Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Possibly the NWT pre-construction training would be part of the new strategy, but it would be one small part of it. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Can the Minister comment on these three pilot projects?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have the same paper as the Member, so I cannot. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

They are not in the paper, that is why I am asking the question. Can you comment on these three pilot projects which were carried out with the NWT Construction Association and this government?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have my deputy minister get in touch with the NWT Construction Association. I will provide this information today. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I try not to make two oral questions in one sitting, however, I am pressured with the honourable Minister of Health and Social Services' response to my previous question regarding the person living in a shack in Iqaluit. With the rising cost of living, I can envision more of these kinds of shacks being built in other communities. She stated, "five cords of wood, 3,000 pounds of propane, 76,000 cubic feet of natural gas", I am not sure if these are the correct amounts. I am trying to recall what she said. Why are naphtha gas and kerosene not included, when these are the most used in the eastern Arctic where the shack is located?

Ms. Mike.

I will take the question as notice, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the weekend, a very important conference was held in Edmonton. I have an agenda in front of me. It contains three or four pages of names of people who were invited to attend this conference. The only person from the Northwest Territories who appears on the list is our Premier. I would like to ask the Government Leader, who else from the Northwest Territories did in fact attend? I know she was not able to attend. Who else was able to attend on behalf of our government?

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a couple of moments to approach the subject of commissions. Over the last number of years we have seen a proliferation of people interested in the Northwest Territories, the circumpolar regions and how we are going to interrelate with the countries who are in the circumpolar areas. Mr. Speaker, the polar commission is proceeding with its mandate. Last week there was a meeting of the Arctic council, and there is also the Inuit circumpolar conference.

Over the last number of years, Mr. Speaker, each one of these bodies have sought to secure information and background from the Northwest Territories, not only through the government, but through the aboriginal organizations operating in the north. They have sought to secure information and have suggested that they did not anticipate beginning the process all over again. We have provided the polar commission with the economic strategy of the Northwest Territories. There have been numerous meetings with government and government officials, and myself, over these issues. We have had input over a number of years on these issues.

We did express to the commission that it would be highly unlikely that any Members could participate in this meeting because the session was, in fact, taking place. However, we did provide them with background and I would like to assure the honourable Member that they did take the economic strategy as a base for moving forward on areas that are common to all Arctic communities, the economic basis of which we live, and the commission did not come by that strategy without our input.

There are a number of commissions, agencies and groups having numerous meetings and conferences. We have recommendations from every area. We have a close working relationship with Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. We attempt to work with that group as well as the regional Inuit organizations which in itself ends up in support of the Inuit circumpolar conference. The Government of the Northwest Territories has, financially and intellectually, put much effort into the Inuit circumpolar conference. Not to be forgotten, we tried to put the same feeder lines into the commission as it was being formed and last weekend. We also have input to the Arctic council as well.

We are doing our best to take part in the planning level so when these commissions, conferences and committees get together, the information which has been gathered by people, over a number of years, is utilized. Unfortunately, I do not know, other than Roland Bailey, who attended the meeting this week. We would have been there had the Legislative Assembly not been sitting. This Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is the group of people who will be carrying out the recommendations, doing the job and trying to be accountable for the results of recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned regarding the proliferation of people's interests groups in circumpolar planning, and I am concerned that these efforts would become fragmented. That is my concern. This is our concern. Who is actually going to be dealing with the actual stakeholders in our communities? I am concerned about this. I am concerned about these broad bodies who seem to operate on another level, rather than the place where the job has to be done.

However, I want to assure the honourable Member that whatever commission, whatever committee forms, we do our very best to make sure that we take the time to meet with these people and take the ideas, the economic strategy and what has been developed here and have them, at least, receive the information. Certainly, from what has come out of the commission, they do not say anything different than what has been said here already. I think the residents of the Northwest Territories can be assured that the basis of the recommendations came from the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

I appreciate that the meeting was held on the weekend, but it is in the middle of our session. Is the Premier prepared to accept that the federal government should develop an economic strategy for the Northwest Territories, as recommended by the polar commission from this conference?

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, the major issue we have is, there will be no real economic development unless the resources are provided to develop and put in place an economic strategy. At this time, we do have a federal agency which funds money into the Northwest Territories, as well as the Government of the Northwest Territories. The CAEDS organization is set up to deliver to aboriginal people, not only in the Arctic, but also in southern Canada. Unfortunately, it is apparent that we do not have many positive decisions to support the northern economy in that program. There is a

component of federal government resources which is supposed to lead toward economic development, jointly with the Northwest Territories. I believe the only people who can carry out a Northwest Territories economic strategy and development are the stakeholders, to the people who are going to ask questions on how you implement it, are the people of the Northwest Territories. If the federal government wishes to help and place some extra resources in the Northwest Territories for that development, yes, indeed, we will accept that help. It is our job to develop that economic strategy and work with the people who are actually going to be immediately affected. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

I assume the people in Ottawa do read transcripts of our debates. If there is to be an economic development strategy developed as a result of the recommendation of this committee, will the Premier let the federal government know her concerns and how she believes such a strategy should be developed?