The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, no. I want to assure my honourable colleague that this is a major policy issue in relationship to the way in which Canada is going to determine in the north our tax royalty regime as well as if you want the secondary benefits derived from this industry that is very dynamic. As I said earlier in my speech, I do not think we want to be treated any differently or our desires are any different than Mr. Tobin's are in Newfoundland with Voisey Bay. I think he is going through the same issues. If not, as he wants to ensure that he gets for his constituents the kind of levels of revenues that is due an area like Newfoundland, I think we are no different. We are saying we have got a major project on our doorstep. It has territorial-wide implications in respect to our fiscal position. It provides us for the first time, as long as I can remember, if we do this right and if our partners, the federal

government, agree to do it right with us, it provides us with an opportunity to be less dependent than we have ever been in the past. I want to remind everybody and I am sure I do not need to, but I have to remind the territorial population this is one diamond mine. There maybe others to come. My honourable colleague is correct. This is not a small regionalized, localized issue it has territorial implications both now and certainly for the future when the two emerging governments will occur on April 1, 1999. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the appropriate legislation is put in place by the federal government - and you will note that I said when and not if -- can the Minister please indicate what the next process will be in the establishment of this facility? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd

Our focus right now, Mr. Kakfwi in particular and myself, as I said many times in this House is to get the federal government to recognize the diamond sorting valuation and I want to stress that diamond sorting and valuation must be done in the Northwest Territories and must be done off site. I heard yesterday that the new spin from BHP is well, we are going to do it on site whether we like or not. That is totally unacceptable. Let me say that loud and clear. First of all we have to ensure that in the diamond regulations, they are currently being developed, if you want as our former colleagues, Mr. Avison, used to say the rules engagement are now being developed. We hope that he will be developing partnership with us. Certainly Mr. Kakfwi's department and my own, Finance, have been intimately involved in trying to influence if you want how these regulations will occur. We have not yet seen what the final regulations will be. We have insisted that we be an equal partner in this process. I think it will be premature by me to say it this time what the next step will be. Our focus has to be to ensure that we get into regulations and work with our federal colleagues in developing an appropriate course of action and Mr. Kakfwi's office has been very active in this side of things. Hopefully we will come to a satisfactory arrangement to satisfy both Canadians and southern Canada and more importantly northerners in northern Canada. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have any indication from the Minister of DIAND, Minister Stewart, as to when the draft documents of the mining regulations will be ready for the Government of the Northwest Territories input? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

No, at this time I do not have an indication. I know that it is currently being worked on. I believe so and there is some discussion underway with industry and hopefully with ourselves. I think we are reasonably entrenched in the process. I would hope that the partnership, cooperative arrangement that we currently have with the federal government would be maintained.

I know that we have cranked up the stakes lately, and I think it is important that we do that. I would hope that the federal government would see that we have a legitimate point of view that we are either a legitimate partner in the process or we are not. I am fairly confident Minister Stewart recognizes that we need to be a legitimate, equal partner in the process and as we move forward. I am trying to develop public policy Because that is what this is all about, as to how the diamond industry operates in Canada and how we can reap the benefits, if you want, and ensure that the industry has a reasonable playing field that they can make the kinds of dividend payments that they expect to ensure there is some stability for the shareholders and they can continue to invest in this part of the country. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, in a recent report the Minister conducted regarding the Keewatin Health Board and the Baffin Health Board, he indicated that there will be a cost benefit and analysis conducted regarding the major changes that would take place to the Baffin Health Services. My question to the Minister, did the Minister also request that a cost benefit analysis be conducted regarding the major changes to the services in the Keewatin? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the recommendations, a cost benefit analysis on the Keewatin changes was not one of the recommendations. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question then would be why was a cost benefit analysis not requested? Will the Minister move forward to request a cost benefit analysis before any major changes are made regarding health services in the Keewatin? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Ng. Two questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a cost benefit analysis for the Keewatin was not seen as an integral part of the change there as a direct result of the fact that the costs were already in place for bringing in services from outside. It is a matter of where they received those services from. In respect of why it was recommended in the case of the proposed Baffin changes because they were doing an entire shift of their service from one jurisdiction to a different jurisdiction which has, of course, financial implications based on the fee schedules and would have financial implications based on having to set up a new referral service, new boarding arrangements, new interpreter services and those types of things that would have to be put in place, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, with the upheaval and uncertainty regarding the major changes in health services in the Keewatin, will the Minister state in this House that he guarantees that the public, the Keewatin residents, are not at risk and will not be at risk as a result of these proposed changes? Thank you.

Can I ask the Member for Kivallivik if he can maybe rephrase his question regarding no Minister can guarantee the health of people or the lives of people, but they can answer to the policies that govern the health issues of people. I would like to ask the Member if he can rephrase his question. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe at one point there were assurances given that the people in the Keewatin would not be at risk, are not at risk as a result of these changes. I am asking the Minister to state that in the House today. Thank you.

Can I ask the member for Kivallivik again, to rephrase the question again regarding the level of services. The level of health services that will not put at risk would be the appropriate way of putting it. The Minister cannot guarantee, you know, the risk. He can only address the delivery that would eliminate that risk. I think the Minister knows the general question and perhaps he would like to respond.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated publicly, in respect to accessibility of service in the Keewatin as a result of some of the proposed changes that the Keewatin Regional Health Board is contemplating and undertaking, residents are not at risk in respect to accessibility of services for general practitioners and services for specialists that would provide those services in their area, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.