Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, will the Premier look into why northern companies bidding on territorial contracts under requests for proposals are losing out to southern firms?

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Member is well aware, we as a government, support northern businesses and northern companies and we would prefer that the majority of contracts, if not all the contracts, go to northern companies. So, if he can be specific on which contracts, because some do go south, which could be because of the

price. But if he could be more specific, then I would be pleased to look into it.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Questions to the Premier. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have provided some information to the Minister responsible for contracts and I would ask that Minister to provide that list, which Mr. Morin saw on Thursday or Friday last week in the House. Those are the contracts I am talking about. There was a list of them, so I think he knows what I am talking about. I am not going to ask that question again. I want to ask another question. Will the Premier finally direct his staff to allow for the publishing of all employees' salaries over $100,000, including benefits, like other jurisdictions do in this country, including Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, and not continue to say we need legal opinions, like we have heard for the past year and a half? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I have stated before in this House, we are looking into that and we are gauging how it will affect the morale of our employees and how it will affect their lives. The Northwest Territories is a lot different than Ontario and we also requested a legal opinion on it. I will make a commitment to the Member that we will work on this issue with the Finance Minister, Mr. Todd, who is in charge of the Financial Management Board Secretariat. As the Members are fully aware, our plates are fairly full and I admit this is one of the issues we did let slip. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Mr. Picco, you have two questions left. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I take this forum very seriously and responsibly. I am trying to ask constructive questions. I am not doing it in a flippant manner. Earlier today, and on other occasions when I have asked questions that were in and under the mandate of a particular Minister, on numerous occasions those questions were taken as notice. An example today was a simple question on, can a Minister or Ordinary Members of this Assembly, or companies they have an interest in, receive loans from the Aurora Fund? That question was taken as notice. So my question to the Minister is, would he review, by looking through the Hansard with his numerous staff, to find out how many questions were being taken to notice and maybe talk to his Ministers to see if those questions could be answered during question period?

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not believe that it is the Ministers' intent that Ministers of this government intend to side step any question that Members have asked in this Legislative Assembly. That is how come the rules of the Legislative Assembly are set out as such that Ministers may take questions as notice, in order to provide the Members with exact detail and specific answers to those questions that deserve good answers. Any question that is taken as notice as the rules state are answered, and we always follow up with the answers. So I would be pleased to make sure the Minister follows up with the Hansard and he had made a commitment, I believe, to follow up with an answer tomorrow or the next day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Questions to the Premier. Your last question, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have one final question and then I would like after that, a question to know from you, Mr. Chairman, if after all the Members have asked their questions would there be an opportunity to go back and ask some more? Because I think a couple of mine were lost through clarifications. My final question in this round is, will the Premier make notes and minutes, or an overview, of the discussions that take place with his Premiers Forum on the Economy with different business people in the territories as promised in this House available to the public? Would he be able to tender those, or table those documents in the House for people to have an overview or review, instead of just reporting about the gist of conversations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have started after the last panel meeting having a press conference and making a press release after the meeting, and I would be pleased to continually do that. I believe what the Member is asking for is a report on the Premier's panel meeting. We will probably do that Saturday afternoon after we finish meeting. I usually request the panel to stay around to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. For clarification for the Members, there is no opportunity to return for further questioning after you have finished your eight questions and seeking clarification is a question. So, now I would like to recognize Mr. Ootes, Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Do I understand two questions there?

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Ootes. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have worked with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development through the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi, working on trying to compile the list of names of or positions in Ottawa that reflect on business happening in the Northwest Territories. We have also met with the Minister responsible, Jane Stewart, and requested her to transfer those positions to the Northwest Territories, and we have a commitment from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to work with us to accomplish that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Question number two, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Morin.