Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government is on record already as saying we are very pleased with the appointment of Jane Stewart as Minister of Indian Affairs. We find her very easy to work with, and so far all the meetings that we have had with her, and I have had several in Ottawa as well as up here, she has paid attention to the Northwest Territories. As far as my understanding, Jane Stewart as the Minister of Indian Affairs, comes from the same direction as this government does. She believes that people should be making their own decisions. She believes in a highly decentralized government. She believes that northerners are capable of making their own decisions, and we will work with her to make sure northerners do start making their own decisions on oil, gas and mineral development in the Northwest Territories. We are working to a common goal of putting northerners in charge of northerners. Hopefully, we can do that in a very short order.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have already approached the Minister of Indian Affairs on this issue on devolution, as well as the territorial government taking on more responsibility. Our staff is now working with the Minister's staff, and they have, I believe, hired an outside person to look at evaluating the jobs that are in Ottawa, of transferring those jobs, for example, of mine and oil and gas to Yellowknife, maybe fisheries to Hay River, jobs that are basically being carried out in Ottawa on behalf of the Northwest Territories. We are looking as a first step of doing that and then moving on to the devolution process. The devolution process is also tied in with our constitutional development in the western Arctic. Basically what northerners will have to sit down and decide amongst ourselves is can we work together; can we respect each other and do that for the common good of all northern people? I believe we have the capability of doing that, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully, we will come to a conclusion soon on how we, as northerners, especially in the western Arctic, can develop a paper that lays out the ground rules on how we can work together and manage our own resources. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had met with the Minister prior to Christmas, and I have raised that issue already about support for our mineral industry, oil and gas industry and support in general for development of the Northwest Territories. I also will be, in a very short period, within the next month, signing an MOU with the province of Alberta similar to the one we have signed with the province of Manitoba to get our southern provincial jurisdiction, especially the western jurisdictions, on side with us to help us to convince Ottawa to devolve the rest of the powers to the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Previously we have had all the Premiers in the western provinces in full support of the territorial government's position on devolution, as well as roads to resources, infrastructure for the north so that we can be part of Canada, we can look at developing as the future frontier in this country. We have had that support. That support has come out mostly, Mr. Speaker, in communiqué from western Premiers' conferences. Now we are looking at the next step of actually signing agreements with Alberta as an MOU so that they will come out, in more stronger words, in support of the Northwest Territories. I feel confident that we will be able to accomplish that. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think I had said last fall, after the issues came up in the Baffin and the Keewatin, we recognized that we needed, as a government, as a ministry, to develop monitoring and evaluation units within the department to work with boards and to continually be monitoring the situations at the board level to ensure that those types of problems did not escalate to the point where they would impact on the services and the programs being delivered by the boards. So yes, we recognize that. We have, as I indicated, now finalized the establishment of that unit, I understand, and it will be an ongoing process in providing supports to boards, as well, in the areas, particularly the way I see it some of the recruitment and retention issues and the supports to the staff at the regional board levels. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I recognize the need and we will continue to make efforts along those lines. Thank you.

Thank you. Question period is over. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, replies to the budget address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Antoine.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Leasing the Lahm Ridge Tower. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Todd.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, January 30, 1998 I will move the following motion.

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member from Nahendeh that the Legislative Assembly hereby approves Tabled Document 18-13(5), Formula Financing Agreement. Thank you.

Thank you. Notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Mr. Ootes.