Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Speaker. In 1987, when both he and I ran and were elected to this Assembly, there had been a

period of about five months when the government spent an awful lot of money from the time that it prorogued in the summer until the fall election. A lot of the money was spent on all kinds of instruments that are available to government, when the Assembly was not sitting. I would like to ask the Minister when we prorogue either this week or next week, what controls will be placed on government spending until the October 16th election?

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Lewis is correct. I remember back that far and I'm sure you do as well, Mr. Speaker. In my responsibilities right now, I have foreseen into the summer and I've sent letters to departments, to Ministers, about what kinds of supplementary appropriations we feel should be allowed. I believe the wording is "those of an emergency nature." I've also made a commitment that we will meet with the Standing Committee on Finance in the third week of August to bring them right up to date on what is happening with our spending, what our fiscal picture is, and how our negotiations with Ottawa are going. By that means, I think there are still some safeguards out there and I intend to be vigilant with the departments and with the government, and not fall into a method of handling certain situations that perhaps the previous government used. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, will this also extend to what we call special warrants, whereby money can be spent and where it will be up to the next Legislature to approve money that has already been spent in this fiscal year?

Mr. Pollard.

That is correct, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, all the Ministers know about our fiscal situation at the present time. We've been at quite a number of meetings where we've looked at how much money we're going to be able to spend this year. Ministers know how much is left in supplementary appropriations and they realize that we can't spend all the money we have this summer. It has to be spread over the year. And they also recognize that there's going to be a change in leadership, and we can't leave them with a bare cupboard. Ministers are all well aware of that.

But we are also cognizant of the fact that there may be certain situations that arise in the Northwest Territories whereby emergencies, or what Cabinet determine are emergencies, rear their ugly heads. We will deal with those emergencies through special warrants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation, and I'm pleased to hear his very upbeat announcement today about the completion of the agreement with the federal government for the transfer of Arctic A airports, specifically that current levels of service will be maintained. The Minister knows that I have been concerned about the vital emergency response services at the lqaluit Airport and, for that matter, other airports in the territories.

With reference to the lqaluit Airport, I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, does this agreement and his announcement today mean that the emergency response services now in place at the lqaluit Airport will be maintained and funded at the same level under the agreement that has been negotiated? Thank you.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is certainly our intention to do that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

I appreciate the Minister's intentions but I. guess what I would like to ask is, have the necessary funds been negotiated and built into the budget, sufficient to allow the present level of emergency response services at the lqaluit Airport to continue without reductions? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

I believe we have negotiated an arrangement with the federal government that will ensure that the current levels of services we have across the nine Arctic A airports can be maintained. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I'm still a little unclear about whether or not the ERS at the lqaluit Airport will be maintained at the present levels. The Minister says he believes that the arrangements are adequate. I would like to ask him, unequivocally, will he assure me and this House that the current level of services are capable of being maintained with the funding that is in this well-negotiated agreement? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I will assure the honourable Member that the current level of services will be maintained. Thank you. ---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.