Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, the Member is not completely correct. The privatization of property management is in the Keewatin area as a pilot project and then we are going to do the other areas next. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we say the privatization of property management, what exactly does the Minister mean? When we say the privatization of property management, what is that?

Mr. Morin. As indicated, Mr. Todd.

It means we have the private sector look after the property management of our properties. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the privatization of property. Is the Minister telling me that means just waiting until we get out of the staff house functions or does it include all physical buildings and assets owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories in the Keewatin region?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you. My understanding of the contractor that is currently looking after staff housing and in the lease arrangements that we have with landlords, et cetera, it is our intention, as I said in the budget, to proceed with that across the territorial framework and get out of the business.

We are just waiting until we conclude the rest of the staff housing sales to see what is left over to move forward with the contract to do it in my honourable colleague's area of Baffin Island. I have had numerous phone calls from his riding, asking me to get on with it. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre is referring people over to the YCC to purchase crafts. Also, that local tour operators are bringing Japanese tourists to the YCC by the bus load. I hope that we are able to stay away from international incidents like Peru, where the Japanese citizens are being held hostage.

Mr. Speaker, last summer my son and I watched the 10 foot high fence of barbed wire being built around YCC and the Minister has told us that the area where the crafts are being sold is outside a secure area. If the area where the crafts are sold is so safe, why is there a high fence of barbed wire around the YCC?

The Minister of Justice, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the razor wire fence around the whole institution is a secondary stage of security. If we were to have prisoners escape from the main facility, then that would be a second level, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, this second level of added security seems to infer that the area is not so safe after all. Is this correct?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is just as I indicated, a second precautionary measure that is there. If anything, it was more of an attempt, probably during the summer time, when a lot of the inmates had the opportunity to have some recreational pursuits out on the grounds that it could be used as a buffer in those types of instances, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, the Webster Gallery went out of business in town here and, I understand, their speciality was carvings. I also understand that businesses in Yellowknife are noticing their volume sales, in crafts such as carvings, are going down. Would it not be more appropriate to arrange for the inmates to sell their crafts through the local businesses?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I believe that if the art galleries, the retailers in the community, were interested in purchasing the products coming out of the Yellowknife Correctional Centre, then I do not think that would be a problem, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the northern stores attempted to do this and they were not allowed to do this. Can the Minister find out whether there is any policy or anything in the way of setting up this type of arrangement? Thank you.

Mr. Ng