Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later on today, I will be tabling an executive summary of the study and the review that Mr. Koe is referring to. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't see it as a consultative process, I see it as an initiative in the private sector and they are both involved in the tourist associations and it would be driven by them. As I said earlier, I believe yesterday, in response to a question asked by Mr. Antoine, the Western Arctic Tourism Association is trying to pull together all the zones in the western Arctic to meet to determine: one, if they concur with the report; two, what action they are going to take, if it is necessary to develop a Western Arctic Tourism Association; and, three, how are we going to live within our fiscal means in terms of the reductions in the OPPLAN and the budgets. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

I am glad it is being driven by the private sector, but the letter was signed by the deputy minister of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. So, the interim consulting process, as it is called, has asked for some tourism operators to participate in a marketing advisory group, a meeting that has been proposed for April 20th. And the call letter requesting participants states that the tourism zone review will be complete in April. Now with these studies and meetings going on, can the Minister assure us that a review of the tourism associations and tourism zones and organizations will be complete by April 30, 1995?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not familiar with the letter that the honourable Member is talking about, so I cannot talk to that letter as I don't have it in front of me. But I want to assure Members that any development with respect to changes in the zones or changes in the tourism associations will be: one, driven by the private sector; two, reflective of their needs; and, three, has to meet the fiscal conditions that we are all working under. In the OPPLAN we have already reduced the money for the zones from $600,000 to $400,000.

There was a meeting last weekend in Iqaluit with the Nunavut tourism zone associations, in an effort to provide some guidance and instruction to the department as to how they would see the -- I think this is what they called it -- Travel Nunavut Association take place. I am confident that the industry in the west will do the same and that we will respond accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, the call for the marketing advisory group meeting was made by letter and was sent directly to tourism operators. In the western Arctic tourism zone letters were sent to five operators, and out of the five only three are currently active. I believe that letters were not sent to the other 50 or more operators, including a zone association, aboriginal groups, hotels, restaurants, and airline services. So I would like to ask the Minister, if he believes that tourism operators should be involved in decision making on tourism activities in the Northwest Territories, should they not be included in the consultative process which his department is carrying on?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we included everybody that the honourable Member wishes to include, we would not have any money to deliver the program. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.