Mr. Speaker, I don't have the draft consolidation plan here in front of me; but I do know that in the main estimates that are before us, the budgets are for three separate departments. That's what we will be asking Members to approve in the next few weeks. At this time and for the foreseeable future, there will be three departments operating separately as they do now.

The plan we are developing which we will share with you, perhaps before the session is over, will outline how we plan to move with the amalgamation. The next budget cycle, which starts probably in June, will see us developing the first budget for the proposed new department which will come into effect April 1 st next year or whenever it is the budget is approved; perhaps it might initially be through an interim appropriation. The first phase of the work is to develop a consultation plan, it's to draft out the vision, the purpose, the goals and objectives of a new department, and we'll deal with the organization and the structure of such a department. That will be the initial work we will start to carry out. It's my hope that we will do it in as methodical and organized a way as possible so that it's up front, it's clear to everyone involved, what it is we're trying to do and the way in which we're going to try to carry it out.

As I say, as soon as the draft plans are approved by Cabinet and by the standing committee, I'm sure we will be able to share that with the Members of the Legislature; perhaps through tabling it, and certainly with the public. Thank you.