Thank you, Madam Speaker. I understand that the Housing Corporation will be assuming responsibility for the maintenance of the GNWT staff housing units. With that, the Housing Corporation has devolved the responsibilities of maintaining the public housing stock to local housing authorities. Is it the intention in this amalgamation of the two departments to have the Public Works' staff become employees of the local housing authorities in the communities? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Those questions that the Member has raised are good questions and we don't have the answers to those questions yet. The housing authorities are set up fairly well to administer housing and give out those houses in the communities. The Department of Public Works is also set up fairly well to maintain units, so are the housing authorities set up to maintain units. Government employees are unionized. Some housing authorities' maintenance employees are unionized, some are not, some have different unions. So it is a complicated issue to address and we are working to address it. I have directed both my departments to work together to see how we can maximize our dollars and get the best use out of our dollars to maintain the public housing stock as well as the staff housing stock, and come up with a decision paper. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Would the Minister recognize that with the amalgamation of the two departments -- the Housing Corporation and Public Works and Services -- and the maintenance staff of both of those organizations, that there will be a surplus of staff as a result of this amalgamation? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Whether there will be surplus people, I do not know, so I can't recognize them yet. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Early on, when this policy was brought forward, we recognized that there would be an ideal opportunity for the development of small maintenance and trades fields. The regional staff are aware of it and are responding to initiatives that are coming from the communities. I know, for example, that Simeonie Tatty and another partner have put together a small maintenance company and are now maintaining some of the homes in Rankin Inlet. I'm told that such will be the case in other communities, particularly in the larger centres where you have a critical mass of housing that is being sold. There would be a greater opportunity than there would be in some of the smaller communities. We are responding to it. We recognize it's an important initiative and I'm confident that, ultimately, more money will be spent in the community and more economic benefits will be accrued accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Social Services. Since the Assembly has now delayed dealing with the issue of guardianship for dependant

adults for many years, I would like to ask the Minister if the Guardianship Act has now been completed.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, it is.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

I would like to ask the Minister if this piece of legislation has been dealt with by the Cabinet yet.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Madam Speaker, no.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Can I ask the Minister -- obviously she has no control over the Cabinet agenda -- but when is it that she proposes to bring this piece of legislation into the Assembly?

Thank you. Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That piece of legislation has been submitted to the Cabinet. It is a matter of when the Cabinet is going to deal with it and, once that's done it will be tabled in this House. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.