Item 12, tabling of documents. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table, Tabled Document 46-12(4), a letter from one of my constituents in Gjoa Haven, regarding the social assistance food allowance rate reduction. Thank you.

Item 12, tabling of documents. Item 13, notices of motion. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, December 6, I will move the following motion.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kitikmeot, that the Minister of Transportation immediately consult truckers and workers in the construction industry with a view to amending the hours of service regulations and the large vehicles control regulations so as to expand the hours that may be worked by truckers employed in the construction industry;

And further, consultation should also be held with a view to remove the requirement for an overweight permit for those truckers operating in the geographic area of a construction site.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Item 13, notices of motion. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, December 6, 1993, I shall move that Bill 5, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 5, 1992-93, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, December 6, 1993, I shall move that Bill 6, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1993-94, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 15, motions. Item 16, first reading of bills. Item 17, second reading of bills. Item 18, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Minister's Statement 3-12(4), Sessional Statement; Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1994-95; Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Charter Communities Act; Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Cities, Towns and Villages Act; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Hamlets Act; Committee Report 3-12(4), Review of the 1994-95 Capital Estimates; Committee Report 5-12(4), Report on Tabled Document 145-12(3): Legislative Action Paper on the Workers' Compensation Act; Committee Report 7-12(4), Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Committee Review of DeLury and Associates Limited Contracts; Committee Report 8-12(4), Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions Final Report on the Elimination of the Highway

Transport Board; Committee Report 9-12(4), Final Report on Arctic College; and, Tabled Document 11-12(4), Report from the Fort Providence/Cambridge Bay Strategic Planning Workshops. With the authority given to me by Motion 1-12(4) regarding sitting hours, I will put the Assembly into committee of the whole, until the committee is prepared to report, with Mr. Ningark in the chair.

Thank you. The committee will now come to order. When we concluded yesterday we were in general comments of the NWT Housing Corporation. What is the wish of the committee? Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Chairman, we would like to address the Department of Renewable Resources. If we are completed, we would like to look at the NWT Power Corporation. Since we have noted Mr. Pollard is back, we would like to get into the Department of Health. Thank you.

Thank you. Do we agree that we will stand down the Housing Corporation and go to Renewable Resources, NWT Power Corporation and the Department of Health, in that order? Do you agree?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1994-95

Committee Report 3-12(4), Review of the 1994-95 Capital Estimates

Department Of Renewable Resources

Thank you. Does the Minister of Renewable Resources have opening remarks? Mr. Kakfwi.

Introductory Remarks

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Antoine, do you have opening remarks from the Standing Committee on Finance?

Standing Committee On Finance Comments

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On Renewable Resources, the committee noted that the department is planning to spend $458,000, in the fiscal year 1994-95, for mobile equipment in all regions. The project substantiations provided to the committee show a long inventory of snowmobiles, ATVs, boats and outboard motors. Many of these requests appear to duplicate those made in the previous year. When questioned by the committee, the Minister advised that the department relies on replacement standards developed by Public Works and Services to replace mobile equipment for field operations personnel.

Committee Members feel that the department could cut back on expenditures for mobile equipment without hampering the efficiency of the department. One means of achieving savings is to lease locally-owned equipment as necessary. The committee also believes that the process used in disposing of capital equipment can be improved. Therefore, the committee makes the following recommendation.

I move that the committee recommends that the Department of Renewable Resources reduce its mobile equipment inventory in all regions. This reduction in inventory and the related savings in capital dollars should be demonstrated in 1994-95 and subsequent fiscal years.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. The motion is in order. To the motion. There is no quorum. Thank you. There is a motion on the floor by the Standing Committee on Finance.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried.

Mr. Antoine.

In last year's report, the committee recommended that the department's video equipment budget of $10,000 be removed and that the activity be privatized. This item was removed for the fiscal year 1993-94, but the capital budget for the fiscal year 1994-95 shows proposed expenditures of $115,000. The activity has, obviously, not been privatized. The committee is not convinced that it is necessary

to expend government funds to invest in video production facilities. There are private sector resources capable of providing the required service, most likely at a lower cost.

I move that this committee recommends that the funding identified for video equipment for the fiscal year 1994-95 be deleted, pending a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of all feasible options for acquiring the required services. The options considered should include the following, as a minimum:

-in-house productions;

-development of a government-wide video production facility; and,

-use of private sector resources to provide the required service.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. The motion is in order. To the motion.