Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. By this session.

Oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Last December I talked about the concerns of the people who live in Liard along the Liard River just 20 miles from the BC border. My concern is, will there be any meetings that are going to take place between the BC government and the Government of the NWT in regard to environmental problems that are going to be arising from the type of logging that they do in BC, which is clear-cutting? This is probably directed toward the Government Leader.

Madam Government Leader.

Mr. Speaker, a communique has been sent to the appropriate government people in the provinces to ask to be recognized and set up a meeting. We have been rather busy during the session, but we hope to do that.

In terms of the additional issue on uranium development, we have not sent that communication out yet, but that is being constructed now and we will be happy to give a copy to the honourable Member. However, we are committed to meet his request to try to co-ordinate the relationship with the provinces and the NWT when they are proposing or doing major development that will affect the communities and the Mackenzie River and Liard River.

Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the current Minister of Finance. On April 11, 1990, a motion was passed by the 11th Legislative Assembly that directed the Executive Council to prepare a policy that would permit only northern companies to bid on government contracts. This motion was moved by the current Minister of Finance, seconded by the current Minister of Public Works. During the last session the Minister of Finance told this House that his department and the Department of Public Works were looking at the policy because it does meet the specifics of this motion. My question to the Minister of Finance is: Is the Minister still committed to implementing a policy consistent with the principles of that motion, that this policy should allow only companies resident in the NWT and who meet the government's business incentive policy to tender on all Government of the NWT contracts?

This question is directed to the Minister of Finance, but I caution Members that any question to the Minister of Finance has to deal with his present capacity as Minister of Finance, not taking into account what he might have done in his past life as an ordinary Member. Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Morin, in his capacity as the Minister responsible for the business incentive policy, will be bringing to cabinet, tomorrow morning, information in that regard for cabinet perusal, and I will know what is in that document tomorrow.

As far as my commitment ,personally, to that end and to that motion, I still stand behind that motion, sir. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of DPW. My colleague from the Keewatin had basically asked the Minister of DPW if he still believes in the business incentive policy, recognizing that it will be used to maximize northern preference, train northern people. I would like to ask if the Minister believes this policy should be developed, and will be developed, to ensure that we utilize, as the Government of the NWT, absolute northern preference for tenders that are given and awarded to the territorial contractors. Thank you.

Minister responsible for Public Works, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The past business incentive policy was to equalize and bring up to par northern businesses that have to compete with southern businesses. The business incentive policy, as far as I was concerned, was never there for training northern people, and that was the problem with that policy. We have to address the training of northern people in a different way for the simple reason that the percentage was not great enough to make sure that our people were getting trained.

We have been doing capital projects in the Northwest Territories for many years, and still the majority of the people that are working on those projects are coming from the South or from outside the community, and as far as I am concerned that is unacceptable. So we do have a plan, and we will be talking about it in this Legislative Assembly during this session, for how we are going to maximize the training, how we are going to get our people trained, how our people can take care of those jobs, so that money does not go to Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Newfoundland, or wherever it is going now, and stays in the Northwest Territories.

In the past Legislative Assembly, the people that know me know that I was a strong pusher for that, and I will continue to do that. We have to train our people and we have to ensure that they do have the jobs, and any policy we put in place has to reflect that. I will do that as Minister of DPW. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, in as much as I recognize what the Minister is saying, that he would like to make sure that this policy that encourages northern contractors to train northern people to take advantage of opportunities that are given by the government, and recognizing that the Province of Quebec has an absolute preference policy for only contractors of Quebec, I would like to know whether the Minister is going to ensure that any contracts that are given out to tender for northern people, or any tenders that are being awarded, will use the absolute northern preference, and that the policy will be developed with absolute northern preference only. Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that in Quebec it is not an absolute policy to hire Quebec firms only. I will get that information and distribute it to Members. One thing we have to look at is what we are trying to achieve. It is always nice on paper to say "absolute northern contractors only," but will we be able to achieve it, and are we going to use our work force to police that and make sure that everybody does that, only tender in the Northwest Territories? Or should we use the work force we have to develop training programs and make sure our people are working? That is the question we all have to answer. We have only so many PYs, so what are we going to use them for? You know, either do something positive or just be a police force.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is not answering my question. I am asking, with the new policy that is being developed, will the Minister ensure that northern preference, absolute northern preference, will be granted to people who tender on these contracts that are being awarded? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member is asking that only northern contractors with residence in the North are allowed to bid, the answer would be no. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister, then, tell me, if he does not believe that absolute northern preference will be given in the new policy that is being developed for business incentive, then what is the purpose for the business incentive policy to be amended so that we can enhance and encourage, so businesses can take the opportunity to train northern people for these contracts that they are going to be awarded?