Joe Handley

Mr. Speaker, I can assure Members that we have been pressing the Minister for several months now and, as I say, it is the Minister’s discretion, the final decision, I should say, on our nominations as well as nominations from other parties including aboriginal organizations. So he has that final say. Mr. Speaker, in order to resolve this, we recognize the need to have someone and have that position filled. In order to move ahead with this, we have agreed with the federal Minister to give him more names. If he can’t make a decision based on the names we have provided, we will give him more...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents. It was an oversight yesterday, Arlene Hache. I didn’t recognize her yesterday.

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Sorry, Mr. Speaker. That question, again as the Member pointed out, should be redirected to the Minister of Finance. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, certainly the tourist rebate issue is one that will be raised for sure. On the GST, I don’t know if we have raised that one, but I will certainly take it under consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That information is still posted four times a year on the website. I don't think we distribute a paper document anymore, but it is on the website; it's done quarterly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, our Financial Management Board Secretariat has done that kind of analysis department by department. As I said earlier, the biggest cut certainly for any department or program is with the literacy programs. That is a major concern to us.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The assessment of workload is something that is complicated. My assessment is that people are busy. I can tell you personally I don’t end up with a clean desk very often in terms of my role as Premier, as well as Minister for the two departments and the work I do in supporting other Ministers on various projects, whether it’s on some of the hydro initiatives or other projects. Very often I am the one that has to take that final step in terms of pushing something with Ottawa, or with aboriginal governments, or wherever it may be.

Mr. Speaker, I'll continually be looking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say, as well, to add is that we do have other Ministers as well who take on responsibilities to health in the health field, as an example, as well as in other areas. If I look at the responsibilities that are health related out of the Department of Human Resources that Minister Roland, as well as being Minister of Finance, the Minister of Public Works and Services handles. I find that there are nine different areas where Human Resources has taken on some responsibility on recruitment, training programs, bursary programs and so on. But, Mr. Speaker, I will...

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Dent has written a letter to the Minister responsible for literacy programs. That has gone out. Mr. Dent is planning to attend a meeting next week on Tuesday with the same Minister on this issue. A letter is being drafted from myself to the Prime Minister on this issue as well as other issues, and this is certainly being a core piece of that letter. That letter should be going out of here very shortly. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t know. It is always of opinion on whether it is equal. I am sure some Ministers someday feel very overworked and others may feel that, well, we haven’t had a lot of issues in my department or whatever recently. Mr. Speaker, it is as equitable as I can make it right now, in my view. Mr. Speaker, if I take the Minister of ECE’s responsibilities, well, it is ECE, which is a big department and a very important department in our government, as is Health and Social Services, but he also holds the position of Government House Leader. He is also Minister for the Workers’...