimal amount of money in terms of what the communities are required to do in terms of ground ambulance and highway rescue.

Can I ask the Minister, first of all, is there any plan to increase the amount in ’16-17? Because I think $400,000 is certainly not enough money. Secondly, there was some work that was done around this program and the criteria for municipalities to get this money, I believe, was an application-based process before. Is it still the same? Do communities have to apply, or is this funding that goes to a community to help them? Hay River, Yellowknife, Simpson, for instance, to help them deal with emergencies on the highway?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I’ll allow the continuance of questioning. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it was maybe last year or the year before, we did have a bit of an increase in this fund. I think we’re up to $400,000 now, as the Member mentioned. It’s fully subscribed to. We have a number of communities that are taking us up on this. It could help with equipment. However, I think the communities’ priority is to provide training, and I think we’ve been working with Transportation to provide some first responder training.

It is a program that is fully subscribed to and we are making some progress on this again. There are options there to help the communities with equipment if need be.