Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was trying to save time by offering the Minister to provide this information in writing or in another form, but now that he has read it, I think that really speaks to how absurd and how nonsensical the way we are reporting our budget is. Under this other expenses, it has everything from money to buy a pen and pencil and a chair, to providing subsidies to citizens for wood. Other expenses is just a big, huge basket and there has to be a better way for the Department of Finance and government in the way they keep the books so that it enables us on this side of the table to see what it is that we are approving here. In my five years here -- this is my fifth year -- I don't think we have ever gone into the kind of detail in examining other expenses. When you think of, for example, grants and contributions, somewhere along the way in the past somebody decided that grants and contributions should be listed. So every $10,000, $5,000 or $1 million grants and contributions are listed as an item with an explanation provided, but for some reason in other expenses, for example if government provides any kind of program, even if it is for $10,000 it is itemized, but if it is given as a contract to a private company in Yellowknife and they provide training on oil and gas it doesn't have to be listed, it is just lumped up with $26 million in other expenses. There just has to be a better way, and I think what we are doing here highlights that, because I don't think you can have the kind of accountability and transparency that people expect from us as long as we keep the books this way.
Also, we are not able to suggest and help the Minister of Finance make priority decisions about where we could cut, and where we can do better, and weigh the qualities and the merit of government expenditures if we keep on keeping the books this way. I am not laying blame on any individual government employee, I think it is just the way that the books have been kept and I think it is time that we change that. I have a question unrelated to other expenses under advanced education and careers, but the point about how we keep the books, I am going to make a point about that being dealt with at another forum, perhaps through a committee process.
I have a question on the advanced education and careers brought to me by a constituent, and it has to do with the lack of office or manpower there to provide support to people who are going through apprenticeship programs. It is my understanding that there have been a lot of reductions, or at least that there is not enough manpower to deal with those who want to sign up for apprenticeship or need support or supervision, in light of the fact that this is a very important area given the economic activities that are taking place. I think the Minister might be aware of this already. It has been brought up in the House a number of times. Could I ask the Minister whether he has taken any steps since he took over this office to better resource this area? Thank you.