Mr. Antoine.

This is the law enforcement on page 10.

Mr. Antoine, we haven't got to that page yet. We are in the process of approving page 9, total department, $1.2 million. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Department Of Justice

Thank you. Now, on page 10, Justice, operations and maintenance, law enforcement, not previously authorized, $1.002 million. Mr. Antoine.

I would just like to ask a question with regard to this one. There are the RCMP increases. There is a contract cost increase, and there is a firearms program that was for $100,000. I would like to ask the question why were the RCMP increases and the firearms program not anticipated in the 1994-95 main estimates? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the RCMP came back to us with the increases in the agreement. Our share of it is 70 per cent, their share is 30 per cent. At the time we put the

Thank you. Justice, operations and maintenance, law enforcement. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought the previous Minister's statements in the last few days said that all the firearms programs to get people educated on firearms legislation will be borne by the federal government, because it is the federal government that is changing legislation. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. The honourable Minister.

Mr. Chairman, with regard to the $100,000, this request is fully offset by a recovery from the federal government. So in as much as you see us expending it, we will get it back from the federal government. The Member is correct, the federal government will pay. Thank you.

Law enforcement, not previously authorized, $1.002 million.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Vehicle services board, not previously authorized, $852,000. Mr. Antoine.

This one is a big increase, $852,000 for legal aid and payments to court proceedings. I would like to ask why was this not anticipated, as well, in the 1994-95 main estimates. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, it's very difficult to predict the uptake on court proceedings and the requirements for legal aid throughout the Northwest Territories. We probably could have gotten it a little closer. I would point out that $175,000 of this amount is related to the Roger Warren trial which, again, we couldn't forecast. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Legal Services Board, $852,000.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Corrections. Mr. Antoine.

We're into corrections now, Mr. Chairman? We're just getting into it. There are base deficiencies here and I would like to ask why they weren't brought up when the Minister appeared before SCOF in January. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. The honourable Minister.

Mr. Chairman, there have been a number of areas in government departments over the last few years where there have been base deficiencies and there has been some problem in having these deficiencies justified to us. I would point out that the kind of adjustment that Mr. Antoine is questioning why it wasn't made a year ago, has been made in the 1995-96 budget. This is one of the areas. In all, in the 1995-96 budget, we've made base adjustments of $2.748 million for police services; legal aid, $646,000; courts, $1.16 million; corrections, $2.451 million; social assistance; $3.839 million; education boards, $6.252 million; and, student financial assistance, $3.847 million. This was one of the areas where there was a base deficiency that has been corrected in the 1995-96 budget but, the Member is correct, it wasn't brought to the attention of the Standing Committee on Finance in the year previous. Thank you.