Is the committee agreed?

Department of Health and Social Services, appropriation authority required: $27,562,000.

Health and Social Services, $27,562,000 approved.

Health and Social Services, appropriation authority required: $76,349,000.

Health and Social Services, $76,349,000 approved.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize two pages in the House from my constituency, Brooke Edwards and Steve Gruben, who are from Aklavik and who are here this week. I’d like to thank them for coming, and I hope they enjoy their stay. Mahsi.

We are on the Department of Public Works and Services, page 6, appropriation authority required: $6 million. Mr. Ramsay.

The Minister Responsible for the FMBS, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Speaker, also in one case the project was deferred until we went through a line item with the Premier in regard to an appropriation in which certain items were withdrawn from the budget because they weren’t classified as urgent.

I’d just like to ask the Premier: if they’re not classified as urgent, why are government departments putting out contracts, and yet we’re deferring projects in our budget process?

Department of Public Works and Services, appropriation authority required: $6,534,000. Ms. Bisaro.

Page 4. Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that there have been some tenders let in the Mackenzie Delta region. Yet some of these items haven’t even been approved by this House. In one case, it was deferred ’til the May-June session. Mr. Speaker, also part of those tendering documents called for materials to be delivered in 2009.

I’d like to ask the Premier: are we spending money in this fiscal year which hasn’t been budgeted for in this House? Also, why is it that we are allocating contracts for next year, which is April 2009, when we’re not even to April 2008 yet?