Mr. Allooloo.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Our time frame, at this point, is to have a final agreement by spring of 1993.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, he is going to try and acquire one by the spring of 1993. I was told as an M.L.A., well over a year ago, they were going to try and acquire it last year. So, it is going to be two years, taking into consideration there is an abundance of development of pulp mills in the south. Is there any possible way that the Minister can make every effort on his part, to ensure that he speeds up the process, so that we can acquire a Trans-Boundary Water Agreement prior to the spring of 1993? Thank you.

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The problem is that we would like to speed up the process as much as the Member is stating, but the Alberta government will not finalize the agreement until they have a Trans-Boundary Water Agreement between British Columbia and Alberta. The problem there is that they differ, the two governments, British Columbia and Alberta, differ, on levels that are acceptable to put into the agreement. The B.C. government would like to have higher standards in terms of levels going into Alberta. The Alberta government would like to have lower standards in terms of contaminants going into the province, and they are negotiating at the present time, but it is taking a while to come up with final agreements. The Alberta government has specifically stated that they will not finalize N.W.T and Alberta water agreement until they have an agreement with B.C. Thank you.

Oral questions, supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I find it appalling that the Minister will take a back seat to another province, which is B.C., and yet, at the same time, allow all the pollutants to come down into our water, and our rivers. I would like to know whether the Minister can look at another option in respect to negotiating a Trans-Boundary Water Agreement even though Alberta is adamant that they want to acquire one with B.C. first. The Minister has a responsibility for our jurisdiction, and he should take every measure in respect to addressing the concern that we are expressing in this House. Thank you.

Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I will do my best to represent the Northwest Territories, our residents, and to protect the water quality. The problem here also is that our government, the Government of the Northwest Territories, does not have jurisdictions over lands and water with respect to the waters that are in the Northwest Territories, and to the lands that are Crown lands. The responsibility lies with the Department of Indian Affairs. In terms of our Trans-Boundary Water negotiations, Indian Affairs negotiates on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, in the water quality agreements. So far, our government has been involved in quite a few committees that monitor the water quality, and also in terms of Environment Canada and putting up stations, monitoring stations, throughout the Northwest Territories. I

believe that we have a dozen committees that we are involved in, but the Government of the Northwest Territories does not have a legislative mandate at this point in respect to water in the Northwest Territories, but the federal government, Indian and Northern Affairs, as well as Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans, have the responsibility in that particular area. Since we do not have the responsibility or jurisdiction over lands and waters in the Northwest Territories, we do not have legislation at the present time, although our government has been pursuing that responsibility be devolved to our government, from the federal government, for quite some time. We have not been successful, yet. Thank you.

Oral questions, supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he could advise this House, what is the level of standards that Alberta is willing to accept from B.C., that he is monitoring prior to addressing this issue? Thank you.

Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I would have to take that question as notice, and get back to the Member on the details of the negotiations between the B.C. government and the Alberta government. I will get back to her as soon as I can.

Question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

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.

Mr. Kakfwi. Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, that was one of the last items that was talked about in Charlottetown, and Mr. Kakfwi had left at that time to come back north to another meeting. When the economic union was being discussed, the initial stage was to put it into the context of the constitution because there were a number of issues that were still outstanding, and the time limit made it just impossible to take into consideration some of the issues that we brought up, such as our ability to retain a Northern Preference Policy.

It was suggested that it would be dealt with at an upcoming conference so that we, as the Northwest Territories, could have our concerns properly addressed. On a number of occasions, at the Western Premiers' Conferences, I brought up the issue of concern, that we have to have the same privileges and protection as the provinces, which they had for 125 years so that they could build their economy.

The western Premiers agreed with us, it is on minutes, that they would support us in maintaining some type of economic percentage that we would be able to develop our economy, and we would have the same privileges that they had in the past. In the conference with all of the First Ministers it was also discussed, this particular concern. It was brought to everyone's attention that we intended to ask to be guaranteed, when we came to the First Ministers' Conference on the Economy, that this specific issue would be addressed, on how the Northwest Territories can maintain the maximum benefits of the few dollars that we have, and it was agreed.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Todd. New question, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister responsible for Transportation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the Department of Transportation has any programs or provisions to assist communities in obtaining or acquiring community docks and wharves? Thank you.

Mr. Whitford.

Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know the procedure and I would like to ask the Minister if the Hunters' and Trappers' Association within my riding, of Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven, and Spence Bay, could be given the information on how to acquire these things?