Mr. Handley.

That's correct, Mr. Chairman. It's been for interpretation and translating documents. So that's the only category for this amount of money.

Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question about the $64,000 reduction for committees. I've been a chair of a special committee, and my understanding was that there was no budget allocated for a special committee, but that you sort of have the permission to ask for a budget to conduct our duties. We hire research services, or legal services, or we travel to communities for public hearings on an issue or a bill or something like that. So could I get information on what is the budget for the committees to start with, then how would this $64,000 reduction impact on the work of the committees?

Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, the budget for the committees is something that is determined by the Board of Management. I don't know what their total budget is. I'm assuming that, depending on committee workloads, that amount can vary from year to year. The amount that has been identified here -- $64,000 -- is a number, is an amount that the Board of Management told us they have some flexibility with and they felt they could offer it up as part of the economizing measures. Thank you.

We're on page 5, Legislative Assembly, operations expense, office of the Clerk, not previously authorized, negative $139,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We know that through the course of the work of this Assembly in this session thus far, we've been sitting for about five working days, and I know that we've passed a lot of... Not a lot by our normal standards, but a great deal of legislation that would require us to engage in public hearings and it would require us to travel to communities. There is a possibility where even though we're going to do a 10 percent cut here, or whatever the percentage is, we will see a case where we may be going back for more money if it happens that our work gets overloaded and we're going to need more services and we need to travel more and so on. Thank you.

The question is sort of hard to read, because your assumption is that if this happens or that happens. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, and I don't think the Minister is privy to what will happen, so I rule that question out of order. Legislative Assembly, operations expense, office of the Clerk, negative $139,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I realize that the Minister of Finance can only do so much. He sent out the directive to different departments, and the Board of Management is in charge of budget items for the Legislative Assembly and it has suggested that these are the areas where they could meet the need for economizing their budget and meet the guideline for 10 percent. If I am being hypothetical, then I'll rephrase that question. Is it a normal case that a section of a department, especially in the Legislative Assembly, where you have a certain budget, that something takes on a life of its own, it could be the Official Languages Act, or we have legislation, the Nursing Profession Act that's going to allow midwifery? Sorry, that's been passed. No, the Nursing Profession Act has been passed, but not the Midwifery Profession Act. We have lots of other legislation that's...

Excuse me, Ms. Lee. We are dealing with the item which is the office of the Clerk. We are talking about an item that's not previously authorized, negative $139,000. So could you stick to that subject? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm just saying that based on what we know about what we do, I would like to know, in any section of any government department, what do people do when they run out of money and there are extraordinary circumstances where they have to spend more money? Do they go back to Finance?

Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chair, committee chairpersons, like any heads of departments or divisions are all responsible for managing within their budget, and we expect that they will be able to do that. If there are some unforeseen circumstances, or something arises that's beyond their control, then there is a process for them to apply for supplementary money. Thank you.

We're on page 5, Legislative Assembly, operations expense, office of the Clerk, not previously authorized, negative $139,000. Agreed?

Office of the Speaker, negative $20,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, may I get the breakdown of the $20,000 reduction that the Minister is asking us to vote on?

Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, my information from the Board of Management is that this is a single item, and the amount out of the cultural enhancement program that is being reduced is $20,000. Thank you.

Mr. Bell, are you making a point or are you going to ask a question? Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know we received much of this detail in committee...

Ms. Lee has the floor, so I will put you on the list and I'll come to you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, $20,000 will be cut out of the cultural enhancement program. We have been getting correspondence from within this building to think of ways to make this place of people more reflective of the cultures of the Northwest Territories, and it's something that has been asked by many Members of this House. So I would like to know from the Minister what was the amount of money budgeted in the first place for the cultural enhancement program so I could know what is the percentage of the reduction in that program. Thank you.