Agreed.

--- Agreed

Department Of Justice

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Department Of Public Works And Services

Agreed.

--- Agreed Department Of Transportation

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Department Of Renewable Resources

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Department Of Municipal And Community Affairs

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned earlier in my brief remark to the capital budget of MACA, the Infrastructure committee had requested an additional $3.8 million in capital projects to be deferred from the MACA capital plan in the projects labelled as "unlabelled." There are three categories in the MACA plan: must-do projects; should-do projects; and, unlabelled projects. They are priorized with must-do and should-do being one and two, with three being the unlabelled projects. Mr. Chairman, my committee asked the Department of MACA, in that $7 million for the capital projects, could they find an additional $3.8 million. To my surprise and chagrin, Mr. Chairman, I see that those projects were not cut. I know $3.8 million is a lot of money, Mr. Chairman. I also realize that when these projects go ahead, they create jobs. It was very difficult for me, for example, to commit to that when I see a dump truck or a pick-up truck because they do create a lot of jobs in communities, of course, so I can't buy into that.

Mr. Chairman, my feeling has been from the beginning that we're going to sing from the same song sheet, we have the common agenda, the common touch, the common people, the collective of the board working here. My feeling is that I'd rather see $3.8 million taken out of capital projects than hearing on the radio today that $1 million has been cut from one of the hospital boards. Mr. Chairman, that's what I'm saying. I know that MACA has met its target in the Infrastructure committee but I am not prepared to sit here today and put $3.8 million in the capital project of MACA under unlabelled projects when we are cutting social assistance. I will not do that on the backs of the unemployed. That is my point, Mr. Chairman. I made it this morning in committee and I will make it in the House tomorrow, I will make it in the House today, or whenever.

If we're going to be serious about deficit reductions then we should go back and look at the projects that we need. My committee took this very seriously. Maybe someone else from the committee might want to speak to it. Like I said, I don't see the need for a lot of the things in unlabelled.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We all take the budget exercise seriously. If we're going to take it seriously then we should argue and debate it seriously; we should have concrete, solid arguments as to why there should be changes made. That $3.8 million of additional reductions, the FMB and myself, as the Finance Minister, disagreed with it. I've told Mr. Picco, as I've told the committee, that on occasion there will be disagreements in this House. Certainly, Mr. Picco is at liberty to speak to it and this committee is at liberty not to support it. However, it's the opinion of the FMB and my department that all of these projects should move forward and that they don't and shouldn't jeopardize other projects. It's part of an overall capital expenditure plan that was put in place five years ago that involved municipal governments in determining the priorities of these expenditures along with the acceptance of the MLAs. These are not some ad hoc, arbitrary decisions on how we expend capital money. This is a program that's been designed over a five-year period. Let me assure my honourable colleague that, on occasion, FMB and the Cabinet will be in disagreement with some of the committees. In this particular situation, I believe these expenditures are required in the time and the way they were laid out. Subject to House approval, we will proceed with them. Thank you.

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Agreed.

--- Agreed Department Of Health And Social Services

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Department Of Economic Development And Tourism

Agreed

--- Agreed