Community marine, total community marine, $80,000. Agreed?

Total department, $39,139,000. Agreed?

That concludes the Department of Transportation. I would like to thank the Minister and his witnesses.

I will call the committee to order. We have agreed the next department we will be considering is the Department of Education, Culture & Employment. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for this department if he has any opening comments. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have some opening comments.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has a mission to invest in and provide for the development of the people of the Northwest Territories, enabling them to reach their full potential, to lead fulfilled lives and to contribute to a strong and prosperous society. This mission, as well as the goals outlined in the department's strategic plan update, supports the overall vision of the Government of the Northwest Territories, outlined in Towards A Better Tomorrow. In particular, the activities of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment support the first goal outlined in that vision: healthy, educated Northerners making responsible, personal choices for themselves and their families.

To fulfill our mission and reach our goals, the 2001-2002 Main Estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment total $183 million for operations and maintenance and amortization of our capital assets. This represents an $8.9 million increase over the 2000-2001 Main Estimates. The increase addresses additional commitments, including a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio, increased student supports, incremental funding to support the NWT Literacy Strategy, as well as an increase to the allowance for persons with disabilities and food scales provided under the income assistance program.

The department will continue implementation of our government's commitment to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio from 18 to one to 16 to one over a four-year period, which started in 2000-2001. The ratio is currently 17.5 to one and will be reduced to 17 to one in the 2001-2002 school year. Over the same four-year period, funding for student support activities will be increased from eight to 15 percent of the overall schools' budget -- an increase of more than 80 percent. Funding for student support is currently at 10 percent of the overall schools' budget and will be increased to 12 percent in 2001-2002.

These two initiatives will result in an additional estimated investment of over $3.6 million in schools in 2001-2002.

In our estimates, $2.4 million is included to enhance literacy activities across the NWT, based on the draft NWT Literacy Strategy. The strategy is a response to a motion passed in this House last summer and has been developed in consultation with other departments and representatives of non-governmental organizations, Members of the Legislative Assembly and the general public. It calls for increased access to literacy and adult basic education in NWT communities, increased workplace literacy programs, expanded library services, targeted programming for inmates, the disabled and seniors, as well as the development of baseline data to ensure that we clearly understand the nature of literacy and the progress of our efforts. These measures will go a long way towards helping prepare Northerners to take advantage of economic opportunities.

Earlier this year, the Premier spoke of the importance of "maximizing northern employment". The Premier made a number of commitments, some of which will be fully developed by March 31st of this year. The estimates before you do not include funding for any additional programs and services associated with these commitments. We are committed to the development of key initiatives in both the public and private sectors to advance employment opportunities and ensure that Northerners have the skills and knowledge needed to obtain available jobs.

The Northwest Territories has a very successful apprenticeship program and we plan to build on that success to help meet the increased demand for skilled tradespeople for current and future non-renewable resource development. We will be expanding the Schools North Apprenticeship program, which enables students to achieve credits towards their high school requirements while also receiving time credits towards apprenticeship. We will be working closely with the schools and employers to develop the implementation plan for expanding the program.

The department is working closely with the education authorities on teacher recruitment. The department has also begun discussions with the five divisional education councils and the Yellowknife education districts to identify strategies for employing northern graduates of teacher education programs. We expect those strategies to be developed more fully in the coming two months. The employment of northern teachers will support one of our key goals of having a teaching force that is representative of our northern population.

The department is also working with other GNWT departments to develop an internship program to employ graduates of programs other than teaching and nursing. The internship will provide the opportunity for recent graduates to gain valuable work experience, which will enhance their employability prospects for future employment. Strategies for the internship program are being worked on and will be finalized by the end of March.

It is important that we also continue to build on the work and the relationships that we have with many people, employers and organizations who have a role and an interest to play in maximizing northern employment. We will continue to work closely with the private sector to ensure training and employment opportunities are maximized for Northerners, not only through programs such as apprenticeship but also through programs like youth employment, formerly known as working together.

Due to an improved territorial economic situation, increased emphasis on career development and improved administrative systems, we are anticipating reduced spending in the income assistance program during the 2001-2002 years.

We are proposing to reinvest $500,000 into the income assistance food scales. Preliminary data gathered in a recent survey of food costs in NWT communities indicates this investment will ensure that the purchasing power of income assistance recipients is, at the very least, maintained at historical levels. As well, we are proposing to increase the disability allowance provided under the income assistance program by about 29 percent, from $175 to $225 per month. The additional cost for the increase in this benefit is $200,000.

We will also continue our work to support aboriginal languages. The Aboriginal Languages Strategy has been released in draft and we are receiving comments and suggestions from the language communities. The strategy will be finalized over the next two months.

Staff of ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services are working together on a comprehensive strategy to support early childhood development. The departments have identified four key areas for joint action:

• • Healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
• • Healthy parenting.
• • Early childhood care and learning opportunities.
• • Stronger community supports.

The action plan will be in addition to existing programs for our youngest residents. In 2001-2002, $1.8 million is allocated for the healthy children initiative, which provides funding for early childhood programs and services in the communities and funding to assist with specific supports for children with identified needs. In addition, we are continuing our support for licensed early childhood programs. There are currently over 70 licensed early childhood programs across the NWT with more than 1,200 licensed spaces for children.

We recognize the importance of developing a northern teaching work force that is representative of our northern population. Our continuing investment in the training and education of northern educators through the Aurora College Teacher Education Program will not only provide us with a more representative work force, but will also help to ensure that our education system is reflective of the language, culture and heritage of the North.

Before I conclude my comments this afternoon, I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for providing me with some valuable advice during the review of the business plan and main estimates. Our discussions have helped to improve the department's plans and refine the directions that we are taking.

That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Does the committee responsible for overseeing this department have any opening comments in regard to the review of the main estimates of this department? Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs met on January 17 and 18, 2001 to consider the 2001-2002 Main Estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

There were a number of changes in the main estimates from the figures provided during the business plan review in October; a $635,000 increase for the revised capital cost of the Helen Kalvik School in Holman Island; a $1,840,000 increase to address changes resulting from the collective agreement with the Union of Northern Workers; a $763,000 decrease in amortization expenses; a $4,535,000 increase for reductions in pupil-teacher ratios resulting from the NWT Teachers' Association agreement; and a $325,000 transfer from Health and Social Services to create a one-window approach to service for seniors and disabled persons.

Subsequent to the Minister's presentation on the main estimates, correspondence from the chairman of the Financial Management Board indicated that there would be a further $335,000 provided to the Yellowknife school districts and the Rae-Edzo School Society to cover costs associated with the signing of the new collective agreement with the Union of Northern Workers. The correspondence also stated that the $2 million previously identified for the Early Childhood Development Action Plan in the main estimates would become part of the supplementary reserve.

As part of the business plan review, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight had made a recommendation on behalf of the Standing Committee on Social Programs regarding reinvestment of the projected $1 million savings in the Income Support Program. As a result of the recommendation, the department has reinvested $500,000 to enhance the food basket and $200,000 to improve services for disabled persons.

When questioned about the $300,000 shortfall from the recommendation, the Minister advised the committee there would also be increased spending for the Literacy and Maximizing Northern Employment Strategies, which would bring the total reinvestment to at least the $1 million mark.

Committee members are not sure that this will achieve the intended result of the recommendation for re-investment and will be watching the implementation of the enhancements to the Income Support Program to gauge their effect.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs would like to thank the department and the government for meeting at least part of the recommendation to reinvest the savings that were a result of the increased efficiencies to the Income Support Program. The department is strongly urged to examine the Income Support Program on a regular basis to ensure that it is sufficient to maintain the dignity of income support clients and meet their basic needs.

Early Childhood Development Action Plan

After years of committee recommendations to focus on prevention to better ensure healthy children, the standing committee is pleased that the government is prepared to make a $2 million investment in early childhood development in each of the next three years. Now, members are anxious to see the details of the program. The committee looks forward to being able to comment on the proposed program when the department, along with the Department of Health and Social Services, brings that information back to the committee in April 2001.

Committee members will be looking for a co-ordinated approach with existing programs and service providers. For example, aboriginal organizations and governments have already been delivering Aboriginal Head Start Programs that have proven very effective in meeting early childhood development needs. Programming under the action plan should enhance, rather than compete with, such existing programs and services.

To date, there is little evidence that there is true coordination and cooperation between Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services on the action plan. When the proposal is reviewed in April, the committee hopes to see strong evidence that these two departments are finally working together toward a common goal in measurable and tangible ways.

Members noted that the commitment to early childhood development is only for the next three years. It is hoped that the government will be able to find funding to make early childhood development part of the base, as it will be difficult to wind up extremely important programs when the funding is sunsetted in three years. It was also noted that subsequent to reviewing the main estimates, the $2 million was removed and placed in the supplementary reserve.

Student Financial Assistance Program (SFA)

The members of the standing committee continue to have many concerns about the current delivery approach for the Student Financial Assistance Program.

During the review of the main estimates, the Minister indicated that the department is moving $214,000 from the SFA Program to pay for new SFA loans officer's salaries. There was no mention of the need for this transfer of funds from the program to salaries during the review of business plans just three months ago. What is particularly disturbing about this funding transfer is that the Minister insisted the department could not afford the $300,000 in program funds to grandfather students at post-secondary institutions who were previously entitled to remissible SFA loans. The Minister then takes more than two-thirds of the amount necessary to grandfather these students and shifts it to pay for the increased administration costs of the revised SFA Program.

In light of the administrative funding transfer, the unwillingness of the Minister to grandfather students adversely affected by the change in the SFA Program continues to be an issue for the committee. When committee members gave approval last year to the SFA redesign, it was with the understanding that students presently receiving benefits would be grandfathered. It is a concern that the members cannot take the Minister at his word when he makes a commitment in order to get committee support for a program change.

Members of the committee remain concerned that the SFA Program continues to be entrenched at headquarters. There is a strong interest in seeing this program delivered regionally or locally, like other similar programs. This decentralization would be a good first step. The Student Financial Assistance Program will probably be part of self-government agreements and any eventual transfer would be the responsibility of the regional administration.

While the department has made efforts over the past few years to improve the delivery of SFA, there is still room for improvement. It was noted that Members from the larger communities spend far more time dealing with complaints about the SFA Program than with the Income Support Program. The committee will be monitoring the fall intake of students and hopes the system will run considerably smoother than it did last year.

The committee and Minister discussed the benefit of introducing an interest reduction-relief plan for those students who return to the Northwest Territories and have paid back the principal of their student loans. This would be an excellent way to encourage students to return to the North once they complete their studies. It would also be consistent with the approach announced under the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy. The committee was pleased to hear that the department is considering a similar proposal and looks forward to further discussion in the near future.

Oil and Gas Training

The government has provided members with information demonstrating the significant employment opportunities, both short and long-term, in the oil and gas sector. Less than a year ago, there were announcements about the efforts to support oil and gas training and government officials were heavily involved in plans to support this effort.

The standing committee was pleased that $500,000 was identified in the business plan for oil and gas training, but is disappointed that more could not be made available. The money identified thus far has been allocated for entry-level courses.

The safety and truck driving courses may meet immediate needs of employers, but they do not ensure that Northerners are trained and ready to advance past the entry-level positions or to assume the technical jobs available after the initial exploration work is done.

Officials from oil and gas exploration companies have told committee members that there is a need for more extensive training than what is currently available. It is important that the department take a leadership role in determining those training needs and finding ways to help Northerners prepare for more than just entry-level jobs.

While we can look to partners such as businesses and the aboriginal governments to complement the training offered or coordinated by the government, the government has the responsibility to ensure that residents have the skills that employers need through programs and institutions such as Aurora College and the Apprenticeship Program. The creation of an Oil and Gas Sector Committee, similar to the very successful mine training committee, may be one way to bring all partners together to address training issues.

Oil and gas development may come and go in a relatively short period of time. The committee is apprehensive about having further efforts to support northern employment and training in oil and gas contingent on federal funding that may take a long time to materialize. The department must monitor this situation and the government must be prepared to invest in the future of the people of the Northwest Territories should the federal government fail to recognize our potential.

Impact Benefit Agreements (IBA)

Some members of the standing committee are concerned about the treatment of Impact Benefit Agreement payments in assessing income support amounts. Currently, income support clients have their income support reduced by the amount they receive under an IBA.

There are two areas where greater clarity is required. First, it is not clear whether an IBA payment is similar to a treaty payment and whether either type of payment should result in reductions to payments received under other government programs.

Second, IBA payments are almost like a windfall for those on income support. Under normal circumstances, these individuals have no opportunity to buy extra items like a nice pair of runners for their children, or to put a small amount of money away for their future. The IBA provides that opportunity, but it is then taken away because their income support payments are reduced and they need to use the IBA payment to meet the necessities of life.

Members are pleased that the department will revisit this issue and look forward to discussions with the Minister in late spring on possible options for dealing with this issue.

Consistency in College Programs

Members are aware of students who have quit jobs to attend Aurora College only to have courses cancelled at the last minute because of insufficient enrolment. While the committee understands the economics behind these types of cancellation decisions, there is still an obligation on the part of the College to deliver the programs it says it is going to. If the College wants to be treated as a full-grown college on par with its southern counterparts, it must find ways to ensure that students have full access to the range of course offerings that are initially advertised. Students should not have to take courses that are of no interest or value to them in order to get their diplomas on a timely basis.

Distance education is being used more and more in the high schools to provide choices and options for students. The college needs to take a hard look at how to access distance education options so students are treated fairly and receive the quality and variety of education that they register for. If the college cannot offer a course because of low enrolment, there should be a distance education opportunity for the student to acquire the course.

An important part of this equation is how the SFA Program will support students pursuing distance education opportunities. The committee is still waiting for information on how the department plans to deal with this growing issue. Members would like to stress that Aurora College students should not have their SFA funding threatened if they are required to take distance education programs to fulfill credit requirements that the college is unable to provide.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to turn the rest over to my colleague, Mr. Bell. Thank you.

Mr. Bell, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

2000 Student Support Needs Assessment Territorial Report

For a number of years, teachers and healthcare providers have warned that there are large numbers of FAS-FAE youth in our schools. Members have regularly heard about the extra student support and teacher time that is required to work with these children to help them achieve their full potential. It was surprising, therefore, that the report on student support needs did not mention FAS-FAE. The committee members are aware that clinical diagnosis is necessary to make a final determination of FAS-FAE and teachers are not trained to make that diagnosis. However, to leave this particular disability completely out of the report suggests that there are gaps in the assessment and seems to reduce the value of the report as a planning document.

The department did provide information on FAS-FAE students in the classroom after the committee raised its concern. However, this does not address the fundamental flaw in the report when it omits this prevalent issue and possibly others as well.

Other School Funding

Committee members note that there is a discrepancy in how funding for schools outside the normal school system is allocated. For example, the Western Arctic Leadership Program is funded through negotiation, while the Koinonia School is funded on enrolment. As with all government programs, there is a need for consistency in how similar organizations access government funding.

Maximizing Northern Employment

While funds for the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy are not included in the 2001-2002 Main Estimates, the Premier did highlight components of the strategy in his recent address and committee members are under the understanding that it will be implemented in the 2001-2002 fiscal year. With the understanding that the Premier and Cabinet hope to implement parts of this strategy within weeks, the standing committee saw the opportunity to make any comments were extremely limited. Consequently, Members believed that it was important to include our initial comments on the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy in this report.

At this point, the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy is a vaguely defined plan with good intentions but very little in terms of substantive detail, definitive implementation plans or clear budgets. Committee members are generally supportive of the thrust of the strategy, but disappointed that the government has chosen to pursue this significant strategy with no opportunity for the committee to comment before the Premier made components of the strategy public. This means there was no chance to discuss linkages with other initiatives that might have had an equal impact on northern employment.

For example, committee members see the Student North Apprenticeship Program (SNAP) as a very valuable program and have consistently encouraged its expansion. This program allows students to attend high school part-time while working towards their first-year apprenticeship in a recognized trade during the other half of the school day. The SNAP program seems to be a good fit with the announcement about program changes to allow students to pursue other paths in high school beyond a strictly academic education. When the details of the strategy are announced, the Committee expects to see clear linkages to SNAP.

Members are aware that some math programs offered in our high schools do not provide sufficient background in math for a student to pass a pre-trades qualification exam. If you cannot pass this exam you usually cannot get an apprenticeship. The standing committee hopes that the program changes the Premier spoke of will include upgrading the math curriculum to meet trades entry requirements.

Another element that members hope to see addressed is a better understanding among students of the program entry requirements for all forms of post-secondary education and training, from university to college to trades to specific technical and specialized training. Without this information, students may not enrol in the necessary high school courses.

Members are interested in the links between the employment training programs and how high school students will be supported and tracked through their post-secondary education and subsequently encouraged to become part of the northern workforce.

Many of the emerging job opportunities in the non-renewable resource sector involve heavy equipment operation. Although the government says preparing Northerners is a priority, there is a lack of a corresponding commitment to the Heavy Equipment Operators Program at the Thebacha Campus. As a result of budget cuts, this program has to train operators on equipment that is often no longer in use by industry.

The government must work on partnerships with employers and aboriginal governments to design a heavy-duty operator's course that meets their needs. There is also a need to consult with employers to determine and acquire the necessary equipment for the Fort Smith Campus to produce employable heavy-equipment operators. It is hoped the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy will acknowledge this need.

The department's main estimates talked about an increased emphasis on apprenticeship training but there is no new funding and no evidence that the programming will change. The need for tradespersons is great in the non-renewable resource sector and the government should be making a strong financial commitment to address that need.

The committee is interested in the plan to offer term positions to every post-secondary graduate in priority occupations. Given that it is less than three months away from the end of the post-secondary school year, members would like to see the program implementation details, including how priority occupations will be defined. Committee members also expect consultation with the Union of Northern Workers will be necessary to determine how this program relates to the collective agreement.

Committee members are very anxious to engage in the detailed review of the strategy with the Minister quickly so there is time for the committee to provide advice prior to implementation.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring in any witnesses?

Yes, Mr. Chairman, I will bring in witnesses.

Does the committee agree?

Sergeant-At-Arms, would you escort the witnesses in please? For the record, Mr. Minister, could you introduce your witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On my right is Mr. Mark Cleveland, the deputy minister of the department. On my left is Mr. Paul Devitt, director of management services.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. General comments? Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will keep my comments brief as a lot of my concerns have been addressed through the committee report. Some I would just like to personally emphasize as MLA for Thebacha, of course. One of the ongoing concerns I keep hearing about is the special needs issue, class size and special needs assistants. I was called by one constituent today who has children who have special need requirements. He indicated that he had been told, for example, at the elementary school in Fort Smith, they could use as many as ten SNAs. They have seven. Word is that it is going to be cut back to three next year. It is a pressing issue that I will be bringing to the table with the Minister in the coming days and weeks as I receive more information on that.

A broad issue I want to stress is the absolute imperative nature of the cooperation between the departments, between Health and Social Services and Education, between Education and Housing when you look at harmonization. As the Minister has committed, it is going to be able to demonstrate clearly a working link between the Literacy Strategy, the Aboriginal Languages Strategy, the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy and the Early Child Development Program, all that are on a continuum and are linked and should flow from one to the other. Unless they are linked, the money is not going to be as effectively used as it could be.

Another issue I want to talk about -- and I will wait for more detail when we get to that particular part of the budget, of course -- is the decentralization of the SFA Program. It is an ongoing concern. We have communities running complex services for their citizens. We have aboriginal governments planning to take over all sorts of government programs for their people. We have programs being run, income support and such at the community level. I want to come back to the point that for some reason, the Department of Education is vigorously resisting the need to decentralize this program and move it out to their communities, close to the students it serves, with the ability to cut cheques and do all the appropriate work.

I could tell you my own personal experiences as an MLA that I have more contract with the department on student financial assistance than any other single item in my constituency. That I can recollect, I never contacted the department on income support at the headquarters level, but Mr. Cleveland and I, during certain times of the year, sometimes correspondence on a daily or hourly basis on some issues. This is an issue I am going to come back to until the Minister will finally recognize the benefit of moving this program and saying yes, within a year, we will movie it or whatever it may be.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, there is a strong concern about what will be entailed in the maximizing northern employment. There were a tremendous amount of commitments made in terms of providing employment, defining priority occupations, beefing up apprenticeships, both at the school level and at the college level. What does that mean? As I see it, the department has a tremendous amount of work on their hands over the next couple of months.

There are students coming home for two months now from university. There have been commitments made in terms of jobs and such. I am not sure where they are. Do they have the numbers? Do they have a process in place that will allow them to address those needs?

My own sense is that the magnitude of the number of students coming back who may be looking for employment are going to be significant. It is going to be very difficult organizationally for the government to adjust its current hiring processes and job requirements to honour that commitment. I would love to see the details of that. It is critical. Time is of the essence in that particular area, especially given the clear public proclamations and commitments.

I will have other comments as we get into the detail, Mr. Chairman, but that concludes my general opening comments. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister, do you want to respond to those general comments?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are a number of areas that the honourable Member has referred to. One is on the investment we are making in PTR and student needs. As the Member knows, we are making significant investments in that area. I am a bit surprised to hear that there is a rumour floating around that a number of class supports are going to be cut, in one particular case, in one of his schools. Of course, that is not the intention of this program. I would have to know the details of that and check with the DEC, who is ultimately responsible in this area, to ensure that this funding does flow through to the schools. We believe it does.

At the end of the year, we ask that an accountability be provided for funding that we put forward. It should show that we have made inroads in terms of improving the student financial assistance and the classroom support area, as well as the reduction in PTR.

Mr. Chairman, the Member also referred to the clear need for cooperation between Health and Social Services and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. That is certainly my intent as well. I believe the Minister of Health and Social Services has spoken on that end as well.

It certainly is becoming very strong. We are working tremendously hard together on various areas. We have formed a Ministerial committee that meets on a consistent basis now. It is an informal Ministerial meeting, of course, but it does include the social envelope Ministers. So there is increased activity in that end.

As well, as the Member well knows, we have partially completed the harmonization between income support and housing, between the Minister responsible for Housing and myself. We have met a number of times on that area. It is a matter of introducing that now.

On the decentralization of the student financial assistance program, as I mentioned, I think it may be a wrong assumption to say that we are not prepared to look at decentralization. We have made some moves already in that regard, Mr. Chairman, to ensure that on a regional basis, the regional career development officers are trained to handle inquiries from students and to ensure they can handle filling out application forms and so forth.

We are strongly moving towards a computerized system. One of the reasons that there is not as much response required on the part of MLAs on the income support side is because we moved into a computerized system two years ago. We basically have three-quarters of a year under our belt, not quite, with student financial assistance on computerization. I think we will see the same results in that area, Mr. Chairman.

On maximizing northern employment, we are making strides very quickly in that area. I know it has been an area that has popped up quickly, but it is an important area for all of us in the Territory. It deals with a number of areas. We are looking at summer employment programs for students, a website for students, work experience programs for them, career employment and career development experiences, so we are making moves in that whole area as well, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

General comments? Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of things. I want to make it clear that I recognize the money that is being put into special needs and the class size and the money to early childhood development, but I also know that the money will never be enough. There will always be a greater need than there are resources available to service it.

My final comment is on student financial assistance. In fact, income support, which used to be welfare, has been delivered at the community level by computer for far more than two years. I would like to see a clear plan for the department to take student financial assistance off of training wheels and give it to the communities and to the region where it belongs with all of the other programs that should be delivered at that level. Once again, I will be asking the Minister when we get to that particular part of the budget about that particular issue. I would like to see a clear commitment that we are not just going to keep practicing with you, but you are actually going to take it over. Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

I think I addressed the issues before, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.