Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The committee met with the Premier on September 28, 2006, to review the draft business plan for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations.

Committee members noted that the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations is proposing to spend $7.450 million in operations expense for the fiscal year 2007-2008. This represents a small increase of $122,000, or 1.66 percent, from last year's main estimates entirely due to forced growth for wages and benefits.