Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, l do not know if I can speak directly to that question, but Public Works' intent was to broaden the field of competition. Rather than having just one or two bids come in, we were hoping that we would receive a number of bids from down south.
I am told that over the past number of years, we have been receiving less and less bids from down south. People are not even bothering to bid anymore, whereby in the past, they used to at least try. We think we are opening the field where competition will be larger and we will get better prices.
We are not only experiencing the problem in Yellowknife. We are experiencing a similar problem wherever there is a boom in the construction industry. It may be related to non-renewable resource activity. In Inuvik, for instance, we are also experiencing the same type of difficulties as we are in Yellowknife, in that many of our projects are going over and above budget.
Mr. Speaker, Public Works has been told by this Assembly and by the committee on a number of occasions when presenting our budgets and presenting our business plans and also when the supplementaries come forward, we have been asked if we have tried all options before we come forward with the supplementary request. Well, that is what we are doing. We are trying all options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause