Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, I've told three stories about projects that have been botched this summer by the region and there are many more I could list. I guess I'd like to ask the Minister since this reorganization has apparently caused significant delays to some perhaps small projects -- it's the small ones that are important -- affecting students in the Nunatta Campus, has he done an evaluation of the reorganization? Is it working? Is it worthwhile? Has the evaluation caused more problems than it was intended to solve? Thank you.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Through consultation with Members of this Legislative Assembly, through Cabinet direction, what communities brought forward to us, and what regions told us, is how we came up with the decision to restructure and move a project manager to the regional level. Like I said earlier, it is not going to happen without some hiccups.

You must also remember that we, as the Department of Public Works and Services, have taken approximately a 67-PY cut in the last two years, and $25 to $27 million. Those things don't happen without causing some disruption. But, we are continually working to ensure that we deliver our projects in a timely manner.

I am thoroughly convinced that by decentralizing to the regions, we will serve the clients in the regions and the communities better. We are undertaking a review of current year projects right now. The review will be done by the end of November and I will report to the House what that review tells us, whether it is better or worse. Thank you.

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

Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to ask the Minister what criteria the department uses for selection of candidates for the teacher education program, a program which has been expanded over the past few years. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you. I don't have the criteria with me. I will provide a copy of that and take the question as notice.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the intent of the statement was to indicate that the European regulation 3254 has gone much further than what it was expected to do, in that it was aspiring to answer to the wishes of those who wished to see the harvesting of fur bearing animals come to a complete stop. We, as a government, do not wish to see that because the majority of our people in the Northwest Territories make their living on fur bearing animals.

The intent of the European regulation, as it stands at the present time, will eliminate much of the harvesting that does take place in the Northwest Territories, in that the regulation requires that humane trapping standards be used. At the present time, the leghold traps that are being used by trappers is something that we, as a department, have been researching and would like to see improved. There are humane methods of trapping animals in the Northwest Territories.

The intent of the statement was to indicate that we would like to see the regulation of the European parliament put in the position where we, as a government or a people, who harvest fur bearing animals would be able to accommodate it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was one of the delegation who went to Europe last May to meet with some of the European governments, along with the Honourable Minister. We were in Europe at the same time, but in different places. We met with a lot of European countries and I think it was a very worthwhile trip.

To do what the Minister is indicating requires that people, like Members from the north, should be meeting with European governments to try to get them to change the intent of their regulations. I would like to ask the Minister if the intent of his statement is that Members of this House should meet directly with European governments again. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, it is the intent of the government to form another delegation to go to Europe to follow up on the visit of last year. It is to impress upon the European commonwealth the unreasonable request being made by the Parliament in enforcing this regulation before the International Standards Organization has completed their work in defining what would be considered humane trapping. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to pursue the Minister of Public Works and Services once again on the window renovations. I know he took as notice the question about the height of the windows. He earlier explained that the project officer had to originate from Yellowknife because they wanted consistency and to have the original project officer still handling the project. I would like to ask the Minister why, for a relatively small $21,000 job, it appears the project officer had to journey no less than three separate times from Yellowknife to Iqaluit to consult with the client. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't know why the project officer flew to Iqaluit three different times, so I will take the question as notice and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there were some questions raised earlier today and during the week about the reorganization and amalgamation of various departments, specifically the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the departments of Health and Social Services.

Any time there are changes in the organizational structure, there is an impact on staff and services which, in turn, affects our constituents. We've had confirmation, through questioning of the Minister of MACA, that there is reorganization going on in that department. I've heard, personally, from reliable sources that the deputy minister, in his briefing to the health board in Inuvik, said that there is a plan under way to amalgamate Health and Social Services.

The concern is that we haven't been provided with details of the reorganization and the amalgamation. I know the Premier has committed to providing those details, but I would like to ask the Premier if there are specific plans that are being followed in terms of the restructuring and amalgamation of these departments?

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, yes, there are.