Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to make a few comments on page 18 regarding employment development and income support co-ordination as well as the Arctic College section of the report.
In the last two paragraphs of the report it states consideration should be given to the establishment of a department of education and employment. I was under the assumption that there already is a department of this nature. I want to raise the point that I do not see where or how -- when we are talking about reducing or consolidating departments -- or why there would be a need to create another department for this matter.
I also wonder why we have advanced education as well as Arctic College. In my mind, these two areas should be one and the same. The matter of Arctic College and the way they are spending their funding makes me uncertain as to what direction they are taking at this point. I am not sure of the mandate for Arctic College, nor am I sure about the mandate for advanced education.
I would like to point out, for example, the manner in which Arctic College appears to be spending their funding. This is the Keewatin teacher education program which is being held in the Keewatin right now. From what I understand, Arctic College is planning to take the students from the Keewatin for the summer and send them to Iqaluit for a period of four to six weeks. Now, that is going to cost Arctic College the number of students there are in Keewatin times the air fare to Iqaluit from each of those communities, and they will be instructed by how many instructors I am not sure, but if it is two or three, then is it not more cost efficient to bring the instructors from Iqaluit to the Keewatin communities? I am not certain, either, of how the government funds Arctic College at this point, but I think to have this type of spending by Arctic College when we are in a time of restraint is not right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.