Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While I appreciate my colleague's question and concern, I think it is somewhat premature at this time for me to be too definitive. As I indicated the other day, I am not trying to avoid the question. I have sent out a letter asking Ministers and deputy ministers to prepare what I call a pre-implementation of division plan, both east and west. Of course, that has not been approved by Cabinet. We are just in the preliminary stages of discussing how we would go about this exercise and how, in fact, we would move towards putting some basic division organization

in place for the east in preparation for April 1, 1999. Thank you.

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

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it would be fair to say that this Cabinet and, of course, in my portfolio as Finance Minister, I could only deal with the current funds that we have in this government. I believe that is how we would approach it. I did indicate, I believe earlier this week, that I am hoping in our early discussions with Mr. Martin's office and the Department of Finance, there will clearly be a recognition that there are going to be some costs required prior to 1999, if we are going to get the basic infrastructure in place, east and west. That is just a reality. You cannot say on March 31st, 1999, we are going to switch off the lights and turn them back on April 1. We will work within the fiscal arrangements we currently have. At the same time, I am hoping as part of our fiscal discussions with federal finance, they will recognize the fact that we will have to move prior to 1999 and there will be some costs associated with that. Thank you.

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

Mr. Todd.

As we charge onward to division, as my honourable colleague has said, it is certainly my hope and Cabinet's hope, that we can bring some clarity to this whole issue and some timelines attached to the clarity. I think that is really what we are saying here. As I said, we are embarking on this exercise right now of trying to determine an appropriate transition strategy. Whatever our strategy is, I want it to complement the decentralized model. Although we cannot do it or cost it, there has to be preparation for it. I am optimistic that we can bring that proposal to the Members who are going to help us with this in the next 60 to 90 days. In the meantime, I want to discuss the strategy that we have to get to this stage with the Ordinary Members by the middle of next week. Thank you.

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

Have you asked your question yet, Mr. Miltenberger? Ask your question.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to assure my honourable colleague I am capable of doing two things at once. As a matter of fact, I juggle many things in this job that I have. I want to assure him that communications, particularly right now as there is an air of anxiety as he has frequently told me, are vital as we move forward on this road towards division. I want to assure him that I will seek his counsel, as I will seek others, in developing an appropriate communications strategy on this important issue of division. Thank you.

Thank you. At this point, I would like to recognize some people in the gallery from Hay River. There is a gentleman who is on the town council by the name of Robert Bouchard. There is also Jeff Griffiths of the South Slave Business Development Corporation. There are also some students that are here to look at the BHP job opportunities and

they are in the gallery right now, very interested and very enthusiastic about becoming perhaps future leaders. Their names are Heather Hamilton, Harry Smith, Gloria Hopkins, Nadia Readman and Jason Zebedee. Welcome to the Assembly.

-- Applause

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago, myself and the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs met with the Aboriginal Summit. We raised the issue of the northern accord. Some time ago, in early fall - late summer, I sent out a framework agreement to the aboriginal organizations to take a look at. The majority of the aboriginal organizations at that time did not agree with that framework agreement so they asked us to redo it. We are doing that. I told the Aboriginal Summit I am willing to do that and try to develop a document that will be more acceptable to them. Our staff is presently working on that and we will make another proposal to them. I also made it very clear that I am not interested in spending a lot of money or time on an issue I cannot go anywhere on. I need commitments from them that we are going to proceed with a commitment-in-principle of doing that, taking control of northern resources and bringing it into the hands of northerners rather than the federal government or some bureaucrats in Ottawa making decisions on what happens in the north. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as the timeframe goes on completion of the northern accord negotiations, at this time I would not like to put a timeframe on it. I know that, unless we proceed fairly swiftly on this issue, unless we agree as northerners on the general principles of bringing northern resource control into the hands of northerners, we will not be able to do it in the life of this Assembly. We also have a federal government election looming that will affect the timing of this issue. I do not know whether it is going to be a spring election or a fall election. That all reflects on the timing. I would be better able to answer that question with more certainty by June, this spring session. Thank you.

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