Michael Miltenberger

We believe that this initiative is going to affect with the clarity and efficiencies we think we will realize if the board reform is done properly in whatever the final configuration is should lead to better and stronger support of the community and regional level. We also acknowledge, and from the very start and continue to acknowledge, that as self-government discussions and negotiations continue and as they’re decided, then of course the structures in the regions where these agreements are negotiated will reflect the final content of the self-government agreements.

It’s the model that we’ve moved forward with to this point trying to do the work to prove how it could be done, the impact of it being done. We recognize that it’s going to require significant discussion, which is why we picked April as the milestone date to see and look at the work that’s been done and then decide on any changes that are going to be necessary and on the way forward with the broad issue of board reform.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve laid out the timeline to 2010-11. We have a very intensive amount of work that we’re going to conclude by April. I can commit to the Member that as board reform proceeds past April there will be a very thorough consultation process built in to take forward whatever the final decision is on next steps. Thank you.

We’re back to the fundamental question. If the Legislature decides that board reform is totally off the table for this Assembly and it will be dealt with at a later date by a different Assembly, that’s a very fundamental question. If it’s a question of board reform, but not this type of board reform, then we have to have that discussion about how to best move forward on the broad issue of board reform to not lose sight of that goal as a priority of the 16th Assembly. So this Legislature will be determining the next steps.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to be able to stand up today to recognize a constituent from Fort Smith, my constituency assistant Denise Yuhas, one of the best in the business and the only one from my community here today. Thank you.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I’d be more than happy to let my colleague...(inaudible)...

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, this issue is trying to improve the governance, improve how we deliver the service which would improve the service, we believe, to individual community members. At one time or another every program area has struggled with the governance structure, with deficits, with other issues, with rental arrears, with cost overruns, with those types of things. To say if the system is not broke, why would we want to fix it? The constant concerns we get about health, housing, education are the top three in this...

We’ve laid out the work we’re trying to get concluded by April so that we can have that fulsome discussion about next steps. The issue of the debate over some of these fundamental issues is yet to be had. The debate over and looking at some of the numbers and costs that are tied into some of the broader issues with collective agreements and implementation and the costing have yet to be had. So the assurance to the Member is that we look forward and plan on further consultation and debate on those fundamental issues, recognizing once again that there is going to be, in all probability, regional...

We shared with the Members and we put on the executive website the work plan over the next seven weeks. The work that’s currently underway, a lot of it is going to bring us those figures; the modeling costs, the transition costs, the potential implementation costs, some of the human resource issues. We’ll look at it at that point. Those are legitimate issues that we have to look at and intend to address moving forward. Thank you.

There have been no insinuations. I have stated clearly right from the start, and consistently, that the issue of elected versus appointed has yet to be determined. That the structure that we currently have has a mix and as we move forward with board reform, that would be one of the issues that would have to be debated and decisions made on the most appropriate type of structure. Are there other hybrid models? There’s some appointed seats, there are some guaranteed seats, there’s a number of options out there that have yet to be considered.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This model, the Tlicho model, is not one that’s necessarily one that’s based on ethnicity or having homogeneousness to the population. We recognize that there are unique characteristics in every region. What we’re talking about is a governance structure that has applicability. We believe, where we currently have regional boards of governance now in every region, either one or two, dealing with education and health, we believe that we could integrate the current...use the current board structure, expand the scope and integrate the program delivery oversight into that...