Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have some brief comments, if I may? The Department of Public Works and Services has been, without doubt, under severe organizational stress now for the last year. It is probably one of the most heavily impacted departments with all the cuts.

Now that the amalgamation is not on the table any further within the life of this government, I think that one of the key issues for me is the whole area of the stability in dealing with the very apprehensive communities and staff that are trying to work under, at best, what could be described as trying times, so that there can be some sort of constancy in the lives of the communities and the peoples in the department. Public Works and Services was caught up, like the rest of the government, in these reductions and I know speaking for my constituency for sure, the impact there has been significant and people are very apprehensive.

I recognize that there is still a need to pursue organizational efficiencies in the areas of duplication that the Minister talked about between Housing Corporation and Transportation and Public Works and Services. What I am also going to be asking very seriously, and I am hoping that the ministry as well will commit to that kind of stability so that the employees will know that once this round of targets are hit and reductions are done, that people can get on with their lives, get on with their jobs, get on with the planning and the good work that they have to do in the department that they work in.

I am also very interested and will be, like the Minister I suppose and his officials, looking to see the impact of user pay/user say as it is being implemented and the effects are realized by the departments. There are concerns out there that have been transmitted to the Minister by a number of MLAs, so I think that is another issue of concern. Last but not least, regarding this budget is the session to follow this, where we will be looking at the divisional plans as we start moving towards the final 700 and some days to division. It is not specifically germane to this particular budget, but it is going to flow out of this, I am sure, how the structure will look and I am very interested in that. Those are my opening comments, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much.