Okay. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once we have gone through the process of this conference in Iqaluit, through NTI, get some ideas from that. Once we see that, then we will try to talk to the unions. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Miltenberger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the honourable member is referring to social services staffing in the regional Fort Smith office, and that is what I will respond to. Lay-off notices have been given out to the four of the six employees that work in the regional office based in Fort Smith. The lay-off notices have been given to the administrative positions within that regional office as it stands now, in anticipation of establishment of delivery structures in the Deh

Cho, in the Dogrib Board and the South Slave and other Mackenzie areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the four positions, as it stands now, that have been given the lay-off notices are the regional superintendent's position, the manager of human resources position. Those two positions will not be required, as a result of some of the responsibilities being passed on, as I had indicated earlier, to some of the other restructuring within the Mackenzie Services Region, and the two positions of the Finance and Admin Officer, and the clerical position, those duties, we anticipate will be absorbed with the establishment of the structures in the other areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions, supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As indicated, there are some program positions, like the regional psychologist, the regional alcohol and drug, community and mental health specialist positions that will continue to be based in Fort Smith but will have more of a regional focus. I would see that they would be providing services to the other regions, the other areas I should say, in the region. The coordination would come through the boards of management that would undertake to work off those arrangements in these specific areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me assure the members of this Legislative Assembly of what I have said earlier. The work plan has been approved by Cabinet. The work plan goes to Government Operations and it will not be implemented until we have gone through Government Operations and gone through consultation. There will be no lay-offs and, let me say that again because I have heard members say that to me - worried about lay-offs happening already - there are no lay-offs as it relates to amalgamation. This is the early stage of amalgamation; develop the work plan while you get from point a, b, c, d and so on. It is going to be presented through Government Operations so that we have full input from members on this plan prior to proceeding. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Can the minister inform this House as to when the gross expenditure base for both territories will be discussed with Mr. Martin and, also, will the minister consider allowing an ordinary member from the east and the west to attend these meetings with him?

The Minister of Finance, two questions.

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my statement yesterday or the day before, I was fairly clear that we intend to meet with Mr. Martin in, hopefully, early December. That in my previous discussions with Mr. Martin, we were trying to determine an appropriate process, participation, time lines as they relate to developing two new gross expenditure bases and I have not, at this time, been able to get a definitive answer from the Finance Minister for Canada. I am optimistic that we will get it in the next short while. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That answered part of my question. The second part of my question was, will the minister consider allowing an ordinary member from the east and one from the west to attend these meetings with him.