Good morning, item 2, Ministers' statements. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I would like to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be absent from the House today to attend a constituency meeting in Fort Good Hope. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I am pleased to advise you that this week and next week, we celebrate two important annual events, Arctic College Week and Science and Technology Week. I am happy to inform Members of the Legislative Assembly that many new initiatives to promote cooperation among educators, scientists and our northern communities have already begun.

Arctic College staff and students throughout the Northwest Territories are celebrating Arctic College week from October 17th to October 21st. Arctic College Week is held to promote post-secondary education and to inform people of the services provided by the campuses and community learning centres in their areas. It is also intended to emphasize the achievements of Arctic College and its cooperative relationship with the communities it serves. The theme of this year's Arctic College Week, "building community partnerships," celebrates that relationship.

To acknowledge the importance of partnership, the campuses and community learning centres of Arctic College have planned a number of public awareness activities that highlight programs produced in cooperation with municipal and tribal councils and industry.

Community teacher education programs are one example of programs produced in partnership. The Yellowknife teacher education program is sponsored by the Yellowknives Dene Band, Yellowknife's two school boards, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Arctic College.

Overlapping with Arctic College Week is National Science and Technology Week, which runs from October 14th to October 23rd. We celebrate this event to recognize the contribution of science and technology to northern development. This year, the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories is promoting activities at the community level.

The Science Institute's newly implemented research support programs are providing new opportunities for northerners to become involved in scientific research. We want to recognize the contribution of northerners in science and technology. Education, Culture and Employment, in conjunction with Renewable Resources, has submitted two nominations for the 1994 northern science award sponsored by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

The Science Institute also continues to introduce community projects demonstrating new technology. A northern wind farm has been established in Cambridge Bay as the first privately-funded alternate energy project. Also, from an educational perspective, the innovators in the schools program have been very successful this past year and have given many young northerners the opportunity to learn more about science and technology in an interactive manner.

Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to thank all the communities, organizations and individuals who support Arctic College programs and science and technology initiatives. I invite the Members of the Legislative Assembly and residents of Yellowknife to participate in Science Sunday at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre at 2:00 pm on October 23rd.

I encourage northerners to contact the Science Institute here in Yellowknife or the research centres in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Igloolik and Iqaluit for information about science and technology programs in your area. As well, I invite you to contact community learning centres or Arctic College Campuses for information about college programs being offered this year. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As you know, the Kitikmeot is the only region in the NWT without an elders' residence. The elders in the region, especially the elders from Natilikmiot, have been expecting and looking forward to an elders' residence being built in Gjoa Haven since I first was elected to the House in 1989.

For mysterious reasons, every year, the elders' residence project has been postponed and not built. We were told that all elders' residence funding was put on hold because federal money for social housing was cut back.

This fall, my honourable colleague Mr. Kelvin Ng and I discovered the funding for the Gjoa Haven elders' residence was deleted from the capital plans.

Shame.

Thank you. Being concerned, Madam Speaker, about this matter, I contacted Mayor Uriash Puqiqnak of Gjoa Haven to discuss it further. He was as surprised as I was to learn of the deletion of the elders' residence project. I have met with Madam Premier, who is also the Minister of Health and Social Services; the Honourable John Pollard, the Minister of Finance; and the Honourable Don Morin, Minister of Public Works and Services. They have all agreed to reconsider addressing the needs in Kitikmeot, as my colleague, Mr. Ng, and I continue to pursue this matter on behalf of our elders.

Good.

I ask the government to seriously revisit this very important issue of elders' residences for the Kitikmeot by reinstating the funding for the Gjoa Haven residence and by addressing the needs in the western Kitikmeot. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This summer has been one of the driest summers on record, with very low rainfall levels. The natural course of events when you get very little rain is that the land gets dry, you get fires, and where you get fires, you get smoke, and because of the smoke, the mosquitoes die. They don't live very long.

People can understand that. People are happy with that. But, there is a certain lack of logic for many of my constituents who can't understand why, living by one of the biggest lakes in the world -- one of the top ten, which is pretty clean, compared with most of the others; even though we have some pollution, it is still pretty clean -- with so much water around us, that we have such high summer water rates. It is so easy to get water in the summer. Many of our dried out properties are causing

consternation among many of our citizens who enjoy gardening...

Hear, hear.

...and would like to have a nice place, with nice flowers and nice vegetables and so on. This can be compared with the small towns in the desert around Kelowna where the water rates are still very, very low compared to ours. The $160 a month for water is an awful lot. The city of Yellowknife has this responsibility that we cannot really interfere with.

Hear, hear.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise in this House today to offer my congratulations on behalf of my constituents to all the recently-elected officials in all the tax-based municipalities. It was very nice to see the seeds of democracy again take root in Iqaluit.

Hear, hear.

As an aboriginal, it was very gratifying to see Mr. Joe Kunuk, an Inuk, elected as a mayor in one of the Northwest Territories largest tax-based municipalities.

I, too, would have liked to have been able to have risen as the same time as my honourable colleagues, full of praise and good will, and congratulate the people elected in town and educational councils in my own constituencies. But that was not to be. For this reason, Madam Speaker, as usual, I am a bit confused. Why do the tax-based communities get to have their election in the fall or, at least, what passes for fall in the Northwest Territories?

Maybe the residents of the tax-based communities can't handle the cold. Maybe they are afraid to go out in the dark. Why do smaller hamlets or charter communities get to have their election in December, which is definitely the dead of winter in the Northwest Territories? Is it because everyone works in a tax-based community and their officials want to make sure there is no daylight or no raging snowstorm on election day?

I think that whoever decided that community elections in the north should be held in December was a little addled. Maybe they thought that the residents in the smaller communities are more likely to be pursuing traditional lifestyles, such as hunting and fishing, so they would have nothing better to do in December than to fight their way through a blinding snowstorm to exercise their right to vote.

Indeed, Madam Speaker, in the high Arctic, there is total darkness during the election, which may or may not be appropriate.

---Laughter

I don't think, Madam Speaker, there is an appropriate time for an election in the Northwest Territories. The spring is no good in some areas because of ratting season. The summer is no good in other areas because...

Mr. Gargan.

Madam Speaker, I would like to have unanimous consent to continue my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker and honourable Members. The summer is no good in other areas because of fishing and hunting. Fall and winter are no good because people go hunting for moose and caribou. Fall is also open season on ducks and, I guess, municipal politicians in tax-based municipalities. Summer is no good in a lot of smaller communities because that is when the construction and tourism employment occurs. It is also no good in Yellowknife because half of the government employees take off on holidays.

I don't know, Madam Speaker. Maybe the dead of winter with no sunlight and the chance of a blizzard is the best time to hold an election in the smaller, mostly aboriginal, communities in the Northwest Territories. Like I said, Madam Speaker, I am confused.

---Applause

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

Keep on going.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this week, a number of Members attended a special ceremony here in the great hall, where Mr. Kakfwi, our Minister of Justice, presented the corrections exemplary service medal to Mr. Raymond Tuccaro, one of my constituents, on behalf of the Governor General of Canada.

The corrections exemplary service medal recognizes the special obligations and hazardous conditions of services of those peace officers, whose duties bring them into daily contact with offenders in the Canadian corrections program. It is a tremendous honour for Mr. Tuccaro and a tremendous honour for our government. I am sure all Members will join me in congratulating Mr. Tuccaro for a very well-deserved honour.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, a lot of attention is appropriately paid, in this Assembly and elsewhere, to the aboriginal people, their cultures and language. Today I would like to talk a little bit about the language and culture of the qallunaaq, the non-native people, especially certain phrases used in our language. Today I want to talk about the English language. I was once a student of English, you may have noticed.

---Laughter

And I've been observing the influence of our language on the proceedings of this Assembly. What you should know about our culture, the qallunaaq culture, is that sometimes, or maybe I should say very often, we qallunaaqs say the exact opposite of what we really mean.

I'll give a few examples. In court, when lawyers want to ridicule their opponent's argument, they refer to the other lawyer as "my learned friend," or where the other is really off the wall, "my esteemed learned friend."

An equivalent has developed in this House, Madam Speaker. When a Member wishes to disagree with an honourable Member, especially when it is an ordinary Member who has the gall to criticize the Minister, you will sometimes hear the phrase -- and sometimes I use this phrase myself, but quite rarely -- "with respect." If the Minister has said something really ridiculous...

(Microphone turned off)

You wait. If the Minister has said something really ridiculous, you will sometimes hear the reply prefaced with "with all due respect." This means you get as much respect from me as you deserve, which isn't very much.

---Laughter

When the Minister is really out to lunch -- and of course, that happens very rarely in our House -- you will hear the phrase "with the greatest respect." This means that the Minister deserves hardly any respect at all.

---Laughter

Now, I'm going to have to ask for some more time to complete my Member's statement, with the greatest of respect.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue with his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Proceed, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad I'm allowed to conclude this because now I'm going to turn to Ministers.

Madam Speaker, ordinary Members are not the only ones who use this kind of language. How do we know when Ministers are showing their true feelings about ordinary Members? Ministers are a little bit more subtle, but there are ways of telling what they really think. For example, when I had the pleasure of serving in Cabinet with Mr. Ballantyne, I always thought he was a master of fending off what he thought was a totally useless question. You could always tell when he thought the question was absolutely silly by his response; after a long, pregnant pause, he would say, "The Member has raised a very good question."

---Laughter

Then he would say, "however," or -- long pause -- "the Member makes a very valid point, but..."

In the current Cabinet, I have made one clear observation; it has to do with Mr. Nerysoo. I have, with careful analysis, figured out that you can calculate exactly how much Mr. Nerysoo disagrees with a Member's point of view very easily. All you have to do to determine how much Mr. Nerysoo disagrees with you is count the number of times he uses the phrase "the honourable Member" in answering the Member's point. It's a very simple formula.

So, Madam Speaker, if Members have been wondering about some of these strange phrases, if they've been hearing qallunaaq people talking this way, I hope this little explanation will help you understand better what is really meant. If you're interested in analysing this further, or describing it further, you should know that when English speakers talk this way, saying the opposite of what is really meant, we are being either ironic or worse, sardonic or sarcastic. I hope this little discussion of the qallunaaq culture has been edifying this morning, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I would like to talk about a concern that I've had over the years with regard to fire protection and fire insurance coverage that is lacking in a lot of the smaller communities, including the communities that I represent: Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake and other communities.

I say this because the government here is building infrastructures in the communities such as homes that cost over $100,000 a piece, and we are building new buildings, as well, such as schools, community centres, and two and three-bay garages that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet, the fire protection is lacking in these communities. I say this because in some of my communities there have been fires. For example, in Jean Marie River over the last five years, there were seven fires that took out some homes and three-bay garages. Nahanni Butte band office burned down some time ago. In Trout Lake there were a number of fires, including a fire that took out the chicken coop last year and destroyed the chickens there and their program. The fire protection that is there is not adequate.

One of the ideas I've been trying to push with the department is to put some pumps, the type of pumps that are used in fighting forest fires, with enough hose to reach the furthest house away from the water source. If you have this type of protection there, along with what they have -- chemicals -- I think that would help because some of these communities are too small to warrant fire trucks and they don't have water systems, as well. So this type of protection would certainly help them.

With fire insurance coverage, I think these communities, because they don't have fire protection, are not eligible for fire insurance coverage. So we are building expensive infrastructures in small communities, yet we cannot protect them with fire insurance, and I have a concern about that. So I would just like to express that the government do something about that. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is an oral question that was asked by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis, on October 20, 1994, with regard to planned use of Akaitcho in Arctic College plans.

The college system in the Northwest Territories, as you know, is decentralized. It includes campuses and community learning centres across the north which offer programs and services designed to meet local and territorial education and training needs.

The college's head office in the west is located in Fort Smith. College programs are offered in Yellowknife and at the Thebacha and Aurora campuses.

We are currently examining the potential use of Akaitcho Hall to house both the administration and delivery of some of the college programs offered in Yellowknife. The college's Yellowknife activities are offered widely throughout the community and consolidating them in fewer locations would result in a more efficient and effective operation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I'm sorry, I didn't see your hand up, Mr. Arngna'naaq, for returns to oral questions.

I'll go back to item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Kivallivik, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Pudluk on October 17, 1994 on the use of radio collars on polar bears. The particular study the honourable Member is referring to is being conducted in the Alaskan part of the Arctic Ocean. Canadian and American biologists worked from two ice breakers that were travelling to the North Pole from Alaska. Two adult female bears were captured and fitted with satellite radio collars. The bears are being monitored by Alaskan researchers.

Madam Speaker, radio collars are an important tool used in polar bear management. They are used to track polar bear movements and to determine population boundaries. Once this is known, other studies are done to estimate population size in order to ensure that a population is not over harvested. The Department of Renewable Resources will continue to use radio collars whenever they are the best method of obtaining information for managing polar bears. Communities are always consulted before a study using radio collars can begin within the Northwest Territories.

During the last two years in the Northwest Territories, polar bear research and management studies have been focused from McLure Strait east to Baffin Bay. Last fall, radio collars were attached to polar bears in this area. Good information on polar bear movements was collected and biologists began removing collars this fall. The remaining radio collars will be removed next spring. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. May I remind honourable colleagues that, when they recognize visitors in the gallery, they do have a 30 second time limit. I would like to caution you on that for the future. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Prior to going to oral questions, there are a couple of rulings that I would like to advise Members about.

Speaker's Rulings

Yesterday, the honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng, raised a point of order respecting the chair, redirecting a question asked by him to another Minister other than the Minister he had addressed it to. Firstly, I should state that no one can raise a point of order against the Speaker.

Ohh.

As Speaker, it is my role to adjudicate between Members on points of order. Rule 12(2) provides that when I have decided points of orders or privileges, my decision is not the subject of debate or appeal.

In reviewing unedited Hansard, page 1005, I note that Mr. Ng asked a question relating to the protection of by-law officers. As Members are aware, by-law areas fall within the jurisdiction of municipalities. Therefore, normally this question would be within the realm of responsibility of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In an effort to assist the Member for Kitikmeot in getting his question answered, I felt the Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs would be able to respond to the Member's question. I note also that on page 1005 of the unedited Hansard that the Minister did, in fact, answer the question.

However, on more detailed examination of the question in Hansard, it appeared that the Member was seeking information relating to the legal status of by-law officers, as that legal status pertains to peace officers under the Criminal Code of Canada. As Members are aware, the Criminal Code is a federal statute and, technically speaking, our Minister of Justice has no authority or jurisdiction over it. The issue is one that may cross two Ministers' responsibility.

However, since the Minister of Justice cannot be asked questions that are not a matter he has direct responsibility for, the Member could ask a written question to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs because this issue could require a detailed technical and legal response.

The enabling legislation dealing with the appointment of by-law officers falls clearly under the responsibility of the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Therefore, I rule that the Member does not have a point of order.

In addition, yesterday, the honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne, during question period, asked the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation if the Cabinet had approved the 22 per cent low-water surcharge. The Minister answered Mr. Ballantyne's initial question and the Member for Yellowknife North then asked a supplementary question, if the Minister had approved the proposed 22 per cent low-water surcharge.

At that point, I only cautioned the Member on this particular issue and the Member then raised a point of order. I advised the Member that I would take the issue under advisement and review the unedited Hansard. I have now had an opportunity to review the unedited Hansard, page 988 and 989, and am prepared to comment on this matter to the House.

From reviewing Hansard, it is evident that I did not rule the Member's question out of order and, in fact, the Member was able to ask his initial question and three supplementaries. I merely cautioned the Member that this particular issue was before the Public Utilities Board. As Members are well aware, rule 23(g) prohibits reference to any matter before a quasi-judicial or administrative body where any person may be prejudiced in such matter by the reference.

It is the role of the chair to alert Members to the possible application of the sub judice rule so as to ensure that the Members do not cross the boundaries of what is an acceptable question. In making my comments yesterday, I was merely carrying out my responsibility as Speaker, so as to ensure that there is no violation of our rules, intentional or inadvertent. As stated in my earlier ruling on Mr. Ng's point of order, points of orders cannot be raised against a decision of the Speaker. Therefore, the Member for Yellowknife North does not have a point of order.

Item 6, oral questions.

Madam Speaker, the Premier made a statement yesterday about the amalgamation of the departments of Health and Social Services. In that statement, she promised to table a detailed plan. I would like to ask the Premier if she is going to be tabling that plan today because I do not believe it was tabled in the House yesterday, as she had indicated she would do in her statement. Thank you.

Thank you. The Premier is not in the House. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, good morning. Yes, we will be tabling that particular document today. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for High Arctic, Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, good morning. I would like to ask the Minister of the Financial Management Board, what is the policy for the payment of salaries to employees who are forced to take time off for health reasons on a doctor's orders?

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

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

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism a question. The Minister stated that his department is looking at possibly funding the credit union, which was good news to us. Could the Minister report to the House as to the approval of funds that might be coming forth? Thank you.

I am sorry. The Minister of Economic Development and Tourism is not in the House. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the Minister is having his officials approach the EDA Secretariat and I will take the question as notice with regard to the time frame involved in making that presentation. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Two local people made an application, under the Environmental Rights Act, to get the Department of Renewable Resources, responsible for environmental matters, to investigate stack emissions at Giant Mine. I would like to ask the Minister what the result of that investigation was.

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

The results of the applications made by the two individuals have resulted in an investigation of air pollution from the Royal Oak/Giant Yellowknife Mine. It was determined by health officials that there really is no need for concern.

However, they indicated that the department's monitoring stations remain below levels which could cause a significant health risk to the city residents and the sulphur dioxide that could affect human health isn't a concern. These were the results that we received from health officials. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

It is my understanding, Madam Speaker, that the mine agreed to negotiate with the government on this issue, in an attempt to reduce emissions, even though they weren't at a critical level. What form is that negotiation taking?

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there have been initial discussions by the department and Royal Oak Mine. The joint work which has been initiated with mine officials to examine options available to reduce the sulphur dioxide levels in Yellowknife is presently going on at this point. However, I would like to bring together community leaders -- namely. the two chiefs in the area of Yellowknife, the Metis Nation, the Yellowknife MLAs, the new mayor of Yellowknife, representatives of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Environment Canada and a mine representative -- to try to come to an agreeable solution to the problems we have with the mine. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of MACA. In the communities, there are by-laws officers. They are usually in the smaller and larger communities. They have to take some kind of training. Do they train the by-law officers under the departments funding? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. At this time, there is no funding for training for by-laws officers. During 1995-96, we will be trying to come up with funding for that particular area. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I thank you for your ruling. I totally respect the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Board. My line of questioning is the owners' responsibility in the decision-making. So my question today is to the Minister of Finance. It seems from the Premier, that Cabinet isn't involved in the decision. The Premier is only peripherally involved in the decision. So the owners are really out of the equation. Surely the Minister of Finance would get financial advice.

My understanding is between 1989 and this summer, the water levels were much higher than the 30-year historic average. The 30-year historic average is 152 gigawatt hours. The levels were higher over that period of time and that generated an extra $7 million to go into the overall system. Was the Minister informed that there was an extra $7 million generated by the Snare system during this period of time?

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it was drawn to my attention some two weeks ago, that there may have been, shall we say, above-average water in the system in previous years, and that might have generated a bonus. It was drawn to my attention, but I have seen no figures or details. I didn't get that from the Power Corporation. It came up in discussion with our lawyers who are representing us, as customers, and other people of the Northwest Territories at the PUB hearings. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary to the Minister of Finance. It would seem to me that the Minister of Finance, because we are the owner of the Power Corporation, has certain financial responsibilities in this area. When a decision is going to be made by the Power Corporation which will have very serious impacts on the number of communities in the Northwest Territories, the Power Corporation would make all the information available to the government. Would the Minister agree that the Power Corporation has an obligation to make all

the information available to the owner of the Power Corporation?

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, the Power Corporation is run by its board of directors and it reports to the government and this House, through the Minister responsible, which is the Premier. So in that respect, there is a reporting line and, obviously, as owners of the corporation, we are keenly interested in how the corporation is doing. But do we get into the details on a daily basis? No, Madam Speaker, that is left to the Minister in charge. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. The Minister is aware that under the legislation, the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation can issue directives to the Power Corporation. Would you agree that the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation has it within her power to direct the Power Corporation to have put this extra money which is generated for the whole system into a fund to deal with low-water use?

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, the Power Corporation has not advised me and I do not know if they've advised the Premier that there might have been some bonus water in years gone by. I would reiterate that it was drawn to my attention during a meeting on how our lawyers would represent us in the PUB hearings. So I don't have any hard and fast data in that regard. But, obviously, the honourable Member has researched this issue, as well, so there may be some meat in this rumour that there was above-average water in the system.

With regard to a directive being issued by the Premier or Minister responsible for the corporation, I guess the answer to that is yes. But I think that what has happened is that the corporation is operating, and even though we freely admit that we own 100 per cent of the corporation, the corporation operates at arm's length from the government as much as possible and the corporation went through the public process of applying to the Public Utilities Board for this particular increase. They would have had to apply to the Public Utilities Board to enable themselves to set up a reserve, I believe, Madam Speaker.

So, yes, I suppose we could have told them to do it, but I think the Minister responsible has chosen to let the Power Corporation do these things in front of the Public Utilities Board where everybody can have an input. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Final supplementary.

Final supplementary to the Minister of Finance, Madam Speaker. I would like to get the assurance of the Minister of Finance that in future when the Power Corporation is going to appear in front of the PUB and ask for an extraordinary increase such as this, that the owner and the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the board of directors, I suppose, the 24 of us, will ensure that the total information package is available; and if there is going to be a severe impact on a community or a number of communities, that a better process of information exchange is developed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'll pass on that concern to the Premier. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question will be directed to the Minister of Finance. First, I would like to thank him for coming to Cape Dorset and Sanikiluaq, and for having people from Revenue Canada come to those communities. Secondly, I'm sure people are already aware of what I will be mentioning. We did not know in Cape Dorset or Lake Harbour about the following.

Many of the carvers ended up owing a lot of money to Revenue Canada and we seem to have a problem with this. I wonder, Madam Speaker, if the Minister of Finance will be able to prepare, for the new tax year, information for people on how to properly fill out their income tax forms and to avoid further debit to Revenue Canada, especially for the carvers who have a big problem with this. Will the Minister be able to provide some more staff to visit the communities in dealing with income tax returns? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's true that Revenue Canada did visit south Baffin communities last year. They have told us that it was a useful experience and they felt that people in the communities learned. Unfortunately, the Sanikiluaq hotel was under renovation at that time. There were no accommodations there so they didn't make it to Sanikiluaq, but they will be, in fact, going there this year. I understand that the communities appreciated the visit as well, and we are working with Revenue Canada now to see if those visits can occur again this spring.

Madam Speaker, I would also point out to the honourable Member that if there is some kind of hardship with regard to people who are just catching up with the system and they owe large amounts of money, Revenue Canada has told me in the past that they would be willing to work out terms that are not too onerous on people in order to catch up those arrears, Madam Speaker. Just for the information for the Member. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I would like to ask the Minister if his department currently has a policy to deal with community freezers. Thank you.

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

The area in which the Department of Renewable Resources has been involved in the community freezers has been basically to pass it on to the community hunters' and trappers' associations who have been monitoring and maintaining the freezers in the communities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I recognize that may be adequate for communities that have freezers. My question is whether the policy would address establishing freezers in communities that currently don't have them. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. At the present time, we are looking...I believe it's the Department of Public Works which is doing an analysis of the use of community freezers in those communities which do have community freezers; and to re-look at whether the use of community freezers are an efficient means of these facilities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In two of my communities, they have no power so the establishment of community freezers is very critical to them in the storage of their meat over the course of the summer. I would like to ask the Minister, would it be a priority of his department to address these issues in communities where there is no power and where there are no community freezers. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For the communities that are making requests for community freezers, at the present time, we are doing a review on this particular policy. We are still receiving requests from communities which do not have community freezers. We're looking at ways in which we would be able to address the needs for community freezers, at the present time. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Final supplementary. I would like to ask the Minister then, when he would expect the review of this policy to address these community freezers to be completed. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe the review started this past summer. We should have a complete assessment sometime next year, but I don't have any firm dates at this point, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to indicate to the honourable Member that the case that was brought forward against the individuals involved has been withdrawn, on the advice of the Department of Justice, because of some technical issues that allowed the individuals to carry out the work they were doing were under a permit that had already been issued.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.