Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, another area that I have concerns about is in regard to the specific amounts that can be let go for different types of contracts or to do work on spec. Is there a specific amount set in either guideline that does not have to go to public tender?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will ask Mr. Rattray to respond to that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Rattray.

Thank you, Mr. Rattray. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Who has the ability to establish these sole-source contracts for $25,000 without having to go to public tender?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

I will defer the question to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Rattray.

Thank you, Mr. Rattray. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is there any way that the department can monitor the number of these sole-source contracts being used by one particular individual within the department, whether it is regional staff or the superintendent? Do you guys monitor how many of these contracts are being used, how many companies are accessing it? There was a concern in the last Assembly in regard to the misuse of a lot of these powers by different people. It avoids them having to go to public tender but also they do use specific firms and other firms who may have the ability to compete, do not have the opportunity to bid on these contracts. Is there a way of monitoring how these contracts are let go and how many of these contracts have been used by individuals within the department to other companies?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Rattray.

Thank you, Mr. Rattray. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the reason I raise the concern is because I have heard, especially from different people within the Inuvik region, that there has been some patronage towards specific operators who seem to get a lot of these government contracts. People do not have an opportunity to bid on a lot of them. How closely do you monitor these to ensure there is not one company getting 90 percent of the contracts and there are only ten percent of the contracts going out to the rest of the community?

Do you have the ability to have these documents reviewed? I was going to suggest you do an audit to see if this activity is taking place. You may not notice it because you get different reports. I think through a specific audit to see if this is happening and if it is happening, I think we have some serious problems. How in-depth do you get in the evaluations? Do you do an actual audit to see if these people have made an attempt to go to public tenders or if they are just using this process as a front for getting specific dollars out to different areas?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Rattray.

Thank you, Mr. Rattray. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is the concern. If there is only one person you classify as being capable getting all of the work, it does not really open up the door for other operators to get into that specific field. That is the whole intention of contracts and whatnot, so people can build that expertise and entice people to the region, develop their management skills and also their service contracts.

By doing that sort of methodology that you are not qualified so you do not count, you can buy that expertise to get it in the area. I feel we have to get away from this practice. We have to ensure that it is an open, public process. I would like to ask the Minister if he is willing to consider doing a review of this particular area in the Inuvik region?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am willing to do a review to see if everybody is being treated fairly. I believe my department has been making an effort to treat everybody fairly. We will take the Member's concerns under consideration and I will do a review of the Inuvik area again.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.