Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the office space the Government of the Northwest Territories occupies in the capital in Yellowknife is quite substantial. There are spaces that we currently have leased that are surplus. For some time now this department has been trying to put a plan together to look at the requirements of the office space in Yellowknife for the government. It looks at our own spaces, the assets we currently own, as well as looking at privately-owned spaces we lease out. We have made a decision as FMB and Cabinet. I will be making a full statement on that decision once it becomes finalized and signed off. So, I will be making a statement fairly shortly regarding the total package. The Laing Building is part of the total package.

So, in respect to the honourable Member and the specific question he is asking, I would like to say, we have to look at the total office requirement in Yellowknife, including our own spaces and how we are going to manage in the future as we approach division and beyond. Thank you.

Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the Lahm Ridge Tower lease, I would like to go back to a little bit of background, so everybody understands. This lease was established in 1985, for a period of 10 years. It was a 10-year lease. In the fall of 1995, the lease was up. It was during the time when we were downsizing and consolidating and so forth. There was a lot of departmental restructuring going on and the North Slave regional office of Public Works and Services, who is responsible and the superintendent in charge, had then decided not to exercise the extension provision of the ten-year lease, but to continue on a month-to-month basis, which is a routine lease provision.

In late July, 1997 the owners of Lahm Ridge Investment Limited asked the regional superintendent for a ten-year lease extension, which is consistent again with the lease terms. The landlord proposed quite significant reduction in the O and M costs and replaced some of the mechanical and ventilation system which was quite favourable to the department. The regional superintendent then considered if we are going to be moving our tenants out of that office space to another one, we would lose in that regard, in the tenant improvements that were put in there and would have disrupted the tenants. Since two years had already lapsed after the ten years were over, the extension was limited to eight years. Since the extension provisions were part of the existing lease, there was no request for proposal, though it is necessary. So, the regional superintendent reached a verbal agreement with the tenant, Lahm Ridge Investment Limited in the beginning of August. A letter of understanding was signed in August as well and the eight-year extension was signed by the deputy minister and the owners of Lahm Ridge Investment Limited at the end of September. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this case the deputy minister has that authority to extend leases according to lease provisions. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Erasmus. No. I recognize Mr. Roland, Member for Inuvik.

The honourable Minister for MACA, Madame Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Inuvik Utilities Planning Committee will be meeting with my staff at the end of this month, which is this week, early next week. At that time they will be able to inform the committee what the plans are of transferring this initiative to their town council. I do not know the specifics at this time. I do not have the detail in front of me, but I do know my staff will be meeting with the committee in Inuvik early next week or this week. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you. Madame Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to get back with my senior staff and get briefed on this and I will see how fast we can do this initiative. I do not have the details in front of me. I will get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. I have the Member for Baffin Central, Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The hamlet council has to take the initiative to ask for this funding. If this is done this way, then we can make the funds available to the Hamlet of Pangnirtung. The officials in my department will be working closely with the people of Pangnirtung. They have to go through the hamlet council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, before the Premier authorized the appointment of the two Ministers to the Aurora Fund, did the Premier get a legal opinion that the appointments conform and confirm to the conflict of interest guidelines of this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The head of the Executive Council, Mr. Morin.