Mr. Premier.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. We are developing a job strategy, and the Minister responsible, Mr. John Todd, is working with members of this Assembly on a strategy of bringing investment into the Northwest Territories, and also to capitalize on our renewable resources that are out and we are able to capitalize on in the very near future as well as non-renewable resource employment. This government is on record as saying development is going to happen in the Northwest Territories, Northerners will benefit, or we would not support that involvement. We are in support of any type of development that creates employment for residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions

supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I take that as we really do not have a strategy yet, it is in the works, so therefore my question would be when can we expect this strategy to be released and tabled here in the House? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I think it is premature to talk about tabling a job strategy in this House. We have not got any agreements in writing or legally binding agreements with mining developers that are hoping to develop the nonrenewable resources in this country. So until that is finished, it would not be tabled in this House. Thank You.

Thank you. Oral question supplementary. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Given the fact that we are, as Mr. Todd, the Minister of Finance has indicated, we basically have two more budgets left so time is running out. When can we expect this document to be brought forward? Thank you.

Okay, Mr. Premier, would you like to respond? That is the same question again.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We realise the urgency of developing a job strategy for the Northwest Territories and we are working on that. We are working on that in partnership with other members of this assembly and so today I cannot commit to a time when that will be tabled and in what session of a future assembly. But let me assure the member, we agree it is an important priority and we are working on it with all of you. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is regrettable. Can the Premier tell this House how many jobs were lost in the past year and if there has been any study or analysis done to see what kind of an impact these jobs are having on our social program such as social services, justice and so on. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Morin. That was two questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They are fairly vague questions and kind of tough to answer. If he would clarify what jobs he is talking about, where he is talking about then I might have a possibility of answering the question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. You have had your final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien. Oral questions? Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the highway reconstruction between the Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife portion as we all know is very rough, I live in Fort Simpson so I drive it quite often so I am fully aware of what the honourable member is talking about. As for the construction of this road, it is in the long term plan of this department.

The current plan we have is that next year we start with planning of it and then the following year and about three years from now, hopefully, we start some sort of construction. But this is a long term plan and as we know this is an evolving budget and as we go along we will inform the member of the developments of this plan. Thank you.

Thank you, oral questions, supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is fully aware of the possible consequences of further resource development north of Yellowknife and the section of the highway between Rae and Yellowknife which is the uncompleted section. It is an area where we have to concentrate our efforts.

As the development and the amount of traffic increases certainly the road is going to be used a lot more and at the current level the maintenance will have to be looked at, but as I said earlier in my answer, the department is looking at this scenario and we are planning a strategy on how we could deal with it. We are developing a strategy plan, as I said in the last session, Mr. Speaker, when I talked about the future of this department and the type of work that we need to do.

We need to develop partnerships with the industry and this government as well as the federal government and perhaps different corporations out there. We have to be innovative in our thinking in trying to address these major costs because the construction of this section of the highway is going to be a very major cost and the type of funding that we have currently is not adequate enough to do the type of work we need to do.

So, we have to be innovative and we have to look at new ways of how to do this work. Thank you.

Thank you, oral question, supplementary, Mr. Ootes.