Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, most definitely so. As we know, we are trying to cultivate, develop a northern-based workforce particularly in the nurse area. So, yes, I will check into that to make sure there are no problems in there. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to shoot the puck but I cannot this morning. So, what I would say to my honourable colleague is that this is recognized, clearly recognized. We are at the bargaining table as we speak, I think, yesterday. It is on the table, I believe, and I am optimistic that we will come to a satisfactory arrangement with

the UNW to accommodate those workers who Mr. Roland so eloquently and frequently speaks about. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Todd.

I would like to be able to say unequivocally today that we are going to resolve the problem, but I cannot circumvent the current discussions that are underway between the negotiators for ourselves and the UNW. I am sort of hoping that we can come to an agreement on all issues with respect to the collective agreement by the end of March. That we will be able to as much as possible satisfy those workers who Mr. Roland frequently talks about. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

The Minister of the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Two things, I have to say first of all. First of all, as the Minister of Finance, I was the one who said bring the parties to the table to try to reach what I call a negotiated settlement.

Hear! Hear!

I do not think that other people should be making those kinds of decisions for us. I have also said clearly on numerous occasions it has to be affordable. I am not prepared to recommend to this House and my Cabinet colleagues that we layoff any more staff or we cut any more programs. So affordability is the issue. Yes, if we come to a reasonable settlement that is affordable, it will be new dollars in the hands of northerners, but it will also be a substantial amount of money in the hands of former government employees who no longer live in the Northwest Territories.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I was recently happy with the comments that the Minister made. I am a little bit concerned just on his last comment. I would like to have some clarification. The Minister alluded to a large percentage, and maybe he can clarify that, of this money not going to residents of the Northwest Territories. Could he maybe, if his department officials have some numbers, say what percentage of this money will be in the Northwest Territories as opposed to outside of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Well, we are doing a number of research right now to determine what we think that will be. I can say that a substantial portion of the retroactive payments could end up with employees who are no longer GNWT employees and are no longer in the north, and that the current NWT residents will be paying the bill. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would appreciate if the Minister might have or his officials must have a better breakdown, and I would like if the Minister would make those numbers available to the people of the territories so we can better understand a lot more about this issue. I have very definite concerns if we have asked the residents of the Northwest Territories to take hits for the last two years as Mr. Roland talked about this morning about the stick handling to be done. I would certainly wonder how the Finance Minister of the government can stick handle around that when we have asked the residents of the territories for the last two years to

endure these cuts, to potentially ask them again to take more cuts. So, will the Minister commit to providing those percentages of monies that would be made available to the residents of the Northwest Territories and the percentage that would be going outside of the territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Well, as I said, Mr. Speaker, I do not conclude the negotiations. I understand where my colleague is going with this questioning and frankly I agree with him, but I cannot determine what the dollar value will be if that is under negotiation. What I can determine and what we are trying to determine, on the retroactively side, is how many people are no longer territorial residents and are living in the south. I will have to check with my deputy minister to see if that is not privileged information. If it is not, I would be prepared to provide that to the public and to my colleagues here in the House because I think it has serious consequences if we cannot come to, and I stress if, and I am confident that we can come to a negotiated affordable settlement.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.