Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is that the materials for LHOs is limited, because of the sealift that came in from last year. What will happen to the materials that are needed to maintain the units in Nanisivik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, all I can say is that if there are extra materials required by the community, because materials have been used to maintain staff houses, we will find a way to make sure that the required materials are replaced through the Housing Corporation.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In March of last year, the Department of Public Works made a presentation to Caucus on negotiated contracts and a possible principle and possible policy that could be coming forward for an overall government policy on negotiated contracts. The Department of Transportation does have a negotiated contract policy in place. While we were working on this negotiated contract

policy, the whole issue of article 24 came into being on the Nunavut claim. We had to switch our people from working on the negotiated contract policy over to working and addressing the article 24 issue and how this government sees the implementation of article 24. So, we have had that work done recently. These people, the Minister of DPW as well as Housing Corporation and the Minister of Transportation, with Mr. Kakfwi, the Minister of RWED, are overseeing and coordinating initiatives of this government. He has to be involved on economic initiatives, so that we can commit to this House that we will dust this file off and get back to working on an overall policy of negotiated contracts.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Exactly where the work and the amount of work that has been done on this issue is at, I am not quite sure. I think it would be safe to say by the fall. But I do know that once we get out of this Legislative Assembly, once the budget is passed and the capital budget is passed, then that capital budget would have to be implemented fairly quickly in order to do those projects this summer. Some of those projects would have to be negotiated. We would probably miss this building season. I would say that by fall, we would have that policy done. When we work on that policy, we will work on it as well with the appropriate committee. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. During question period each day, Mr. Speaker, I think that there are a number of times, at least I have found, that you have to have different questions ready because a Minister that you wish to direct a question to is not in the House all of the time. Mr. Speaker, I believe that is an extremely important time for the people of the Northwest Territories to be able to hear positions of this government on policies and directions that they have taken. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is, will he direct his Ministers to be in the House for question period? I realize that sometimes they are travelling. But at a time when they are here, to schedule their meetings and so forth around the question period in the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have already directed Ministers. Ministers are all in the House, unless they are travelling on duty, for question period. Sometimes in committee of the whole if that Minister is not up in front of the committee, those Ministers are allowed to have meetings scheduled. But if a Minister is absent or going to be absent from the House, I always say it the same day that they are travelling. Other than that, unless somebody gets ill or else the call of mother nature, they will be in the House. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the point I was trying to make was just question period. I think that there are some of your Ministers that are 100 percent faithful at being here during question period. I am talking about, subject to nature breaks, that during question period that the Premier direct his Ministers to be in the House during question period as long as they are in town. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like I have said earlier, I have instructed the Ministers to be in the House, and I am talking about question period other than the call of mother nature or if they are not feeling very well. Then they are allowed to go home or whatever just like any other person would be. If they are not in the House, I will have them thoroughly dealt with.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of this constitution process that we undertook to proceed with, we made a commitment as a government to proceed with the development of the western constitution. There was support from the western Caucus on this, the Aboriginal Leaders' Summit gave direction, the Constitutional Development Steering Committee over two years ago at a conference directed us to proceed with development of this constitution. At the same time we have been in a bilateral process for self-government development with the aboriginal First Nations. There was direction as well from the Aboriginal Leaders' Summit over a year ago here in Yellowknife to proceed with this constitutional development process.

Last October, upon tabling the document, we wanted to proceed immediately to go ahead and make consultation visits to the communities to explain the package at that time and to get feedback. Because of funding restraints, we were not able to do it, but now there is commitment by this government and the federal government to fund this process. As it was Saturday, upon meeting with the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Honourable Ron Irwin, we have had a commitment from him that he would like to see a made-in-the north constitutional package. At the same time, he has committed his officials to work directly with us and address all the concerns that have been raised to date and some concerns that may be raised during consultation process. There is a commitment from the federal government to proceed in that direction. I think there is still a commitment from the Members in this House to proceed. I know that there are different opinions that have been expressed lately that we should not proceed with this. My position is that we continue with this. The urgency is that. Thank you.