In reducing expenditures, we took care to minimize the impact on services to the public. We looked to internal efficiencies and then to areas where the impact would only be felt within the government itself. After that, we looked at where we could reduce service levels or program support that would have minimal impact on the public. However, public impacts will be felt. It is simply not possible to reduce government spending by $40 million over two years and not have some impact on public services.

Mr. Speaker, there are many unmet social needs in each of our communities and sectors of our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 19, Appropriation Act, 2005-2006, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I support the idea of looking at how we attack the budget process cycle, planning, whatever we call it. At the same time, we have to realize that some of these actions also require a lot of initiative and workforce to refocus what they’re doing and come up with the numbers that we’d want as Members. Unfortunately, it does take, sometimes, a long time to turn things around. Again, there’s to and fro back in the House. Some plans are good, some things are changed. But we’re willing to sit down and try to work things through and come up with a way that we can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware that the federal government has formulated a draft terms of reference. They haven’t been finalized as I am aware, at least I don’t have a copy of those. We are plugged in, in a sense, through federal Finance. Once we have that and we are able, from federal Finance, to share those, I would gladly share with Members of this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the decision to go ahead on the panel was moved by the federal government, we were asked to supply names to the federal government. We put forward names, along with the Yukon and Nunavut, on the formula financing side. We haven’t had confirmation as to the names on that side, that would be plugged in. But from the other side of it, as a government, we will continue to make sure whether it is going to be to the panel as a government or sending our staff to make sure that they are very aware of how we think the formula should work and the impacts...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am one of the Members and I have had a fair bit of history with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Quite a number of years ago, we went through the exercise of huge reductions. For example, we got rid of the Department of Personnel and told departments at that time they would have to fund from within and find a way to take care of human resources within their own department. We realize now by being disjointed in that fashion that that is not working. We are not meeting the needs of our own staff, as well as those who would come to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is what we are going to do now, go back and review our situation, how things have unfolded to this date and look at what we need to do to strengthen our position. It is timely that we do a review of these agreements, but we have to do this in a comprehensive way to make sure the avenue we choose, the road we go down is something that will be supported by this Assembly. We do have to look at what’s left for the future. We know the non-renewable resource industry, at some time an operation will close down because it has used all the material there. So as a government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the first thing is for us is to see if there is a possibility of getting another deal through our receiver to take care of the Sirius operation, that facility, and see if we can keep it as a going concern. Secondly, as I stated publicly, as a government, we are going to have to review what options we have to try to strengthen our position with the dealings we have with the mining companies. In some cases, we may have better agreements in place. But for this specific one, unfortunately, from the FMBS side, our involvement through the receiver trying to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member referenced 2000-01; so looking at the year we are in now, I think we have done significantly better in attracting people to those positions. Where required, and if it is of urgent nature that we have to deal with. We will look outside of our systems, but, again, we have to remind ourselves that we are in a fiscal situation. We have to be careful with how we spend our money, and we are doing the best with what we have available to us. From time to time, if required, we will look at hiring outside of the government service. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this year we have approximately four positions vacant in the Audit Bureau. Thank you.