Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the particular motions, and the action taken by the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. I have put it on the agenda, we have not concluded on exactly what we are going to do, or how we are going to represent those requests. However, we should be taking that through Cabinet in the next month. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Qujannamiik. Supplementary to the Government Leader. Within our Cabinet, we have both a Minister responsible for Culture, and a Minister responsible for Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs. Can the Government Leader indicate, now, which department will be assigned the key role in dealing with matters surround the International Year of the Indigenous Peoples?

Thank you, Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I will be more able to provide that after we have gone through our Cabinet meeting, because that is the purpose of the meeting. The paper is to discuss how much we have to do, to what extent our activities and support would be required, and then from there we will discuss who should be assigned. I will be prepared, once we conclude our meeting, to provide the lead Minister on that. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. Last week, on September the 15, I asked the Minister of Renewable Resources a question in regards to the Trans-boundary Water Agreement with other provinces, particularly Alberta. He advised me that the draft agreement with Saskatchewan had been completed, and recently released for public consultation. Alberta negotiations, as he stated today, were moving slowly, because they were waiting to finalize their own agreement with British Columbia, and at this point there are no negotiating criteria for our agreement with B.C.

When he answered, I thought the reply was very familiar, so I know I asked this question to the former Minister back in February, and checking back in Hansard, Mr. Speaker, the answer I received from this Minister was exactly the same, word for word, in his briefing notes, the same as the one that the former Minister gave me. This Minister gave me the same answer last Tuesday. So, I would like to ask the Minister, is he indicating to me, to the House, and to the people of the north, that there has been absolutely no progress on this initiative in regards to our water quality agreement accord over the past seven months? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In respect to the N.W.T. and Alberta Trans-boundary Water Agreement, that is true. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

That is really unfortunate, and it is a shame, Mr. Speaker, recognizing all the pulp mill development that is happening in the south. I would like to further ask the Minister, what steps has he taken, since he has been reassigned to the portfolio, to personally ensure that these water quality agreements are put in place as quickly as possible? Has he taken no steps at all? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken to my department to make sure that the Trans-boundary Water Agreements are progressing. As I stated in this House, the responsibility for water is very complex, because water moves and crosses political boundaries. Water flowing to the Northwest Territories from the other jurisdictions, at this moment, we have no control over. It is quality until it reaches our boundary. Therefore, the best way, I think, to manage water, is to work cooperatively with other jurisdictions to ensure quality is maintained throughout an entire water basin. Even if the G.N.W.T. had full responsibility in respect to water, we would not have jurisdiction in other provinces until it reaches our border. Although the G.N.W.T. does not have

direct responsibility for water quality, we have been working cooperatively with the federal government on several managing programs throughout the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, several N.W.T. departments, including Health, Renewable Resources, M.A.C.A., and E.M.P.R., are represented on the technical advisory committees to the water board who issue water licenses within the N.W.T.. Mr. Speaker, I will try my best, as I stated, to talk to the Alberta Government, to make sure that the negotiations will proceed as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and as much as the Minister spoke, he still has not answered my question. I asked what steps has he taken, personally, to ensure that these quality agreements are put into place as quickly as possible? I recognize, Mr. Speaker, that he indicated that he is working together with the provinces and the federal government, but he is working very slowly. I would like to, again, give him the benefit of the doubt and ask him, what steps has he taken to ensure these water quality agreements are put into place, since he has taken over the portfolio? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, when I took over the responsibility, I know the Member was very concerned about the water quality flowing into the Northwest Territories, especially in Slave River. I asked my department to see what we could do, as we do have an interim water quality agreement between Alberta and our government. That water quality agreement is in place to protect the water flowing into the Northwest Territories. I am told, at this point, the scientific information that has been gathered through the monitoring stations tells us that the water quality flowing into the Northwest Territories, is better than any other jurisdictions throughout Canada, and we are hoping to maintain that high level. We are talking in trillions of parts, and my department informs me that the Alberta Government will not negotiate a Trans-boundary Water Agreement until they have an agreement with B.C. I am not sure what else I can do. Perhaps the department that acts as a province on behalf of the Northwest Territories, could represent us, since they have the responsibility with respect to water. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. Mr. Speaker, when I asked about this matter last February, the previous Minister indicated that the Mackenzie River Basin Committee had made a commitment to conclude negotiations on all Trans-boundary Bilateral Agreements within the Mackenzie River Basin by the end of 1992. This Minister indicated last week that he was looking at possibly 1993. Can the Minister assure the House that it will still be possible to meet the deadline, and conclude all bilateral agreements by December 31, 1992, as it was indicated to me in February. Thank you.

Thank you, that was your final question. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish we could do that, have Trans-boundary Water Agreements by the end of December. My department tells me that we are hoping to have bilateral agreements with the Alberta Government by spring. That is the target now. We were hoping that Alberta and N.W.T. negotiations would end last spring, but we were not able to do that, because the Alberta Government refuses, at this point, with the N.W.T. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. I know that the Minister and his officials are always on the look out for promising new forums in which we can showcase the fine arts products and Arctic foods produced by northern aboriginal people.

He should be aware, in this case, that the United Nations will be promoting a major international trade fair for products made by indigenous people. This is one of the initiatives proposed for the 1993 International Year of Indigenous Peoples.

Has the Department of Economic Development and Tourism studied the possibility of the Northwest Territories participation in this event?

Thank you, Mr. Pollard.