Thanks, Madam Chair. I wanted to make a few general comments on the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3 that’s before us this evening. The first one I would just like to make mention of is the size of it. It’s quite sizeable, over $16 million and I know the government is forced to expend some of this money, but it seems to be a rather large number to be dealing with, extraordinary funding for this. The one thing I really wanted to zero in on is the Dogrib Community Services Board and its operation. The fact that it’s been running and operating a deficit for the past five out of seven...

Clause 2.

I can wait for that detail. I am trying to understand it from a budgeting perspective on how it all works. Some departments budget it in a different way too. So if in a year you saw a 10 percent decrease, let’s pray that it happens, in the price of fuel, how is the government going to show that? Are we going to be expecting departments to give back hundreds of thousands of dollars because you didn’t need to spend it on fuel or will you find other places to spend it? That’s all I am getting at, Mr. Chairman.

Bill 17, Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, clause 1.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just an observation. Again, I’m not on the Social Programs committee, but why are we bringing forward so many different amendments on the floor of the House and why isn’t it a much cleaner piece of legislation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The sum of $2.2 million; what period of time does that represent? Does that represent an entire calendar year or a portion of a calendar year? How does that work, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, would like to offer a few brief comments. I am in support of Bill 17, Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, that is before us today. I just wanted to start off by saying that I really do respect and appreciate the views that other Members have on this. Sometimes we are always not going to agree on things. We all have different religious and spiritual beliefs. Those are to be respected. It is a really touchy issue for many people. But for me, when I got elected in 1997, one of the first tests as a new city councillor was to add a proclamation for...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I am in support of Bill 17, but I wanted to ask what seems to me to be an obvious question. Maybe it was asked during the lead up to the bill coming to the House today, but I’m not on the Social Programs committee, so I didn’t get a chance to ask this previously. Why are we proceeding with the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act prior to the Civil Marriage Act being passed in the House of Commons?

---Applause

I just wondered, that’s just an obvious question. I support Bill 17, don’t get me wrong, but I’m asking that obvious question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Menicoche.