Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I agree that there is no time to slow down in utilizing interpreters and translators. I do not think we are promoting that. What we are saying is, the employees of the government who are interpreters/translators, will not be providing a service in kind to non-government organizations, they will be travelling less.

Through this testing and licensing program, that we would like to introduce as a non-government body, we would be encouraging private sector of the interpreters/translators be utilized everywhere as much as possible, because there is a need out there. It has already been identified to us, the government, do not stop the interpreting service to other organizations or companies, or the private sector, because we need them. Therefore, with these private interpreters/translators as a business, they will then be able to be tested and licensed as qualified interpreters through, if it is necessary, our training programs. As long as they are tested and recognized by professional interpreters/translators, and some might be from the private sector, nonetheless we are not trying to reduce the level of service, or availability of interpreters/translators.

What we are saying is that government employees, not the private sector -- we are still encouraging that profession to expand. Mr. Antoine, I am open to a discussion on that one. I will probably will need a lot of input on how best to maximize that, and at the same time respecting the financial restraints.

In the area of standardization of the writing system, I specifically said the writing system, not the oral tradition. I said yesterday, I for one, will not condone, or put up with this idea of standardizing oral traditions, oral language, or any kind of dialect, whether you are in Grise Fiord or Sanikiluaq. Our dialectic differences are all so different, they are colourful, and they are very nice. I do not want that to be somehow dissolved into something else, through time.

However, standardization of the writing system is important because you can then use the same keyboard operators to be able to utilize both dialectics, because even if, I am not an expert on the Grise Fiord dialect, for example, I know how to write their writing system, then I will be able to do some service for them according to the way it was presented to me. It is only the writing system that I am talking about in standardization of the Dene writing system, not in the oral tradition at all. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.