The Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. Arlooktoo. Two questions.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I did state last week that I was very pleased that the government was able to come forward with such a positive proposal that was kind of a combination of the effort of our Ordinary MLAs and the government. The Keewatin Resupply Steering Committee was chaired by Mr. O'Brien. From what I read from the report we are doing exactly what the report asked us to do. I think what I can do for the part of his question is give time the chronology of events of the meetings that were held with the mayors, the MLAs. There were some very recent meetings in Arviat and there is one coming up next week. I plan to go to Arviat for a meeting with the hamlet council on Wednesday, this coming Wednesday at 7:00 with the Minister of Finance. We will be going over the concerns of the hamlet council point by point and see if we can deal with them. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the real issue here is not whether we are going to save $50 or $100 million. The issue is safety and all the people are asking for is to be assured that their environment will not be damaged or the sea life. Mr. Speaker, to date, the residents have not been properly consulted. We do not know for sure what the actual cost is today as far as the savings go. We hear numbers being thrown out and I think what the hamlets are looking for is to see these numbers to be assured that the environment is not at risk. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister, is he aware of any comprehensive study that is being carried out regarding a risk to the environment if this proposal is to go ahead?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member that the technology and the way of building these short pipe lines will be the most current and safest that we can find. I would like to point out also that this type of resupply has been practised in the Baffin region for more than 30 years and has been improved upon. It is not a weak thing and is very safe. Certainly, I plan to give those assurances and give some more information to the hamlet of Arviat when I meet with them.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker as we all know, regions differ from region to region and the concerns

laid out in the Baffin were somewhat different, I am sure, from the Keewatin. Mr. Speaker, the hydrographic surveying and mapping that took place over the last summer in my home community of Arviat and some of the other communities in the Keewatin. Mr. Speaker, in reference to these have the results of this mapping and work been completed and analyzed so that we know exactly what is out there?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have the latest status report on where these hydrographic maps are, but what I can say is that there is enough information there for us to say that it is possible to go with deep draft and shallow draft tankers into these communities. I will be pleased to share with the Member whatever information we have to date.

Oral questions. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you may recall last week during the Fourth Session, I made a Member's statement regarding inadequacies facing the hamlet of Rae under the current funding formula. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to give one example of this, and I will then ask some questions to the Minister responsible. The hamlet of Rae-Edzo provided a report that they had commissioned which states the hamlet of Rae-Edzo received the lowest per capita of contributions amongst all of the Northwest Territories communities. This report shows community areas where even the smallest hamlet are receiving more funding than my home community is. One example is this section of protected service my community has a population base of 1,615 and received $68,059 or $42.10 per person in my community, whereas a community of lower population received up to $80,627 or $90.10 per person in that community. As you can see there is something wrong. With this in mind I will ask the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, is her department communicating with the hamlet of Rae-Edzo to ensure this type of inequality is corrected with a review of the funding formula currently taking place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My staff are working together with Rae-Edzo representatives on this matter. One of the department's initiatives is a complete municipal financing review. This information and findings will be shared at the NWT Association of Municipalities annual general meeting. This specific matter is being dealt with by my department officials. (Translation ends)

Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government is working on many initiatives for creating employment in the Northwest Territories and we are also working with the Premier's panel on the economy and employment for the Northwest Territories. As a matter of fact, we will be meeting this weekend and part of that agenda is to look at and discuss the Business Incentive Policy as well as northern manufacturing, transportation strategy, northern initiatives and investment of the northern people that our government is doing. We have already committed, Mr. Speaker, $32 million investment in the people and to beef up the programs that we have in existence already. The Honourable Charles Dent as well as Steve Kakfwi steerhead that for this government and we expect great and exciting things to happen from that. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Honourable Jim Antoine, responsible for Transportation is working on the strategy along with other Cabinet Ministers as well as Mr. Todd, our Minister responsible for Financial Management Board Secretariat, is also working on that issue because it has to tie in with private sector partnership. There would be nothing new if there was only the government doing it. That is guaranteed for sure because as everyone knows, we are operating under a fiscal restraint. We do not have any new dollars to put into capital projects, highway projects, any type of projects. We have reduced our spending in the capital end of our budget. We are looking and trying to bring in private sector partnerships into the development of the transportation strategy as well.

I had an opportunity this weekend, as a matter of fact, to go into Tuktoyaktuk with Mr. Vince Steen. I must commend Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk as well as the Department of Transportation for their fine work which is new work on the development of a plan to develop a highway from Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. I will take the time to read that plan. With the community being involved, Mr. Speaker, the community taking the bull by the horns, as could be said, and the community getting excited about economic development in their region. They have taken the initiative, an old transportation strategy that was tabled in previous Assemblies by Mr. Gordon Wray. It was revisited and all those gravel deposits were looked at, Mr. Speaker, throughout that region. Previously, before Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik leg were supposed -

Can we get some order in the House, please, and allow the Minister to respond to the question? Mr. Morin.