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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have asked my deputy minister to act on it as quickly as possible, and try to get the investigation completed before this House adjourns. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

I appreciate that answer. That certainly gives some comfort to Members. I would like to ask the Minister, would she not agree that replacing the contractor, prior to the outcome of findings of such an investigation is a little bit premature, especially since you really don't know, in view of the present contractor's concerns about policies, procedures and so on, whether, in fact, this was a premature act if the investigation hasn't been completed yet?

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe yesterday, when I was being asked about this contract being terminated, I did state that the interim measure that we are taking right now is placing the children in foster care homes. As Mr. Lewis knows, it usually takes more than a month to get the call for proposal for contracts in place. By the time we finally do find somebody suitable, it usually takes more than a month. So I think that is adequate time to get the investigation done before the contract can be awarded to another or to the same person. There is enough time to get the advertisement in place, calling for contract, and get proposals in. That's not going to take weeks, it will probably take more than one month. So I think that's adequate time for the investigation to be carried out, and get the findings of the investigation that was being asked by the Member for Deh Cho. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Due to communications, Madam Speaker, between the deputy minister of the Department of Social Services and the contractor whose contract was terminated, it was made clear that this contract was being terminated not because of any inability of the contractor, but because there was a bad working relationship. Does the termination of this contract mean that the guilty party in this work relationship was the contractor and not the department? Is this what we have to assume because this contract has been terminated?

Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Being responsible for the Department of Social Services, I certainly will not come to a conclusion. That's why I think we should have a private enquiry done on this, because it could be the contractor or it could be our department. That is something that has to be seen yet. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The examples that were used in the statement I made today were specific examples. How exactly it came to be that Fort Providence had a higher increase, I am not able to answer at this time. I will take the question as notice.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Madam Speaker, my question concerns tender calls for rent supp requirements for the Housing Corporation for 1994-95 in the Baffin. I understand that first, the Housing Corporation put out all the communities in the Baffin to public tender. Then the corporation changed its process for some communities. I would like to focus on Pangnirtung, as an example of problems that I see with this.

My first question, Madam Speaker, is were the rent supp requirements in Pangnirtung initially put out to public tender for 1994-95? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, I understand that after having calls for public tenders in Pangnirtung, the Housing Corporation cancelled the public tender in favour of negotiating a contract with a certain local Inuit-owned company. Is that correct?

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the Member knows, and as all Members know, the aim of the consultation process we entered into with Members of this Assembly as well as with our community people -- and that has been encouraged by Members of this Assembly -- is that we should try to benefit the local people as much as possible by having dollars spent in their community. Consequently, in Pangnirtung, a rent supp program will be put out to local tender only. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I know that we are now at the stage where we are going out to tender for local companies in Pangnirtung. I don't think the Minister answered my question. After cancelling the tender, was it not the corporation's decision to negotiate a contract with one company -- albeit a local Inuit company -- and were bidders not told that the tender was cancelled and there would be a negotiated contract with one company? Was that not step two in this saga? Thank you.