David Krutko

I’d call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have Minister’s Statement 1-16(2), Minister’s Statement 9-16(2) and Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Schedule 2, Capital Investment Expenditures, Department of Public Works and Services, appropriation authority required: $6,534,000. Agreed?

Public Works and Services, $6,534,000 approved.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We can go back to page 4, Public Works and Services, Department of Public Works and Services, appropriation authority required: $21,029,000.

Public Works and Services, $21,029,000 approved.

Mr. Speaker, the construction industry gets frustrated with government contracts when they put out tenders. They put them on the bind for one or two years where they have to hold these products, or they deliver the products a year or two in advance, yet they have to front the money.

I’d just like to ask the Premier if he can maybe look at how we’re putting out contracts and work with either the Construction Association or the private industry to see if there are ways that we can do this better by way of our tendering process.

Thank you. Ms. Bisaro.

Excuse me. Mr. Ramsay, could you repeat the last part of your sentence? Your mic went off.

Mr. Speaker, the information was provided to the Government House Leader this morning, when I had a discussion with him on this matter.

Again, as a government we are going through a deficit-cutting process here. Yet the departments are spending money for the following year, when we are telling people we have to cut our budget and we have to cut programs and services. But the departments continue to put out contracts for services they don’t need, almost, in some cases, two years down the road.

I’d like to ask the Premier: could he look into this situation? If this is a trend of the departments, I...

Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authority required: $1,421,000.

Municipal and Community Affairs, $1,421,000 approved.

Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authorization request: $59,258,000.

Municipal and Community Affairs, $59,258,000 approved.

I do have a lot of faith in my cousin too.

Laughter.

I think it’s important to realize that as a government and as the Government Leader in this government, your voice carries a lot of weight around here. And I think it’s important that we do voice our concerns, especially in regard to the Conservative Senators who didn’t make an attempt to be here.

I think, as a government, we should write a stern letter to those Senators to make them aware that we do not appreciate being put aside because of the cost and not having the time to be here. I think, as a government, we do have a responsibility to...