Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to get more information on the cost of this. The information that Minister Roland provided states that the lease space would cost $379 per square metre. I know that is a metric number, but I don't know what that is in footage, but could I just get a confirmation from the Minister as to whether this is a yearly figure? By my calculation, that is about $36,000 a year because I think we are looking at 95 square metres of useable office space. I would like to know what other costs will be there, because this is located in a mall. In a mall, there are common-use fees. There might be condo fees like common-area fees. What is the utility and power? Does the Minister have information on the total expenditure required for this office space on a yearly basis? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe the Member's figures are accurate. The cost of the space is within $3 a square metre of what we had estimated the cost would be, in going out for class A

space, because it is almost exactly what the government is paying at other leased locations for class A space. The amount is actually less than what we had budgeted as part of the $266,000 for lease payments. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't believe I got information as to what other costs there might be. Is that something that is within his knowledge? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. To the best of my knowledge, the per square metre costs are all the costs that we have. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have before us a special warrant for $115,000. My understanding is that that is a ballpark figure. That is something that they had to allocate before they could go out for RFP. There is a very good chance that this might be higher. It may end up costing the government more to renovate this. It might be less; I don't know. Minister Roland indicated that the landlord is very cooperative in this regard. The landlord says that there are other plans to make some of the retail stores into office space, and this fits into their plan. That landlord has agreed to pay parts of renovating costs. Could the Minister indicate as to how much is the cost the landlord is assuming in terms of renovation and any other costs? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not aware that the landlord has agreed to pick up any of the costs. The Member is right; the $115,000 is an estimate that has been provided by Public Works and Services, based on typical costs that they are finding in doing tenant improvements in other comparable space in Yellowknife. It could be more, it could be less, but we expect it will be fairly close to that dollar figure. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Next on the list, I have Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will continue where my colleague, Ms. Lee, left off. In terms of the $115,000 special warrant, I am just wondering how a special warrant could be approved for the new office. Actually, from the information that the Department of Public Works and Services has provided the House, we found out that the actual landlord is paying most of the leasehold costs on the new office locating into Centre Square Mall. I am just wondering if the Minister could tell us what exactly the $115,000 is for and why the special warrant. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The $115,000 is an estimate provided by Public Works and Services for the cost of tenant improvements for the space.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Is the Minister aware of what that portion of the leasehold improvements the landlord will be paying is? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As I told Ms. Lee, no, I am not aware that the landlord is paying a significant portion of the tenant improvements. If there are any savings, then $115,000 won't all be spent. It would, instead, remain in the government's bank account.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I guess I am just a little bit confused as to why the Department of Public Works and Services and the Department of Justice would come up with a figure of $115,000 for a special warrant, not knowing what they were getting themselves into in terms of the lease and the leasehold improvements that were going to be carried out in the new space at Centre Square Mall. That causes me some concern, that that wasn't taken into consideration prior to the special warrant being taken into consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this amount of money was approved by special warrant before Public Works and Services went out with the RFP. It would not be appropriate for Public Works and Services to advertise for somebody to supply space if we didn't have the money to actually take it. So this estimate was done this summer, well before there was any knowledge of who or what space would be used. That is the normal process for making sure that we have a budget before the government advertises for somebody to provide us with a service or a space. We have to have the budget in place in order to justify it. So we had the budget in place. It was based on Public Works' estimate of what it would cost on a per square foot basis to provide tenant improvements, based on their experience in Yellowknife. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.