The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to extend question period. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) They are going to do the survey once. It is impossible at this point to foresee how they are going to conduct the survey; whether it is going to be by dog-team or by other means. Yes, I will investigate this and get back to you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.

Mr. Speaker, to supplement my friend's question here. Can the Minister of Renewable Resources assure this House that if he finds out it is illegal to hunt -- I know it is legal for scientific purposes to do scientific research by helicopter; that is not in dispute. But in his statement he stated that these bears will be hunted and after that will be given to the participating Inuit, and they will have the right to sell them by using regular tags. If that turns out to be illegal, as we were told many times not to use airplanes and helicopters to hunt such species, if he finds out that it is illegal, will he have no option but to go by dog-team?

Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my intention to do all things within the law, and I will get back to the House on this. Thank you.

Oral questions. Ms. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I had a question for the Minister of Public Works, but he is not in the House, so I will ask a question to the Minister of MACA. Since yesterday he has indicated in the House that the position of municipal planning engineer, which is located in Fort Smith, is being transferred, and that a technical officer position will be in place on an interim basis. I know that all other regions in the NWT have the privilege of enjoying a municipal planning engineer position. Why is the Minister taking out the position in the Fort Smith Region? Because that is exactly what he is doing.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I believe I advised the House and the honourable Member earlier that there were operational reasons for this relocation. I am not sure if it is appropriate for me to get into more detail on a matter that has to do with an employee's job performance and supervision, but there are reasons, I am informed, for this move, Mr. Speaker, and I believe I have emphasized to the Member that we see this arrangement as an interim arrangement, that there is no intention to deprive the region in the long term of the engineering position, that we are backfilling the position on a temporary basis while the position and the incumbent are being moved to headquarters, and that it is not, as the Member describes, depriving the region of the position. It is an arrangement made for operational reasons, which I see as an interim arrangement. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated that they would place in a technical officer position. A technical officer position, in my opinion, is quite different from a municipal planning engineer position. And he would place this technical officer position on an interim basis. He has never made no commitment in this House to indicate that that municipal planning engineer position will be returned to the Fort Smith Region. I would like to ask the Minister, and particularly since he stated that it is for operation purposes that he is taking this position out, when other regions are allowed to maintain the position, will he make a commitment in this House to indicate that the position of municipal planning engineer will return to Fort Smith when they address the operational concerns they have with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs?

Mr. Patterson.

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

Oral questions. Mr. Bernhardt.

Finally!

--- Laughter

Thank you Mr. Speaker, after 20 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question to the Minister of Personnel regarding a constituent whom I represent. Since February 13, 1985 to March 4, 1992, this person has applied for over 50 government positions. He is an aboriginal person with a family, yet on every occasion he has been refused employment. He graduated in 1974 from Sir John Franklin High School and has attended NAIT in Edmonton. Can the Minister tell me what advice can I give this aboriginal person who has failed on over 55 jobs in applying for employment with this government? What am I going to tell him, please?

--- Applause

Mr. Minister.

Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health. I was pleased yesterday with the Minister's response to my questions -- more than pleased. I asked her about the need for a review, which is sadly needed, in the way the senior officials in the Department of Health responded to the issues with respect to the surgical procedures at the Stanton hospital. Can the Minister advise the House of the time line of the procedure she will be using as she undertakes this review of the department's senior officials' performance?

Ms. Cournoyea.