Yes, it is, Mr. Speaker. I would point out, once again, that people have to agree. One of the problems that we found is that our idea of what a region or a community may wish to do, may not be what the community wants to do. If communities are in agreement with us on what we feel is their potential, that is the basis for us providing them with assistance and the direction that we would like to take them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain to this House how these principles are being implemented by the department in relation to the needs and potential of Fort Simpson? Mahsi.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, if we want to talk about the Member's specific constituency, we would look at what natural resources there are, where the transportation links are, what the people in the communities are producing by way of arts and crafts and where the community is strategically located. In some instances, we would look at the expertise within the community. Building on the strength of what is around the community is the economic philosophy we would use. The Simpson area and Liard, obviously has tremendous resources. The area has wood and natural gas. Part of the constituency is on the Mackenzie River and it does have a highway system; there is a loop between Alberta and BC through the Liard highway. Those things would all be factored in and we would be trying to suggest to the people that we should be building on those particular strengths. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we finished with Economic Development and Tourism yesterday I was happy to see there was no indication of further extravaganzas. There is an internal audit being done on our participation at Expo in Seville. Why is it, since this corporation was set up as a body separate from government, that it is being audited by internal auditors rather than by the normal audit which you would expect from an agency of a government?

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware of any reason why our auditors could not audit an agency of the government. We have an internal audit bureau and this was the route chosen to audit the Department of Economic Development and Tourism with regard to the expenditures they made at Expo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, there are two classes of auditors, in fact there are several. I know that internal auditors take specific direction. They are told to look at certain aspects, if that is the wish of the government, and then they audit the things they are asked to audit. Has the internal audit group been given specific guidelines as to how they should audit the Expo pavilion?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I will take the question as notice. I will get a copy of the instructions to the auditors and provide it to the House. Thank you.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday we were all made aware of the proposed bank closure in Fort Smith. As I understand it, over the past few years the bank has slowly been reducing the services it provides to the people and especially to the business community in Fort Smith. The bank in Fort Smith does not have authority to issue loans and people must go to Hay River to apply for business loans. I think this is good for Hay River, but not good for the clients in Fort Smith. Last November the chamber of commerce made a request to the Minister of Finance asking that the Minister meet with them in Fort Smith to discuss this issue. As far as I understand it, the Minister has not acted on this request. On June 4, 1993, the bank is going to close the facility in Fort Smith. Why did the Minister of Finance not act on the community's request to meet with them on this issue?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, the arrangement which I had with the CIBC, and I have discussed this with the Member for Thebacha, was that in January or February of this year the CIBC manager and myself would journey to Fort Smith and discuss this issue with the residents of Fort Smith. As I said in the House yesterday, in January I was advised by the CIBC that they wished to cancel out on the meeting because they did not think it would be very productive. I am still prepared to go ahead with that meeting in Fort Smith. I will do that as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We are all aware that many communities in the north do not have banking facilities or access to cheque cashing or deposit facilities. Now one of our largest communities, effective June 4, 1993, is going to be in the same boat. Why does this government always wait until a crisis occurs before it acts on something such as this?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I knew last year the CIBC was contemplating leaving Fort Smith. They phoned me and asked my opinion. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories cannot influence private business people or banking institutions. They explained to me that their problem was a lack of usage of the bank's facilities. Mr. Koe has mentioned earlier that people were going to Hay River for loans. The fact of the matter is, the bank has advised me that many people in Fort Smith are doing their banking in

Edmonton or possibly in Yellowknife. Last year the bank advised me it was getting to the stage where that branch was uneconomic. Mr. Speaker, this triggered the discussion that I had with the chamber of commerce in Fort Smith, which caused me to suggest that the bank manager should go there with me and have a discussion with the residents of Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, I think it should also be noted that the bank has advised me that two agencies in Fort Smith, one being the chamber of commerce, have suggested to the CIBC that they should leave the community. The community has asked for it, the bank has given us indication that they were going to do it, and now all of a sudden the bank does come through on what it has been asked to do and what it said it was going to do, and the community is showing some concern.

I am concerned also, Mr. Speaker, in other areas of the Northwest Territories, as the Member correctly points out, there is a desperate shortage of banking facilities. Here we have a fairly large community which is losing its banking facility. The bank says it is because the town never uses the facility. I am saying, Mr. Speaker, I have no facts on which to base this and I have no ability to go to the bank and ask for facts. I can only go on the conversation which was given to me, and that was that the bank was not being used. I wanted to go there to find out what the bank had to say and what the people of the community had to say about why that facility is not being used. I think the situation is still the same as it was last year. The bank has now said they are going to leave the community. There is still time between now and June to discuss this issue with the bank and the community. I would suggest that if the community did realize that they are going to have to use it or lose it, that perhaps they may want to reconsider the use they are making of that facility. Time will tell as we meet with the community, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe some preventative measures could have been taken. I believe this could have happened if the Minister would have reacted and the issues could have been discussed to prevent this decision. Will the Minister act now and take the initiative to meet with the residents of Fort Smith and the banking officials to try to resolve this issue?

Mr. Pollard.