The Member for Iqaluit is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays. There are no nays. Mr. Picco, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to my colleagues, first time. Regarding our meetings last week and conversations, Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the people of Iqaluit and the residents of the Baffin region that the Deputy Premier, Goo Arlooktoo, and the other Baffin MLAs are committed to having the new Baffin hospital proceed on time and on budget. We have been working on this as I stated earlier for several months. The project has not stalled and we are now in the functional and program design stage. The recent media reports have caused some concern and I understand the anxiety. However, Mr. Speaker, this project has never been taken lightly. We are aiming for the construction to commence this fall. That has not changed. I understand today that the Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng, has accepted the resignation of Ms. Ann Hanson for the chair of the Baffin Regional Health Board. Mr. Speaker, Ann Hanson has worked tirelessly for the people of Baffin, as chair of the health board and I know personally the work and long hours she spent above and beyond the call of duty in that position. I respect her decision and thank her for her support and friendship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak of the sudden death of Mrs. Meg Kuksuk. Mr. Speaker, Meg was a respected elder and an active member in the community of Arviat. I am sure my fellow members will join me in offering our sincere condolences to the Kuksuk family, relatives and friends. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien. Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last several months, I have heard many concerns about the process leading up to the creation of the two new territories. The concerns seem to be centred around the number of reports prepared on behalf of Nunavut as opposed to the number prepared for the new Western Territory. These concerns have to be dealt with and put to rest, when one looks at the facts. We in the west, have a tried and proven method of delivery of services to the public. This method, I suggest, will not change at least until after division. Nunavut, on the other hand, has to start from scratch, hence, the amount of paper and planning required by and for Nunavut, to design, plan and implement which is no daunting task when creating a new system of government for an area the size of Nunavut. For the most part, we in the west have much less to do in regard to implementation. Mr. Todd, today, talked about opportunities and Mr. Speaker, I believe division does hold opportunities for the competent bureaucrats that are already in place here in the west. For Nunavut to have in place, a necessary infrastructure to house the workers required to administrate the programs of the new government will not be a reality by division.

Mr. Speaker, given the fiscal constraints, which all governments must operate under, I would suggest an opportunity exists for the present bureaucracy to contract out its highly skilled work force to the new territory of Nunavut, at least until the necessary infrastructure is in place. All parties should look at concerns that have been raised and fears expressed by one side or the other not getting a fair break in regard to assets and liabilities or formula financing.

I would fight to those concerns as follows: the expertise in preparing the implementation of the information that decisions are made are worked up senior bureaucrats who have years of education and training along with an indepth knowledge of the north and its people. I have seen the work of these individuals which have produced, and am pleased to say, I am impressed with the quality and simplicity of the approach.

On the question of formula financing, this is a little more difficult. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Henry, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the question of formula financing. This is a little more difficult. The area or issue will be an engagement between the federal government and each of the two new governments. For the most part, Mr. Speaker, in the west we will not see in most communities any noticeable change.

Teachers will still be in the classroom, health care will still be provided by the same method of delivery as is presently in place, et cetera, et cetera. The only qualifier to the above is the amount of dollars Ottawa provides in the formula financing to each of the two new territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ootes, the status of personnel secretariat. On October 3, 1997 Mr. Ootes asked how many individuals and how many positions were left in the personnel secretariat. There are eight positions in the personnel secretariat, of these eight positions, two are currently vacant, six are staff. Two of the six staff are on transfer assignment and one of the staff is on leave prior to retirement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have the opportunity to recognize very many people in the gallery but today, I would like to recognize the senior administrative officer of Repulse Bay up there in the white shirt and his name is Sheldon Dory and also the Mayor, Steve Mapsalak of Repulse Bay. They are here meeting with officials of some departments.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent from Cambridge Bay, Suzie Sim. Thank you.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to recognize Sue Enge and her daughter, Nicole Rosanne Enge. Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Could you ask her to wave to the Members? Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. It concerns the Baffin regional hospital financing. Can the Minister inform this House at what stage the government is with the funding for the facility?

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I appreciate my colleague's statement today that brought some clarity to the issue, but the reality is up until recently, there was a pinch of dispute between the parties on the conditions in which we set for proceeding with the hospital. One of the conditions we set was the dollar value as in terms of the footprint and I still do not have clarity on that whether all parties agree with that. The other condition that we set was we wanted consideration given that we would privately finance this hospital or partially privately finance it . The consumer's concession should be given to the Kitikaluit Development Corporation as was being given to all other parties in Inuvik and Rankin. I do not, to this date, have confirmation of those two conditions I have met. When I do, we will proceed.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister assure this House that the new Baffin/Inuvik hospitals will not be put at risk because of the proposed construction of other health facilities?

Mr. Todd.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell them that the desire of this government is to proceed with these hospitals as we have said consistently. The only thing that is going to put us at risk is the inability for compromise to be reached by his colleagues in Baffin. He brings forward a compromise and understanding that we meet the conditions that I have said. I want to be clear in this House the conditions we set with respect to the fiscal framework and the cost that we felt that we can afford as well as an arrangement to be made with the people of Baffin Island. We will proceed an expeditious way to move forward on the development of this hospital proposal. But it is not our position to ask for the position. How could I put it, Mr. Speaker. We are still waiting on confirmation that those two conditions will be met. Once we have reached that, we will be prepared to move forward in an aggressive way to proceed with the construction of both Inuvik and the Iqaluit hospitals. It will not be to the detriment of any other health facilities that we are planning. Thank you.