Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I would start off by congratulating the Finance Minister for an excellent job in putting the budget together, and for the first time since we began deliberating, some of the best news that the government has been able to come up with and announcing things like job creation to the tune of 1,000 new jobs, over 1,000 new houses, a balanced budget, et cetera, and the list goes on and on, help for the poor, more money for social assistance, food baskets, et cetera.

I would add that the Finance Minister and his staff have been working literally day and night over the last few weeks putting this together. Although other Members of the Legislative Assembly chose not to recognize that this afternoon, the government certainly does. Part of the approach in the new budget is that the government's new incentives and initiatives will require a good deal of monies from the private sector because a lot of the principals are to lever money from companies, from banks, et cetera to get a lot of these projects off the ground. They are significant amounts of dollars, over the $100 million range. What we had in the audience today were some of the members of the banking community, of the businesses that will be partners with government in delivering all this good news. The banking community and others were asked by the Finance Minister to give some initial reaction today on their first impressions of some of these initiatives, and this is part of the consultation of this discussion that needs to occur to make sure that these initiatives are realized and that things forge ahead. I did not mention shrimp and so forth. The mention of shrimp and so forth, I did not see any. They might have some left over that the Ordinary Members had yesterday over in the Member's lounge, but...

Bravo.

Once again, I think the Minister of Finance has done an excellent job.

--Applause

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. I did not hear a question there, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Miltenberger.

Shame, shame.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I refer the technical part of the answer to the Minister of Finance, I would like to make it clear again that this is not a two-tiered approach. What we have is a partnership arrangement where the government is finally dealing with a balanced budget after many, many sacrifices and cooperation between the Cabinet, other Members of the Legislative Assembly, our staff and all people of the Northwest Territories and that we need to foster and encourage these partnerships. The bankers and businessmen are one but also a significant partner, so are others in the Northwest Territories. If it is okay with you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to refer the rest of the answer to Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Arlooktoo. Mr. Todd.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I hope the bankers are not listening. Quite frankly, after working two years with my colleague, it is disappointing that is what it has amounted to when we come forward and worked hard to put together a budget that is balanced, creative and proactive. There is no two tiered system here. All I am trying to do is bring in the banks who are going to lend the monies to make sure that we get the infrastructure requirements in our communities, and frankly, I am embarrassed at the level of conversation that is going on here right now. Embarrassed. I do not find it amusing one bit.

What we have been providing the banks with for the last two days are technical briefings on where we are going with respect to the new initiatives to reassure them that this government has balanced its budget and has got its fiscal house in order and suddenly talking about shrimps and two-tiered system does nothing to lend credibility to what we are doing here today. It is not a two-tiered system. It was a private discussion between the bankers, what I was introducing, and some of the business community who can speak and enhance and support the policies that we are bringing forward to move us into the new millennium. That is what all this was. If I have offended my colleagues on the other side because they did not get shrimp like they did yesterday, I apologize. We have spent weeks trying to convince bankers that we know what we are doing. I spent weeks trying to ask them to come to the north so they can understand what is going on. We are taking them to BHP tomorrow to show them the kind of magnitude of the projects going on in this country, that it has a future. It is not a two-tiered system. It is not an issue about shrimp. This is an issue about credibility. This is an issue about investment money. This is an issue about encouraging bankers to open their purses and give it to the people that we need to put the infrastructure in place.

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

Mr. Miltenberger, I would like to remind Members that you are allowed the preamble at the beginning of your questions, and then once the question is responded to, then you can ask a supplementary regarding the response. I will remind the Members that I will start applying that rule in the House. Too many times, Members are continuously going on without asking questions at preamble for every time you make a supplementary. It is not allowed. Members should know that. Mr. Miltenberger, your supplementary.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The residents of the Northwest Territories are the people that we serve, and we do not forget that. The significant and important and positive initiatives that the Minister of Finance announced today are directed towards the people of the Northwest Territories, the public. In order to secure those initiatives and to make sure we have the money to pay for them, to lever the money, we require the cooperation and, in some cases, the lending of these monies from the bankers that the Minister of Finance met with today.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the meeting organized by the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services' Board was held last week. Representatives of the victims' group were there, the Gwich'in Tribal Council, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the GNWT through Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Justice. Also the federal government through Department of Indian and Northern Affairs had representation. The Roman Catholic Church and, of course, the regional health and social services' board as I indicated. I do not have the outcome of discussions of the meeting at hand with me. I know, from a GNWT perspective, ourselves, the Department of Justice and Department of Education, Culture and Employment are working together in trying to develop some support mechanisms to provide the necessary support for the victims, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.