That is a good and timely question given the earlier debate today about the reallocation of dollars and the overall fiscal framework of the government. The first thing I want to say is, there are no excess monies in relationship to the $40 million. That figure, as I said, frequently, was undertaken by careful analysis of the Hay Plan Associates job evaluation, et cetera. I want to say today because this gives me an opportunity. I want to let everybody know here that while we have balanced the budget, we still have to remain vigilant as to how we spend what we have left over because it is important, at the end of the day for all of you, myself included, that we maintain a balanced budget as we move into 1999. I would hope that this objective is common amongst all 24 of us.
We will find the $40 million, if you want, as you all know, we do maintain a small supplementary reserve that gives us some flexibility when we have unanticipated requirements. An example of that would be the year before last when Mr. Kakfwi had an enormous expenditure in the forest fire side of things. Last year, he had some savings, so there is some flexibility on the supplementary reserve. We are trying, to the best of our ability, to manage the monies of government as well as we should. We have budgeted for the sale of some assets. We think that will bring some cash in. We are hoping that through careful expenditure management; the fact that we maintain a small supplementary reserve for unanticipated spending requirements, a sale, if you want, of some of the assets that are going to be forthcoming. There are not many, but there is some out there that will be able to, at the end of the day, provide us with the $40 million.
We can ill-afford, at this time, to look beyond that, and I have indicated that to the Members on a number of occasions. It will not be easy, but I am optimistic, and I am watching the budgetary expenditures of the government on a weekly and monthly basis. I have alerted my department to keep their eye on where there may be the potential for some surpluses, although they become less and less these days, the way the expectation of the populous is. It is going to be a series of initiatives on my department's part along with the cooperation of my Cabinet colleagues in trying to find the $40 million should we reach an agreement where our membership and the membership of the UNW are given the democratic opportunity to vote on the final offer that we placed before them.