Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is one of the projects we're looking after for Arctic College, part of the $95,000 that were allocated in this year's capital budget. This project, due to decentralization, reorganization, training and getting people on stream in the region, is part of a backlog of small minor projects and this was a minor project. The department tells me it received low priority. The priority was to

get out the major projects and that is the reason it is being tendered this late in the season. Also this is to be awarded tomorrow, but if there is a major concern with the client department or the campus students, this project can be put off to next summer and be done next summer. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Well, I hope that's not a threat, Madam Speaker. You know what happens to Ministers who threaten ordinary Members in this House.

---Laughter

Notwithstanding the threat, I will pursue my questions, Madam Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister, even though students are a low priority and what he calls "minor maintenance" is a low priority, why consideration was not given to putting this project out to tender before the sealift ended, to ensure that bidders could provide prices based on the cheaper sealift cost. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would have preferred this project to be put out prior to the sealift coming in; it makes common sense to do that. There are some projects that do fall between the cracks or get tied up in backlogs and this was one of them. We do manage approximately 2,500 to 3,000 projects in a given year. We have made a major decentralization out of Yellowknife and we are retraining staff in the regions.

I am thoroughly convinced and am committed that by moving the decision making into the region, it will serve our client departments better, and we will have a more timely manner for how we deliver our projects. But that is going to take time. Things do not get done, with a major restructure like this, without a few hiccups and this is one of them. I apologize to the students at the campus in Iqaluit if there is any disruption to them. It was not a threat of putting the project off, just common sense. If the students don't want the project to disrupt their lives now, we can do it next summer, if that's what they request. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Through consultation with Members of this Legislative Assembly, through Cabinet direction, what communities brought forward to us, and what regions told us, is how we came up with the decision to restructure and move a project manager to the regional level. Like I said earlier, it is not going to happen without some hiccups.

You must also remember that we, as the Department of Public Works and Services, have taken approximately a 67-PY cut in the last two years, and $25 to $27 million. Those things don't happen without causing some disruption. But, we are continually working to ensure that we deliver our projects in a timely manner.

I am thoroughly convinced that by decentralizing to the regions, we will serve the clients in the regions and the communities better. We are undertaking a review of current year projects right now. The review will be done by the end of November and I will report to the House what that review tells us, whether it is better or worse. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.