Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been no change. Property management has been with Mr. Todd, through FMBS. Mr. Arlooktoo's department does all the legwork for that issue. Mr. Speaker, on August 6, 1996, I wrote to Mr. Picco, as the chairman of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure. I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, the Minister, Mr. Arlooktoo, wrote to Mr. Picco, as chairman. I do not know if they share letters with other Members of the Assembly, but we made it very clear. We enclosed two briefing notes outlining the status of privatization of computer systems and operation and the privatization of petroleum products in the Department of Public Works and Services. At that time, you were probably aware that the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Tourism was coordinating all privatization initiatives of the Government of the Northwest Territories. So, we made it very clear to Mr. Picco, as the chairman, as well as the Members on that Committee, if they share their mail. We made it clear that Mr. Kakfwi will coordinate the privatization initiatives of this government. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the coordination of privatization, and how it is being developed, you would address your questions to Mr. Kakfwi. On detailed questions for the legwork that the department is doing, you would address your questions to the Minister that is responsible for that department. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Privatization of petroleum services seems to be a popular topic this morning, so I will not change the flow. My question is to Mr. Arlooktoo, the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services. Can the Minister assure me that the discussion around the privatization of petroleum services, which has, at least in my time here, always come to the Infrastructure Committee, will it continue to come to the Infrastructure Committee for feedback and consultation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for Public Works and Services. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I did, with my officials and the officials of Mr. Kakfwi's department, brief the Infrastructure Committee last fall and have passed on numerous bits of information as requested. I did make the commitment, then and now, that we will keep the committees informed about issues and about our progress and respond to information requests, as required.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question was, will it be brought directly back to the Infrastructure Committee? I believe I understood Mr. Arlooktoo to say he would be bringing it to committees. I am saying that this privatization has been dealt with by the Infrastructure Committee. So my question directly to the Minister is, will it be brought back to the Infrastructure Committee to be dealt with before it is passed on to the Government Ops Committee? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, we will ensure that the Standing Committee on Infrastructure is completely briefed, along with the Standing Committee on Government Operations.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Final supplementary. Could the Minister advise me at what meetings the RWED employees, who were referred to earlier today, what meetings of the Infrastructure Committee were they at? I believe I was at all of them and I am not sure what meetings are being referred to where the RWED employees were with the Public Works employees in front of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I will look through the transcripts of those meetings and find out and pass them on to the Member. I do not have that information in front of me.

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, the last couple of days, there have been a lot of questions and concerns expressed about affirmative action and the way that it may or may not be implemented. Cabinet ministers have seemed to indicate that they are not worried that affirmative action is being handled properly. I would like to know if the Premier would confirm that Cabinet is not concerned about the way the hiring is being done in regards to the affirmative action policy?

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess some Members in this House could take the meaning of many things different ways. Let me assure Mr. Erasmus from Yellowknife North that this government is committed to affirmative action. We always have been committed to affirmative action. Managers are hired to manage, they are paid to manage and they have that responsibility in every department. Every manager in every department, every Minister in this House, has a responsibility to ensure that the policies of this government are followed. So, Mr. Speaker, let me assure Mr. Erasmus that affirmative action .. unless you have some specific cases that we can address. What we need are specific cases, not innuendo, not "I heard this uptown or that uptown". We need specifics in order to address concerns raised by Members or by the public in general. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear the Premier confirm that this government is committed to affirmative action. I would like to know whether Cabinet has any concerns. It has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with commitment. Are they are concerned about whether the affirmative action policy is being properly implemented in the hiring? Thank you.