Mr. Speaker, a policy outlines an intention and a direction that the government is going to take. It basically describes a purpose, it describes some basic principles that we're going to work through, it describes the scope of what we will do and what's covered by the policy and what it's impact will be. It also includes some background on how the policy will be implemented, what the authority and accountability is.
As well, Mr. Speaker, it also includes a section which says that the prerogative of the Executive Council, which if I may read says, "...nothing in this policy shall in any way be construed to limit the prerogative of the Executive Council to make decisions or take actions respecting the provisions in the policy." So, Mr. Speaker, it's a statement of what we are intending on doing. There are times, Mr. Speaker, where there are conflicting or two different objectives and we have to determine which is the highest priority. There are times and there have been cases in the past where exceptions have been made to policies and it will probably continue in this government and future governments. We try to limit it and only do it where we really haven't got much choice in weighing alternatives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.