Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board. Mr. Koe, yesterday, told the House that the Public Utilities Board granted the Power Commission a six per cent interim increase to power rates effective April 1. This increase is an interim increase until the board has the opportunity to hold full hearings on the Power Corporation's application to increase the rates. Given the current economic climate from the agreements that are in place, it astounds me that the Public Utilities Board would give the Power Corporation an increase of six per cent. Can the Minister please tell me what, if any, criteria the PUB uses to grant interim increases in the absence of submissions from the general public and other interested parties to the NWT Power Corporation?

Mr. Minister.

I will take the question as notice,

Mr. Speaker.

The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice with regard to the statement he made today. Mr. Speaker, in the Minister's statement he indicated that the RCMP costs have reached one million dollars; however, he does not know the actual cost of the salary and overtime calculations. He believes that the territorial government has taken the firm position that the federal government will bear the cost of providing RCMP. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice why he did not ask the Solicitor General of Canada to provide the RCMP since this is out of our jurisdiction. Why did the Minister not ask the Solicitor General of Canada to provide RCMP to ensure that the cost is borne by the federal government?

Minister of Justice, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the request for RCMP reinforcements on May 24 was actually made to the Commissioner for the RCMP, who reports to the Solicitor General for Canada. In that sense, Mr. Speaker, the request was made through the Commissioner of the RCMP to the Solicitor General for Canada. I discussed that request with the Solicitor General for Canada shortly after the decision was made to provide RCMP reinforcements. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Justice, since he has taken that route to ask for provision of RCMP enforcement in Yellowknife, can he confirm for this House that the cost of providing the RCMP will be borne by the federal government and not the territorial government?

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, before I answer the latter question, I would like to clarity that rather than having asked for RCMP reinforcements or initiating the request, requests for reinforcements were actually made by the RCMP commanding officer in the Northwest Territories. It was not initiated by this government; however, once that request was made to our government and to the Commissioner of the RCMP, as I said in my statement today, I determined that there was no alternative but to endorse that request.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot tell the honourable Member today that the Government of Canada has agreed to underwrite those expenses, but we have a strong case, we believe, based on the wording of the Police Services Agreement which governs these matters, that this is a federal undertaking. It is a matter of federal jurisdiction and labour relations, and, therefore, as per the police agreement, expenses should be borne by the federal government. I have presented that view forcefully to the Solicitor General. He disputes that view. At the moment,

it is not clear that the federal government has agreed. However, Mr. Speaker, our government is taking the firm position that these expenses are not our responsibility and will not be borne by us. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, Members are concerned about the cost our government may have to absorb in providing RCMP reinforcements. I want to ask the Minister if he can provide this House with an estimation, at least, of the salary and overtime calculations that have been estimated by providing the RCMP in respect to this issue.

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can provide an estimate; I have one in hand, and perhaps I can circulate it to Members. The expenses that are being incurred include travel costs, per them meals and accommodation, federal redeployment, administrative redeployment and the salary expenses, and the total is up to as high as $56,180 per day and as low as $51,800 per day.

Oral questions. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. Honourable Members may recall that on February 14, 1992, 1 asked some questions about the department's plan to recruit a manager of medical travel position that was recommended in the Beatty Report before the consultation process that has been promised. The Government Leader responded herself and stated that this position was needed so badly that she had no alternative but to waive the hiring freeze and proceed immediately to recruit new staff.

I have since learned that the competition was held months ago and that only one candidate was interviewed. The candidate subsequently refused the position, and since that time there has been no attempt to have further recruitment for this position. Can the Minister please explain what is going on in the Department of Health? If this position was so crucial and urgent in February, why has the whole idea been shelved after one unsuccessful attempt at recruitment?

Minister of Health, Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I will take that question as notice.

The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Health, but I just want to say I have a difficult time operating in this kind of environment. My question deals with future plans for the hospital in Fort Simpson. During the last session, the Minister of Health informed the House that the department was conducting a

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, yes.