Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for Finance. It has to do with understanding the numbers. I know that earlier today the Premier questioned the Member for Thebacha's numbers on growth in the Executive, and I have heard the Minister responsible for Finance do the same in media reports.

I am just trying to get a handle on where the difference is, because when I look at the Executive in the interim appropriations, there was $500,000 for new initiatives. Multiply that by three and you get a full year cost of $1.5 million. The total preliminary target for the department is $8.2 million. That certainly sounds pretty close to 18 percent to me, in terms of the number that has been quoted by the Member for Thebacha.

I think that what Members on this side of the House have been trying to point out is that $500,000 in new initiatives just happens to match the number we heard from the Minister responsible for Finance in a public meeting this morning. That would be enough to put new funds into Student Financial Assistance so that there would not have to be any clawbacks; treating Metis and Inuvialuit students different than other aboriginal students.

I would like to know from the Minister responsible for Finance, how are we misinterpreting these numbers? How is it not 18 percent growth in the Executive?