I will provide this as it certainly wasn't my intention just to provide it to the Standing Committee on Finance. Old habits die hard I guess, but I'll ensure the honourable Member that all Members will be provided with the executive summary and if they want the full report, they will be welcome to have it. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question, Mr. Speaker, is to the Minister of Health. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had made a Member's statement in respect to the new policy which was adopted by the Department of Health last June. Basically in regard to user fees imposed on seniors in the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask the Minister of Health, will he review the existing policy to eliminate this user fee which is imposed on elders in the territories, with the view to ensure that seniors can have medical examinations every year, without fearing a fee to be paid? Thank you.

Minister Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the present time there has been no change in policy. There was a renegotiation with medical professionals in the Northwest Territories with regard to fees paid to them and I'm aware at the present time that if you're an elder, if you're a senior citizen, 65 years or greater, that at the present time you may only get one check-up every two years. I listened yesterday to the Member's statement. Her statement concerned me as well and I would advise the Member and this House, through you Mr. Speaker, that effective tomorrow morning, we will be allowing senior citizens 65 years or older one check-up per year, instead of one check up every two years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. The Minister, in the last session, March 3, in Return to Question 177-12(3), referred to a review of the goods and materials that Izok Lake and other NWT mining projects would require in order to target business opportunities for northern entrepreneurs. She stated that the contract was tendered and results would be available in July of this year, 1993. She also referred to the skills review of Coppermine, Cambridge Bay and the Kitikmeot and referred to an economic development officer being hired by ED&T, to work on business opportunities for the mining developments. In her closing statement, she said she would ensure Members of the Legislative Assembly that the government will take actions to ensure the NWT benefits from the development of mining activities. My question to the Minister is, what steps has the government done to ensure that these benefits do accrue to northerners as a result of future mining activities in the north.

Minister Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, given the excitement around that area and the potential, we will try in the next week to present a paper on mining and we'll try to draw in that information. I don't have it available right here at this time but I know that there has been considerable work done on it. We'll try to consolidate it so it makes some sense. The work is being done. I've asked the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism to play a major role in consolidating all that information so that at least we have a coherent plan to go ahead with. Give us another week and we'll present the information. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Minister Mike.

Mr. Speaker, yes.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I wrote this letter to the Minister on June 9, I asked for quite a few items from her department with regard to the Alcohol and Drug Services Board of Management. I sent my letter directly to the Minister with no carbon copies to any officials, to the Government Leader, or anyone. I generally try to direct my questions and deal directly with Ministers.

However, I was surprised in the response I received on October 4, 1993 that the Minister of Social Services, in responding to my letter of June 9, had carbon copied my letter to Pierre Alvarez, the secretary to the Cabinet. I would like to ask the Minister of Social Services why was Mr. Alvarez sent a copy when you responded to my letter on October 4? Thank you.

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That carbon copy part of the letter was a mistake. However, Mr. Alvarez does need to know -- as the secretary of the Cabinet -- what is going on. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Social Services that even though she has admitted that she had made a mistake by carbon copying this letter to Mr. Alvarez, is it not courtesy of the Members, if they want to let Mr. Alvarez know what is going on in the Cabinet or about requests from Members and general procedure, that you send a blind carbon copy to whoever you want to know, as opposed to a blatant carbon copy, as you did in your response? Thank you.

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't usually do that. Blind carbon copies are not sent unless they are requested by the Premier. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you. Well, if blind carbon copying is not the method used, and she wanted Mr. Alvarez to know what was going on with my correspondence to her, why didn't the Minister take the time out and advise the secretary instead of sending a carbon copy of her response to me to the secretary of the Cabinet? Mr. Speaker, I resent that. I will tell every Minister that I generally give consideration directly in a letter format and I expect the same respect back, and that they are not going to share my requests with everyone. Thank you.

Ms. Mike.