Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The agreement was never reached.

Oral questions. This is your last supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Recognizing that the agreement has not yet been reached, Mr Speaker, and recognizing that the Supreme Court judgment recently concluded, I believe last month, that provincial jurisdictions do not have total say over environmental areas that may impact other jurisdictions; and knowing that these waters will at one point in time come into our jurisdiction, I would like the Minister to advise this House when he anticipates the conclusion of these long, outstanding negotiations with respect to the transboundary water agreement. Thank you.

Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice.

Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health. Pertaining to the recommendations that the Keewatin Region Health Board forwarded in response to the department's expenditure management initiatives, I tabled seven recommendations in the House on December 16, 1991. The Keewatin Region Health Board recommends that the Department of Health develop a regional-based dental service and a travelling orthodontic program as opposed to using contract services and medical travel. Can the Minister advise the House today whether he is prepared to support this proposal, given that in the proposal it showed significant savings in dollars?

Minister of Health, Mr. Whitford.

I will allow Mr. Todd to re-pose the question. We will not count it as a supplementary.

May I suggest that the honourable Minister may want to go back to the Hansard of December 16, 1991, and the follow-up letter I sent him with respect to the initiatives and the lack of response I have to date. Maybe then he would understand the question.

That does not help us now, Mr. Todd. Mr. Minister, they want you to answer. I am only the Speaker.

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board regarding the definition of "principally engaged." There were approximately eight people, all non-native people, who were consulted with regard to the definition of "principally engaged." Most of it has to do with the working hours, the amount of money they made, and very little to do with the traditional activity. The money value is based on a European point of view. I am also a bit confused about some of the directives that the department has with regard to that.

I would like to ask if the Minister could clarify some of the problems I am having with regard to the definition that has been used. One of the requirements is with regard to the work days. This is new to me, Mr. Chairman. It was $10,000. If you made $10,000, you qualified for compensation. But now there is a working day included in that, and I missed it somehow. It says, "Where there is no income from any other source for a period exceeding 131 days during the 12-month period immediately preceding the accident, and where written verification is received from the Government of the NWT, and the person applying for compensation is a holder of a valid general hunting licence issued under the Wildlife Act." I would like to ask the Minister what that means. Does that mean if trapping season opens and you prepare your stuff and you fall on your head and break your neck, you are not covered and you would have to have been in the bush for 131 days before you do qualify for compensation?

Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Legislation implementing a program for hunters' and trappers

' coverage through the Workers' Compensation Board was implemented without any real anticipation of what the program would cost. The policy and legislation that was put in place, which covered all general hunting licence holders, was very generous. It essentially ended up providing coverage for individuals at a level far in excess of their normal incomes, even counting the value of country food.

Mr. Speaker, therefore, because of the very high costs which were being borne directly by the Department of Renewable Resources, it was unfortunately necessary to come up with a more restrictive policy. In recognition of this, a new policy was developed, which I understand the Member is concerned about. The policy is based on the value of hunting and trapping and sets a level of $10,000.

Mr. Speaker, because it is a complicated matter, I propose to present to this House early next week, along with my colleague, the Minister of Renewable Resources, a comprehensive statement on the background to this hunters' and trappers' coverage, where we are at, and why changes had to be made. I hope that that will give me an opportunity to give Members all the background so that this program and its evolution can be better understood.

I also suggested to caucus that a briefing would be a very good opportunity for MLAs to ask the chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board themselves for a briefing on that program and other issues that may be on their minds. I am hoping that we can soon arrange an in-depth briefing for MLAs on this issue and others. Thank you.

Mr. Gargan, supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his response. I understand that a policy is being developed with regard to "principally engaged." I would like to ask the Minister if the policy being developed would be discussed in this House by Members, since it seems the communities are not being consulted, again.

Mr. Patterson.

Certainly, Mr. Speaker. The purpose of the statement which we are preparing, and I hope it will be simple and understandable, will be to explain thoroughly to Members of this House precisely why this policy was arrived at, with a view to having Members understand the full implications of the change, so that they will understand why it was necessary to redefine the level of income to determine if a person is principally engaged in hunting and trapping.

So yes, I intend to consult Members. I believe previous Members of this Legislature were consulted at the time the change was made, but I recognize there are new Members present now. So we will try to give you the fullest background and the most complete information so that Members can understand this policy and can contribute to a discussion of that policy. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a question of the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Could the honourable Member table in this House a list of the contributions that have been made by the Development Corporation, both in terms of capital investments and venture investments?

Minister responsible for Economic Development, Mr. Pollard.