Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the community of Igloolik to looking at taking over the social services program and other aspects, possibly health, I am certain if those negotiation are underway, if there is problems I will try to rectify them. From my understanding things are progressing, but I will make sure that, because the honourable Member brought up the issue, that things move along in a speedy fashion, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps in his response you can give me something in writing so that I can take it with me before I leave for my constituency. Hopefully he can give me this correspondence in writing by November 1st. Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said to the honourable Member, I will find

out what the status is on it, certainly I am not adverse or opposed to putting it in writing on the status and if there are any problems, identify them and work with them and try to resolve any that may be outstanding, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as indicated in my Member's statement earlier that the Co-op in Pelly Bay is interested in acquiring or purchasing the current GNWT staff houses in Pelly Bay. First of all I would like to find the Honourable Minister of Finance a meeting with the delegation, probably be over the summer and his willingness to do business with Gjoa Haven Development Corporation. Mr. Speaker, if the rules apply the Minister is willing to do business with the Development Corporation in Gjoa Haven and perhaps the Municipality at Pelly Bay, does the same rule apply to the Co-op. The Co-op in Pelly Bay now wants to do business with the Minister of Finance to acquire the building. Does the same rule apply to the Co-ops across the Territory, namely Pelly Bay? Thank you.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me start by saying what are we trying to accomplish here? We are trying to ensure that we have adequate housing for, in seems anyway, for teachers, and that is the first objective. Cost-affordable, cost-effective housing. That is what we are trying to do. We are going to give the teachers in Pelly Bay and as we have given them everywhere else, including McPherson, who were on the radio again this morning, an equal opportunity to purchase these houses at a significant discounted rate.

Should the tenants not be prepared to purchased their houses, which I have said on a number of occasions, I do not quite understand why, but assuming they do not, we will then work out a mechanism, community by community, to provide an opportunity for co-operatives, development corporations, individuals, or whoever to purchase those houses, as long as we have made an arrangement with them to ensure that those houses will be available at the affordable rate for our employees, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral question, Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same, Honourable Minister. My supplementary is, now who comes first, the Hamlet in the communities, the co-op, or the development corporation? How does the Minister do business with the community where there are a number of organizations wanting to purchase the government stock houses? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

I think we have more than one group in the community I think it would be only fair to call for community proposals, set some conditions to those proposals to ensure, again, as Ms. Thomas is in the House, to ensure that there is adequate, affordable housing for teachers and employees of this government.

So I think probably the fairest way, Mr. Speaker, would be that we would call for proposals by community. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, I hope the Honourable Minister is not trying to avoid dealing with the Co-op in Pelly Bay, or across the board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd.

I understand, Mr. Ningark's concerns as a strong advocate of co-op involvement for 20 to 30 years. I want to assure him as I want to assure others that everybody would have, at the community level, equal access to providing us with proposals. It is important, however, to stress, do not know how many times, that we may have to ensure that the housing is available and it is affordable and that will be the principle that will guide us as we bring forward the proposals, community-by-community. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to take that question as notice. I will check with the Minister responsible and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. My question is, is there any changes to your projected budget deficit given that the staff housing sales are not going as well as maybe you had anticipated first off.