Thank you, Madam Chair. Just getting back to the activity description that Public Works and Services has in their budget, the first part is the directorate, and I have no qualms with the activities of the directorate and basic description here, but I just want to point out something in the second paragraph where the director coordinates activities in support of GNWT's priorities and department goals, and maintains effective communication with department staff, as well as other departments, governments, the private sector and aboriginal and other special interest groups. To me, Madam Chair, I don't view aboriginal governments as special interest groups, and I don't think this government should either, whether it's in an activity description or not. I think this contributes to the lack of this government's various departments to fully recognize that the aboriginal governments, whether emerging or settled self-governments, are legitimate governments. I would effectively communicate with other staff, other departments and aboriginal governments, I think would be more fitting of a description for this department and any other government department. Like I said, to me, aboriginal governments are governments and they will be legitimate governments. We do have legitimate aboriginal governments, and I think they should be described as legitimate governments and make it known in the department that aboriginal governments are not interest groups, and I don't agree with the description that says they are. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

I would like to thank the Member for his comments. We will be making a change in there to highlight aboriginal organizations and governments. As we know, there is one other legal government in the Northwest Territories, that being the Tlicho Government and other discussions are ongoing and, as they come in, they will come into force, as well. So we can go aboriginal governments and organizations. So we will make the changes necessary in this section. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Page 5-13. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Also in the area of the directorate is a responsibility outlined for records management. Of late, Madam Chair, this hasn't been a high profile item, but in recent years it has been, Madam Chair. From my recollection on serving on standing committees and looking on budgets over the past few years, one thing that has come to light is our government is not very consistent across departments, Madam Chair, on how it undertakes records management. Some departments, I understand, are fairly progressive. They are able to stay on top of editing and storing and keeping current their records management systems using new technologies, while others, apparently, were occupying a heck of a lot of storage space and shelving space at government warehouses with boxes and boxes of files that, again, some departments have not undertaken so much of an initiative to stay on top of.

Through this, Madam Chair, it became apparent that while this department, Public Works and Services, does have

an overall records mandate for the GNWT, a lot of the actual authority, and decision-making, and budgeting and tasking is still in the jurisdiction of each individual department. So, Madam Chair, I wanted to ask, as of today, does our government have a central overriding policy and program for records management, or is it something that is still largely disbursed at the discretion of each department?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member has highlighted areas that have been a concern and growing concern across the department from headquarters to communities and how we deal with our records management. It was more of an opt-in system where we provided a service. We could provide training to departments and boards for records management. We have now been charged with setting up the actual policy itself and setting those guidelines. So it's gone more from opt-in to this is the requirement now, how to store your systems or what's developed in that place. So we have gone to the next level, although the expenditures and requirements still are maintained within each department. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Braden.

Okay. So then, Madam Chair, are we actually revising policy to make it a requirement for each department to maintain certain standards and accountabilities?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we have been charged with setting the level and type of storage that needs to occur and how that is done. So it is something we have been charged with and we will be setting those guidelines. Departments will have to follow those guidelines now, although they will still have the budget and people within their own sections doing that work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to compensation and benefits on page 5-13, there is an increase of $150,000. If I could just get an explanation with respect to that.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the majority of that is due to the Collective Agreement and forced growth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, $7.341 million.

Thank you. Information item, directorate, active positions, pages 5-14 and 5-15. Ms. Lee.

May I just get some detail on the reduction of four positions between last year and this year? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That was due to the HR amalgamation that occurred.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Information item, directorate, active positions, agreed?

Thank you. Activity summary, asset management, operations expenditure summary, $38.092 million. Mr. Braden.