Mr. Chairman, each department was asked to identify their controllable and non-controllable expenditures. They each did that. Then they were asked to identify 10 percent of their controllable budget. I don't think that we could be any fairer than that in asking everybody to use the same percentage amount. We pay the managers in each of these departments a lot of good money to be able to manage their departments. So they have to, all across government, tell us where they feel that they could make the cost reduction and still be able to manage their department effectively. So it is difficult for any of us here, since we don't manage those departments, to tell them exactly how they should do their job. I don't know exactly what the budget is. I'm assuming that they wouldn't have given this amount of money if they didn't feel it was manageable, and that's what they're paid to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Aboriginal Affairs, not previously authorized, negative $191,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, under that item there will be a $16,000 reduction in wages under the negotiations division, and it will mean a summer student will not be hired. So my first question is, is this on top of the $300,000 something that was cut out of the Cabinet Secretariat under the Executive?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does he have information as to why under this section, which is in the same department as all the previous ones that I've mentioned under this department, and all of the cuts being proposed had to do with travel or contract services, except in this department, the only cut, and it's in the amount of $16,000, is to not hire a summer student? So could I get an explanation as to why that exception? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, the whole page, all of Aboriginal Affairs is one department, and these are the areas that they, in their wisdom and with their management expertise, have told us that they can cut from their controllable portion of the budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question about the $48,000 cut out of $191,000 and it comes under the intergovernmental forum. A reduction in salaries for $48,000. A senior advisor position will not be filled for part of the year. Could the Minister indicate the importance of this impact, given this busy activity that is going on in IGF?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, certainly, the intergovernmental forum process is important. But again, clearly, the deputy minister of this department felt that he can manage the department effectively, while making this reduction. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Aboriginal Affairs, not previously authorized, negative $191,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to report progress.

A motion is on the floor. The chair does not recognize a quorum.

---Ringing of Bells

There is a motion on the floor. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is defeated.

---Defeated

We're on page 8, Aboriginal Affairs, not previously authorized, $191,000 negative.

Total for Aboriginal Affairs, negative $191,000.

Total department, negative $1.55 million.

Page 9, Finance, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized, negative $32,000. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The detailed information I have on page 9 of page 32 says travel and contract services for the deputy minister's office will be cut by 10 percent. So now these are good figures, because how we know if $10,000 is 10 percent, the total budget must be $100,000 for travel contract services.

---Interjection

I know, I'm on the ball. It speaks again to the inconsistency, because that's the kind of information that I've been trying to get for all of the questions I asked under Aboriginal Affairs. So I think what people don't realize is how much budget there is for travel in government. Anyway, I know I'm not supposed to make general comments, I'm supposed to speak just on this item.

Mr. Chairman, it says here on the impact statement, possible reduction in attendance at federal/provincial/territorial or self-government meetings. It will also mean reduced capacity for economic analysis or managerial studies. So may I ask the Minister do we pay deputy ministers contract services for managerial studies?