Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For people who are employed by the government, the social workers, also the government GLOs, when they are seconded to the hamlet councils and they are provided with office furniture like computers, is this equipment moved over to the hamlet, or is the hamlet expected to provide for this type of equipment that was provided to the territorial government employees? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the staff is being transferred over to the hamlet, the equipment and the buildings we transferred as well. The employees' agreement is formulated as to which part of the work is going to be handed over to the hamlet. The hamlet will then be able to require some of this equipment that the hamlet has taken over transferred from the territorial government. The hamlet will be consulted with by MACA, and explained to them exactly what is required for them to take over. Each and every one of the responsibilities that are being handed over to the community are fairly well consulted with prior to the transfer of the employee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Final supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) When the government transfers their office equipment perhaps computers, some of them are out-of-date. Are these going to be bought by the hamlet councils or is the government going to re-furbish the equipment that is too old to be used by the hamlet? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the communities are different. Some have brand

new equipment, but some are getting old. Those will be assessed. All the property the government has will be assessed. Each one of the communities will be transferred over as is or maybe some will acquire some equipment that is very old. These will be formulated after the consultation process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Question period is over. Written questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some written questions, but I do not want to break Cabinet secrecy by asking which Minister to send it to. I think it is the Minister of Finance.

Could the department please provide information on the following matters as they relate to the operation of the Iqaluit airport:

1) Revenue generated from Iqaluit fuel sales - total dollar amount for 1995/96;

2) Revenue generated by landings and other revenue generated by foreign and intra-Canadian flights;

3) Total sur tax, if any, on fuel sales in Iqaluit;

4) Revenue generated by leases, equipment and facilities at Iqaluit airport; and

5) Timeframe and description of any privatization initiatives underway or anticipated at the Iqaluit airport.

To the appropriate privatization Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present the petition, Petition 15-13(4), dealing with proposed reduction to Nunavut library services. Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 20 signatures from residents of Arctic Bay. The petitioners request the Members should work to preserve the public library service which currently exists, and to cancel the lay-off notice which has been issued. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause.

Petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure at this time to table the document entitled The Evaluation of ERS Services Report for Iqaluit Airport by Treeline Planning Services, Tabled Document No. 54-13(4). It gives a review of the arguments against the closure of ERS at the airport in Iqaluit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake that Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 1996-97, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Bill 10 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, that Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 3, 1996-97, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Your motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Bill 10 has had second reading and accordingly stands to order to committee of the whole. Second reading of bills.

Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 2, 8, and 9; Committee Report 2, 3, 4, and 6, with Mr. Ningark in the chair.

Thank you. I would like to call the committee to order.

Chair's Ruling

Prior to calling to the orders of the day, I would like to provide a chair's ruling. At this time I will give my ruling on the point of order raised by the Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Picco. On Friday, February 21, in committee of the whole, Mr. Picco raised his point of order with respect to

events that transpired in committee of the whole on the preceding Thursday, February 20. The Member, Mr. Picco, did raise his point at the earliest opportunity after having received the unedited Hansard on February 20, 1997. In essence, Mr. Picco claims a point of order with respect to the number of questions he was permitted by the chair during a detail review of the main estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. The committee has previously consented to the process whereby each Member would be allowed five questions during the review of each line item. If there were no further questions from other Members, then the chair would continue to recognize a Member with the concurrence of the committee, subject as well to a discretion of the chair. I quote from page 1325 of the unedited Hansard of February 21, 1997, Mr. Picco's point of order "my point of order, Mr. Chairman, was if you count the questions you will see I was only at question number three when that was said." On the occasion, Mr. Picco was referring to comments of the chair, Mrs. Groenewegen, on the preceding date, and I quote from page 1271 of the unedited Hansard of February 20, "I am deeply offended that a Member questions whether or not I have the ability to count to five, but having said that I do not know whether that was four or five, so I will give you one more question." Mr. Picco's point of order also included a request for an apology from Mrs. Groenewegen. I quote again from 1325 of the unedited Hansard from February 21, and I quote, "I would ask that Madam Groenewegen at the chair's direction that an apology be forthcoming."

On the issue of the number of questions the chair permitted Mr. Picco, I have reviewed an unedited Hansard from February 20 and I note the Member from Iqaluit did in fact ask three questions prior to the chair's announcing he was on his final question. Subsequently Mr. Picco asked his fourth question. It was at this point the chair, recognizing the count may have been in error, offered Mr. Picco the opportunity for another question, which Mr. Picco accepted and the fifth question was asked. Therefore, I find Mr. Picco does not have a point of order. On the issue of the honourable Member for Iqaluit seeking an apology from the chair, I have reviewed a number of parliamentary authorities on the matter to find no reference to any precedents for such a request. Regardless of whether or not there is a point of order, it has not been an accepted practice for Members to seek apologies from the chair nor for the chair to comply with such a request.

The only recourse open to a Member who is not satisfied with a chair's ruling is to challenge that ruling to the Speaker. I trust the Members can appreciate the inherent difficulties in fulfilling the duties of the chair on behalf of the committee and Members recognize that your chairpersons are subject to human probability. In all cases the chair will make every effort to direct the business of the committee in a fair and impartial manner, in accordance with the rules, practices, and procedures adopted by this committee and this House. Thank you.

We have a number of items to consider under item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ootes.

I believe the motion is being circulated to all members at present. I will wait until each Member has a copy of the motion. All Members have been given the motion. The motion is in order. To the motion. I believe we need a quorum, I will ring the bell. Thank you. Chair recognizes the quorum. Mr. Ootes, for the record, would you please read the motion again? Thank you.