Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, that is quite possible. If a community needs expertise, for example, Yellowknife has many businesses that have a lot of expertise, old-time northerners that are in business, and they may go to work in Lutselk'e or McPherson or wherever to sell their expertise to those communities. As long as they are a northern company, they can benefit from negotiated contracts. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is 100 percent right. I cannot recall, in the past four years, our government negotiating with a company from Yellowknife to carry out a negotiated contract in any other community, or vice versa. It is normally driven by the community. Negotiated contracts have to be driven by the community, not from somebody outside trying to find his way in through a tender process. It has to be driven and supported by the community. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

The Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Member for that excellent question. It is a concern to our government. That is the whole reason we entered into this agreement, a legal, binding agreement with BHP mines. We wanted to ensure that when this development happens in the Northwest Territories, it does benefit Northwest Territories residents as well as Northwest Territories businesses. In that socio-economic agreement, there is a higher percentage of labour when the mine is carrying out its operation than in the construction phase. There is still a percentage of labour that needs to be hired in the Northwest Territories and reside in the Northwest Territories. It is the responsibility of the Minister responsible for RWED to monitor that situation. Not only am I hearing the concern from the honourable Member across the House, I am hearing concerns from other people throughout the Northwest Territories on why they cannot get employment at this new mine that is being created in the Northwest Territories. I will take it upon myself to make sure that when Mr. Kakfwi arrives back in Yellowknife tomorrow, that I will direct him to send in whatever type of people he has to monitor that situation to check for health care cards, NWT driver's licence, and proof of NWT residence. We might as well make sure that everybody understands when we sign an agreement, we will live up to our part, we will honour and will be honourable, but we expect them to do the same, and if not, then they will deal with us. Thank you.

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

Thank you. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have made it very clear from the offset that we support this development, that we as a government will not support a fly over economy, that is fly over us as northerners and bypass us and leave us with nothing in the end. We have been very strong on that issue and will continue to do that. I will make sure that our government and the responsible Minister puts together a plan on how to look in to make sure that our companies and people are benefiting and the mine is being resupplied out of Yellowknife as well. It is our responsibility to do that. We believe strongly we can do that and work with the mining company to do that. This is not going to be another Norman Wells pipeline or Lupin mine, where we do not see a lot of benefits for northerners. Also, we will not allow BHP to pass on their responsibility to their construction companies. Ultimately, BHP mines is the one that signed the socio-economic agreement with us. They are going to be ultimately

responsible, not only for their own company, but for the construction companies that work for them, trucking companies and the rest. We have to hold them responsible to live up to their agreement and we have to be responsible to make sure that our work force is ready to go to work. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as training goes, we do already have a construction training program throughout the Northwest Territories that we implemented approximately three years ago through the Housing Corporation, DPW, Education, and we will continue to do that. We have to work with the mining company and the contractors for apprenticeship programs that are available to the people of the Northwest Territories. I want to make it very clear that we understand that we have to train our people. It is one thing saying to the mining companies, "you hire north, you hire our people," but we have a certain responsibility to make sure our people are ready to go to work. The people themselves, the young people of the Northwest Territories, have a responsibility that you better be on that plane when your time is to go into work. You better be there every time that you are supposed to be there or do not come crying back to us. Our jobs as leaders is to facilitate development and give them the opportunity, but their job is to show up to work and to show up to work on time and produce. We will work with people, we will work with the mining company, we will work with our own people to make this thing happen, but everybody has their own responsibility too. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be directing my question to the Premier. Under the Business Incentive Policy, this morning I realized that an old business - for over ten years - was not registered under the Business Incentive Policy. How is this registration set up? How come this business was not registered under the Business Incentive Policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Mr. Premier.