Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Safety and Public Services, and the question is to do with the proposal to ban liquor sales to pregnant women. During the summer and the fall, Madam Speaker, this issue was in the media, and the House wasn't in session, so MLAs or the Minister haven't had an opportunity to deal with this particular issue. From the media reports, it seemed that a representative of the department seemed quite favourably disposed towards this particular recommendation. I haven't heard anything from the Minister of the department since, so if I could ask the Minister, what is the view of the department on this particular proposal?

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We haven't, and I personally have not, taken a view on the suggestion that has been made, primarily because I believe that the review process will allow us to address, in principle, some of the issues that were raised, and we are not at the particular point yet for any Minister, or myself in particular, to take a firm position on any of these issues.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary, Madam Speaker. I understand the Minister's answer but I am not sure I can agree with it today. Unfortunately, partly because of a response from a representative of the department who actually gave a more definitive response to this particular recommendation, as opposed to no response to dozens of other recommendations, this became quite a big issue. So it is an issue that MLAs have to deal with. It is an issue that the government has to deal with. So I think the Minister has some responsibility to clarify the words of the Minister's staff on this particular issue. So I will ask again, for the public who have some concerns about the government seeming to show favouritism towards this issue when they are silent on most of the other issues, what is the position of the department on this issue. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As Minister, I haven't taken a position for or against the initiative that has been proposed. The department has not supported the initiative in terms of its final decisions or conclusions. I think that the point the honourable Member made earlier is an important consideration when making any final decisions, because we still have to address the whole issue in terms of its constitutional implications. We have to also regard its enforceability and the possible impact on health policies surrounding prenatal care. Those are all components that have to be addressed before we reach a final position. I would suggest to the honourable Member, while I recognize the importance of the issue, that I think it's premature on my part, without concluding and providing this House with the legislative action paper, to make any conclusive decisions. I would think that the consultation process should come up, in the final analysis, with its recommendation on the legislation.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. If the Minister and the department were totally consistent about this, I could agree with the response. I will then ask the Minister if he could assure me and assure this House that representatives of the department won't make statements which could be construed as being favourably disposed towards one proposal or another? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Just to advise the honourable Member, we look at all proposals and suggestions seriously, but we have to look at them carefully. I agree with the honourable Member and say yes to the honourable Member that we must be careful and must consider the ramifications before we take a position one way or the other. I think the process should work itself out and allow us to make some final decisions on these issues.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

For my final supplementary, Madam Speaker, because this particular issue seems to have received a lot more attention than other issues in this review, can I ask the Minister if the Minister could provide to this House a definitive response to this issue as soon as possible, not waiting for the final review to be completed? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The problem with trying to take a definitive position on this particular issue is that it is all part of a process that has been supported by Members of this House. I think that it would be undermining the process to its conclusion if we made a final and definitive position, but what I can say to the honourable Member -- he made the point quite clearly earlier -- is I concur that it is an issue that cannot be taken, in terms of firmness of position, without looking at its constitutional implications and the enforceability issue. I concur with those remarks that the honourable Member made, and that has to be considered when we come to a final decision on this matter.

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

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is one area that I am not particularly familiar with, but I can assure the Member that I will continue to do the work that my predecessor started and this is one area I feel is important that we should be pursuing. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am not familiar with that particular incident, so I will take his question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.