Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My questions are going to continue today on the area of the negotiated contract for the Inuvik schools replacement and also, I guess, follow up somewhat on the questions I was asking in the House today that the Premier answered.
In question period a few days ago I asked the Minister of Education if the contract had been awarded for the Inuvik schools replacement. I was told that it had been. Later on in Committee of the Whole, upon further questioning actually, I found out that it was a letter of award and it wasn’t the actual contract that had been signed.
I want to question a bit more about the process for the authority that the Department of Public Works and Services has to have in order to enter into such an agreement, such a contract. I will set aside for a minute, perhaps, conflicting legal opinions about whether that letter of intent or letter of award is legally binding or not. We’ll just set that aside for a minute, because there may be a difference of opinion about that.
In terms of the process is there a record of decision? How does the Department of Public Works know that they have the appropriation authority to enter into an agreement with a contractor for the provision of a piece of infrastructure?