Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, as you heard in my Member's statement, community capacity is important. During my last constituency tour, a number of concerns were raised about Municipal and Community Affairs' role in this area. I would like to ask the Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs if he can explain the role his department has in regard to working with communities in regard to capacity building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA has a different relationship with the local band government than we would have with other governments. Other governments fall under the legislation that defines authority and roles and responsibilities. Local band governments fall under the authority of the federal Indian Act and are the responsibility of the Indian and Northern Development Canada, or INAC. We have nine local band governments in the Northwest Territories, and MACA has a financial agreement with them to deliver municipal services. Beyond these agreements we really have no authority over their governance or their operations in their community. We work closely with INAC and, if there are areas that need to be improved within the band, then we will try to work with the band to help improve some of the areas and help them build capacity as well.
I thank the Member for his answer. Can the Minister please explain how his department works with Dehcho First Nations to help band communities in the Nahendeh riding to ensure the bands are successful in their operations?
MACA has no relationship with the Dehcho First Nations as to the operations of the band within their area. We work directly with INAC, or we will work closely with the local band governments as it relates to the municipal-type services or responsibility that we have an agreement with them to deliver.
Again, I'd like to thank the Minister for his answer. In the past, we've heard about an accountability framework and how it is important to help communities out. Can the Minister please explain how this tool is used to help the communities to achieve success without the government stepping in or entering into a co-management relationship?
We would like to think that the accountability framework tool has been a very valuable tool for not only our department but for community governments as well. It allows us the opportunity to identify any issues that are small before they become big issues and work with the communities to try and resolve these issues. Before we had the accountability framework, unfortunately we ran into a few situations where communities had run into some difficulties and we had to step in later. With the new accountability framework, we believe we have the tools in place to respond to any small issues before they become a big issue, and we have to possibly go in there and comanage with the community.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I thank the Minister for his answer. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is very proud of the new deal direction they have taken. Can the Minister please provide this House with what tools the department gives the communities before implementing this process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member is absolutely correct. We are very proud of the new deal. It's actually been since 2007 now, so it's not so new anymore, but we're very proud of the deal and the responsibility that it's given the communities to prioritize a lot of their initiatives and with the ability they have and the financing they have they can put these to use. The major difference in responsibility is probably the capital planning, and we work closely with the communities to assist them in the application process and the planning process for their capital infrastructure projects. Ultimately at the end of the day the decision is theirs. What we've found, I think, in the past number of years is that the communities have really stepped up and embraced this. The communities are actually getting infrastructure projects done cheaper than it would have been had you stuck a government sticker on there, because you stick a GNWT sticker on there and the price seems to be a little higher. They've been able to get some fairly good deals and finance their own projects. Under the new Gas Tax Agreement, we're also working to implement an asset management strategy for community governments which, for the Dehcho, will help to build off the previous efforts to advance our asset management with the band government. Mr. Speaker, MACA's role now is basically to be a support to the community governments as they try to forward a lot of their own initiatives and priorities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
