Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't comment on the part of the interview that was done with the person who was talking about transportation contracts, but I will comment on Department of Public Works contracts and Housing Corporation contracts. We negotiated contracts in Fort Simpson for lease-back of office buildings, and roads construction, and a local company got a portion of that. So, they benefit. It was fair. The band in Fort Simpson carries out the housing contracts. They have traditionally done that. It was usually done through block funding, where the band said they had a right to administer and run their own housing programs. When we changed the programs to access programs, we negotiated a contract with the band.

The other contractor who never had the opportunity to work on it, if he had talked to the band or worked with the band, he would probably get work, because the criteria is very clear, that you use local people and you use local businesses. If they are both local businesses, they will have a fair shake on it.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

The Minister seems to indicate that there is some criteria then, to determine what is fair, so there is a proper use of taxpayers' money. I would like to ask the Minister this, then, since he said, "One of the criteria we use when we negotiate a contract is that." By "that", he means that this particular group has been doing this work.

In instances throughout the territories, where people have always had the contract, does that mean that these people will have negotiated contracts to do the work that they've been doing for the last few years? Is that the criteria you would use for determining who will get contracts, Robinson's Trucking, or any other outfit, that has been doing jobs for a certain number of years?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not necessarily. It is interesting that the Member does mention a Yellowknife firm like Robinson's Trucking because they have benefitted from negotiated contracts. Robinson's Trucking benefited from the Transportation department negotiating a contract with Wrigley and Robinson's Trucking as a joint venture. They've also benefitted from a negotiated contract in Whale Cove for a granular program, I believe. They formed a joint venture with the Keewatin business people. Businesses from all communities benefit from negotiated contracts.

We don't only use the criteria you had in a contract, you continue to have a contract. Yellowknife, itself, back in the late 1960s benefitted from negotiated contracts. There were extensions of leases to Newton Wong, or Humphrey Realtors Limited, or Solar Construction Company Limited. They all benefitted from the same thing. They got an extension of those contracts. Now the criteria is very clear and straightforward. To negotiate contracts, you have to assist new businesses get started, you have to strengthen the local benefit for expenditures.

Negotiated contracts require 100 per cent northern and local benefit. Local people have to benefit. It creates long-term benefits for communities. Capital experience develops expertise. That is how the benefits are given to local people. If we negotiate a contract, local people are going to benefit. It will then go regional and then territorial. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that there is a policy, because he has talked about all of the criteria that are used in determining the basis on which contracts will be negotiated. Since we are talking about $8 million, which has to have some basis on which the money is spent, there has to be some kind of policy. Will the Minister provide me with this something that is written down, to guide expenditure of the money that is used for negotiated contracts? Because, I have not heard any indication that we have a written policy.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason you didn't hear it is because I didn't say it. What I said is, we have clear guidelines to negotiate contracts. They are very clear, people request to negotiate a contract because they feel they are not benefiting from the government spending money in their community. It is 1993. What I am hearing from the communities is that they are tired of getting the job of putting in the insulation or sweeping the floor. They want to administer and run the contracts in their communities. Our job is to assist them to do it. It has to benefit the local people. If it is to be done, then it has to benefit regional people. That is the route we take. There are very clear guidelines for when we enter into those. Once we have agreed with what the people request, we go to Cabinet. I get Cabinet approval to negotiate. For example, in the Housing Corporation, if we have a $1 million budget to negotiate ten units, then that is what I negotiate with the people that I am negotiating with. Once it is approved, I go back to Cabinet for final approval. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the interview I referred to, of December 1, at 7:50 am on CBC Mackenzie, the Minister was asked about quantifying this provision for negotiated contracts, to make sure that the government policy

provides the Ministers with the taxpayers' money. Mr. Morin answered that we are doing the best thing with the taxpayers' money. Mr. Hamilton asked, "Is that written down somewhere?" Mr. Morin said, "It is written down somewhere." So, I have asked the Minister once, and I asked the Premier once, would he provide me with a copy of what it is that is written down, that covers all these criteria so I know exactly what he is talking about. So far, I haven't read anything.

Mr. Lewis, if you are asking the Minister for the same document that you asked the Premier for, the Premier has already said that she would provide such a document. If it is a different document, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was what I was going to say. There are clear guidelines. I will be happy to provide the Member with the guidelines that we use to negotiate contracts. There are clear, written procedures that we use to evaluate every negotiated contract. There is a reporting process used by our project officers. They keep track of all the money spent under negotiated contracts. That is reported at the end. It is very clear and straightforward. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to negotiated contracts, as I indicated in this House, I certainly support such an initiative taking place. I believe the concern of some Members is the absence of a policy with how these guidelines are developed. Since the Minister has the guidelines already in place, would he take it as another initiative to attempt to develop a policy which would allow negotiations of contracts at the local, regional and territorial levels? Thank you.

Minister Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Presently, we are working with the department to develop a policy on negotiated contracts.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. In his response to the honourable Mr. Dent regarding child care facilities, he mentioned that child care facilities are being incorporated into new schools for students. Some communities in the Northwest Territories, such as Cambridge Bay, already have successfully operated private child care facilities. Has his department assessed the

detrimental effect on the existing child care facilities with the establishment of these new ones in the schools?

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is one of the reasons why we could not have proceeded immediately, to put into effect some of the recommendations that have been suggested to us. Once the honourable Members have received the tabled document entitled, Caring For Our Future, which contains the recommendations from the child care symposium, you will realize the complexity of the kinds of things that are being recommended. As such, you will understand why it will take us a little longer than I anticipated to have renewed policies in place immediately.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it the intention of the department to have students pay for their use of the child care facilities in these new schools?

Minister Nerysoo.