Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Government Operations met on March 19 and 20, 1996, to examine the interim appropriation for 1996-97. Committee Members agreed that the individual envelope committees should examine the various parts of this interim
appropriation separately. As a result, the standing committees on Infrastructure, Social Programs and Resource Management and Development met on March 21st to consider the individual items covered by the interim appropriation. The Government Operations committee then met again on Saturday, March 23rd, and Monday, March 25th, during Caribou Carnival, to complete the review of this important bill.
Having spent almost three months reviewing the draft business plans of government departments, Members paid careful attention to the items contained in the interim appropriation. This was to ensure that the interim appropriation properly reflects the government's direction as outlined in the business plans, as well as to ensure that the various recommendations of the standing committees concerning the department's business plans were being met.
While the standing committee agreed that the interim appropriation was ready to be debated in the House, committee Members did note a number of concerns. While many of those were addressed by the Minister of Finance and his staff in committee meetings, some further concerns still remain. These will be addressed by Members here in the House. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
