Well, from a financial administration point of view, we would not see a problem, but like I said it would have to come from the constituency. I would suggest to you that, through the community empowerment strategy, which this government supports, if a request went to Mr. Kakfwi and to Ms. Thompson, I am sure they will be. I cannot speak for them, but I am sure, from a policy perspective, we support that kind of initiative. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned. I guess with some trepidation now I ask the next question to the Minister of Health. After we found out that the $8 million has been consumed, that has been sent by the federal government under the MOU and the Health Transfer Agreement of 1988 for the Baffin hospital and the Inuvik hospital.

So my question is to the Minister of Health. How will the GNWT replace the $8 million that has gone into our Consolidated Revenue Fund, and as the Minister said, has been consumed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes time to proceed with the projects, the Government of the Northwest Territories shares what has to be there and it would have to be allocated and voted on in this House. The appropriations would allow those projects to proceed, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Mr. Speaker I have a copy of the original MOU Agreement as the Minister knows and have spent some time writing letters over the last few months to the Minister concerning this project. The construction is supposed to be 1998/99 and this round of the business plans which is 1996/97 there should be an allocation of money in there. As this House voted for $2.4 million, I believe this past May. Can the Minister confirm for me that in actuality this government has in place a strategy to come with $8 million when we all know that we are cutting $100 million and Mr. Todd just said earlier today, how we are going to come up with this money that has been spent by the Territorial Government? Maybe the Minister could tell where is this $8 million he is going to come up with.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated before when the time comes that the funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories is required to supplement the federal dollars that the appropriations will have to come forward from the GNWT main estimates, the capital estimates to proceed with the projects, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course the concern here is that in our case, the Baffin Hospital is 34 years old. The population that it has been set up to serve has doubled. It is $8 million today but with the PL escalator and the million dollar grant funding in 1998/9,9 that could be $10, $11, $12 million. I think that this government would have a lot trouble finding that. So I want a commitment from this government that indeed the Inuvik hospital and the Baffin hospital will go ahead on schedule. My question to the Minister is has the spending of the $8 million gone against the Financial Administration Act because the money was specifically for the purpose of the Baffin and Inuvik hospitals and not to go into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Was that no, that the hospital construction is not going ahead or no, that the money was transferred by the federal government? I would like to have this clarified, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the no mean no that the money that was sent by the federal government has not circumvented the Financial Administration Act and in

actuality the $8 million to date, Mr. Speaker, which Mr. Ng has already said has been consumed, is he telling me in actuality the money has been consumed but it is not circumventing the actual MOU, which I have a copy of, which I think it is? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that all expenditures of this government have taken place under the guidelines of the Financial Administration Act and continue to do so.

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that negotiations are ongoing between BHP, Treaty 8, and Treaty 11 this weekend. The Metis Nation go back to the table. I believe they are on the 9th or 10th of this month. Negotiations on environmental agreement per se is pretty well concluded, as well as negotiations with BHP on the socio-economic conditions are fairly close to being concluded. Today is the final day of negotiations. It is my understanding that all parties are still at the table. All parties are working close to 24 hours a day. It seems to me from the information I have from my staff, that all parties are trying to come to an agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Question period is over. Item 7: Written Questions. Mr. Ootes.

Return to Item 5: Recognition of Visitors

The Member for Yellowknife Centre is seeking unanimous consent to return to Item 5. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent Mr. Ootes.