Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, like my colleagues, I would like to talk about the proposed board reform and its potential impacts at the community level. The residents of Tu Nedhe are concerned that the new administrative process associated with board reform will create a new state of confusion at the community level. Also, we will see a loss of authority at the community level. Included in this is a loss of decision-making, which is a critical component in managing these areas. The consideration and evaluation of important community factors and other equally important intangibles can only be made possible by those living in the community.
The amalgamation of these boards into a regional board will create a loss of focus and expertise in each of the three areas of housing, health, and education. As an example, housing allocations; will the proposed regional boards result in housing allocations being made outside the community or will it mean that the local housing staff will now be taking on additional responsibilities, including making the important unit allocation decisions themselves? Does this mean new and revised job descriptions? Would this mean new positions? Would this mean a raise in pay? Does this mean all housing association and authority staff will now become GNWT staff?
Another example could be medical travel; an activity that hits close to home and an activity that has personal and economic impact on many families in our smaller communities. How will this be impacted by the new board reforms? There is a danger that regional boards will be more concerned with the bottom line than the welfare of individuals when making medical travel decisions.
Probably the most important concern with the amalgamation of the various boards into the regional, all-inclusive board is combining different mandates. In other words, the mandate of education is to increase the viability of an individual to provide opportunities for improving one’s skills and abilities and to do so over an extended period of time. On the other hand, the mandates of housing and health are primarily concerned with addressing serious and almost always immediate concerns and the basic necessities of life, personal health, and shelter issues.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Amalgamation of these mandates will not only result in a loss of expertise in these areas, but there is a danger that one will take precedence over the other. This is not good when all three are critical and must be treated as top priorities. All of these must be examined thoroughly and carefully, and due consideration must be given to those that will be directly impacted by this proposed change.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
