Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am sure the Member's comments will be on record. We will take those along with us for consideration by the Financial Management Board Secretariat.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not talking about myself. I am talking about the public out there, especially the communities that are currently being supplied with petroleum products by this government. If we are talking about privatization, I feel there will be effects felt by communities, like we see with our power bills and everything else. When the Power Corporation starts offloading on communities, we end up paying more in the long run.

I feel that because of what is happening here, there was no public consultation or involvement, no consideration of other communities. Before anything happens, this government should do a thorough, public consultation with all the affected communities on the privatization.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I said, I will pass the Member's comments on. I am sure they will be recorded and brought forward to the Financial Management Board Secretariat for consideration when we discuss the privatization. We should keep in mind here that the more public consultation we have before anything happens, it is going to be that much longer before we are able to privatize. For every day we keep it on under Public Works and Services, petroleum products, it does cost the government money through the subsidies.

I can assure the Member the comments regarding consultation will be brought forward to the Financial Management Board Secretariat. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, is there a possibility that the Minister can refer the question to the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, who is here in the House?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen, you would have the option of passing it on to another Minister or you can choose to answer it yourself.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity, but what we are talking about here is the privatization aspect and what we are going to do with it. What I am saying to the Member is that all the comments and suggestions that have been brought forward here will be put before the Financial Management Board Secretariat for consideration when we bring forward our proposals and our response to the Financial Management Board Secretariat's direction to us.

I do not know if you can expect anything more from the chairman of the Financial Management Board Secretariat than what I have already said, so I am not going to request that it be directed to that Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I believe this is the only time where we have a chance to question the department on what they are doing and what they will be doing for the next year. This initiative, like he says, is costing this government money. The Minister clearly stated that they have been ordered by the Financial Management Board Secretariat that they allow the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to privatize it to that organization. Those are the Minister's words.

So I ask the Minister again, because the Minister of the Financial Management Board Secretariat is present. There have been practices in this House where if the Minister has not been able to answer and if the Member is trying to get information and if he does not have that knowledge present and where other Ministers do have that knowledge, that they do try to reveal it in this committee, so that we can get a better feel and understanding of where we are going with the issue that is at hand. For me, by simply saying, "Well, I am going to pass it on," does me no justice. We do not come back to this committee of the whole until next year and I would like these answers today so that I know that between now and next year I am not going to see the Northwest Territories Power Corporation running fuel products in Fort McPherson with no consultation or involvement of the community or no consideration of other companies or organizations who feel they can take over this operation. That is why I am directing the Minister, asking him if he can do that, but again, how sure is he that I will get this information? Will I get it before we adjourn, before tomorrow?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Krutko, we are dealing with Financial Management Board Secretariat later on today, hopefully later on today. There might be an opportunity to address the Financial Management Board Secretariat at that time. It is entirely the Minister's call on whether he wants to redirect it or not.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am getting confused here. I thought that we were dealing with a recommendation from the Member that there be no privatization unless there is public consultation first. I agreed to take this recommendation that the Member has put forward to the Financial Management Board Secretariat along with the other information that we have. I will pass that on to the Financial Management Board Secretariat to take into consideration during the discussion of privatization of POL. That is what I committed to do and I thought that was all I was requested to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, say we do decide to privatize petroleum products to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, I would like to know what role Public Works and Services would have in this government? Right now you operate on a pretty wimpy budget of approximately $30 million and taking $10 million out of it, realistically, what role does this department still have after you take out petroleum products? Maybe we should put you in the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation or Municipal and Community Affairs since you do not seem to want to take on this responsibility. I would like to know, once this is gone in regard to petroleum products, what role does this department have in this government since we gave up the management of infrastructure and whatnot to all the other departments? It seems that you are downgrading yourself to a point of non-existence.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member brings up a good question. I thought that the question was fairly well responded to in my opening remarks. It describes in there the roles of the department. It includes the fact that a portion of our duties is petroleum products, but it is only a portion. The rest of our duties and responsibilities are outlined through the main estimates, our systems and communications, our asset management, those types of things that we do as a department. There is still going to be a fair amount of activities and responsibilities that the department is going to have to carry out. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Petroleum products, operations expense, total operations expense, $566,000.

Mr. Dent.

Mr. Chairman, just a question to you on procedure. I have some questions on the Petroleum Products Revolving Fund, which I could ask on the information page 5-23. Will that page be coming up in discussion or because it is an information item should I ask my questions now?

Page 5-23 will be opening up and coming up for discussion. We are on page 5-17, petroleum products, operations expense, total operations expense, $566,000. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I see there has been a $400,000 increase in the cost of assets and services. Could the Minister tell us what that increase is?