Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That type of work as well will be looked at once we do bring our staff back up to level here within Cabinet to process and look at how we communicate, how departments communicate and that connection. The print media that has gone out right now, for example, is one where those focus groups are giving us input as to: Is it making sense? Are they getting enough information? Is the detail the right kind of detail? That is part of what we will be evaluating as we go forward. I think there will be a need to step it up in certain areas, whether it is maybe more detail and some of our initial feedback. Is there some surprise? That we are involved in as many areas as we are, then once they get that information, there are some of the questions, okay, give us some more detail on how it actually works and what programming dollars are available in certain areas. We will be doing an evaluation of that and looking to see how we can enhance it with the type of material that goes out there and the type of advertising we do as well. There are some standards out there to the type and style of advertising. For example, our government logos and so on, those are sort of the standards in place when you see the contract pieces go out or a request for tenders and so on. There is a variety of ones out there. This could also undertake that work to see if we can standardize another step in that area. Thank you.

I do recognize that there are times when we have to advertise tenders, jobs and that sort of thing. I have no problem with that. It is the advertising, particularly newspaper advertising that we do advertising particular days or just advertising sort of this is the government, aren’t we wonderful. I really wonder whether or not there is value there. I am glad to hear that it is being evaluated. I guess I would sort of push again for the establishment of some sort of guidelines that could be communicated to every department that these are the sorts of things that you should be spending money on advertising for and these things really don’t bother doing it because we are wasting our money.

I have one last question regarding we received a document from the Premier quite some time ago which had to do with communications and basically communications from the Premier’s office and from Cabinet. At the time, I believe the Premier indicated that it was going to be fleshed out somewhat. It can be made a little bit more detailed. I haven’t seen anything in that regard. So if I can get an update, that would be helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, on the first, the advertising piece, yes, as we do the evaluation on the information we are getting out there, some of the things we have to do is reach out to some of the other regions and communities that don’t get quite as much coverage or as good coverage as the larger centres. We know the information here in the capital, because it is so available and we are right in the city, the information gets out fairly fast and quickly. Some of our measurement needs to be out there in the communities as well. The work that we are undergoing on the communications piece and out of my office and Cabinet itself, that work is ongoing. I hope I can present something to committee before spring comes -- I guess our northern spring, not the calendar day spring -- that we will be able to present something to Members for your input and feedback. Thank you.

That is good to hear. I look forward to seeing that. Thank you.

We are on page 2-29, activity summary, Cabinet support, operations expenditure summary, $2.943 million.

We are moving on to page 2-30, activity summary, Cabinet support. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to check with the Premier on this. I know in his introductory comments he noted these main estimates also increase our support for the Status of Women Council for the NWT and the Native Women’s Association. It is indicated on this page that there is, in fact, an $8,000 increase to the Status of Women’s Council for the NWT and $6,000 increase for Native Women’s Association. These organizations we know do good work. Those are fairly modest increases there. I just want to see if there were other things that were meant by the… Did those amounts warrant this mention in the Premier’s opening remarks or was there additional support that is not noted here? Thank you.

Premier Roland.

Mr. Chairman, the way our structure works right now, at least until we get

this conference that we’re working on right now as well as volunteers and NGOs and the funding arrangements reviewed and looked at, if there are changes from there, these groups fall under the same category as departments in the sense of forced growth. So the additional support falls into the forced growth range at this time. Aside from, for example, last summer, we supported or held the NAWS-2 conference here and we had to find additional funds from within to help in an area like that. We haven’t bumped up an annual besides forced growth as it qualifies right now. Thank you.

So, in fact, the reference in the opening remarks of increased support for the Status of Women’s Council and the Native Women’s Association is not really accurate. They just got a cost of living adjustment. Is that correct? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, forced growth increased support. We are giving them more dollars to help with the high cost of living, but additional over and above that, there hasn’t been additional funding at this time. Thank you.

Right. Thank you for that clarification. I will take that as a yes. Thank you.

Premier Roland, is that a yes?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A play on words, we can do all day. The fact is we have lived within the guidelines right now in dealing with forced growth but there hasn’t been additional dollars put to that. So I would say that there is support in the forced growth area, but for new initiatives, there hasn’t been additional support put there. Thank you.

Okay. We’re on page 2-30, activity summary, Cabinet support, grants and contributions, grants, $219,000. Agreed?

Contributions, $586,000. Agreed?

Total grants and contributions, $805,000. Agreed?

Moving on to page 2-31, information item, Cabinet support, active positions. Agreed?