Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure that you can say it outweighs the regional balance. I am responding to direction provided by the board of governors. The board of governors are representative of the population of Nunavut, and they determined that they should make this recommendation based on public consultation which took place across Nunavut. So they heard in a lot of communities that regional balance for base-funded programming was seen as an important step in strengthening Nunavut Arctic College and making sure that it was seen as an institution that was supported throughout Nunavut much more equitably than was thought to be the case at that time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure if this was the question, but while the Member talks about there being an increased cost for Baffin students to travel to the Keewatin or Kitikmeot campuses, I think that the Member needs to recognize that Nunavut Arctic College

is intended to provide education for students from across Nunavut. Those costs are there whether a Kitikmeot student travels to Nunatta Campus or a Keewatin student travels to Nunatta Campus or a Baffin student travels to the Keewatin or Kitikmeot. In fact, we have programs at certain campuses that are not offered at all of them.

The same is true with the western college. Aurora College does not offer all programs at all campuses and students have to travel from one region to another in order to attend some of the courses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have, in fact, directed the college board to ensure that they advise me how accommodations will be handled. I have expressed a particular concern about the transfer to Cambridge Bay and the problem that there may be some lack of accommodation there. I have to wait until March 31st, which is the deadline I've given the college board, to find out exactly how they are going to respond to that concern.