Thank you. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. It is also in relation to the pay equity issue. Mr. Speaker, I would not like to see the west get stuck with the total bill in this issue if this matter is not resolved before division. For that matter, I would like to know if we have some type of plan in place to ensure that if this pay equity issue is not resolved before division, that there is a way to split the costs equitably between the two new territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am still the Minister of Finance for the territories and I think that I have to approach it in that light. I appreciate what my colleague is saying about his concern in terms of the future. We do not at this time recognize in terms on the fiscal side on the balance sheets any expenditures with respect to pay equity, to be very frank with you. I think that there is a huge disparity between our position and the UNW's as it relates to the cost and some of the conditions attached to it. I think that it is too early right now in the process to determine how that is all going to unfold. I know this much. If it is identified in the coming months as a liability and it is not right now because we do not view it that way, then we will have to work out some arrangement with respects to the asset/liability side of how we are doing things. That has to be fair and equitable, but at the end of the day, I would hope as Mr. Miltenberger asked me earlier today that we would be able to come to an arrangement that was affordable, was equitable and at the end of the day was fair to our employees because we want to keep these employees rather than have to lay them off in the future if we have any major fiscal catastrophes. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly why I am concerned because it is not now recognized as a liability. If it is not recognized as a liability, then we need some assurances that the west is not going to be stuck with the total bill in the future. Will the Finance Minister commit to ensuring that there is some method to ensure that if it does become a liability, that the east will pay its fair share, as well as the west? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Some Members can treat this issue in jest. I treat it very seriously. They are some of the same Members that want their cake and eat it too. I want to assure my colleague, the intent of this government is to try and resolve. As I said in the earlier questioning, there has to be some affordability. When people come to the table, they have to understand that. If there is no agreement to be reached, which is a distinct possibility if we get into litigation, we can be at this for the next three or four years at a cost, I am told, at least to us, of around a million dollars a year. Heaven knows what it is going to be to the others. It would seem to me, common sense should prevail. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with this government, or future governments. If common sense prevails and all parties come to the table and deal with this thing in an equitable, affordable manner, I am convinced we can make a deal, an arrangement, or come to some conclusion on the issue. If we do not, I will have to address that issue carefully, present it to the Division Committee and the Cabinet, and it will have to be part and parcel of our overall division plan, as it relates to assets and liabilities. Thank you.

Thank you. I keep reminding Members that every Member is entitled to receive the same information of the question and the answer. We happen to have one unilingual Member here that is receiving your translation to the interpretation. I would again like to remind each and every one of you to pause in between questions and answers for the

benefit of the Member from Amittuq. Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi. A couple of months the Minister had informed this House of a conference which took place in Inuvik regarding the Protected Area Strategy. I was wondering if the Minister would give this House an update on the workings of that particular group and where they are at today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Mr. Kakfwi, are you taking the question as notice?

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. The Member for High Arctic, Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Public Works and Services. I have a short story before I ask the question. Last year, in Arctic Bay, we had a problem with a freezer and it seems that the problem has risen again. The community freezer is used for muktuk and other country food and I would like to know what is happening to repair the freezer? (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure if this is one of my responsibilities as a Minister of DPW. The freezer in Arctic Bay needs to be maintained and I will be working with the other Ministers to try to correct this matter because the freezer needs to be repaired. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you. (Translation ends) Oral questions, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been quite amused over the last couple of days concerning the questions regarding pay equity because two months ago I had asked the Minister of Finance about sitting down with our partners, the UNW, and trying to reach a negotiated settlement on the outstanding issue. At that time there was no indication from the Minister that he was willing to do that. I guess something has happened over the past two months to change the Minister's mind.

My question to the Minster of Finance is, what has happened now that the Minister is going to sit down or is making this magnanimous offer to sit down with the UNW and try to negotiate a settlement? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The chairman for FMB, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nothing. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has said nothing has happened. Why, two months ago, was he not willing to sit down the UNW, when I asked him in this House as recorded in the Hansard when I said it in my Member's statement? Does it look like now, with the jurisdictional issue with the Supreme Court of Canada is going against this government and our liability will get to the point - it does not matter if we do not have the money, in my mind. The reality is, if you are wrong and we have to pay, we have to pay. We have to come up with it. That is why the Auditor General for Canada and the auditor general's report has asked for a reference to be made to the liability issue. My question to the Minster, is that the format from this government? Is that, indeed, it may go against us? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.