Thank you. I believe Mrs. Groenewegen, at this time, is not making an amendment to the motion so I will recognize Mr. Todd.

Well, we have a responsibility to act in a professional and timely way. So does the Committee in terms of its motions. I am suggesting to you that this motion does not reflect that, rightly or wrongly. Everybody recognizes that, myself included. There are some weaknesses in the system and we need to tighten them up. If we get a recommendation to that effect, that is fine. But that is not what this motion says. This motion says, if I was to enact it, given I am trying to incorporate as many recommendations by the Honourable Members as possible, the budgets would be withheld.

What I would like to ask consideration of the Committee for is that we take some time to think this one through and the implications of it. And that we word it in such a way that it does answer the issue which you want to answered. And that is, a timely delivery of the annual reports and budgets or what is it, et cetera, the corporate plans. You cannot, first of all, chastise the staff. The responsibility lies with the Minister. I have no problem taking that responsibility. But I will not take the responsibility, and if Mr. Picco wants to or some other Members want to do it, withholding budgets; that is not a responsible motion. That is an irresponsible motion. That is the whole point I am trying to make here. I know what the intent is, but I am saying to you that we are overcompensating here for the intent. If you want to change the intent, I will accept that and maybe we can withdraw this motion and look at it again. I am not about to suggest to anybody in the government that we would withhold funds if it meant we would have to stop Arctic College because that would obviously be the first one we would have to look at, particularly in Iqaluit. We are looking to saving all kinds of money so we would, no problem.

On a serious note, I would ask that the Committee give due consideration to the fund component of it and try to rework it. That is all I would ask. Nothing else. Thank you.

Thank you. I want to follow this where Members want to speak, and Mr. Ootes has been patiently waiting. Mr. Erasmus is also a chairperson of the Standing Committee on Government Operations who has made the recommendation. Perhaps, Mr. Erasmus, do you wish to respond to the Minister?

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps we should just withhold the paycheques of the appropriate Minister...

---Laughter

and the chairmen of the Crown corporations and the people who are responsible for putting out the reports. Maybe that would speed things up instead of penalizing the clients. Thank you.

I guess the point is that we wanted to maintain the government operations without disruption within the system. I have Mr. Ootes, Mr. Picco and Mr. O'Brien. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Chairman, that is a generic question for all in a generic way. There are all kinds of reasons why people would not get their statements forward in time or their corporate plans in time. That happens all the time. Government is in emergency, people get sick, et cetera. I would like to suggest, if I may, that I have no problem with this recommendation if we could ... Well, the Standing Committee recommends the government amend relative legislation, regulations and/or policies to better ensure that the crown corporations and other entities meet the requirements of the Financial Administration Act regarding corporate plans, and annual reports and if we can delete, and if I can ask for your cooperation, have their budgets withheld until such time as the requirements have been met.

Agreed

Everybody recognizes what the concern is out there and we need to try to move more aggressively in trying to get these corporate plans and entities forward. I am just saying you cannot. Why is it so quiet in here?

The air conditioner is off.

Well, we will have no problem hearing Mr. Picco. Anyway, I guess that would be solved there. I do not think this is workable. Let us put it that way. That is the point I was trying to make. Sometimes it falls on deaf ears, especially some deafer than others. If we could get that, then that would make it a little easier. One to meet the desire of the committee and, frankly, the desire of the FMB and the Cabinet. We are in sync here. It is just this "have their budget withheld until such time as requirements of the Financial Administration Act have been met".

May I suggest for your consideration gentlemen and ladies:

"The Standing Committee recommends the government amend the relevant legislation, regulations and/or policies to better ensure that current corporations or other entities meet the requirements of the Financial Administration Act regarding corporate plans and annual reports."

I do not know if that is an appropriate solution. Thank you.

Thank you. Did someone grab a pin? I thought I heard a pin dropping. I have Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Mr. Todd, would you agree to a modification of the motion based on the amendment as such so that the reports came in at a timely manner. As you know, we agree with what you are saying. We are trying to put a motion on the floor here that will not only service the Legislative Assembly, but service the entities as well, and the Ministers that are responsible for said entities. That is what we are about to do.

Would you agree to a modification or an amendment to the legislation, to the Financial Administration Act, to allow for the timely submission of said reports?

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Chairman, my preference would be that both ... (inaudible) ...

Mr. Picco, I am sorry I cut you off.

I would be willing to move a motion to that effect if that would be in agreement with ... I have been ruled out of order by my Chair, so I will defer to the Chair. It is close to six o'clock now.

Thank you. I would like to ask Mr. Hamilton to help me out here. What can we do from here?

Procedurally, Mr. Chairman, if you are to amend this motion, the committee of the whole will require the motion in writing, and translated, before it can be entertained by the Chair. Thank you.

At this time, I would like to recognize Mr. Ootes.

You move that we report progress, Mr. Ootes?