Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) I understand that even after having been in business for about ten years doing contract work, if he is not registered under the Business Incentive Policy, it will be pretty difficult for him to acquire contracts. How long would it take to get an application through the Business Incentive Policy? Thank you. (Translation ends)

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the individual has been contracting for ten years without a Business Incentive Policy, he can continue to contract. It is just that he will not get that 15 percent and five percent assessment on his bids if he was bidding against other people. In the spirit of good government, as we speak right now, Mr. Barnabas, there is a Business Incentive Policy application form being faxed to your constituent. So that is good government, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

-- Applause

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to see a lot of our Members and fellow-Iqaluits are following along the negotiated/sole-sourced contract line of questioning (inaudible). My question is on the Med-Emerg contract, which is a sole-sourced contract. Over the past few weeks, Med-Emerg has been doing consultations in the communities on health care. Can the Minister for Health and Social Services update us on the status of the review?

The Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the professionals have finished their consultations in the communities with different groups and different staff personnel. They have put together a draft strategic plan that they plan on bringing to Yellowknife next week. I have a meeting scheduled with the steering committee members. Ms. Cournoyea from Inuvik, Ms. Hanson from Iqaluit and Mrs. Ehaloak from Cambridge Bay were the other steering committee members along with myself. Next Tuesday, we plan on sitting down with the planning coordinator of the Med-Emerg International Planning Team and go over some of those draft plans, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That was quick work on behalf of the Med-Emerg group. If the draft strategic plan is accepted by Ms. Cournoyea, Ms. Hanson and the other people on the steering committee, what would the process be after that? Thank you.

Can I ask you to rephrase your question, please, you are asking the Minister to guess. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Med-Emerg contract is done in different stages. The first is consultation, the second stage would be the review of the consultation. What will be the next stage after that?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the next stage, after reviewing the draft plan if it were seen as being acceptable, would be to go back and finalize a plan that would be brought back to ourselves, the Department of Health and Social Services, the lead department, some time in April. Subsequent to that, we would formulate a public discussion document from the main points in that plan and take it on a broader scale throughout the Northwest Territories for additional input, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the strategic plan and the terms and conditions that reference the Med-Emerg were tabled in this House so I think the Members are familiar with the contract route. After all this work is done in April, are you ahead of schedule right now or on schedule with the main work contract? Where are we right now with that contract?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would say that we were right on schedule, if not possibly a little bit early. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is the hope of our region and I guess other regions of the territories, that the report will culminate in the facilitation of the building of the two new hospitals as called for in the federal agreement. I wonder if Mr. Ng, at this time, could confirm that indeed at the end of this consultative process, we will be moving forward on the construction? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify, first of all in the federal agreement, there is no agreement to build two new facilities. One new facility was designated in Inuvik and an expansion in Iqaluit. However, I have committed to try to bring on stream a new facility in Iqaluit as well. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, the plan still would be to flush out what needs are there, both facility-wise and program-wise, throughout the Northwest Territories, both east and west from this strategic planning process. After that is done, to try to identify the timing and the financing to allow some additional programs and facilities to proceed, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier in reference to some of the comments and statements that were made earlier, regarding companies like BHP and other major companies that work in the north. Can the Minister advise this House whether or not there is any form of a committee in place that would be monitoring or reviewing the economic spin-off that is or should be taking place in the NWT? Thank you.