Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for that answer. I'm looking forward to seeing this opportunity to help these communities, hopefully so we don't have to do co-management in the future. So I thank you. That's no more further questions.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Would the Minister like to respond?

No. No, thank you, Mr. Chair, just that we'll keep committee updated as to the work we're doing as we go forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just under the community government funding with the formula funding, a couple, well, one of the communities anyway, in my riding, Tsiigehtchic, is under the impression that there's a cut to the actual core funding there. I want to verify that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there will be no reductions to community funding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to make sure communities are aware of that because I just got a couple e-mails saying that, you know, they are making some, taking some measures to fit with their reductions, so thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I can assure the Member that there will be no reductions. I think we have regional staff going into the Member's community next week to work with the community. I just want to assure Members that our Premier has stated, I think before the NWTAC, that there was going to be no reductions to community funding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, and I hope that included capital, as well. I know there are plans on reducing that, as well. I'll bring that up later on in the pages here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Further comments, questions on page 339 through 340? Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Further to community government funding, I'm wondering if the department -- well, first of all, I want to commend the department in their efforts, along with NWTAC and the communities and community governments and a number of individuals that were involved in a group that took the time to assess the communities' infrastructure gaps and needs for further formula funding. I appreciate that. I also appreciate the government's two per cent increase with regard to this pot of funding.

I'm just wondering if the department can maybe speak a little bit around the communities' ability to use these funds for the purposes of borrowing to help reduce their infrastructure gaps. There is, you know, interest rates are at an all-time low but, yet, these infrastructure gaps are at an all-time high. Maybe this is a time in which communities can and should be encouraged to some degree to use borrowing as a mechanism to help reduce their infrastructure gap.

Can the department explain about how these funds might be able to be leveraged? Can they be used for down payments and/or payments, in fact? Does the government have the ability to provide guarantees on these types of thing? And is this a time in which we could potentially use these funds for borrowing to help reduce that gap? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have borrowing regulations that establish the limit that they can borrow. They can use the dollars that we provide to them to leverage -- we actually have a couple of communities that have borrowed money to help with their infrastructure. Using the money that we give them in CPI funding to pay off the loan, they were able to put a project on the ground probably a little quicker than they would have if they had to wait and save up their money to put this particular project on the ground. We have had a few communities take us up on that. MACA works with them to give them advice and help them through the process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Vanthuyne.

That is it on that matter. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. No one further on my list for page 339. Comments or questions on page 341, regional operations, active positions?

Seeing no comments or questions, we will return to page 338 with the operations expenditure summary. Questions on page 338, operations expenditure summary for regional operations? Seeing no questions, I will call the page. Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $84,842,000. Agreed?

Committee agrees. We will now move on to School of Community Government. The activity total is page 343. We will first discuss information items starting on page 344. Grants, contributions and transfers under School of Community Government. Questions on page 344? Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just briefly, I know it is paid programs under the School of Community Government. Does the community have to request it, or does the department just come in and -- especially when we have new councils. Many new councilors don't really know the role of the council. Is it requested, or do you just come in and provide that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister.