Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome to the Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance, also responsible for division. My question is a follow-up to discussions held recently in Cambridge Bay. It is my understanding that the GNWT, through MACA, will directly or indirectly be involved with the infrastructure arrangements for Nunavut. This will include such areas as site development, water and sewer, et cetera. Can the Minister advise this House whether or not there is a central co-ordinator in place to ensure that all parties are on the same wavelength and in sync? Thank you.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important to point out that we are managing this. Thirty-four million dollars of community infrastructure is required as my honourable colleague said, for rural development pads, et cetera, that will be associated with the decentralized hub of the NIC. While we do not write the cheques, we are assisting federal government in the overall co-ordination of the requirements in these communities and it is my understanding that my colleague, the honourable Manitok Thompson's deputy minister chairs a co-ordinating committee to do exactly that. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the proposed infrastructure and promised jobs for the smaller communities like Arviat and Baker Lake, it will be necessary to have the majority of the infrastructure in place prior to 1999. Mr. Speaker, in order for these proposed jobs to become a reality, there has been a commitment by the federal Minister to spend millions of dollars on various construction projects. Can the Minister confirm whether or not there is policy in place as to how these projects or contracts will be tender? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important to indicate, as I have on a number of occasions, that the responsibility for the development of the infrastructure of office space, housing, et cetera, lies with the federal Department of Public Works through DIAND and our partners in division, NTI. We have a limited involvement in that. It is almost marginalized. We do not have, at this time, any indication as to how they are going to go about the construction phase of it. We understand it and are sympathetic that the ultimate ownership of the assets on the ground will be owned and operated by NTI. On the actual construction and the rules of engagement, as to how that construction is going to go about, whether it will be public tendered, whether it will be negotiated, whether all northern businesses will have access to it, whether some of our northern preference policies are included, we are not aware to what degree and how the NTI and the federal government are going to go about building this infrastructure. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Minister can understand that there are a number of small contractors in the operative communities that are awaiting the word as to exactly how these contracts will be awarded. I would ask the Minister if he could contact the responsible parties and get a message back to the Members prior to the House reconvening again? Possibly he could write to us over the next two weeks and let us know? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have seen some of the federal time lines and NTI time lines as they relate to infrastructure development. It is my understanding that there is a desire, understandably so, to get moving on this in 1997 and 1998. I would be only too happy to, through the Nunavut Secretariat, communicate with the federal government and ask them for clarity and clarification as to how this infrastructure is going to be built, by whom, and what the rules of engagement are and will communicate directly with all Members of the House. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the Cambridge Bay meeting, Minister Irwin acknowledged that the infrastructure would be forthcoming and he was somewhat vague about the timing of it. Has Mr. Todd had any word from the federal department or the federal Minister as to the scheduling of the infrastructure? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have an updated time line schedule of the infrastructure. With his concurrence, I will add that to the communique that we will have with the federal government next week. We will try to get an update on the time lines and what the rules and regulations are going to be with respect to the construction itself. Thank you.

Thank you. We are still on oral questions. Mr. Krutko is next and we will break until 1:30.

-- Break

The House will come back to order. We are in question period. Mr. Krutko.

The Premier, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Previously, the way of tendering in the Government of the Northwest Territories saw many outside and southern companies coming into your communities and leaving after the capital projects were done. I could use my community for an example. Prior to becoming an MLA, we had a capital project in our community of a little over $1 million for the building of a bridge. After everything shook out of the wash, less than one percent of those capital dollars were spent in my community. After that, we started negotiating contracts, not only in the communities that I represent, but many communities throughout the Northwest Territories. We saw, at that time, more dollars were left in the community. People had a tendency to train people in the community so they hired local people. They also learned how to run contracts, learned to administer contracts and we have seen more stay at the community level and at the regional level. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.