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

2-13(5): Environmental Liability Site Inventory

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Return to oral question asked by Mr. Picco on October 21, 1997, regarding Environmental Liability Site Inventory.

The report provided to the Standing Committee on Government Operations listed sites on the Commissioner's land that might have a potential environmental liability to the Government of the Northwest Territories associated with the use of the land. The report also indicated that there might be a federal and/or joint responsibility for a portion of the potential environmental liabilities. The reason for this is that some of the sites were transferred to the territorial government by the federal government over the years, as program responsibility was transferred.

We are not in a position to pursue this matter with the federal government at this time. We must first identify those sites that were transferred from the federal government by checking historical records and verifying title documents. Site audits would then be required in order to evaluate the potential liabilities. As you are aware, these types of audits are very costly, and we do not have the resources available to conduct them at this time. Without taking these steps there would be no basis for negotiation with the federal government. As resources permit, our government will be pursuing the issue of environmental liabilities and will be approaching the federal government as appropriate. Thank you.

Thank you. Returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Return to an oral question asked by Mr. Picco on October 22nd, in relation to the Aurora Fund.

There is no legal barrier to a loan being made by the Aurora Fund to an ordinary Member, Minister, or to a corporation in which she or he has an interest, so long as the Member or Minister is not an officer or director of the Aurora Fund.

The conflict guidelines in the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act place the onus on the Member or Minister to disclose his or her business interests. There is no onus on the Aurora Fund to safeguard the Member or the Minister from placing himself or herself in a conflict of interest.

If a conflict was apparent the board would no doubt give it due consideration.

Thank you. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Thank you. Before we go to oral questions, we will take 15-minute break.

--Break

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe this is a question that I answered very early this morning if the Member checks Hansard. It is important to remember, once again, that the present carrier of choice that NTCL has enjoyed was introduced in 1985 by the government then, for a period of eight years. The intention then was to assist the company in making sure that they were the only ones that got the contract and give them a chance to become viable. The agreement in 1985 was that this preferential policy would go on for eight years. That was to end in 1993. In the past few years, the government has made moves to make these types of contracts more competitive because everybody agrees, I believe, that the way the present contract is given in the Keewatin is not a competitive process. So that is what we are doing. We are levelling the playing field so that it does make it possible to get a more competitive price, and all the information we have suggests that there are other interested parties, including other first rate corporations that are ready to put forward proposals if they are given the chance, as with NTCL. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not trying to avoid the question, but I think that is kind of beside the point. For example, the Northern Transportation Company Limited was awarded a three year, $90 million contract for the eastern Arctic sealift this past year, and I recall very clearly, the signing ceremony that we had in Iqaluit. It was not because the Northern Transportation Company Limited necessarily had any tankers. I do not believe they do. Because what they were able to do is to put a proposal forward in partnership and in procuring tankers out in the global market and use that to their advantage. That is the way I believe all the tanker contracts are done, with these partnerships. Thank you.

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

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have very clear evidence at this point of very significant long term savings for all the communities in the Keewatin region and can look forward to many years of lower gasoline prices

for the hunters and lower fuel prices for the home owners in the region. I think more significant than lower fuel prices for the government in general because in the end the government is the major consumer of these fuel products. We do have very clear evidence that there will be significant savings for the affected communities.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Arlooktoo.