Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to make some general comments, which I would like to put into question form later on, but they really relate to the document in terms of two areas. One is the transitional costs which this document has been very good to identify what that may be and the importance of us to address that question because it was originally, as we all understood, throughout the process that the federal government would pick up the transitional costs and the incremental costs, at least that was my understanding. So that is an area of tremendous concern to all of us because without that being covered then the territorial government, this particular government, is picking up those costs and it results in program areas being cut in order to pay for that.

The second area of concern that I have, and I have some questions on that with respect to clarification, is the effect on Yellowknife because of the creation of the two territories, and again this document deals with staffing size and how it will effect office areas. But interestingly enough, the document does refer to the fact that the establishment of the ability to operate departments in Nunavut is behind; and therefore, there needs to be contracting of services and presumably the west can fulfil those needs and that we need to address in turn here because Yellowknife may be losing staff and we have to ensure that adequate staff is maintained to provide those services. The other is that ,I think, it is important to point out for the public that there is a training program, and there are many training positions being established, some of which are established in Yellowknife until the availability is made in Nunavut for the positions to be located there. So those are the areas, Mr. Chairman, that I would like to present some questions on. Thank you.