Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I would need to know which year the Member is referring to but I will speak with him privately. I have done a little research on these construction management contracts and find that they are quite rare. So, I will find out from the Member which ones he needs to know about and give it to him.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

The Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Affairs Ministry has a mandate to represent this government, as well as protect the interests of the whole of the Northwest Territories at the talks that go on in the land claims area. Now, with the self-government talks that are beginning, for example, in the Beaufort-Delta, we have the Gwich'in/Inuvialuit municipalities that have obtained the agreement of the federal government to start talking about self-government negotiations. We, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, will be representing the government, as well as the interests of the Northwest Territories, at these negotiations. This is protection for this government and the programs and services that we have as a government. We are there at the table to ensure that, during the discussions, that our interests are protected at the table. We are a third party at these negotiations. We feel that if the federal government and the aboriginal First Nations were to negotiate the self-government arrangements by themselves without us at the table, I think that we would be in serious trouble because what is on the table is existing programs and services that this government is currently providing. During the discussions, all these different programs will be discussed. We need to have our own representatives at the table to protect the interests of this government. Thank you.

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

Mr. Antoine.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. What the honourable Member is making reference to is that, yes, we have to look at all the areas that we are dealing with. We are there to protect the rights of all the citizens of the Northwest Territories at the territorial level as well as the community and regional levels. Thank you.

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

Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at these specific negotiations in the Mackenzie Delta and Beaufort-Delta, the negotiations are just beginning now and since it has not been done before, we are, more or less, developing our position when each item is put on the table. For example, governments, then we are involved in developing our mandate on how we are going to deal with it. And, yes, since it is new, we are looking at individual rights as well as collective rights. In the Canadian Charter of Rights, there are provisions

in there that recognize treaty and aboriginal rights. There is a derogation clause in the Canadian Constitution that treaty and aboriginal rights have to be recognized and affirmed. We are in a new type of arrangement that has not been done before and we are doing it. So, we are there, yes, to protect the rights of the people at the territorial level, individual rights as well as collective rights. As negotiations move forward, we will be getting into more and more details of what the honourable Member is raising his concern about. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the individual and democratic rights that the honourable Member is referring to are not on the bargaining table. They are protected by the Charter of Rights and we abide by those rights. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on the privatization matters earlier brought up by Mr. Henry. In a letter dated August 6, 1996 from Mr. Arlooktoo to myself as chair of the Infrastructure Committee, which I understand was tabled in the House, the Minister responsible for ED&T is co-ordinating all GNWT privatization initiatives. On page 804 of the unedited Hansard from February 7, 1997, the Premier states that Mr. Todd will be able to answer questions regarding privatization and property management. So, we seem to be getting mixed signals here, Mr. Speaker. In August, Mr. Kakfwi was responsible for privatization and, on Friday, we were told to direct questions to Mr. Todd. So, my question to the Premier is, can he explain this to me? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have said earlier in this House, Mr. Kakfwi is responsible for the co-ordination of all privatization initiatives of this government. Mr. Todd is responsible for the ground work on the privatization of property management. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand, to date the only area that has been privatized under property management is in Rankin. I wonder if the Premier can confirm that for me?