Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can we get information as to where we would see an adjustment for the pension area? Most departments have accounted for it under an increase in compensation benefits, I believe. Is it going to be found under each division on their own? Thank you.

Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I will direct the question to Ms. Cook.

Ms. Cook.

Thank you. Mr. Roland, did you get that?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So in the $5,112,000, that increase in the pension adjustments is included in there? Thank you.

Ms. Cook.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that leads to my next question. The revised main estimates for 1999-2000 show a figure of $5.7 million. Have we seen a drop in corporate services and then a corresponding increase? Can we get that information? Thank you.

Ms. Cook.

Thank you, Ms. Cook. Corporate services, operation expense, total operations expense, $6,474,000.

Thank you. Under airports, operations expense, total operations expense, $18,749,000.

Thank you. Page 6-15, highways, operations expense, total operations expense, $34,947,000. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have some questions for the Minister about a tender that was issued earlier this year, and subsequently re-issued. It has to do with highway painting. The first time the tender was issued, there was only one respondent. It was a northern firm. This contract has for four or five years gone almost exclusively to southern firms. Earlier today, we had some discussion in this House about the importance of supporting northern business. The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development did confirm that his department spends an awful lot of money supporting the development of northern business.

I would think that if we have a philosophy that we want to encourage northern business, we would do what we could to try and get northern businesses involved in being successful in contracts.

In this instance, Mr. Chairman, even though there was only one tenderer, the tender was rejected by the department and re-tendered. I know I have talked to people who are familiar with contracting practices in this government and have been told that it is not unusual when there is a single tenderer, if there is something that is open to interpretation or if the tender is missing one line or something, it would not be unusual for the department or the contracting authority to approach the tenderer and ask them to either supply the number or work with them to finalize the price.

Clearly there was not a lot of interest if we only had the one tenderer. However, in this case, after the tender price had been published, the department chose to go back out for tenders. I suspect that we are going to be looking at a southern firm doing the job here.

Why would the department, in an instance like that, not follow a practice that has been followed quite often, and approach the individual tenderer and ask to have the number supplied that was missing from the tender document? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in this particular instance, I was not approached. It had not reached my level. The issue was dealt with at the deputy minister level or management level. There were no politics involved in the decision, as far as I know. It was strictly based on our policies. I can ask Mr. Howard to explain what the department did and leave it at that, because at this point in time, there were no politics or a need for a political decision. It was a decision based on business. I am quite sensitive to how my departments operate, both Public Works and Services and Transportation. Whether or not I get involved as the Minister, I am still well aware of what happened in the 13th Assembly. I play the game very straight. Unless I am asked politically to get involved, I do not get involved. I will ask the assistant deputy minister to reply to the Member as to what the department had done in this situation.

Mr. Howard.

Mr. Dent.