Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister agree that the Northwest Territories will, over the long term, continue to encounter financial problems unless we begin to develop some of the resource potential that we cannot reach with our current highway system? Mahsi.

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that if we were able to take some of those resources, whether they were renewable or non-renewable, from the Northwest Territories and get them to market in an economic fashion, that it would improve the finances of everybody in the Northwest Territories. There is no question about it. Thank you.

Second supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get the specifics. Is the Minister willing to direct his department to complete a comprehensive study of the economic development potential that could be realized through the extension of the Mackenzie Highway? Mahsi.

Mr. Pollard.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. We will take a look at it. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of the Housing Corporation. The bill that was sponsored by the Minister of the Housing Corporation was to remove the board, and in place of the board would be the Minister. Does this mean that if this goes through, it would remain a corporation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It would still be called a corporation but would be run like a department, if the bill had been passed. It was not passed.

Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is where I am a bit confused. In removing the board and replacing the board with the Minister, it would technically still be a corporation. The statement he made over the last week was that if the board was removed, we would save the goods and services tax. If it remains technically as a corporation, how, then, are we going to save on GST when a corporation still has to pay GST? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is really a dead issue because the bill did not get second reading, and I do not plan to re-introduce it in the near future. For the Member's information, a certain number of steps are involved. The first is to amend the legislation. Then it would go through first and second reading through this House, and then it goes to the legislation committee so that it can go through public consultation. The legislation committee reviews it; the public, the housing authorities, agencies, boards and commissions, or whoever wants input at that time could do so. That is the process. But, it did not get that far. If it had gone that far and had been passed, then you could have eliminated the board and saved $300,000 direct costs and $300,000 indirect costs, which would have made it available to negotiate with the feds to take it off the GST because it would have been under the government's arm, it would have been a department. You would have to keep the shell of the corporation in order to get CMHC funding. Thank you.

I would like to bring to the attention of the Assembly that our rules state that a Member can be called to order by the Speaker if he reflects upon any previous vote of the Assembly except for the purpose of moving that it be rescinded. We are getting into an area of some debate as to a decision that was previously made by this Legislative Assembly. I would ask Members to respect that. Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Health if he could advise this House as to the number of individuals in the Territories with the HIV disease.

Mr. Whitford.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, this number seems to have increased in comparison to last year, when I think the number was about 10. Is the Minister able to advise this House which communities the virus is in? Thank you.

Mr. Whitford.