Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs concerning the economic union proposals contained in the Consensus Report on the constitution agreed to in Charlottetown on August 28, 1992.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, I have long been an outspoken proponent of strong and effective northern preference policies and finally we have had the political will under the current Minister of Public Works, to implement policies which ensure that the majority of G.N.W.T. contracts will be left to northern firms. This allows us to keep our limited resources in the north.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I have become somewhat distressed when I heard reports that these policies will come under attack when provincial and federal Ministers in November discuss inter-provincial trade. I would ask the Minister whether the agreement that we agreed to in Charlottetown, and the economic union proposals contained within it in any way weaken our ability to protect and continue to implement the G.N.W.T.'s policies on northern preference.