Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions before we go clause by clause. This bill deals with the eventual take over of assets and the supply of gas. I have no problem with the general direction of this venture. I did have some questions during our committee meetings and at our meeting in Norman Wells also. The system has been there for a while. It is good the town is taking it over as part of the utilidor. I guess they have water and sewer running in the same area. I would like to know if anyone else was interested in this business, Mr. Chairman. It is good that one level of government gets rid of some business, but what we have here
is another level of government taking it over. I was wondering whether this was a business which the private sector might have been interested in. Would the Minister be able to enlighten me on whether this was sole-sourced.? Were they the only people who wanted it? Was opportunity given to other business people in the territories to get into the business of natural gas? There is another business, I think in Hay River, where a private firm is distributing gas to parts of that community, I wondered whether anyone else was interested in this opportunity.