Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know why the current Minister of Social Services publicly made statements that he felt the Department of Social Services required a total review. Thank you.

With that, Mr. Speaker, recognizing that the Minister for the Department of Social Services has changed, but the department is still the same, the programs are still the same, the concerns of social issues are probably still the same in the North, I would like to know why he feels that the Department of Social Services does not need a total review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Social Services. Mr. Speaker, in reviewing the Hansard, I am still not content with the types of answers that I am getting from the Minister of Social Services. I asked twice previously this week with respect to whether or not the Minister of Social Services feels that the Department of Social Services needs a total review, and I would like an answer.

Therefore, my question remains the same. Does the Minister of Social Services feel that the Department of Social Services requires a total review? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In respect to the capital process there was a comment in respect to the Government Leader yesterday when we were debating a motion, that it was general agreement that the planning process and some sort of delaying of next year's budget, was to allow for input from Members with respect to developing capital items to be addressed in their constituency. I would like to ask the Government Leader how she anticipates the ordinary Members will be involved in the capital planning process for the upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to my initial question of asking if the Minister of Finance will consider formulating a directive, and as I had indicated recognizing that there are concerns with the way the current policy is being applied, the Minister of Finance stated that he is apprehensive about formulating a directive; but I am concerned with the lack of a formal directive to go with northern purchasing. There is a concern that there is no consistency when applying the policies, or there may be no consistency in applying the rules, so therefore I would like to know if the Minister of Finance will consider formulating a directive to ensure that northern purchasing is fully and conscientiously adhered to when we are expending public funds for purchases of goods in the North. Thank you.

Recognizing that there is no specific policy with respect to northern purchasing -- that was the initial question asked -- and we all recognize that there is a business incentive policy and the way it is being applied causes concern to this House, and this is the purpose for formulating the other policy, Mr. Speaker, I would like to question the Minister to determine whether or not he is considering formulating a directive to the departments to ensure that the concerns of northern purchases are followed through with by the respective departments. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, just to follow up on the questions from Mr. Todd. Recognizing that there is no specific policy developed, would the Minister of Finance be able to advise this House as to what measures are being taken with respect to ensuring they use northern businesses as much as they can? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Private Members' Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the concern of some of the Members in respect to the process and the time frame that this motion is introduced, and I want to make it specifically clear to the Members that in the event that the support for this motion is here, it is not the fact that Mr. Gargan is circumventing the capital process; he is basically indicating as a Member what his priorities are for his constituency, and we all have agreed that these also have to go through the SCOF process, which is important to all Members. But basically we are indicating to the Minister that this is the priority issue that Mr. Gargan would like to address. The issue at hand is in the capital budget, and it is just a matter of the Minister's reconsidering whether or not he wants to keep it in that specific year in the budget or place it up another year. It is the understanding of the ordinary Members that we recognize this request will go through SCOF and will be given consideration like other Members' requests once it is through the process.