Oral questions. Supplementary. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do not as of today have a fall back plan. I guess we have to look at it in the overall context of the whole strategic reform that is underway with the Department of Health and Social Services in the delivery of services to our constituents throughout the Northwest Territories. I think that there is also an issue of the human resources out there and the delivery model for service to our constituents. There are several issues that have to be resolved in reaching a satisfactory delivery model that can work for the whole territories both east and west, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it will be one of the priorities along with the recruitment of all professionals to provide the services throughout the territories. I must say that there is a multitude of important issues that we are faced with as we move towards reforming our health and social services system. It would have to be taken in the context of all the priorities and all the changes that we are going to be moving towards in the next couple of years, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My honourable colleague is correct. When we were doing an indepth cost analysis of the NIC report, Footprints in the Snow 2, it was identified by the bureaucracy that there were some shortcomings with respect to PYs. I believe it was somewhere in the range of about 100 person years that we felt was perhaps missing in the overall framework for the new government that should unfold on April 1, 1999. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last part of my question, how are the staffing problems going to be resolved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Mr. Todd.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As you know, we do have a committee made up of all the players. Earlier last week we did an indepth presentation to Caucus as to the costing exercise. As I said, we did identify some shortcomings. I believe, for example, there were no positions for middle income support. That was perhaps an error. It is not a complaint or a criticism, it is just an error. So, we will be

working with the coordinating committees, the western coalition, NTI, et cetera when we finalize this costing exercise. Those short comings that we have identified as a government will be incorporated into that. Hopefully at the end of the day, as I have said on a consistent basis, we can then move forward to our colleagues in Ottawa and see if they are going to pay the bills. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are constantly updating our political strategy and we are doing so as we speak because we have just gone through, like the Member said, a federal election. We have to make sure that our interests are there. I have great faith in both newly elected MPs from the Northwest Territories to assist and work with us to make sure that we do make ourselves known and present on the national agenda. We, as Cabinet are also very committed to doing the work to make sure that Ottawa fully understands the issues and the concerns of the people of the Northwest Territories, but also understands the great potential the north has to offer Canada. We do have great potential in the Northwest Territories and we are willing and able to share our resources in the north with southern Canada, but we need the tools to do that. We need those tools as soon as possible so that not only all the residents of the north can benefit, but also southern Canadians can benefit. We plan on going to Ottawa as soon as possible to meet with the new Prime Minister as well as the new Minister of Indian Affairs, the Minister of Finance and any other Minister that we feel is important to meet with at this time so that we can present our case and show that we in the Northwest Territories have a lot to offer Canadians and Canada as a country. Thank you.

Oral question. Supplementary. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Morin.

Mr. Speaker, we will be meeting fairly shortly as Cabinet and we will be discussing our strategy as well. It will be a very public presentation that we will be making not only to the Prime Minister and the other elected officials in Ottawa, but also to all people in the Northwest Territories as well as Canadian citizens in general. They have to fully understand that these are exciting times in the Northwest Territories. April 1, 1999, we will be creating two new governments. We will be developing two new formulas for two new governments so we have to make sure they fully understand that. We also have great potential, up and down the Mackenzie Valley as well throughout the Great Slave geological area to create jobs for Canadians, and these are jobs Canadians have said they desperately need. Northerners need them as well. You have seen the unemployment statistics. You have seen the environmental scan of where we sit as the Northwest Territories, not only economically, but socially as well. Everybody has already seen what is happening in the Northwest Territories and fully understands, we just have to go out and communicate it now. And we have to communicate it aggressively as well. Thank you.