Thank you. I guess the Honourable Minister likes to suffer, Madam Speaker, because it gets worse.

As far as the carpeting of the single students' residence building, everyone was looking forward to this work being done this summer. In fact, the entire building was shut down in August, precisely so that this kind of work could be done. However, I was shocked and dismayed when I toured the residence with the Minister of Education in September, to find that the carpet replacement had not been done, and that carpet is in pathetic condition. I then raised the issue with Public Works in Iqaluit. I now understand that the tender was issued later in September for an October 3rd closing. However, the students are back. The last sealift ship has come and gone. I don't know whether carpet is available locally. The funds for that project, Madam Speaker, were in the control of the region since May of 1994.

Renovations to the carpentry workshop; after getting a typically inflated $23,000 estimate to box in a dust extraction unit, the college persuaded the project officer to accept a simpler approach. The project officer, it was agreed, would buy acoustic tiles and carpentry students would make the box. To date, no tiles have been bought. The students are back; no action.

Painting of the cafeteria and washroom renovations; money in hand since May of 1994. No tender. No action. If that job is done this year -- and they couldn't get around to it last year, but if it's done this year -- the cafeteria will stink of paint while students are trying to eat. And washroom renovations will be going on while students will be trying to use the washrooms.

What is wrong here, Madam Speaker? Why an initial one-year delay on what is apparently a simple project to upgrade a 30-year-old building for college students? Why no work done during the summer months when minimal disruption of staff and students would occur? Why does the senior project officer have to come over on a small job? Is this to collect Aeroplan points?

These are only a few small stories. Often, prolonged in action from DPW means that some maintenance or repairs never get done. They simply disappear in DPW's bureaucratic maze. The process of submitting work orders is heavily structured, inflexible and unable to respond to individual projects. Clients' input often seems to take a back seat to Public Works technical and bureaucratic priorities.

When I was in the Cabinet I pushed for DPW to continue to provide services to Education and Health at the time of creation of boards of education, Arctic College and health boards. I thought it would lead to efficiencies and economies of scale. In my region it's not working. It is now becoming increasingly clear to me that if the college, for example, could tender these small jobs themselves to the private sector, it would cost far less and be far more efficient. Something must be done, Madam Speaker. I'll be pursuing these issues further with the Minister of Public Works and Services. Thank you.

---Applause