Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here. I have several questions to ask you. I will ask all my questions at once so we do not lose track of where we are in the to and fro of questions and answers.
First, I should point something out. For someone sitting at this table looking at this for the first time, the way the line items are broken down is unusually complex. I do not know if you can suggest to your colleague at Treasury Board or the Department of Finance that there be a much better breakdown of this with far fewer figures repeated from one page to the next.
I ended up finding questions to ask because I went further than the first couple of pages, and you will see why.
I would like to talk quickly about water. Minister, it seems—and you can tell anyone this— that there have been agreements between municipalities in Quebec. Obviously, I am referring to Quebec as a nation.
I am pulling your leg. It is a joke.
Agreements must be entered into between various municipalities and neighbouring aboriginal communities to provide water and treat sewage. I hope that happens. I think that would be a good step in the right direction.
Now let's turn to the appropriations that need to be adopted. That is why we are here today, and I have three questions I would like to ask.
First, on the consultation and policy development fund for issues surrounding matrimonial real property, there is $6.38 million paid solely—and I am saying solely—in contributions. I would like to have more details on these contributions. Who are these sums being paid to? And what is the purpose of these contributions?
There is something else a little lower on the same page.
Colleagues, if you are on page 1, you need to go to the pages which refer to voted appropriations. That is really today's issue.