Thank you, Madam Chair. I do not know if the opinion will be right or if he is under medication for his pain in his leg. I asked for an explanation of the cost savings. Is it possible to get an explanation of this $1.9 million savings?

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I have not taken any medication for my leg for just about two weeks now. I do prefer to feel the pain. I am wide awake, Mr. Erasmus, and I must have just misunderstood your question. So the casual referrals, we have saved $60 thousand, lay offs we have saved $1.440 million, reduced recruitment costs $220 thousand, eliminated 2.5 staffing positions $180 thousand for a total of $1.9 million. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Does this savings include the cost of the departments hiring all the personnel staff that was laid off? Or the majority of the personnel staff that was laid off?

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is net savings to our government. Each department always had a personnel function in their department. Now they have the responsibility of staffing. Every Minister and every deputy minister has that responsibility. They have not received any new money from this government to fund that position if they had it in their department, except for existing funds that were there before, so this is a net saving to us. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that last year that we had asked several questions under general comments and Mr. Ootes asked questions as well, so I assumed that we were able to ask questions under general comments.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Now that the department, or the secretariat, is integrated into the Department of Executive, who is responsible for overseeing affirmative action, that the policy is being properly implemented? Does this mean that the FMBS has someone present at all the job interviews for all hiring that the various departments do? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, FMBS does not have people sitting at the interview. There is clear direction from this government that the departments must follow the hiring policies of this government. If they do not, then there is an appeal system and I believe that is when FMBS gets involved is through the appeal system. For example, two people applied for the job, one person got the job. The other one felt they were not justly dealt with, they can appeal it and then that is when FMBS comes in and takes over. Thank you.

Madam Chair, I find it very, very difficult to envision how anybody can be expected to oversee implementation of a policy if they are not actually at the interviews. Having been involved in many interviews myself, I know that it is very subjective in nature and it is very easy to do things the way you want. So, how does the Premier expect FMBS to do a proper job of overseeing this policy, if they are not at the job interviews? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. When we eliminated the function of the Department of Personnel, previously in previous years everybody was able to pass the buck. Personnel would say well it was the department's fault that affirmative action does not work. Then the department would say will it is Personnel's fault that affirmative action does not work. From now on, nobody will be allowed to pass the buck.

When Ministers of every department appear before you, that is when you would ask that question, how many affirmative action employees do you have? You can ask those questions, and they will tell you. Then the next year, do a progress report, how many do you have the next year? Why do you not have a plan in place to increase your affirmative action? The Minister will be held responsible by the House and the deputy minister will held responsible by his Minister. So, there is no more passing the buck.

Thank you, Madam Chair. With this type of process that has just been described, we could already be divided into Nunavut and Denendeh before we are able to see the results of how affirmative action is actually being implemented. What I would like to know is, has any done a study, FMBS I guess is implementing this, have they looked that of all the jobs that have not been filled by people who we have already laid off or have been moved to another job, how many of those positions where filled by affirmative action people. Have they checked how many of those jobs are filled by people that are assisted through the affirmative action policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do not have that information and I do not know if that information has been compiled, Mr. Erasmus. I will ask the Minister of FMBS to get us that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move we report progress.