Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Well you know in corporate terms they call it return on investment. I think an easy example or classic example of where I think we have done it reasonably well is in the employment strategy. Where my memory serves me correctly, I believe Mr. Kakfwi was able to demonstrate that he had created with $9.4 million that we gave them, that they were able to leave of that $34 million of activity that created

the equivalent of 1,200 full-time jobs. The return on investment there we were able to quantify that. That is the quantifier that we are looking for. You cannot always get it in government but that is what we are looking for. I think that is an easy one, but there are more complicated ones. On the accountability side, clearly this Assembly and previous ones and certainly this one has made it clear to us and to myself as Finance Minister that there has to be more transparency on how we spend our money and what return we get on it and be accountable for it. We are trying to move toward getting our public accounts out earlier. We are trying to show in some kind of detail form the results of some our programs that were successes. We are releasing the business plans. We are publishing the contract report. That type of report that the public has access to it.

Where possible this government is going to be so transparent that you will be able to see from one end of it to the other. Really that is what the accountability component of it means. Despite what some people may say, we have come a long way in the last two years in terms of what we provide this House and what we provide the public in terms of how the government spends its money, et cetera. We still have got a ways to go, but we are certainly are heading in that mode. We have nothing to hide. It is just the question of can we get the administrative procedures in place to provide that to you. Those are the kinds of things I mean by accountability and by return on investment. I hope I have answered the question.

Thank you. Mr. Roland.

Thank you. Mr. Minister

There is no one specific thing. There are a variety of initiatives that we are trying to do. Let me give you an obvious example. Mr. Picco has frequently challenged this House, rightly so, on the need for transparency in contract agreements and negotiated RFPs, et cetera. So we brought forward and tabled in the House a document that is available for everybody. Mrs. Groenewegen said the other day there, well we do not have them identify what are RFPs. We said we would do that. That is the kind of thing that we are trying to improve upon. To improve the transparency as much as we can and provide to the public and to yourselves as much information as is legally and physically possible.

I mean that needs to be improved as we go along and we need to move it quicker into the process. We are trying to do that. That would be an obvious one. There are many others I could talk about, but the hour is late as they say and I will leave that for another day. I think that is a good example because it is one everybody had a concern about. I think today, for example, Mr. Antoine tabled the chronology of events with the respect to the ongoing saga of the Lahm Ridge Tower. It is almost like a soap, the affirmative action plan. There a variety of things that we are trying to get into the public domain so it is seen and as they say in politics, seeing is believing. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments. Do we have further general comments? Shall we go into detail?

Detail.

Mr. Krutko.

There is a motion to report progress, moved by Mr. Krutko to report progress. The motion is in order and is not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I will rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Todd and Mr. Voytilla.

The House will come back to order. Item 21, report of committee of the whole, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you. Seconded by Mr. Evaloarjuk. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Item 22, third reading of bills. Item 23, orders of the day. Mr. Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, there will be a meeting of the Nunavut Caucus immediately after adjournment. Meetings for tomorrow, Thursday at 11:00 a.m. of the Ordinary Members' Caucus.

Orders of the day for Thursday, January 29, 1998:

1. Prayer

2. Ministers' Statements

3. Members' Statements

4. Returns to Oral Questions

5. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

6. Oral Questions

7. Written Questions

8. Returns to Written Questions

9. Replies to Opening Address

10. Replies to Budget Address

11. Petitions

12. Reports of Standing and Special Committees

13. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

14. Tabling of Documents

15. Notices of Motion

16. Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills

17. Motions

18. First Reading of Bills

- Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act, No. 2

- Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act

- Bill 9, Loan Authorization Act, 1998-99

19. Second Reading of Bills

20. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

- Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 1998-99

- Committee Report 2-13(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations, Report on the 1998-99 Main Estimates

- Committee Report 3-13(5), Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Report on the 1998-99 Main Estimates

- Committee Report 4-13(5), Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development, Report on the 1998-99 Main Estimates

- Committee Report 5-13(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs, Report on the 1998-99 Main Estimates

- Tabled Document 15-13(5), 1998-99 Budget Address

- Tabled Document 19-13(5), Guidelines for Implementing Public/ Private Partnerships

21. Report of Committee of the Whole

22. Third Reading of Bills

23. Orders of the Day

Thank you. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, January 29, at 1:30 p.m.

--ADJOURNMENT