Mr. Chairman, yes. I am prepared to do that if it is requested, immediately. Thank you.

Mr. Koe. Just on that point, I was going to ask for that, because he has made several references to that, and I do not have them, but, yes, we might need it for historical memento. For future witnesses, maybe this Committee Chair can ask, before they sit, for the Ministers to provide us with copies of their opening remarks. Mahsi.

For future, Mr. Minister, we ask you to supply your ministerial statements, opening remarks to the Members especially when we are discussing the items on the statement. Okay?

Mr. Chairman, I understand that is not the tradition of this House, to give out opening remarks at the committee of the whole unless it is requested, that is exactly what I did. It was requested, and I could give them out. Otherwise, it takes a lot of translating for other ones if you are automatically going to do it, and I notice sometimes from S.C.O.F. that it is very, very short.

Museum heritage, page 15-15. Mr. Gargan.

(Translation) You could speak while we are sitting here. Thank you. We are aware that everybody, all the Members will probably be asking for the reports, and even if we do not ask for the opening remarks from the Minister, I think they should be made available for the Members, and I just wanted to ask, in regards to the two person years that were eliminated, where did the money go that was used for the person years? That is the question that I have, as to where the funding was put.

Mr. Minister.

(Translation) Mr. Chairman, in regards to this question, the two person years were eliminated, and they had to do with the museum heritage centres, and when they were eliminated, we just left it as it was. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. Museum heritage total operations and maintenance is $2.206 million. Thank you. Over the page, library services, total O & M, $1.496 million. Thank you. Page 15-17, cultural affairs, total O & M, Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Chairman, in this one, grants and contributions have been reduced by eight percent, but the salaries and wages have gone up by ten percent. We have reduced the grants and contributions to support and promote/enhance cultural diversity of the arts in the Northwest Territories in order to compensate the increase in the salaries, is that fairly accurate?

Thank you. Mr. Minister, will you justify the differences?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to have Mr. Gilday explain the detail. Thank you.

Mr. Gilday.

Mr. Chairman, the department ran into serious difficulty with support to the people that we were giving contributions to. We found that we were unable to assist them with their accounting, with the completion of their contractual obligations for their grants and contributions, and, as a result, we were finding at the end of the year, for audit purposes, we simply could not complete the accounting. What we have done is, we have put some resources into wages so that we have secretarial support to help keep order with the grants and contributions programs that we run, and since having done that, we are finding that we are very capable of providing service to the clients. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Gargan.

The person years does not reflect that. It shows 2.4 last year, and 2.4 this year. So, you have not had an increase in your staff, or it does not show.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I will have Mr. Gilday answer that. Thank you.

Mr. Gilday.

Mr. Chairman, part of the issue is that we are trying to reflect the actual salary levels of the staff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. Gargan.

That is not clear, what does that mean?

Clarification, please, Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the actual salary levels are being reflected in the main estimates, and we are working to adjust the budget so we are showing quite clearly what people are being paid, and we are simply working to give the support through staff resources to the clients. This has nothing to do with trying to inflate the staff count. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Nothing out of the ordinary. Mr. Gargan, are you done? Moving along, Mr. Koe.