Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, yes. Every department is expected to set goals as part of their business plan. They have indicators, they have targets they have to achieve and they are to report back on their results before we begin the process of reviewing business plans for the next fiscal year. Very clearly, every department is expected to show us what results they are achieving with the money that we provide and vote in this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if we apply the same standard to the strategic investment that we've been making and this is something we've been trying to sell to the federal government. We've suggested that a dollar spent in the Northwest Territories does not mean a dollar less for the rest of the country. It's not a fixed sum game, but they would have to take it on blind faith, the federal government, if we are not monitoring and evaluating the strategic investments we have made thus far. Are we doing so? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, as much as we can we are monitoring all of the strategic investments we make. We are also looking very carefully at the cost to our government of non-renewable resource development to see whether or not the money, first of all, that we are spending is necessary in response to non-renewable resource development or in response to some other need and, second, whether or not this is actually making a difference. It's certainly a consideration we have each year as we begin to review business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Minister has acknowledged that spending money is not enough and that we need to document results. Would the Minister suggest then that we be able to ask various Ministers of all the departments that have been making strategic investments to document the results of these programs and they would have that information for us? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I think every Minister is well prepared to respond to that kind of question and show what the results have been of the money we've spent, whether it's on infrastructure, transportation, employment development or whatever it may be. I expect that will happen as part of the review of the main estimates. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes, to follow up on the senior home subsidy program. I wasn't too clear with regard to his answer. How soon can the Minister come back with the changes to the program so that we can implement these changes as soon as possible? Does he have any idea on time frame? How long are we looking at for this change? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We should be ready to deal with this issue and get a definitive answer on this within three or four weeks, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad he can get back to us, but there are a lot of seniors in our communities who have either given up on this program because they have been using the old information. I would like to ask the Minister, will he make a public statement on this change so that the seniors are aware of it and if it's going to be retroactive to September of last year and that notice can go out as soon as possible, so they can be made aware of this change?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the appropriate time we will certainly make a statement on this and advise through a public announcement.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your second supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to the overall people I have mentioned, does the Minister have any idea how many people, who were on the original subsidy program and who may have been disqualified are not on there? Do you have any numbers to justify how much the intake is, how many people are actually on the program versus how many people may have been dropped off?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Naturally, we would have the people who would be on the system, Mr. Speaker, but I am not sure what kind of records are there and how far back we can go in terms of those who didn't qualify. I am not sure what kind of records are kept on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.