Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I haven't looked into that at all , but I would be pleased to take the Member's advice and review that part of it.

Thank you. The question is taken under advisement. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Roland, for page 7-8, directorate, you may, yes.

Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the Member is right, those are some of the areas that we are going to userpay with. Telephones is another area, heating fuel and power. The money is being transferred to the departments so that they will pay their own bills. But, at the same time, we are transferring less money than has been paid in the past.

Thank you. Mr. Roland.

Mahsi. Mr. Waddell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will show those savings in our business plan in the areas where we will be achieving those savings, as we did with the telecommunications funding reduction. I believe there was a cost savings of $392,000 shown in the business plan.

Thank you. We have directorate, operations and maintenance. Mr. Erasmus, then Mr. Picco. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Previously, Mr. Ootes had asked about petroleum product contracts that had been awarded. I heard that there had been some awarded in Baffin, Keewatin and Inuvik, but there was no indication if there had been any awarded recently. Have there been any recent contracts awarded?

Thank you. Substantiation, Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I wonder if we could ask the Member to clarify that question; we didn't get the whole question.

Thank you. Clarification, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Earlier, Mr. Ootes had asked a question about petroleum product contracts in the area of privatization. Due to the fact the committee had recommended that no privatization occur before they approve a plan, he asked if there had been any privatization whatsoever. The reply was that yes, there had been. But he also asked if there was any in the last six months, and I don't think there was any indication whether there had been any in the last six months. What I want to know is if there has been any in the last six months; particularly, since the committee put in their report.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, there have been none. The three major contracts we spoke of were for our resupply and not privatization. The Western Arctic fuel resupply, the Eastern Arctic fuel resupply is another famous one, and the Iqaluit fuel resupply is in the final stages of awarding of the contract.

Qujannamiik. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I note that the criteria the committee recommended was that privatization should be a way to provide better service for lower costs, and if the given privatization initiative does not meet that task, it should not be implemented. Perhaps these awards were prior to that, but were these awarded privatization contracts done at a cheaper rate than previously?

Mahsi. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the three major contracts that I spoke of are cheaper, they cost less money, but they are not part of the privatization. The contracts were for resupplying communities in the surrounding regions.