Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We continue to provide this information to the Standing Committee on Government Operations on an annual basis and on a quarterly basis. So it is provided to Members. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the list provided to the Government Operations Committee is not a complete list. For example, it does not give you what has been sole-sourced. It is provided to the Government Operations Committee but it is not provided to the public at large. So when will the Premier be allowing this government to table sole-source and negotiated contracts entered into by this government on an annual basis for public review? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This fine document here, which is a contract report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1995, is provided to the public in general, and it is available to the public. All Members of this Assembly receive this report, and they receive it at no charge, because we believe in sharing information.

The public is asked in the spirit of cooperation and user pay, that they pay nine dollars for that document, and it is available to all public that want to pay that price. We, as Members of this Assembly, all of us have to watch how we produce paper. We as politicians seem to produce a lot of paper, and there is a cost associated to that. I know that we are all on restraint budgets, so the public will continue to pay nine dollars, and they can get the information. I am sure that if the press wants that information, they can pay the nine dollars as well. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have a copy of the voluminous book. I am glad to see the Premier has a copy of it, and as we know, it does list all contracts entered into by this government, that is true. But it does not specify what contracts were negotiated, or what contracts were sole-sourced. A simple asterisk on the listed contract -- two for sole- sourced, and one for negotiated -- will tell you that information.

So, indeed, the contracts are listed, but it does not specify what I have been requesting for the last six months, and what the public want. So, my question again is to the Minister -- to the Premier -- when will that information will be available? When do you actually break it down into what is negotiated and what is sole-sourced? I cannot make it any clearer than that, Mr. Speaker. I have tried, I have tried, I have tried. And I am sure the Premier has tried and tried and tried.

Maybe the Minister could give us an example out of the book of a contract that has been negotiated. Could he find one? I do not think he could, because it is not listed as such. So when will he list the contracts as negotiated or sole-sourced? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding from the Minister responsible for putting that document together is that it took approximately five PYs approximately two months to put this document together for public information.

Like I have told Members, and I continue to tell Members, if you have an issue to raise, get to the point, get directly to that point. You can ask a question in a broad statement if you want to find out information. But if you have a specific contract you are interested in, we will be happy to answer those questions, or the Minister responsible would be happy to answer any questions any Member of the Legislative Assembly has with any contract this government has.

We have already been advised by Justice that the way we are doing business right now, by sharing the information with the Standing Committee on Government Operations, is the right way to do business. That leaves us with enough flexibility so that we give them all the information, and if the general public want the information, they can pay the nine dollars for this document. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

This is like pulling teeth, Mr. Speaker. That is true, the document is available, and it is true that the contracts are all in there, and it is true that it has been given to the Government Operations Committee. The cost associated with putting in a couple of stars..

Every other jurisdiction in this country publishes in the public accounts copies of the negotiated and sole-sourced contracts. If I wanted to know about a contract in Fort Smith -- I do not live in Fort Smith, so I would not know what was negotiated in Fort Smith and how many contracts were going in there. I do not live in Paulatuk so I would not know what was negotiated or sole-sourced in Paulatuk.

I am not on a witch hunt, I am not on a vendetta, I do not like to go to the Minister and ask, can I find out about the negotiated contract in Toughluck Bay? That is not my point.

My point is, when it is listed as to what is sole-sourced and negotiated, when I see a line in there, Len Flett, Len Flett, Len Flett, Len Flett, then I can ask a question. Why is Len Flett getting 15 sole-source contracts making a living in Resolution, or making a living in Toughluck Bay? I do not know where he lives. But when you see that.. So my question again is, will that information be made available so that the public can look and see what has been negotiated and what has been sole-sourced? When? When? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Again, just a friendly reminder to our Members. In question period, your preamble explains the intention of your question. I think the first time the Minister hears it, and understands where the Member is coming from; your supplementary should be a response to the Minister's question. Members do waste quite a bit of time if you continuously repeat your preamble to the question. So just to remind the Members to try to put your preamble across and then ask for Supplementary questions. Again, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member asks, when, when, when will the information will become public? The information is public, it is public, it is public, and the public will pay $9.00 for that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I

understand that 4 therapists employed in the Employee Assistance Program in Yellowknife have resigned. I believe these therapists had a large workload. My question to the Minister is, if this information is correct, what provisions has he put in place to indeed take care of the large workload that the government employees here in Yellowknife may require services on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the honourable Member referring to the Family Assistance Program for our employees? Thank you. Then if that is the case, Mr. Speaker, that service is provided under contract with the NWT Family Services local group here in Yellowknife. They have the responsibility for providing the counsellors for that service.

I am aware that there is some staffing turnover with the NWT Family Services. I am not aware at this time whether or not the positions are vacant. Certainly I can check into the matter and follow up on it to see if the services continue to be provided. To my understanding right now, I have not heard any information that would suggest otherwise, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Two questions.

Thank you. Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, did the survey indicate whether a low or a high student-teacher ratio affects a positive climate in the schools?