Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the question the Member has as to whether or not this department or this government still has a negotiated contract policy. The answer to that is yes. We still have a negotiated contract policy and under my other portfolio as Minister of Transportation, there is a negotiated contract policy in regard to the Department of Transportation. However, there is no negotiated contract policy per se that would apply to Public Works, but the Cabinet and the Executive Council did adopt negotiated policy guidelines very recently in May, which more clearly gives direction to the department as to what would be taken into consideration when dealing with the negotiated contract requests.

There are also quite clear directions from Cabinet that we were all expected to comply with and do our best to follow these guidelines. Now, after saying that, Mr. Speaker, I think it is fair to say that the department has been following the guidelines as close to the letter as possible. In those guidelines it outlines specifically that we have to identify benefits as far as economic benefits overall for the community, but also benefits in regards to employment opportunities within the community. Now, it is suggested in the guidelines that not only is it the responsibility of the Department of Public Works or the department involved to identify these benefits, but it is some responsibility on the applicant as well.

What the department is doing is trying our best to work with the applicant to come forward and identify these benefits that would not be obtained through the normal tender process. So far we are doing our best to abide by those and we are still awarding contracts or we are still considering requests from negotiated contracts, I should say, and we are awarding negotiated contracts based on that policy. Unfortunately, we have not been able to award all the requests from negotiated contracts because in our responses to communities, Mr. Speaker, we stated clearly that we believe the communities have, in the past, through their records of operation, indicated that they are capable of competing in a normal tender process. Based on that, we have been turning some of them down. That is my response to the Member at this point in time. The department still has, Cabinet still has, a negotiated contract policy, although it is not in writing per se, but I know that Cabinet did forward copies to all the MLAs of the guidelines that we have adopted and that we are planning follow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.