Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just so that all Members are aware and there has been talk of reducing the Native Women's Association and Status of Women by 10 percent. Just so Members are aware of what our government does with these organizations and how we work closely together with them, and what we actually do for them.

As far as the Native Women's Association goes, there is a budget for them, as well as in-kind contributions of $102,258, and the Status of Women Council, we have in-kind contributions for them of $61,016. In reality what you look at when we have asked people to take a reduction in this government, it has been right around 6.25 percent. That does not count, and this is what they have told me, as well as the free computers and the other stuff that we have given them, like furniture as well. The 10 percent reduction in contribution equals really to 6.1 percent reduction overall funding for the Native Women's Association and 8.3 percent reduction for the Status of Women Council.

Also, Mr. Chairman, I take the recommendations of the committees I appear before seriously, and we looked at the issue of how we could keep these grants up like they had suggested, and reduce some staff, because that is ultimately what we should be looking at. Government is trying to reduce staff, reduce duplication and make government more effective so we have more program dollars for people. We attempted to do that in other issues too, and Members raised quite a bit of concern about cutting PYs and cutting government employees. A lot of Members raised that concern. Part of their recommendation from that Committee as well, Mr. Chairman, was to cut the only position that we have affiliated with the staff. But we could not do that because we need an independent advice to our Minister and we need that not only in Northwest Territories issues but national issues and international issues as well.

In reality, Mr. Chairman, we are not asking Native Women's Association and the Status of Women to take an unrealistic cut here. It is a very small amount and in line with the rest of what government has done. Like I said before, we try to be fair and we have been fair and that is how come I can take forward with this proposed cut to these two organizations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.