Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on the Premier’s statement earlier today and Mr. Menicoche’s statement. I appreciated those.

In this Assembly and throughout the community, we often hear the happy news of awards being conferred upon citizens who are selected for individual distinction. Acceptance remarks of people receiving these awards are so similar they’ve almost become standard phrases in our language. They usually say something like “I’d like to thank all those who made this possible.”

The awards themselves are important. I believe strongly in saying thank you to the people and...

That’s all I had on this page. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the education system reform or review was mentioned on this page and I’m wondering, if there was a budget for that on this page, what is the amount?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize Weledeh residents. First of all, Barb Hood. Thanks for all the great work she does. Also, Anthony W.J. Whitford. I’d also like to recognize former Premier Jim Antoine. Also, I would like to mention Loretta and Dick Abernethy, who are long-time but not quite current residents of Weledeh, and I believe they are both awesome as well.

Presumably they used to cover that from their own funds and they did their own thing. Are the chargebacks, do we know, covering these new costs as we take them over, or are we having to fill in a bit? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions follow up on my Member’s statement earlier today with questions to the Minister of Finance. Obviously, not every employee travels. The $7,000 per person is an average travel cost across the entire government, but for every employee who never travels, there is another average employee spending double that, or $14,000, and every one of them has a boss who is signing a travel authorization.

Does the process for putting forward an approval request for travel include the requirement to demonstrate that alternatives to travel have been considered and found...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to just ask a little bit about our TSC services for authorities. I noticed that this division provides services to the Deh Cho, Sahtu, and Stanton Territorial Health Authorities. First of all, how long have we provided that service to them? Thank you.

I have no problem with necessary travel adding to an employee’s travel point collection, but how are we sure a travel decision isn’t influenced by travel points rewards?

Perhaps there are lessons here for all departments. Video conferences and teleconferences are not the same as meetings in person, but at $7,000 in travel per employee across the entire government, I know that every travel authorization is not being critically reviewed before signing off. I will have questions for the Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A quick question on contract services. I see it’s up about 30 percent this year. Am I right in thinking that might be related to building demolitions or is there any explanation that the Minister can provide for that leap in contract service expenditures?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to see all these students out here today in pink, and for those of us who caught the flash mob, we realize we’re in the presence of a bunch of great dancers, both students and teachers. Mahsi.

---Applause

During this budget review, I’ve been examining the startling figures for travel by GNWT departmental employees. For example, Aboriginal Affairs will spend over $13,000 per employee for travel in ‘13-14, or $520,000, over half a million for 39 workers. MACA anticipates $18,000 per employee, over $2 million for 115 employees. ENR projects $2.5 million in travel...