Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The makeup of the cost factor is in the area of employee benefits. A large chunk was for the systems maintenance and departmental contracts, such as fax, copiers, mail courier and purchase contract services. The biggest change was in the system maintenance area, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we are talking about systems maintenance, I assume we are talking about computers. Why are those maintenance costs going up so dramatically? It was my understanding that we invested quite significantly in new systems. I would have expected the new systems would mean reduced maintenance costs. Has that not worked out to be the case?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will ask Mr. Cleveland to provide that detail.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr. Cleveland. At this time, the Chair would like to recognize visitors in the gallery, in particular Mr. Duncan McNeill, mayor of Hay River.

-- Applause

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 9-8, activity description, I would like further detail as well, specifically on two areas. Could the Minister indicate how they intend to link the Literacy Strategy, Maximizing Northern Employment, the Aboriginal Language Strategy and the Early Childhood Development Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Early Childhood Strategy, Literacy Strategy, and the Aboriginal Language Strategy are all linked in the way that they affect some of the same individuals. I am not quite sure of what the Member really means by link. Perhaps I could get some clarification on that.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the Minister for that question. I would be happy to respond. There are some links. For example, maximizing northern employment I would assume has a direct link with the Literacy Strategy with workplace literacy. As well, I would see the link with early childhood and the Literacy Strategy in terms of having children preferably born healthy, but at a young age being groomed and ready to go into the school systems and having healthy families. Part of that is the Aboriginal Language Strategy. We are looking at literacy as more than just literacy in English. It speaks to some of the underlying cultural issues. If there is a strong connection with the Aboriginal Language Strategy to have children learn on their mother's knee, their language will tie into early childhood development.

The concern, Mr. Chairman, is that we have had many examples over the years of unrelated initiatives going "willy-nilly" out of the government in different departments that are dealing with the same people, different funding criteria, talking about the same goals, but not related, the people running these programs not necessarily even working together.

That is the kind of clear demonstration I was asking the Minister to provide. Will it be there? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I take the Literacy Strategy as one example, it has a component to it called workplace literacy. That in turn connects to the maximizing employment area. In the early childhood development, we have connections that we are proposing to make to the Aboriginal Language Strategy. Again, the Literacy Strategy connects to the Aboriginal Language Strategy. As we know, we have some funding going forward in that area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since these are all basically driven for the most part through Education, Culture and Employment, when they are all finalized and they are put side by side, is the Minister committing to be able to demonstrate how they all link and mesh together? That it will be clear and apparent, so that the money in all of these different strategies will be put to the absolute best possible use? Also, so we are coordinated across the board, not only with the new strategies, but with the other departments? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we have been developing these strategies over the past year. They were in the works somewhat before that. We want to bring these to fruition. We then want to concentrate on ensuring that we refine the delivery and ensure a maximum return out of these. That will mean ensuring there are linkages, ensuring there is an understanding by everyone working in these particular areas of the other areas. That is with respect to our own department.

With respect to other departments, Mr. Chairman, we are now working hand in hand with the Department of Health and Social Services. We have been on the early childhood development plan, but are now working on a number of other areas that are coming to the fore through the Minister's Committee on the Social Envelope. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another area I would like the Minister to speak to under directorate and administration is the reference to the harmonization of income assistance and the social housing programs. There is a start-up date in July. I would like the Minister to speak to the issue of where this is in the planning process. There was a strong concern that the communication and consultation with the communities and seniors - seniors' societies and such -- is going to have to be critical, given the kind of questions that came up in the two briefings with the MLAs.

Once again, there are supposed to be increased efficiencies and standardization and making it easier for the users of these systems. I was wondering if the Minister could indicate if things are on track and how closely they are working together to do these key areas that are left. As we have seen in this House, consultation is a very critical issue. It is of great interest to MLAs that in fact there is as much consultation as possible before any kind of substantive changes are made. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we are in the process now, between Minister Allen and myself, to send a letter to the standing committee offering to bring forward the areas that were requested in the last meeting with AOC to ensure that we address the issues that were outstanding there, one of which was the information campaign. Thank you.