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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After creating a firestorm of opposition with earlier proposals on board reform, a government committee has returned with new ideas.

Michael Miltenberger, chair of the Refocusing Government Committee, said a new package of proposals went to cabinet on Friday.

Miltenberger, the minister of finance, said it is still possible that the number of boards may be reduced, although he said there is no target number contained in the new ideas.

The Refocusing Government Committee had earlier suggested the 70 existing boards overseeing health, housing and education around the NWT be consolidated into seven.

"We're readjusting," Miltenberger said, adding many people thought the original idea was too extreme.

That included regular MLAs who voted in February for cabinet to shelve that ambitious reform plan, go back to the drawing board and come up with a more consultative method to improve efficiencies in service delivery.

"We want to move ahead with board reform," said Miltenberger.

The new plan will be going to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning and then to the general public for feedback, likely later this month.

Miltenberger said the goal of board reform is to create a more efficient and cost-effective system.

"There are a number of efficiencies we think can be implemented," he said.

The new package of ideas will offer suggested next steps, he said, although he declined to go into detail about what those steps might be until the Priorities and Planning Committee is briefed.

However, he said, in general, the ideas include such things as eliminating red tape, improving consistency among boards and changing structures.

The subject of board reform came up when Miltenberger appeared at a special meeting of Hay River Town Council on Thursday.

"We think we have to keep going," the minister said when asked where the concept stood at the moment.

Noting changes would probably save money, Councillor Pat Burnstad asked, "But what does it do to services?"

Miltenberger said the goal of any restructuring would be to make boards more effective.

The original proposals for board change were opposed by a variety of interest groups, such as Catholic parents and students in Yellowknife who turned out in force at the legislative assembly in February.

In all, about 800 concerned residents showed up at the legislative assembly to watch as regular MLAs demanded that the government reconsider the ideas. There were so many people that they could not all get into the public gallery at the same time.

Regular MLAs passed a motion calling for a reconsideration of the proposals by a vote of 11-0, with all cabinet ministers abstaining.