Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In my Member’s statement I mentioned two questions, which I’d like to ask the Minister at this time. I stated that the emergency planning coordinator position at MACA is an affected position. Assuming that the position is removed, I’d like to ask the Minister who will provide assistance to the communities in them preparing emergency preparedness plans.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The responsibility for preparing community response plans in emergency situations lies with the community governments, and that will continue.
Assuming that the capacity of local governments remains as it is — it tends to be quite stretched, I guess would be a good word — I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but at the moment the local governments do have the assistance of the emergency planning coordinator. If that position is gone, they’ll be left on their own. Is the government planning to provide any assistance to community governments to help them get these plans done, which should be an important part of their local government planning?
We will continue to provide assistance with community emergency plans. Most communities do them on their own right now. We provide a lot of support through our territorial emergency planning coordinator and will continue to do so.
The other question I asked was: who is going to assist the communities to access federal dollars to help to refurbish the communities’ and/or residents’ homes if there is, for instance, a flood or forest fire which creates damage to infrastructure within the community?
That responsibility will continue to lie with the community governments. We will provide support through our regional superintendents and our territorial emergency coordinator.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
I appreciate that regional offices will be providing some assistance. I suggest that’s probably not going to be enough. I’d like to know whether or not the department is going to be monitoring the situation should the emergency planning coordinator position not be there after this budget. I’d like to know if the department is going to be monitoring the situation and evaluating whether or not the communities are able to do these jobs on their own or if things are going to be falling through the cracks.
We’ll continue with business as usual. We monitor the situation now with all the communities in terms of where they are with their emergency planning and support that they require and request. We will continue to do so.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Oral questions, the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.
