Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the Legislative Assembly, in reviewing the business plan, the committee noted that a number of programs have been assumed under the user say/user pay initiative. The Speaker
indicated that this initiative will probably result in additional costs to the Assembly beyond what was provided in the transfers from the originating departments. We are concerned about the long-term implications of user say/user pay. We will be monitoring this carefully, not just with the Assembly but with all departments.
The committee noted that the Assembly was preparing for the Electoral Boundary Commissions for the two new territories. Members are aware of the urgency of this work and the Commissions cannot proceed until decisions regarding the number of ridings are determined at the political level.
Also for the first time, the Languages Commissioner appeared before the standing committee to explain her business plan. The committee is pleased with the efforts of the Commissioner to fulfil her mandate. As part of the business plan, the Commissioner indicated a number of areas that she will be working on over the next year. One of these items, establishing a storefront office, involved a significant increase to her budget. Due to the size of the Commissioner's budget, she is unable to absorb such an expenditure. The committee encourages the Language Commissioner to pursue creative options, possibly with other small offices or shared storefront space at a reasonable cost. Mr. Chairman, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations. Thank you.