Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through the life of this Assembly there have been many occasions where there have been cost overruns on capital projects. One of the most recent examples is the North Slave Correctional Facility which has had cost overruns during each phase of its development.

Mr. Speaker, these cost overruns are not small sums of money. They involve millions of dollars. Along with the cost overruns, there have been different adjustments to capital plans, Ministers write to Regular Members informing them that money has been reallocated from one project to another. Sometimes these funds are reallocated from one riding to another without any discussion at all.

Mr. Speaker, also, special warrants for funding are another way money is issued for projects not in our business plans. Mr. Speaker, as Members of this Legislature, we gather together and determine annual budgets. We lobby hard for our regions and the projects within it. It is not fair that hard-won projects are affected by funding transfers from one area to another.

Mr. Speaker, with all of these cost overruns, I see two things happening. The first and most obvious is that community projects that are really needed are not considered. An example is a need for addictions and health centres in the Territories.

The second thing that is happening is that a substantial debt is going to be handed over to the next Assembly. Mr. Speaker, are these multi-million dollar cost overruns, budget adjustments and special warrants a result of poor planning, or are they a case of ministerial mismanagement or, are they simply an unavoidable fact of life?

I am sure your constituents would like to know the answers to these questions as I find it very difficult to guarantee them that new or already planned projects will occur without these funding reallocations. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions on this later. Thank you.