Thank you. Good afternoon. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Kivallivik, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in May, before I became the Minister of Renewable Resources, I had the privilege of leading one of two delegations to meet with European governments. We discussed the harvesting of furs and animals, which is an important part of our northern economy and the foundation for our northern cultures.

The European community still intends to establish a regulation which could result in the end of the wild fur trade. Our primary mission in Europe was to gain support for Canada's request to delay the implementation of this regulation for one year.

I am pleased to report that our mission was successful. However, the one-year delay does not provide enough time for us to meet the conditions of the regulation as they now exist. We must now focus on two tasks.

First, we must change the European regulation so that it meets its original objective of promoting humane harvesting without killing the wild fur industry. To accomplish this, we must work with the Canadian government and our Canadian embassies in Europe. As well, the Department of Renewable Resources will monitor activities in the European Parliament. I also believe we must take every opportunity to meet directly with European governments and provide as much information as possible. In this way, European governments can make decisions that will help our economy, not hinder it.

Our other task is to continue the progress we have made in leading the world in developing and adopting humane harvesting methods. To accomplish this, the Department of Renewable Resources is continuing to work with trappers on using humane trapping methods. Both the trap exchange program and trapper training workshops will continue. As well, the department is participating in the process to develop international standards for humane trapping methods. Such standards are needed to implement the European regulation.

In our draft NWT Fur Strategy, we refer to the need to investigate alternative markets for our high quality wild fur pelts and products. We will proceed on this initiative in consultation with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

Lastly, I would like to thank the delegation Members: the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi; the MLA for Nahendeh, Mr. Jim Antoine; the MLA for Yellowknife South, Mr. Tony Whitford; Chief James Ross and sub-Chief Joe Charlie from Fort McPherson; Mr. Sandy Tongola from Rankin Inlet; and, the deputy minister and assistant deputy minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Joe Handley and Mr. Bob McLeod. I also appreciate the support from the Legislative Assembly, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Gwich'in Tribal Council in sharing the delegations' costs. Qujannamiik.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is a return...Oh, I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong place.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable John Pollard will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend a federal/provincial/territorial meeting of Finance Ministers in Toronto to discuss the replacement of the goods and services tax. Mr. Pollard will also be meeting with Members of Parliament of the NWT to discuss the health billings dispute and the formula financing negotiations. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today with more good news from Iqaluit.

---Applause Thank you. A striking new building, the Sivullik Building, now graces the downtown skyline of my constituency. Madam Speaker, it is a new building featuring 24 apartments, including penthouse apartments with spectacular lofts on the third floor and about 7,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

What is exciting about this brand new edifice, Madam Speaker, is that it is majority-owned by 15 Inuit shareholders from all over Baffin Island who have put up real money, their own money, without government grants or subsidies of any kind, for 51 per cent equity along with Grinnel Properties Ltd. in this modern, $4 million building.

Their new company is called Sivullik Development Corporation. I'm told that the name "Sivullik" is derived from an ancient Inuit legend. Time does not permit me to relate it here, but briefly, Ninguraaluk, an old woman, Utuqqalualuk, an old man, and Iliarjugaarjuk, a little orphan boy, are transformed respectively into the stars Vega, Arcturus and Muphrid. Amongst the Inuit, Vega is known as Kingullialuk, "the big one behind," while Arcturus and its companion star are together called Sivullik, "the two in front."

Madam Speaker, I'm delighted that this project, which was the major capital project this summer, is entirely funded from the private sector, including financing from the Bank of Montreal. Iqaluit is coming of age in reducing its dependence on government.

---Applause

I'm especially pleased that this is yet another Inuit-owned and controlled venture; a second major real estate venture, following the Ivavik apartment building put up by Katujjijiit Development Corporation several years ago. I wish to particularly congratulate Harry Flaherty, president of Sivullik Development Corporation; Carmen Levi, vice-president; and, their board and shareholders for this major step towards becoming landlords in their own land.

It looks like, Madam Speaker, because of all the applause, that I'm going to have to request consent to conclude my statement.

---Laughter

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you very much. I'm also very pleased to announce, Madam Speaker, that today it has been announced that the ground floor of this new building will be occupied by a new corporate constituent to Iqaluit, the Bank of Montreal, who will be opening their new Iqaluit branch this spring. Canada Post Corporation, which is relocating to enlarge their space, is going to move in to this new building at the end of March. They will be adding modern counters, more space and additional post office boxes to meet Iqaluit's growing population.

Both the Bank of Montreal and the new location for the new post office are well-situated in the commercial centre of the community, a handy walking distance from the downtown and residential core of Iqaluit. I wish to congratulate and thank the Bank of Montreal and Canada Post Corporation and their northern services division for placing their confidence in Iqaluit and its future, and for placing their valued business with the Inuit owners of this splendid, modern, new building in our dynamic community.

I believe it augurs well for our future that these important corporate constituents have chosen to do business with a new, northern-owned, Baffin-owned, forward-looking company. Congratulations to all. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. First of all, let me say that I appreciate the efforts of past Ministers in ensuring that the quality and safety of our northern highways were maintained. I know that the present Minister is equally committed to improving the visibility and road conditions on our highways. Now if we could get together with the Minister of Renewable Resources and keep the buffalo from pulling hit and runs on me, I would be very happy.

---Laughter

---Applause

Madam Speaker, I have made some slightly negative comments in the past regarding our over-enthusiastic highway patrols, but that was a long time ago and I am sure Members have forgotten. In fact, I have changed my opinion, along with a lot of motorists and constituents in recent months, as we have made some startling observations.

Since the chipseal program began between Fort Providence, Yellowknife and Hay River -- a stretch of road I have travelled often -- I have noticed heavy vehicles travelling the highways at dangerous, unsafe speeds. They travel much faster than they need to and it is a great danger to the ordinary passenger vehicles.

I should note that many of these large vehicles are northern-owned and operated, which surprises me. Not only are they a danger to motorists, but their excessive speed is damaging the road surface and costing us money as taxpayers.

In one instance outside of Hay River, I can recall a large truck passing five vehicles in a row, including me, at a speed of at least 140 kilometres per hour. We can do without this dangerous activity on our highways. Madam Speaker, lately, I can say in all honesty, I have noticed more buffalo on the road than highway patrol units and would like to encourage the Minister and the Department of Transportation to increase the number and frequency of highway patrols, if at all possible, to address the problems before there is serious tragedy. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Speaker's Ruling

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Prior to calling item 4, returns to oral questions, I would like to indicate that yesterday the Minister of Health and Social Services, under the item "returns to oral questions" gave a return to Oral Question 54-12(6), asked by Mr. Koe, the Member for Inuvik on October 6, 1994.

A review of the House records and Hansard indicates that this question was answered on the day it was asked. It is quite clear that the Minister did not take it as notice, which would have permitted a response on a subsequent day under the item returns to oral questions. I note that on page 298 of the unedited Hansard, the Minister, in response to Mr. Koe's second supplementary question, indicated she would provide information to the Member.

The chair fully understands that all Ministers wish to live up to the commitments they make in the House, however, another avenue will have to be found to do this when a question is not clearly taken as notice. I am sure Members will appreciate that if Ministers were allowed to make further returns, questions could go on for some considerable time. I noticed that the return given by the Minister of Health and Social Services yesterday could have been provided to the Member by letter.

Therefore, to ensure we comply with rule 38(2)(b), only oral questions that are clearly indicated by the Ministers that the question is taken as notice should be given under item 4, returns to oral questions. Thank you.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ningark on October 11, 1994 with regard to Education, Culture and Employment's policy for student exchange programs.

Student travel and exchanges are important educational activities. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment provides some funding directly to boards and divisional boards of education to contribute to the travel and exchange activities of their students.

Individuals and groups may apply for the support for these activities through their board or divisional board of education. Decisions on student travel and exchange proposals are made by the boards.

The department has prepared information regarding student travel and exchange programs in a report called, "A Guide for NWT Teachers and Students: Travel, Awards, Exchanges, Scholarships, Contests and Other Opportunities." I will provide all Members with a copy of this guide for their information. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Kivallivik, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Gargan on October 11, 1994 regarding forest fires and comparison with the 1993 season.

At this time last year, one forest fire was still smouldering and eventually went out over the winter.

One fire was discovered burning in the mountains in the Sahtu area in the spring of 1994. Departmental staff suspect a 1993 forest fire ignited a coal seam and that this fire burned throughout the winter. This was the first fire that the department put out in the Sahtu in 1994.

Four other fires were discovered in January 1994 in the North Slave area. They burned throughout the winter and were put out in the spring. These fires were thought to have started from winter campfires. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 3, Members' statements. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue with his Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Continue, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 2, Ministers' statements.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 2, Ministers' statements. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and colleagues. I wish to correct, for the record, my return to Mr. Zoe's question yesterday concerning the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs reorganization.

Ms. Mike, I have just been advised by the Clerk that we don't have a copy of your Minister's statement. According to our rules, Ministers' statements have to be filed

an hour prior to the House sitting. Therefore, it either has to be considered or requested as an emergency statement under Ministers' statements or file your statement accordingly, in accordance with our rules. Thank you. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was going to make an extension to a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Zoe yesterday, in addition, which you ruled out. It is a similar response that the Premier made that you wrote that weekend on doing the House. So I thought it was okay for me to go back to Ministers' statements to make corrections that, in my response, I made to Mr. Zoe yesterday.

Ms. Mike, in accordance with our rules, Ministers' statements are to be developed in accordance to policy. Further clarification with regard to your comments can be made to the Member through, as I indicated, letter format or through returns to oral questions. However, what I am indicating to you is that Ministers' statements have to be filed with the Clerk to advise this House that Ministers' statements are going to be addressed in the House prior to the House sitting and we have not received a record of your Minister's statement as of yet. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a visitor in the gallery, Liza McPherson. She is area director for the Fort Simpson area. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board. Madam Speaker, this refers to the hearings on the second phase of a general rate application by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. My understanding is that the Public Utilities Board has only advertised these important hearings in the publication News/North which has limited circulation in Nunavut and is published in English only, and not Nunatsiaq News which has wider circulation in Nunavut and is a bilingual newspaper.

I would like to ask the Minister if he thinks that advertising in an English-only newspaper for hearings affecting Nunavut is adequate notice on the part of the Public Utilities Board. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. No, I don't think it is adequate. I want to assure the honourable Member if this practice has taken place I will instruct the PUB forthwith that in future there'll be a far more extensive advertising campaign put into place with respect to hearings across the territories, including CBC and bilingual newspapers like the Nunatsiaq News for the eastern Arctic. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm very pleased with that response. I would like to ask the Minister more about these hearings. Madam Speaker, I understand that the Power Corporation, in its application, is proposing significant changes to the levying of power rates in Nunavut, including the creation of a new diesel Nunavut zone for the entire Nunavut area. Yet, I understand that the Public Utilities Board is holding hearings today and this week only in Yellowknife.

I would like to ask the Minister, Madam Speaker, if it's correct that, as far as he knows, even though these hearings will have major implications in Nunavut, there are no plans at present for the Public Utilities Board to hold hearings on this issue outside Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm not aware of whether the Public Utilities Board is holding hearings in other parts of the country. However, I do concur with the honourable Member that if the rates that are being discussed are affecting communities in the eastern Arctic, there perhaps should be a Public Utilities Board hearing there to give people the opportunity to express their concerns. So, I will communicate with the chairman of the board later on this afternoon to determine whether there are hearings going to be held in other parts of the country.

If there aren't, I will provide him with some direction to ensure that, in future, these take place. If this is not going to happen, I apologize to the honourable Member and the communities in the eastern Arctic who are affected. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am pleased with the Minister's response, but I would just like to seek a little bit of clarification. He talked about future hearings. I would like to understand the Minister's commitment. These power rate applications under way now, I understand, will affect the long-term power rates in Nunavut. So, I would like to ask the Minister, just to make it clear, do we have his commitment that he will use his good offices with the Public Utilities Board to ensure that if there are not plans to hold hearings outside of Yellowknife on these important rate applications affecting the people of Nunavut, that before the application is concluded hearings will be held in Nunavut? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes. I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that the Public Utilities Board will meet in those regions affected. I am, quite frankly, quite surprised that it isn't. Hopefully, I can correct that tout de suite. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the absence of the Minister of Finance, I would like to ask the Premier a question relating to salaries, bargaining and so on. The Minister of Finance has made a statement that the teachers have accepted a zero per cent increase and are excluded. Even the government has accepted it. Well, it resolved they were going to get a zero per cent increase. My question is, does that also mean that there will also be no merit money for these excluded people? The statement said there would be no increases for that group.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, the discussions and arguments between the federal government and the territorial government have been going on for some time, with relationship to what the funding levels should be. The present and last offer from the federal government is being evaluated right now. The approximate cut is 35 per cent. That is being evaluated to see what that would mean for the delivery of programs and services in aboriginal and French languages. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I have continually insisted on the importance of this matter to the federal government; that this agreement was a special arrangement with the territorial government because of its unique circumstances and that it was an agreement made by a previous Liberal government. I have not only made very strong overtures to the Minister responsible for Canadian Heritage, but also to the Finance Minister, the Honourable Paul Martin, as well as getting the assistance of the Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin, who has made many, many requests to the Ministers responsible, both the Finance Minister and the Minister responsible for languages as well. I have also enlisted the support of the Member for Nunatsiaq, Mr. Jack Anawak.

As well, all the aboriginal organizations have been kept up-to-date on some of the problems and issues that were arising from the anticipated cuts to funding for languages. Not only did we deal with it at that level, but also at the specific meeting dealing with languages at which the Ministers were also in attendance. It was a meeting for all provincial jurisdictions. At that time, there were deliberations on the needs of the Northwest Territories. So, we haven't been shy about our representation and the involvement of the government. It was a Liberal government when the previous Minister, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, signed the agreement with them. We haven't been shy about our representation.

We have gotten the latest offer and it will be evaluated. I can provide the Member with the updated letter if he so desires. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I would like the Member to clarify. I didn't quite understand his question, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I would not be able to answer that question clearly or in detail because right at the moment we are evaluating what the latest offer was, what services are essential, what we really have to provide and see what's left and where we go from there.

I hope that in the next few days we will have more clarification of the amounts and what areas we feel we will have to address first. I will share that information with the Members of the Legislative Assembly once we have received a breakdown. I will be working with the Minister responsible for Languages and the other Ministers who have a very clear obligation in terms of providing services, either in the aboriginal languages or in the French language. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the government -- I am not too sure if it is the Premier or the Minister of Public Works and Services who handles the contracts in the small communities -- if the government has a policy to deal with contractors who do not pay for their accommodation and meals while doing their contracts for government. These hotels are normally locally-owned. Does the government have a policy to deal with those contractors who don't pay? Thank you.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, we do cover that. There is a 10 per cent hold-back from all contracts, and whoever isn't paid should contact either the Department of Public Works and Services or the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation within 60 days of finishing the contract. Thank you.

The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo, supplementary.

Is there assistance that the government could provide those hotels that are not being paid, and how does the process work? Is there a person in your department who handles and helps the local hotels to get their money from contractors? Thank you.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, if hotels or the co-op or whoever has not been paid by a contractor having a contract with this government, they should be in touch with Department of Public Works and Services at the regional office.

Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a case in my constituency where the local hotel was not paid and has not been paid for a number of years. Does the government have a policy whereby, if the company does not pay and that company has northern preference or local preference, the government is able to take that preference away? Thank you.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is the responsibility of hotels, subcontractors or business people in the Northwest Territories to inform the government that they have not been paid in a certain time period after the contract is finished. All people are aware of that. All people are also aware that we do hold back 10 per cent of the overall contract to settle the unpaid bills if they are not. There is a time frame. Other than that, we are not responsible and, no, we cannot take away the business incentive policy for unpaid bills. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Public Works and Services. Madam Speaker, we are aware of the fact that the Minister's department is undertaking a long-needed review of the business incentive policy, but, in the meantime -- this review may take a number of months -- the Minister and Members have received complaints about southern companies that are circumventing the rules of the business incentive policy and taking contracts from northern companies. So my question to the Minister is what is the Minister doing in the meantime until the review is completed to make sure that this doesn't happen.

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have a senior management committee that is in place to ensure that the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy is followed. All applications for the business incentive policy are looked at through that committee and they are then given out accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. I am not sure that makes me feel any better, because that particular approach has been in place for a while. So I will ask the Minister another question. Would the Minister be prepared to personally review new applications under the business incentive policy to ensure that the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy is carried out?

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Right now, the committee is comprised of the deputy ministers of Transportation and Public Works and Services, the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, as well as the deputy minister of Economic Development and Tourism. All issues which are brought forward to me from all MLAs, if they have a concern about the business incentive policy, I follow up on personally. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. Speaking as one MLA, I have a concern about the whole process. I was happy to hear that the Minister is prepared to use the spirit and intent clause to protect northern businesses. I will ask the Minister again, not just on a case-by-case basis, but will the Minister become more involved in this process, because the process right now is not working. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have become more personally involved in this process. We are going through a consultation process to revise the Business Incentive Policy. The problem is not only who gets the business incentive policy, but the problem we have is how to define a northerner and who is eligible for preference under this policy. So I am personally involved and I will continue to be personally involved. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

My final supplementary to the Minister, following up on the Minister's comments on the spirit and intent clause, does the Minister intend to enforce the business incentive policy if a company doesn't follow the policy by ensuring that they don't get a contract in the future, using the spirit and intent clause to police the contract?

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would love to be able to do that today but I am unable to do that today. That is the whole idea of reviewing the business incentive policy, of redoing it, so if people do not follow what they lay out in their contracts and their tenders, then we can remove the business incentive policy from them. There will have to be fairly unique circumstances today for that to happen but, hopefully, within the next six months, we will be able to do that if people do not hire northerners where they say they are going to hire northerners, or if they are storefront operations, then we will remove their business incentive policy. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Premier and it has to do with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation's application for a general rate review, now before the Public Utilities Board. Madam Speaker, as I understand the materials presented by the Power Corporation, in its application for a general rate increase, it seems to be assumed by the Power Corporation that as the power bill goes up, it is expected that the government subsidy for domestic non-government consumers will also go up. That is, the Power Corporation seems to assume that the subsidy will continue on the present formula in its rate application.

My question to the Premier, Madam Speaker, is has the Government of the Northwest Territories calculated how much the increased subsidy will cost the government if the rate changes go through. Thank you.

Mr. Patterson, I'd like to ask if you could rephrase your question. You're asking a somewhat hypothetical question based on the process going through. If I could ask you to somehow rephrase your question, Mr. Patterson.

Yes, I'll try. Thank you. Madam Speaker, I'd like to ask the Premier if the GNWT has studied and calculated the financial impact of proposed new power rates on the amount of subsidy required to be paid by the Government of the Northwest Territories to subsidize domestic power consumers throughout the Northwest Territories.

Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, it's difficult to give a short answer to that question because there are certain presumptions that one would have to make. I believe the Power Corporation has looked at the changes and looked at how that could affect their operation.

Madam Speaker, as we are aware, when the Power Corporation turned from a federal to a territorial Crown corporation, we knew that there were 51 rate zones. Each community had an established criteria on their rate. The commitment right from the beginning is that somehow we would have to rationalize what people were paying because, in a lot of communities, it was felt that some communities were less than what the actual costs for that particular community were or that area and some were paying more. As well as the 51 different rate zones for each community, we also have a government rate.

I believe that there have been some numbers that were crunched and I believe as much as possible that the Power Corporation could get from the figures that have been established previously are presently before the Public Utilities Board.

Madam Speaker, there is a long explanation and I realize the rules suggest that if there is a long explanation, that perhaps you would rule me out of order to go into all the detail. Madam Speaker, that's as much as I could provide at this time. Thank you.

Thank you. I just want to caution Members with regard to questioning items that may be placed before the PUB. I just confirmed with the Clerk that the PUB is a quasi-judicial body set up by legislation of this House, and items before any type of court of quasi-judicial body are not to be questioned while the process is in place through question period. So I'd like to caution Members to keep that in mind when they are questioning the government. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll try to bear that caution in mind. Madam Speaker, I have a simple question for the Premier. Since the government is a major consumer of power and a major customer of the Power Corporation through its agencies and through its own buildings and staff housing, I'd like to ask the Premier will the Government of the Northwest Territories be intervening as a major consumer of power in the Public Utilities Board rate hearings now under way. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, yes.

Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

I'd like to ask the Premier, Madam Speaker, since the government is intervening, which I think it should, and the government is also the owner of the Power Corporation, how can we be sure that the government, when

it intervenes in the PUB hearings, is not in conflict when it intervenes to at the same time protect its own interest as a major power consumer. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to inform the honourable Member that on previous hearings the Government of the Northwest Territories was an interested party in those deliberations, so this is not a new role that we play as a government. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, I understand that, but I guess what I'm curious about is how, within the government, the public interest is split from the government's interest as the owner of the Power Corporation. For example, is there another government department that is responsible for the interventions other than the Power Corporation? Is there another Minister other than the Premier? How do we ensure the public interest is safeguarded in this process? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, in our discussion on this matter, the Minister who would normally be responsible for this particular exercise would have been the Minister responsible for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. However, that Minister, at this time, is also Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board. In the best interest of carrying out the responsibility in this peculiar situation, the Minister of Finance is taking on the role of overseeing the interest of government in the public hearings that are taking place. Thank you.