Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to announce the position Cabinet will take regarding administration of article 24 of the Nunavut final agreement. As Members know, there have been differences of opinion on what article 24 of the NFA requires. This has resulted in ongoing discussions with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated over the past few months on the government's policies and procedures on article 24.

Based upon a careful review of our obligations as set out in the NFA, a review of the positions of the parties at the time of the negotiation of the NFA, and as a result of what I believe were productive discussions with NTI over the course of the past few months, we will be making some amendments to contracting procedures for 1996-97 and beyond.

I felt it was important to provide Members of the Legislative Assembly with a short report on the key elements of the approach we will take, not only to fulfil our obligations under article 24 but, more importantly, to ensure that we proceed with economic activity in the Nunavut region in a manner which maximizes access to opportunity for Inuit who are beneficiaries under the Nunavut final agreement. Moving to make sure that Inuit are involved to the maximum degree possible in building infrastructure for Nunavut and in other government-initiated economic activity is, for me, the cornerstone for building a solid foundation for the future of the government and the people of what will become Nunavut in April 1999.

I had hoped to have ready for tabling today a detailed document that would set out precisely how we intend to proceed in future on the article 24 issue. Unfortunately, the document is not yet in final form and it will be another week before I am able to formally table it. I felt it was important, however, to tell Members now and, more importantly, the people of the Nunavut region, about the core elements of how we intend to proceed.

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, for me, at the heart of everything we must do in building for Nunavut is the need to aggressively advance access to opportunity for Inuit throughout the region. (Translation ends)

Developing bid adjustments for Inuit firms is not, in my view, the best way, or even a good way, to achieve that objective. What we need to do is move to make certain that, to the maximum degree possible, Inuit firms will get the work available where they have the qualifications to get the job done. Furthermore, we need to vigorously implement training opportunities and economic development seminars that will help Inuit firms to take maximum advantage of the opportunities which should be available to them. We will do that, Mr. Speaker.

Creating opportunities for Inuit firms is important. Even more essential is the need to get Inuit involved as much as possible at every level of economic activity. For me, that is the central and most important aspect of article 24. We need to get people working on building for the future. It is this principle that I have emphasized in instructing my officials to redesign the GNWT approach to article 24.

What this means in real terms is that government, through our revised policy on article 24, is making a clear commitment to enhance existing arrangements by establishing and vigorously enforcing minimum Inuit employment content for contracts with employment components. These minimum employment content levels will very depending on the nature of the contract and the location of the work, but will be published in the tender documents. The guiding principle, as I mentioned earlier, will be to maximize access to opportunity for Inuit. Our goal is to ensure that beneficiaries of the Nunavut claim benefit directly from government expenditures in their communities. The jobs created through this change will go a long way towards providing Nunavut residents with the skills they will need as well as genuine access to opportunity.

On construction contracts and complex goods and service contracts, the government will set a minimum percentage of the service that must be provided by Inuit firms. In the case of an award for professional services, for example, the government will establish evaluation criteria to take into account the need for as much Inuit content as is reasonably possible in proposals. This, in my view, is what matters to people the most.

The government's business incentive policy will continue to be applied in Nunavut, but this will be done in a manner which seeks to level the playing field for new Inuit businesses. Here also, the emphasis will be on skill development and access to opportunity.

Officials are now at work in the development of seminars on bidding and contract procedures to assist Inuit business people to improve their skills in accessing government contracts. The government will make these seminars available to all communities and businesses as they are needed. Contract guidelines will be translated into Inuktitut and tendering procedures will be changed in order to increase the participation of Inuit firms in government contract awards. These procedures will apply to all government contracting authorities.

The government will advertise its intention to negotiate any contract 21 days prior to the award. During this period, if one or more qualified Inuit firms express an interest in the contract, the government will then proceed by way of competitive process. Mr. Speaker, the first such contract will be advertised in northern newspapers within the next week to provide notice of the intent to enter into a negotiated contract with the Igloolik Construction Group to build the fire hall in that community.

Furthermore, I am pleased to advise Members that, together with the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, we will, along with aboriginal groups and small business, be developing yet further options to enhance aboriginal and local access to economic opportunity, not only in the Nunavut region but through the Northwest Territories.

I make no apology for taking the position that through the NWT we should be aggressively moving ahead on increasing aboriginal employment. It should have been done a long time ago, Mr. Speaker. With the support of my colleagues, and particularly Mr. Kakfwi, I intend to exercise the leadership necessary to get the job done.

My Cabinet colleagues and I are satisfied that the changes we are making will address the spirit and intent of article 24 of the NFA. We are confident that the changes will provide an acceptable level of support to beneficiaries. It has taken us longer than it should have to make these important changes, but I am satisfied that taking the time necessary has yielded the best possible result: one which rejects enriching the few in favour of maximizing opportunity for the many in the most equitable way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Arlooktoo. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Kelvin Ng will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend a federal/territorial/provincial Ministers of Justice meeting in Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House about significant progress that was made by aboriginal leaders from the western NWT at the self-government forum held in Yellowknife from April 23 to 25, 1996.

Mr. Speaker, this forum provided an opportunity for First Nations, Metis and Inuvialuit leaders to discuss the implementation of self-government and the development of a new system of government for the Western Arctic Territory.

It is important to note that this is the first time in six years that Dene and Metis leaders from all communities have come together to discuss these important issues. It is the first time ever that the Inuvialuit have been involved in such a gathering.

Leaders attending this forum forged renewed working relationships and built on common goals. Participants noted a new willingness to stand side by side in addressing aboriginal rights, identifying common goals and creating a political climate in which we can make progress on issues which require focused and urgent attention.

For the last two days of the leadership forum, delegates held their meeting in the great hall of the Legislative Assembly and I would like to express appreciation to both you, Mr. Speaker, and to the Premier for the assistance you provided in making these arrangements.

Based on this emerging new relationship and on the results of anticipated future meetings with the summit, we foresee establishing a focused workplan with First Nations, the Metis and the Inuvialuit, as we move toward meeting the challenges of creating new systems of governance in the Western Arctic.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate aboriginal leaders for their successful forum and to express my confidence in the emerging process. This government and the aboriginal leadership are working together and we will continue to work together. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, springtime at the Department of Transportation is that time of year when the department is swamped with telephone calls from the public asking when the ferries will resume service at our five ferry crossings in the Western Arctic. The tremendous interest every year with the ferry service goes to show how, in so many ways, our lives are affected by the transportation system and how, most of the time, we can take it for granted.

The ferries go back into service when the rivers are clear of ice. When exactly that will happen is no more predictable than next week's weather. Historically, our best guess is that the M V Merv Hardie will slide down the Fort Providence slipways into the Mackenzie River some time during the week of May 15th.

The M V Merv Hardie that returns to service this spring is not the same ship that came out of the water last January. Over the winter, work crews cut the ferry in half, inserted a new section of hull and welded it back together 20 feet longer than it was.

The rebuilt Merv Hardie meets Transport Canada's new stability regulations for roll-on/roll-off vessels. More importantly, with its longer deck and greater hull displacement, the Merv Hardie can carry four B-train trucks at a time across the Mackenzie River. Vehicle traffic at the Fort Providence crossing has grown steadily in recent years. Its increased carrying capacity means that the ferry will keep up with the traffic for several more years before we need to replace it with a larger ship.

I am proud to tell the Members that the whole $1.3 million job was done in the North, from start to finish...

--- Applause

... by northern companies and northern workers. The Northern Transportation Company Ltd. did the structural steel work in Hay River and Snowshoe Inn did the installation, fitting and reassembly work on site at Fort Providence.

The Merv Hardie is ready for launch as soon as the ice in the Mackenzie River decides to cooperate. However, before the telephones start ringing, I want to let everyone know that because of the work that has been done on it, the Merv Hardie has to pass two days of trials and testing before it can carry traffic. So once the ferry is in the river, we will have to wait two more days before the Fort Providence crossing can open. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

---Applause

Thank you, my devoted fans.

Hear! Hear!

Mr. Speaker, the announced funding for the incremental and transitional costs for Nunavut has caused much concern for several of us here at the Legislative Assembly, as noted over the past couple of days. According to the press conference held by the federal Minister, Mr. Irwin, the announced funding of $150 million was based on the NIC-recommended decentralized model form of government.

Mr. Speaker, that is one of the reasons that Iqaluit was chosen as the new capital of Nunavut by the majority of voters. That is why many Nunavutians supported the decentralized model. The decentralized model of government would ensure that the benefits from decentralization would be evenly spread around Nunavut. Mr. Speaker, the cost of said decentralization, based on numbers in the original NIC report and the Coopers, Lybrand study, would indicate that the decentralization that was anticipated may not happen.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the Nunavut Leaders' Summit in Arviat at the end of the week, to find out what decentralized model the federal government based their numbers on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I read with great interest a recent editorial in the Nunatsiaq News about the effect of the reduction in vacation travel benefits on GNWT employees in Nunavut. The editorial pointed out that most ordinary people don't get a VTA benefit at all, that government employees are lucky to have had that benefit. I agree. The editorial also pointed out that when you take into account the loss of vacation travel benefits, people with families are hit harder than single people...

Shame. Shame.

... and people who live in remote communities like those communities in my constituency, lose even more. I also agree with these points made in the editorial.

However, Mr. Speaker, the editorial goes on to say that the loss of the VTA may not be important if it is considered as a recreational benefit and not as income.

Of course, those people are fortunate to have government jobs. However, Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that these people are doing very difficult jobs and are working under increasing stress. They are expected to work even harder, with fewer resources, even as their cost of living increases very fast.

Take a look at the situation of an employee who lives in staff housing, for example. My constituents who work for the government have seen step increases in their staff housing rents and have recently been required to pay for utilities. Sharp increases in the cost of staff housing have made it very difficult for many government employees, especially those who are supporting their own and extended families with their wages. In many cases, they are trapped in increasingly expensive staff housing. To make it worse, unlike better developed communities with a private rental market, my constituents who work for the government don't have any alternatives to living in staff housing.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. The Member for High Arctic is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With no wage increases for years and sharp increases in the cost of living, they certainly can't afford to build their own houses either.

So how does the VTA benefit fit into this picture? Mr. Speaker, Nunatsiaq News suggests that the VTA is now what they call "an outdated relic of colonial times, when it was assumed that the territorial government's workforce would be made up of transient southerners who need extra incentives to live and work in the far north." Mr. Speaker, that does not describe the situation today. Most of my constituents who work for the GNWT are long-term Northerners. They are working in remote communities because they are committed to serving the public; as teachers, nurses or social workers, for example. For them, the VTA is not a recreational benefit. It has become an increasingly essential part of their income at a time when the cost of living and housing has increased very sharply. For my Inuit constituents who should be encouraged to work for the government, the VTA is most often used to finance family trips on the land and to allow the family to buy an outboard motor or skidoo for year-round use. The VTA income was especially valuable to these employees because when spent on vacation travel, whether in the South or in the North, it was a tax-free benefit. Cutting the VTA means employees lose not only what they consider to be an income, but also a tax-free benefit.

For my constituents who are doing these difficult jobs, Mr. Speaker, on the front lines in our communities, the VTA is considered as income, and the larger families who are further away from Yellowknife are the ones who are hit the hardest.

I am not concerned whether this is called unfair to Nunavut or not. What I am concerned about is that these front-line workers are getting discouraged. They are starting to feel that their employer does not appreciate their dedication and experience. What I am also concerned about is that employees with larger families who live in remote communities are losing more. Is this fair and equitable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 13, Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues, good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, there have been a number of concerns expressed in this Assembly about the adequacy of the funding announced recently by the federal government for Nunavut. I am very much looking forward to learning more about exactly what the federal government is planning on spending on education and infrastructure in Nunavut. We need to know who will be responsible for managing these expenditures. We need to have more detail about what capital projects the federal government is planning.

All these questions, and more, should be asked of Mr. Irwin and his officials when he meets with the Nunavut Caucus and Nunavut leaders in Arviat this coming weekend.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to note today that it appears that the federal Cabinet has accepted the decentralized model for the Nunavut government in its recent decision.

I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Baffin Central is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I noted from a news report in Nunatsiaq News, dated May 3, 1996, that Mr. John Rayner, assistant deputy minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, says that Ottawa has endorsed the NIC government structure. "The structure of the government that is contained within the $150 million is as it was set out in the NIC report, and we have taken that and we have cost that out," Mr. Rayner is quoted as saying. Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged by this news and I am looking forward to getting more details of how this will affect Pangnirtung and other larger Baffin communities.

Although I know it will not be easy, I am very much looking forward to working to make Nunavut a reality. I know that the mayor and hamlet council and other leaders in Pangnirtung will be very pleased if Nunavut will mean new job opportunities for them in their very rapidly-growing community. Qujannamiik, Mr. Speaker. Koana, matna, mahsi cho.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about the youth inhalant abuse program run by Northern Addictions Services in Yellowknife. The solvent abuse program is currently being funded through Health Canada; however, Health Canada will discontinue funding the program at the end of June.

Mr. Speaker, this program specifically targets Inuit and aboriginal youth between the ages of 12 and 17. The treatment program is an eight-bed facility designed to treat youth who have addiction problems to solvents, alcohol and drugs. Since January of 1994 to today, 30 youth from the West and 30 from the East have received services from this program, and there is currently a waiting list of 10 youth who have been referred from various places in the North.

The NWT presently has the youngest population in Canada and the highest birthrate. Over 40 per cent of our population is under the age of 20. Youth 15 to 24 make up 28 per cent of our working-age population, in comparison to 21 per cent for the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, resources are scarce for the youth of the NWT and, in the past, some youth from the North have been sent to the White Spruce Treatment Centre in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, for alcohol and drug treatment at a cost of $16,000 to $20,000 per youth. This centre will be closed in the very near future. Currently, there are over 100 beds for adults in the NWT for alcohol and drug addiction. There are presently only eight beds for youth. If the youth treatment program is allowed to close on June 30th, there will be no beds available to youth for treatment in alcohol, drug and solvent abuse programs.

Mr. Speaker, the youth are our future. With the Department of Health and Social Services community wellness initiative and move toward early intervention, it is important that this program be supported, even if funding from adult treatment programs must be diverted in order to do this.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we go through this process of reviewing the budget, I would like to take note of comments that two of our Ministers have made recently in this House. The first is from the Minister of Education who, yesterday in his introductory remarks, stated "We are also proposing to reduce the capital programs from $35 million last year to about $25 million in 1996-97. This will be done mostly by delaying many planned projects for a year."

The second comment was made by the Minister of Community Affairs where she stated, "There are too many instances where buildings lie empty in the evening and unused on weekends, when they can be used for hosting a variety of educational, cultural and recreational activities." She says, "Joint-use facility agreements can help local groups access facilities after working hours."

Mr. Speaker, as we deliberate over this budget, I would ask my fellow Members to take heed of these two statements and look at implementing further delays to projects that will not negatively impact community life. We can, as Mrs. Thompson suggests, use existing facilities in communities for other activities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, ice break-up is a highlight for people who live along the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers. It is a time of the year when there is a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air. Mr. Speaker, therefore, I would like to update Members of this House on the Liard and the Mackenzie Rivers break up around Fort Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, May 1st, at about 9:00 p.m., the ice broke in the Liard River and started the whole process of pushing the ice down towards Fort Simpson. On the evening of Thursday, at approximately 8:30, this ice broke out into the Mackenzie in front of Fort Simpson. The next day, on Friday, May 3rd, this ice jam broke and pushed out into the Mackenzie. At approximately 8:00 that evening, this tremendous pressure from the Liard River caused the Mackenzie to break up in a very spectacular fashion in front of the community of Fort Simpson.

There are huge piles of ice along the riverbank in front of Fort Simpson. In a lot of places, it is spilling onto the front road. So, as you can imagine, it is a very spectacular sight this time of the year.

Mr. Speaker, since then, the ice on the Liard River has cleared and I am told that the ferry in Fort Simpson is in the water. Hopefully, they will have operation of this ferry by noon tomorrow. This means there will probably be an exodus of people from Fort Simpson onto the highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a return to the honourable Mr. Erasmus with regard to legislation prohibiting consumption of alcohol by pregnant women. The question he asked was on May 2nd.

Mr. Speaker, on July 23, 1994, the Denendeh National Assembly at Lutsel K'e passed a resolution which proposed amending the NWT Liquor Act to: "Make it illegal for pregnant women to knowingly consume alcohol."

It should be noted that a similar recommendation, calling on the Government of the Northwest Territories to make it illegal for licensed premises and liquor stores to sell alcohol beverages to pregnant women, had been received earlier in the liquor law review from the NWT Status of Women Council and was supported by the Native Women's Association. The Status of Women Council later retracted this recommendation.

The concept that new liquor legislation should provide limitations on the sale of liquor to, or consumption of liquor by, pregnant women received considerable attention in the media and stimulated further discussion during public meetings and community gatherings held as part of the liquor law review. Feedback was also received through a survey questionnaire that was distributed to mailbox and post office locations in NWT communities. Opinions supporting the concept were received from some survey respondents, from a minority of participants in public meetings, and from staff in several licensed premises. However, far more northerners expressed opposition to the idea and identified a number of enforcement, health policy and legal difficulties.

It was noted, for instance, that enforcement of any provisions which attempted to prohibit the sale to, purchase by and/or consumption of liquor by pregnant women would be very difficult. Such legislation would place an onus on managers or servers in licensed establishments to recognize female patrons who were in various stages of pregnancy. Questions were raised as to the effectiveness of penalties that could be legislated in the event that these prohibitions were included in a new Liquor Act.

Further, there are risks that such restrictions could create unintended harm to the health of expectant mothers. For some, this legislation might encourage a more secretive pattern of alcohol use, or the substitution of other intoxicants. There is also a risk that women struggling with alcohol dependency during their pregnancy might be inclined to avoid seeing their physicians or nurses for prenatal care, simply because they believe there could be legal consequences for liquor use. Some people told the liquor law review that such restrictions could send a message which "scapegoated" women, although it was recognized that this had never been the intent of the original resolution.

As well, there are strong possibilities that a constitutional challenge could be mounted against a Liquor Act provision which attempted to prohibit pregnant women from buying, possessing or being served alcohol. It is very possible that liquor legislation which resulted in a denial of services or access to services provided under the control of the government would not be recognized by the courts.

Officials working with the liquor law review analyzed the Dene Nation resolution and similar recommendations carefully and with respect for the serious manner in which they had been made. After considerable review, however, it became clear that the difficulties associated with the proposal were sufficient to prevent its further consideration. The conclusion was that this is a problem which is not going to be solved by enacting new legislation.

Accordingly, I have instructed the department not to include any sort of liquor restrictions specific to pregnant women in the legislative proposal that is now being finalized for Cabinet consideration.

Solutions lie in increased community understanding and in workable educational and community support interventions. We believe that broader communication of the risks associated with excessive or irresponsible alcohol consumption is vital if we are going to address many of the health and social problems which plague northern communities. This is why the NWT Liquor Commission attaches health warning labels to alcohol beverage containers and is a full participant in national awareness campaigns. It is also a reason why the Government of the Northwest Territories will be sending a delegation to the House of Commons this week to appear as witnesses during public hearings on Bill C-222 which, if enacted, would make health warning labels mandatory on liquor containers sold elsewhere in Canada. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a well-known singer/song writer from Arviat, Mr. Paul K. Irksuk, and also a good friend of mine. Thank you.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a good friend of mine from Hay River, Pat Thomas. She is also the president of the NWTTA. Thank you.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize ABT Engineering of Rae-Edzo. The members are Tony Lafferty, Bob Johnson and Al Harman.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Before we go to oral questions, I have a ruling I would like to make.

Speaker's Ruling

(Translation) I have taken some time to consider the circumstances that occurred on May 2nd. At the end of question period of May 2nd, I made the following comment which is contained on page 407 of unedited Hansard, and I quote:

"Question period is now over. To remind Members, I know I have allowed Mr. Picco to ask further questions, but I am trying to even out question period so all Members are given the same equal opportunities."

During the item tabling of documents, the Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Picco, tabled a document numbered 29-13(3). In the Member's tabling statement, he indicated the following which is contained on page 408 of the unedited Hansard, and I quote Mr. Picco's tabling statement:

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table Tabled Document 29-13(3), concerning question period. Mr. Speaker, this tabled document states that question period should be extended for a duration allowing each Member a chance to ask as many questions as needed for the democratic process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."

When the Member for Iqaluit made this statement, I indicated, without seeing the tabled document, the following:

"Are you challenging the chair? I will have to look at the tabled document further before the chair makes any kind of ruling regarding the tabled document. It will be reviewed." (Translation ends)

I have since had an opportunity to review the tabled document and find that Mr. Picco did not, in his tabling statement or within the content of the tabled document, challenge the chair, so there is no need for me to rule further on this matter.

I would, however, like to indicate to the Member for Iqaluit and other Members, if they have a concern with any of the rules of the Assembly, that they are free to raise the matter with the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and Privileges.

While I have your attention, I would like to indicate, as Speaker, that during question period I endeavour to be as fair as possible when recognizing Members to ask an oral question. I can understand a Member's frustration that I may not have your name on the list, but I can assure you that if I see you your name will go on the chair's list and I will ensure that, within the time limit allowed, questions are fairly and proportionally distributed amongst all Members.

Also, I would like to remind Members that the initial question to a Minister should contain a preamble that would provide the framework and background to the actual question. Each Member is entitled to ask three supplementary questions on the same original question. The purpose of the supplementary questions is to obtain clarification of the answer or answers provided by the Minister to whom the original question was directed and should, therefore, not require a preamble. If Members require further clarification, I would draw your attention to the rule books that were provided to all Members and specifically to the section on procedural information where you will find information on question period which may be of assistance.

If all Members are a little more diligent in adhering to the application of the rules, I am confident that the democratic process will not be impeded in any way. I thank you for your attention.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate your ruling and will abide by your statement. I didn't mean to propose to challenge the chair, and I apologize for anything that I put you through. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my frustration level is reaching its zenith with the following line of questioning. Once again, I burned the midnight oil in the library looking for the ever-elusive list of contracts which I have now spent a week asking about, which I've been assured is tabled annually in this House. Ever the bloodhound, I finally discovered an item tabled March 4, 1993, entitled "Government Services and Public Works Contracts Negotiated in 1992-93." Further, I found the second item, titled "Report on Negotiated Contracts Awarded by the Department of Transportation in 1992-93, 1993-94." These were the only documents I discovered when reviewing tabled documents for the past five years.

I assume that tabling lists of contracts by this government is sporadic at best. Would the Premier be willing to reaffirm his commitment to ensure the list of both sole-source and negotiated contracts are tabled in this House annually? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me assure the Member that I will make sure that Members of this House will have access to that information. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I enjoy having access so I can find something. Would the Premier be willing to publish this comprehensive list of all negotiated and sole-source contracts annually in the public accounts report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I told the Member earlier ... and I, too, did a little bit of research after question period yesterday and I discovered that that information was traditionally shared with the SCOF committee and it is now shared with that committee that has the mandate for dealing with contracts in this government. So I would be happy to share that same information with this Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Mr. Speaker, as I've stated, it can be shared with the Standing Committee on Government Operations which I have the pleasure of serving on but, Mr. Speaker, those documents aren't being tabled. So I'm asking the Minister again, will he publish the sole-source and negotiated contracts of this government, public money spent for the public use, public good, in the public accounts report which they are not presently being published?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be happy to share with this House all negotiated contracts entered into by this government. Thank you.

Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I heard the negotiated contracts, how about the sole-source contracts and when?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once that information is ready to share with Members, I will share it with them. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the recent announcement by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development concerning funding for Nunavut has raised many questions about the organizational structure of the new Nunavut government. The NIC has recommended a decentralized government that will ensure that all functions of government and the jobs associated with those functions are spread amongst the communities in Nunavut. While my constituents were pleased to hear Mr. Irwin endorse a decentralized government for Nunavut, they are somewhat concerned about the level of funding that has been established. My question is to the Minister of Finance, in his role as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Divisio. Could the Minister inform this House whether this government has taken position in support of decentralized government to Nunavut?

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you. The simple answer to the question is yes, this government has consistently stated that it supports the philosophy of a decentralized government. In fact, previous governments have worked hard to decentralize the current government in other parts of the Territories. I believe that the Premier will be responding today or tomorrow to the NIC report, to Mr. Kusugak and to Mr. Amagoalik, stating that position loud and clear. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister can understand, this issue is of great concern to the communities of Arviat and Baker Lake, who have long supported Nunavut and the establishment of a government that better serves their interest.

After the government's initial review of the details of the Minister's report, can the Minister inform us whether his analysis shows that the funding is sufficient to provide a decentralized government that will serve all communities of Nunavut and not simply the capital? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

That is a good question, Mr. Speaker, and one that is of concern to all of us, including Mr. Picco. At this time, we are still taking a careful look at the numbers. I said the other day that it is our belief that we are talking about $118 million and not $150 million because there are significant costs associated with increasing the federal presence in Nunavut. I wouldn't be in a position today to give my honourable colleague any guarantees that the dollars involved in the transitional and incremental costs identified by the federal government would be able to meet the expectation of the NIC report and the decentralized model at this time.

That isn't to suggest that it isn't, but it does require further analysis and I am looking forward to a healthy and constructive debate this weekend with our partners in this issue, NTI and the federal government, and we will have a commission there to assist us in providing some briefings in an advisory capacity. So I think it would be premature for me to say that it isn't sufficient money to meet the expectations of the decentralized government, but it would be proper for me to say that we do have some serious concerns at this time. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the serious concern regarding this issue, when can we expect the information regarding the Minister's opinion? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are two issues and I tried to address that yesterday or the day before. One is the transitional incremental costs associated with Nunavut; that is the money that is required over and above the current gross expenditure base that we have within this government; and that is the $150 million or $117 million, depending on how you want to define it. We are currently working that through, as I said to my colleague earlier. What is of equal importance and one that we have almost addressed is the process in which we are going to determine an appropriate plan of action as it relates to determining two gross expenditure bases for the operations and maintenance costs of the new governments. So they work in harmony with each other. I am hoping that over this weekend, I will get some direction and support on some of these hard and difficult questions from the Minister and some support from our colleagues and a process in which to work these important, long-term financial needs out. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was pleased to learn today the progress which has been made by our government to respond to article 24 of the Nunavut final agreement. My question is to the Minister of Public Works and Services. When will this new policy come into effect?

The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, the policy comes into effect immediately. Implementation will happen as practical. The section on negotiated contracts will be implemented immediately and next week, the first advertisements for the particular negotiated contract I mentioned will happen. Interim measures for minimal levels of Inuit participation will be implemented immediately for this summer with the formal policy being established by September.

Supplementary, Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister tell this House what the real benefits are for Inuit that the GNWT expects to achieve through this policy on article 24?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, the basic goals are for increased participation of Inuit in business opportunities in the Nunavut region. We want to improve the capacity of Inuit firms to be able to bid for and let government contracts and to increase the employment of Inuit beneficiaries in Nunavut at a representative level. So in short, those are the benefits that we want to see.

Thank you. I would like to recognize a member from the community of Enterprise, Mr. Karl Mueller. Welcome to the Assembly.

--- Applause

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier or for the Minister of Transportation. On May 2, 1996, the mayor of Rae-Edzo and Grand Chief Joe Rabesca wrote a letter to you concerning a tender call made by the Department of Transportation, which was by invitation only for quality assurance work and Highway #3 on kilometre 165 to 175. As you may be aware, Rae-Edzo does have an active engineering company that is locally owned and operated for that active Dogrib ownership. This company strives to train local people in various aspects of the engineering field. However, due to a reluctance of the Department of Transportation in recognizing this company, they cannot get work in order to train our local people. It is imperative that our people receive training and education in the field of engineering.

Today I spoke to the owners of this company and their main concern is to be able to bid on various contracts that become available. There is no reason why they cannot. My question is, why has the Department of Transportation felt it was necessary not to include this company in the bidding process for this particular job, considering the high component of training that would take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the company the honourable Member is referring to is ABT Engineering. It is a new engineering consulting company. There are about 10 engineering consulting companies in and around Yellowknife that the department uses. This particular concern is with regard to a proposal that was put out by the Department of Transportation for quality assurance on Highway #3, which is kilometre 165 to 175. That is the section between the communities of Fort Providence and Rae-Edzo.

According to the department, the government has a policy which they use for utilizing architectural and engineering consultants. It is called the selection of architectural and engineering services policy, which is a directive of the BIP. This is what the departnment follows. Of the 10 firms, according to this policy, three firms are asked at a time. In a previous contract, ABT Engineering was included as one of the three for an adjacent piece of work. Unfortuantely, BT was not successful. Other people had better proposals, so they weren't selected. This time around, another three firms were invited to put a bid in. This is how the department does its work in acquiring services of engineering consultants. It isn't the intention of the department to be reluctant in accepting an engineering firm. It is just the way the department has been doing business. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Rabesca.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is disappointing that you are only representing half of the people in the constituency. The closing date for the tenders is scheduled for some time this afternoon. I was hoping to ask the Minister whether he would be able to delay opening the tenders, so we will be able to have the company in question submit their bid, along with the three that you have selected so far.

I would further like to say northern preference should be included and the business incentive policy and the affirmative action policy should be practised to their fullest extent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the concern of the honourable Member. Unfortunately, this concern came to my attention right around noon and the letter was written last Thursday from the leaders of the community to try to intervene. The proposal closes in five minutes. I am going to have to respond to the honourable Member in his request that I delay the tender schedule. I will not do that. I will let the tender go ahead. It is a proposal call. The bid is not public. There are three companies involved and they have done this according to the rules. I would like to keep that in place.

Like I said, there is the selection of architectural and engineering services policy that the department is following. I understand that ABT Engineering is aware of this policy. It is the practice of the Department of Transportation to follow this policy. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Rabesca.

Mr. Speaker, like I said earlier on, I would like to say that I wouldn't like to see this type of response coming from the Minister to happen in the future. If the practice of northern preference or the business incentive policy is not being followed by the Minister, I wonder if he would be able to consider retendering the contract so that any company that operates within the Territories will not have to go through the same practice that we have experienced this afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That was your final supplementary, Mr. Rabesca. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I said earlier, this issue came to my attention just about an hour before session started. So there is very little time to sit down with anyone who is involved in this company. Normally, if a company like that is concerned, they could contact me and we will discuss it at a time when we aren't under time pressure. There are other contracts that will be let out in that area. The honourable Member is requesting that this particular firm out of Rae-Edzo get preferential treatment in that area. You are going to have to consider that with the fact that there are another 10 firms out there. Depending on the composition, we are going to have to discuss this further in light of your request. It is a serious concern for the Member and for myself. Unfortunately, we can't really deal with it at this point. I would suggest that we get together with the people he represents, the department and look at this concern and see if we can resolve it for future work that may be coming up. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

It wasn't directed to anybody so, Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think myself, as well as the Minister responsible for Finance, in his budget speech, as well as the direction that this government is going, have made it very clear that we want to invest in the North and we want businesses to develop in the North and the policies of this government will reflect that. We will be clarifying in a very short period of time with clear direction from Cabinet on how we see communities, or whether it's housing authorities or community councils or whatever, how we see them spending dollars on behalf of this government and what conditions will be attached to those dollars. By next week, we should be able to make that a public document. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's very clear to me, as the Minster who was responsible for DPW and was responsible for the Housing Corporation, in the last term. As Members know, it's clear in the history books now that manufacturing did start in the last four years in the Northwest Territories. The only way it started was by the support of this government; by this government helping manufacturers to develop their projects and buying from them in order for them to have a base so they can prosper and start manufacturing in the Northwest Territories. I think that was a major accomplishment by the previous government, and I'm sure it's not the intention of this government to kill that accomplishment. Thank you.