Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I read every MLA e-mail that comes across my desk. When they come across my desk, I then forward it to the department with an indication of what I hope to see or what I expect to see in a response, recognizing that there are policies and procedures out there.

We do have a five-day turnaround. Sometimes we cannot meet the five-day turnaround based on the complexity; so our protocol requires us to send an update to MLAs saying we need more time. Yes, absolutely, from time to time, given the large number of e-mails that come across my desk from MLAs, sometimes we are late, and I apologize for that, but for the most part, we get within the five days. If we do not get the five days, you do get the heads up.

Sometimes e-mails come back after I have given direction, and they say what I expect they are going to say and provide the supports we need. In those situations, I will send those e-mails, and I do send those e-mails out on my own behalf for the most part. There are times when the MLAs' requests come back and what I see from the department is, in my mind, completely unacceptable. It does not answer to the question, it does not even come close to answering the question, or it is just, frankly, too policy-based without any compassion. I do send those back, Mr. Chair, on a regular basis, looking for more. As they became more familiar with me over the last couple of years, I find that a lot more of the e-mails are coming that are more in kind or in keeping with what I hope to see from the department in responding to the MLAs. We need a compassionate system here, Mr. Chair. That is what we are trying to do.

I do take the Member's point, and I said this earlier: the input we are getting from the MLAs from their constituents actually helps inform change within the system. If we do get something over and over and over again, it does ask the question: is there something wrong with the policy? Is the policy right? Is it time for a review? Is it time for a change? Some of those questions that come on a regular basis do result in real change in programs and policies within this government. Thank you, Mr. Chair.