Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just was kind of curious about this program initiative, too. Assuming that we live on the highway, plus at the same time of course there are needed resources at the local level. So if not the success of this program being application-based and making it available for community governments to access at least some supplementary funds to at least keep their operations going in terms of providing ground ambulances, especially for communities along the highway. If the application base is not working, not succeeding, is the department considering perhaps a program initiative? This is a vital and critical need in terms of ensuring that, you know, we have a mode of transportation for people that would travel on the highway or else in the local community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, and that's part of the work we did when we did the review. One of the challenges that we face in the communities is that they may want the equipment that they need, but there's some training capacity. They need some training. There was also a liability issue. We've actually had a community sell an ambulance that they had bought, when they realized there was a huge liability without the proper training. We've tried to make training available through the School of Community Government. I think in conjunction with DOT, we've made some training available to help build up the capacity so people can be first responders.

The review was done, and communities came to realize that there was a liability in trying to provide ground ambulance or highway rescue services without the proper training, so we continue to address that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This has been an ongoing initiative for some time. I understood that there was some inter-department cooperation involving another department that's culminated in this program initiative and its application base. Surely we've identified the challenges, namely the capacity issue and the need for training, at the same time, liability issues.

What is the department doing to at least mitigate those challenges, to ensure that the ground ambulances are made available, at least the resources, at the local level? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the department, as I said before, has done some community-based first responder training to -- we want to improve the capacity of our staff and volunteers; and then also a web-based tool kit to help communities recruit and train volunteer first responders. Then we have the, we had the, work that was just done, and they identified some challenges that we're facing. I mean, I can assure the Member and all Members, actually, that we recognize that this is a service that's required by some communities, but then we also respect the communities' desire to have more training so that they can be first responders without the liability.

There are opportunities for communities through some of the funding that they receive from the department, along with applying for the pot of funding here, the $185,000 pot of funding, to help them with some of their capital costs that they may require to provide this service. The big one is to build the capacity so they can be first responders. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is concerning that there's a reduction from $400,000 to $185,000. What is the long-term vision that the department has in terms of providing the services to local governments? At the same time, what are some immediate priorities to make those funds are publicly known and ensure that communities can access them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the communities are aware of the money that's available through this particular grant and contribution. They are aware of the funding. The long-term goal is to see as many communities that may be on the highway system, or any community for that matter, have the capacity, the training and the equipment they need to provide this service. We will work with them.

If we come to a point where we have to come back to the Assembly to enhance the pot because we have more people that are trained up and more communities that are wanting to access this money, then it's something that we will consider at the appropriate time. Right now the communities recognize that they have some challenges, and we're helping them to try and address those challenges. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Next, Mr. Thompson. Sorry, Mr. McNeely.

No, I didn't have my hand up there, Mr. Chair.

Well, perhaps it's Mr. Testart then. Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just had questions for the consumer affairs division. Are we on page 334 or still on -- no? Okay. I'll wait. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just in regards to following up with Mr. Nadli's questions, I guess there was a struggle I'm trying to understand. There's who owns or who is responsible for what. So ground transportation and highway rescue, is MACA's responsibility, DPW's responsibility - or Department of Transportation's responsibility, or Health and Social Services' responsibility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we did have a joint committee including all the departments that the Member referenced, and I think it was determined that it wasn't legislated in any one of the departments, so that was part of the work that we did on the report and now we are hoping to try and address these issues. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess I might have missed something, but what report is the Minister talking about and referencing? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.