Mr. Chairman, since the budget was prepared for the 2001-2002 fiscal year, they are having a number of changes that have resulted in increased costs. Let me say, first of all, there is the fuel rate rider of ten cents that was brought in this spring, the spring of 2001, well after the budget was prepared.
As well, there were fuel price increases that impacted us during the 2000-2001 year that occurred after we had prepared the main estimates and the budgets for this year. So what we are doing here is we have to go back to the time late last year or about a year ago and look at what impacts we have faced.
I should also have mentioned, Mr. Chairman, that with many of the communities being supplied through the winter road system, some are supplied by barge, the POL buys their fuel once a year. Their fuel prices can impact on the cost of delivering the fuel, so that has to be added in as well.
There is also the issue around the retail price stabilization fund, which has seen a deficit of about $4 million. That fund is meant to operate at a cost-neutral basis. So when we have a deficit of $4 million, we have to somehow try to bring that back to a more neutral position.
So, Mr. Chairman, there were a number of things that happened too late in the year after we had prepared or, in some cases, approved our budget that have impacted departments. We have had to come back for the supplementary money to enable these departments to reap their costs.