Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to say we probably did not give proper consultation, as the Members would like to have seen, but I stated in my Minister's statement that municipalities are well

aware of the policy. The inferences in the policy are that the base rate used went up about three or four years ago. The Government of the Northwest Territories has not, up until now, reduced the subsidies to municipalities, nor amended the rates for municipalities in that period of time. Over the past three or four years, the municipalities have enjoyed this policy as it now stands. I think that municipalities were aware of the possibility of an amendment to the policy. Thank you, Madam Speaker.