One of the "critical items" we need to discuss is the Northern Employment Strategy, according to the Ordinary Members' Caucus. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that Cabinet regrets that all Executive Council Members could not be here for the first two days of this session. As Mr. Ootes noted in his statement on behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus, the Premier could not have been expected to shun the other western Premiers by not attending their meeting, but OMC obviously has some concern about the meetings of other Ministers. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ootes' statement noted that only four Ministers were here on Tuesday. So, Mr. Speaker, we have asked to examine the videotapes from that day. Those of us who were here want to know what one Executive Member was doing that made them invisible. If we can figure it out, we may be better able to avoid the questions of Ordinary Members.

Cabinet agrees Mr. Speaker that the work of this House must take priority over other issues and it is only after careful consideration that ministerial travel is approved when the House is in session. In the past such travel has only occurred when issues of importance beyond the constituency level are involved, for instance, meetings with other Premiers or other provincial/territorial Cabinet Ministers or where issues of economic or social importance of wide range will be on the table. Such meetings as the meetings with oil and gas companies and land owners that Mr. Kakfwi attended in Norman Wells to discuss jobs and thereby new taxes for this government. Such meetings as those with the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board in Iqaluit attended by Mr. Ng to discuss devolution of responsibility for social services to one of the largest regions in the Northwest Territories and where he also met with the Canadian Police Chiefs' Association Committee on policing in aboriginal communities.

Mr. Speaker, you can imagine our surprise on finding yesterday during Committee of the Whole when we were scheduled to talk about that and I quote again that "critical item", the Northern Employment Strategy, that the business of this House had to come to a stop when some Members had to attend a previously set meeting with constituents.

-- Shame! Shame!