Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, with regard to museums, visitors' centres, libraries and all of those kinds of things, we have been directed to look at how we can make better use of putting things together. That detail has not been decided upon. There are people in the government who are working on the museum and the visitors' centre issue and other areas that may be joined together. That has not been decided upon, Mr. Speaker.

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

It has not been decided on, but the Minister has expressed preference that parks go over to Renewable Resources. The Unikkaakvik Visitors' Centre, for example, in Iqaluit, features the parks of Baffin Island and particularly the Kokvik and Katannilik territorial parks, for which it is a gateway. The Armalik Centre in Pangnirtung features the Kekerten Park and to some extent Auyuittuq. It is also a gateway to Kekerten. Would the Minister agree that it would make sense to have those running the visitors' centres on the same team and working in the same department as those running and managing the parks? Thank you.

You are asking an opinion of the Minister. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I can re-phrase that. Would it not be more operationally effective if the people running the visitors' centres were in the same department as those who are running the parks. Visitors' centres and parks are closely linked. Thank you.

That is very close to asking an opinion again, Mr. Patterson, but Mr. Minister, do you want to try that one?

Mr. Speaker, those are the kinds of things that are being discussed right now, and I will take counsel from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and also listen to the views of Renewable Resources. Obviously, the rest of it will have to go to Cabinet for their views as well. I will wait for more information on that one, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since there is a plan being developed and since, at least for my riding, this is a major reorganization and a major shift of responsibilities in a critical, economic area, parks and tourism, I wonder if I could get the commitment from the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism that the plan, once developed, will be presented to the reshaping northern government working group and, through them, to this Legislature. Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, that was always the intent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, the department has been looking at an agricultural policy for the Northwest Territories for some time. Part of the problem has been that there are no large tracks of land that are readily available to people in the Northwest Territories. It is because of the land claim situation. One of the things that the department is working on is an agricultural policy. There are many things

going on in the country. There are meetings between agricultural Ministers with regard to the boards, whether they are milk boards, pork boards or CEMA, there are many things changing with the agricultural industry right now. I do not have a policy which I could bring forward to this House right now, but certainly much of the work has been done, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, since the Minister indicated there has been no policy developed as of yet and since there has been much work with respect to the agriculture area, when would the Minister anticipate a policy could be developed? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I think we could probably develop a policy leaving the land issue outside of it, in this coming year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Minister of Finance attended a meeting of Canadian Ministers, federal and provincial, in Montreal last week, about eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. I understand from reading newspaper reports on this meeting that there is an initiative, particularly on the part of the federal government, to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. Mr. Michael Wilson, who I thought was the Minister of International Trade, will now be assigned to work on eliminating trade barriers within Canada. I hope I have the subject of this meeting correct from my understanding in the newspaper. What is the position of the Government of the Northwest Territories with respect to this revived movement to eliminated interprovincial trade barriers? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is indeed correct. The discussions centred around the removal of barriers to trade interprovincially and territorially/provincially in Canada. Our position is that we will participate. We will be at the table. We will have a senior negotiator there and our position is that we will keep an open mind, yet we will seek to protect the BIP, we will seek to protect the affirmative action program, to name but two. There may be other things we will seek to protect. That is our situation at the present time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.