Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

I'm optimistic that we will see greater utilization by government agencies -- whether it is a hospital, corrections facility or an educational facility -- of the renewable resources we have across the territories. Yes, the Ministers have indicated to me that they're onside with this issue and they're going to find a method to accelerate greater purchases of northern foods. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe the Minister recognizes that this is a fairly important issue. Is it one of the priorities of his department to complete this policy? Thank you.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

There is an old saying, actions speak louder than words, and I guess the policy is one thing -- which we are going to complete -- but the other thing is to get people at the buying and bureaucratic levels to recognize that there is an obligation and responsibility to use the renewable resources which all our constituencies harvest.

I made this a priority when I was an ordinary Member. I've made it a priority as a Minister of Economic Development. And I want to assure the honourable Member, that particularly in the Kitikmeot area with these new $1.2 or $1.3 million meat and fish plants, we will make every effort to accelerate the use of the renewable resources from that area, as well as others. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Final supplementary. I would like to ask the Minister then, when you would anticipate tabling such a policy for our consideration? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

I don't recall exactly where it's at right now, but I'm fairly confident that we're far enough along that I may be able to advise the Member later on next week exactly when we could table it.

Again, I want to say, policy is one thing. The other thing is to make sure that everybody recognizes their obligation and their responsibility to be purchasing these goods, whether it's white fish from Hay River, muskox from Sachs Harbour or caribou from the centre of the universe, Rankin Inlet. We are making the right moves. We are pressing the departments to upgrade their utilization of renewable resources.

I would say for the record that I was frankly disappointed that last year as a government we only purchased $15,000 worth of renewable resources. I did provide that information to the Member. That's one way which we can...

Shame, shame.

I agree. Shame. That's one way that we can evaluate whether there's been any significant change because we know exactly what was spent last year and we want to ensure that more is spent in the coming years. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The protocol that we have set with the Government of Alberta for disposal of hazardous wastes in Swan Hills is still in effect and it has not affected the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to go back to my question. I know the Minister was supposed to have been given notice. Could my question be repeated again? Thank you.

Mr. Pudlat, the Premier has taken the question as notice for the Minister. Once a question is taken as notice in the House, it is to be returned under returns to oral questions. So this will give the Minister a chance to look over the document as to what your original question was, and return an answer to you under returns to oral questions on our order paper. Thank you. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For Members who are not aware, I think the document that was released, Creating Choices: Solving the Income Support Puzzle, articulated some of the issues that are necessary for us, in the north, to address both in terms of the overall public and the aboriginal community itself. It's our view that any solution has to be collective, it has to be comprehensive. Therefore, the divisions that the federal government has established would only cause us more problems rather than

provide for more appropriate solutions for the northern communities.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. I'm not sure, Madam Speaker, that exactly answers my question. Obviously, whatever the federal government does in this area is going to have significant impact on us because of our funding relationship with the federal government. My specific question is how are we organizing ourselves to work with the federal government so that we're not left moving in a direction while the federal government is bogged down somewhere else and we're financially exposed in a different area? Thank you, Madam Speaker.