Mr. Speaker, in discussions with the Power Corporation, I can make one assurance. However, the problem in trying to answer the question of it never happening in the future...I can't predict nor can the Power Corporation what extremes can happen in the future. However, within reasonable variances, I can assure the Member that it is the intent of the Power Corporation to set up a stabilization fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Next on my list is Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In awarding the Arctic Winter Games to Yellowknife, the international committee apparently used criteria which included size and population. Given how important these criteria were in the final decision, they must have known before the bid process began. My question to the Minister is, was the Minister and her department aware of the criteria which specified size and population, prior to the bid process?

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Neither my department nor myself were aware that size and population

were going to be a criteria in selecting the host community. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Mike. Mr. Koe.

Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. The criteria for hosting games are laid out in a printed document. They're laid out in a handbook which is given to potential host communities, and they're prepared by the international committee. Was the Minister not aware of this document and its implications for hosting by smaller northern communities?

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Ms. Mike. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi. If that was the case then, did the current Minister follow up from the meetings that the previous Minister had on this issue of size and population?

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I didn't, but my predecessor did back in January 1994; reconfirming the Northwest Territories appreciation, their understanding and the support that that would allow communities in our jurisdictions to bid to host the 1998 Arctic Winter Games on the basis of splitting the games into two four-day sessions with half completed in each session. He further states that, "I interpret a consensus of support for our proposal in the regard, although such a format in other jurisdictions was not supported. We have proceeded to invite community bids to host the games on the strength of the support we received in Slave Lake." Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Mike. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe. You're finished? Next on my list is Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is again to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs respecting the Arctic Winter Games. Preparing a bid and hosting the bid committee for the Arctic Winter Games is an expensive process. In a time of limited funding, money should have been spent only if there was a reasonable expectation of success. I would like to ask the Minister, at what point in the bid process was she made aware of the potential difficulty in Inuvik not being able to be awarded the games because of its size?

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I became aware of it on October 18th when Mr. Thick spoke to my deputy minister about which community would be hosting. Thank you.

That's your response, Ms. Mike. Ms. Ng. Mr. Ng, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Ms. Speaker. No, sorry, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

As the Minister said Gerry Thick from the international committee stated in CBC radio interviews that no small-sized communities can ever hope to host future games if the format remains the same, and that affects, of course, all NWT communities with the exception of Yellowknife because of its size. I would like to ask the Minister what she and the government are doing to address this issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have already stated in this House, I plan to meet with the participating jurisdiction Ministers this coming winter. There is a meeting scheduled in Grande Prairie in February. I will further try to stress the fact that it is important that our smaller communities should be eligible to bid to be the host of the Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Mike. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The decision to not allow Inuvik to host the Arctic Winter Games is because of their size, and it will affect communities in the future in Nunavut from hosting these games as well because they are a lot smaller in size even than Inuvik. I would like to ask the Minister if this was ever considered when the Arctic Winter Games committee was choosing the Arctic Winter Games site for 1998.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Ms. Mike.