Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe earlier, reading through my budget review, I did commit to Mr. Steen for Nunakput that we would bring everybody up-to-date in the late May/June session. I think this whole issue about how far are we there, what is happening, et cetera, I think the issue Mr. Roland speaks to is an important one. There is a problem in that, where is the cut-off, when do you move on? I am fairly optimistic given that the sale of staff housing units is moving very quickly. I would be hesitant today to put a date to it, but I would recognize at some point there has to be a cut-off, and we can then move towards transferring those houses that are vacant, that are no longer required, over to my colleague, Mr. Arlooktoo, so he can then move forward and, in some small way, try to alleviate this severe housing shortage in some of our communities. So, sooner rather than later, I guess would be my only accurate reply to it. We are optimistic that by the end of fiscal year, which is the end of March, most of our housing sales program will be concluded. Certainly, if I commit today that we will bring you up-to-date in the late May/June session, that would be an appropriate timeline. We can move forward to transferring those houses, et cetera. Discussions are under way at the present time between myself, Mr. Arlooktoo and the staff, to accommodate that very important, budgetary initiative. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My honourable colleague made an interesting point. I think it is very important for me to say clearly and without any jest, this is a serious issue. It was a serious initiative on the part of Cabinet and the budget that we want to work quickly, because there is an enormous housing shortage out there. Now it is also important to clarify this is an initiative that will make a small dent in a very large problem, as my colleague has said publicly about his new initiatives in the Housing Corporation's Housing 2000 Plan. This is just part and parcel of trying to find a way in which to get some interim relief for a difficult housing shortage. It is recognized by all of us that we need to move quickly and I am not trying to avoid being definitive as to when we can do it. Sooner rather than later would be the only way I would be able to qualify it, because I am still waiting to see the results of the second phase of the staff housing. Again, if I can repeat it, we are optimistic most of that will be concluded by the end of March. Mr. Arlooktoo advised me when I was sitting down, that there are discussions under way right now, trying to identify potential houses that will be vacant and no longer required that we could then transfer. It is not like nothing is happening. Discussions are under way. I think we will be able to move fairly quickly, certainly by May/June. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

The Premier. Two questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the initial question on this issue since I just got back from the Atlantic Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting, which was a very interesting meeting. We, as a government, have not been tracking the quotas in the Atlantic fishery for some time now and it has been a concern to us that these quotas do not reflect the true Atlantic fishery. Approximately 36 percent of the Atlantic fishery is adjacent to Baffin Island and is in the Nunavut settlement area. I believe, on the ground fish, we have approximately 11 percent of the quota and for shrimp, it was nine percent. We raised that issue with the Atlantic Council of Fisheries Ministers and we raised it quite aggressively. We want to see a better quota allocated to the Baffin region and we want our fair share of that allocation.

We, as northerners, have no problem sharing a resource with some southern fishermen, but it should better reflect what is actually adjacent to our fishing area. The fishery in the Davis Inlet right now represents approximately $3.5 million to the Baffin economy, so we have to make sure we try to increase that. We have general support from other Ministers on the adjacency issue. As well, we made it very clear to the federal Minister that his government has to live up to the claim they have signed with the Nunavut people. The federal Minister has the final decision on quotas in that area. We voiced very strongly that we do not want to see an increase in quota without the proper, scientific knowledge to back up that increase, because we do not want to see that fishery go like other fisheries in southern Canada have gone, over-harvested and then everybody loses.

We seem to have an agreement that they will look at the scientific information they have and, if they increase, we seem to have support that they will take a serious look at the Inuit residents getting those licences. We did have general support from New Brunswick, Newfoundland, as well as the other Atlantic provinces on our issues. So, all in all, the meeting went fairly well and I came out of that meeting feeling as if we did accomplish something and they know the Northwest Territories is part of that Atlantic fishery. We have also invited them up to the Baffin for their next meeting, so hopefully we can accommodate that as well. In the end, the federal Minister will make the decision. Thank you.

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

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. It must have been a fairly good meeting and I am glad to see that the Ministers may indeed come to the Baffin and hold another meeting. My follow-up question to the Minister, will this government be following up on his initial meeting this past weekend to direct this government to actually sit down with the federal Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Mifflin, and to lobby on behalf of our fishermen? And also invite other major stakeholders, like Kekertaluk Corporation, to the meeting so the stakeholders themselves can be involved in the front-line, so they understand what is happening to the allocations and the situation regarding the quotas. So, my question would be to the Premier or the Minister of RWED, is he looking at a follow-up meeting, specifically with the federal Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Mifflin, on the adjacency and also on the awarding of quotas. Last year, we missed the boat on this. This year, we would like to see an increase in our quotas and look at some of the straggling stocks which are located in the B1 and the area adjacent to the Davis Strait and also the area south of Resolution Island.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will be following up with the department people in Ottawa. We were not planning on an immediate follow-up meeting with the Minister of Fisheries for the federal government. We stated our case very strongly, we made our points. They fully understand that we have to be involved. He has agreed to consult and he has consulted, to a certain extent. We feel quite comfortable that we put the case across quite strongly and they will pay attention. As far as follow-up, the staff will do the follow-up. We represent the Northwest Territories at the table and I did not see any provincial governments bring in fishermen or fishing companies to the table. It is between government and government. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier earlier said the Fisheries Ministers will be coming to the Baffin. Can the Minister tell this House when that meeting will be taking place and where in the Baffin are they going to have that meeting?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Normally, for any Ministers' meeting, there is a revolving of where it happens. For example, this time it happened in New Brunswick. Next time it may happen in Newfoundland or Prince Edward Island, but it does revolve. What we made very clear is that we are part of Atlantic Fisheries, to put us into the loop so the Northwest Territories can host a meeting as well. We invited them to the Northwest Territories. We invited them, I believe it was to Pangnirtung, to come up and have a Ministers' of Fisheries meeting of the Atlantic provinces in the Pang area. Our staff will work on that so it will happen some time in the future but when, I do not know. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members of this House, we have had briefings from the Power Corporation and WCB regarding what both of the organizations will look like after division. The briefing of the

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important to point out the WCB is funded by private sector contributions and not through the government grant system. My understanding is they are putting together a division plan. I think the intent certainly is, as is for the Power Corporation, to make sure these things are self-financing. I would believe that would be the approach the WCB would be taking. I know they are recommending, and I believe what the NIC and others have recommended, it stay as one at this time for what they call the cost-related factors and the fact that you have some economies of scale. I think it would be fair to say that is the intent, although whether I could confirm today that will in fact happen, it would be difficult. But certainly that is the intent. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister stated what the intent of the organizations are. I appreciate that. As additional information does come available, I would like assurances from the Minister that both organizations, east and west, will get a look at the information for a final decision, before an irreversible decision takes place on the Power Corporation and WCB, but WCB in particular stay together as one organization. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Todd.