Thank you very much. Project management, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance $7.609 million. Agreed? Mr. Krutko?

Mr. Krutko, we have dealt with that matter. The officials will be here momentarily. We have discussed that matter and the Committee decided together with

the Minister, we will proceed while we are waiting for the officials to arrive. Project management, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, $7.609 million. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the reference the honourable Member made to Lahm Ridge Tower and the role that the Regional Superintendent, Mr. Vince Dixon, played here in Yellowknife, is an exceptional case. In Yellowknife, we have a very large office space requirement, for this government to have their headquarters and different departments in. There is very large participation there. In the life of this government, Mr. Chairman, we have delegated more authority to the deputy ministers, in turn, they to their directors and to superintendents. In the agenda for a change document, this government initiated earlier on, the idea was to give more authority to managers so that they could manage. As well, all approvals do not have to come to the Minister or the deputy minister, the managers can do their work. There are a lot of safeguards within the regulations to guide the superintendents to do it. It has changed quite substantially from the previous government where a lot of the authority had gone to them to provide this information. In the case of superintendents, they have more authority, not only in this department but in other departments, to do the work they have been hired to do, and to move things along fairly quickly, to make this government streamlined, effective and efficient in their decisions. Thank you.

Thank you. For the record, Mr. Minister, would you please introduce the witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my left we have Mr. Ken Lovely, deputy minister of Public Works and Services and to my right, Ms. Gay Kennedy, the director of corporate services for Public Works and Services. Thank you.

Thank you. When we concluded last Friday, Mr. Steen, who was in the chair, reminded all the Members that questions on Lahm Ridge Tower should be raised on page 5-8 under asset management. I would like to remind all Members when you refer to leasing the building, wait until we go to page 5-8. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Mr. Krutko.

We are in the directorate, Mr. Krutko. We have concluded the directorate. We are on page 5-7, project management. We will be referring to leases, page 5-8. Mr. Krutko.

I am advised the Member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to page 5-6. Are there any nays? No nays. Mr. Krutko you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the superintendent and the deputy minister work together in putting plans or different initiatives together for the Minister and for the government. Thank you.

Thank you. Directorate. Agreed? Mr. Krutko?

Thank you. A deputy minister could be either a man or a woman. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the superintendent does a lot of the leg work, and once that is done, then the deputy minister's approval for whatever plan of action is taken. In reference to the selling of assets, that is up to the Financial Management Board to decide which is to be sold, once the legwork is done by the Department of Public Works and Services and is approved in that manner. Thank you.

Thank you. There is a very strong tendency to move to page 5-8, since we started reviewing Public Works and Services. Shall we approve the directorate, project management? We can talk about asset management on page 5-8. I would like to remind Members. Mr. Krutko.