Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you, Mr. Henry. The paper that was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the chairman of Government Operations is a discussion paper on the proposed amalgamation of Public Works and Services, Transportation and the NWT Housing Corporation. Cabinet has passed this paper to go out to discuss with all stakeholder groups, with Government Operations, with MLAs so that they can take all that information in and then, possibly, make a decision on amalgamation. The problem, Mr. Chairman, is that we missed a step and that is what I said yesterday.

The ordinary members addressed it through their chairman. In any discussion paper on amalgamation members are expecting strong reasons and explanations why it is necessary. The paper tabled is very broad and does not provide significant rationale for making this major change. It is not the sessional discussion paper members are expecting exactly. It is not that. Because it is not that, it is a discussion paper, we missed a step. Before you can even make a decision to amalgamate these departments of government you have to have a discussion. We have to do the work so that we can present something to discuss.

Now, just to alleviate, Mr. Chairman, a few of the members concerns. When we go on a process, all 24 of us, of developing a budget for the next fiscal year, there are rules that we have to follow. Part of the rules are the negotiations between the union and the government of the Northwest Territories. So anything you are proposing as a 97/98 budget, which, I may say the amalgamation is not part of the 97/98 budget. It is not part of it, okay. So, if you are going to downsize, or if you have to lay people off as part of your fiscal restraint program that you are proposing in your 97/98 budget, you have to, by law, give off lay-off notices to those employees, That is what was negotiated. Mr. Erasmus, I hope you are listening because that is what it is.

Those notices should have gone out January 1st, no sooner than that, they should go out for January 1st, separate process altogether. What we are looking forward to is to having open discussion with members of the Legislative Assembly so that we can discuss this paper, and it is all in here, the time frames and then we can make a decision as a Legislative Assembly and move on, whether we do it or not. But it does not go ahead until it is approved. Nobody loses their job until it is approved.

The plan itself was not ready for tabling in this Legislative Assembly, that is why I choose, as a government, not to table. This is a discussion paper, that is what it is. So, I hope that clarifies some misunderstanding, Mr. Chairman.