Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Can I ask the Member for Mackenzie Delta if he can rephrase his question so that only one question comes out of it?

Thank you. I have heard five or six different questions there. I will ask the Member from Mackenzie Delta that he uses his supplementary and his preamble. Would you like to respond, Mr. Arlooktoo?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understand is, in talking to the Chair of the Financial Management Board, that there are between 250 and 300 individuals that fall under the post-employment policy and are regarded as senior officers that are under this policy. I believe the Chair of the Financial Management Board has already committed to researching the types of issues that the Member is requesting. I will bring it up with the Chair of the Financial Management Board to ensure that the numbers that the Member requested are provided to him in a timely manner. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has recently lost a request to stay a ruling on the

environmental reviews that could affect developments of mines in the north and Nunavut, including the diamond mines. I guess, the federal Court of Appeal ruled on November 23rd that the Sun Pine decision, which environmentalists call one of their biggest legal victories, will stand until it is appealed next year. I am wondering, has the Minister for RWED or his department reviewed this serious development? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, industry officials in the mining sector have said that the decision creates uncertainty for billions of dollars in developments from coast to coast to coast. Ottawa and the provinces have said it threatens the hard won intergovernment agreements already in place. I am wondering when the Minister, or his department, would actually have a response to the Sun Pine decision that was made on November 23, 1998, and make that information available to the House and the Members? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Acting Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will refer that question to the Chair of the Financial Management Board. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for not being in the chair. The question is, is there a form, if you want, where you have to tick off whatever the requirements are with respect to when you leave office. To be quite frank, there are so many policies in this government, I would have check on it with Mr. Voytilla. What I can tell you is, because this subject has become such a large issue, and because there is a public confidence component to it, that I have actually written to all the Ministers today and the deputy ministers, asking them to take a hard look at this and see if we can reassess how we can bring about some public confidence and assurances that all employees, not just the one that has been mentioned, are covered.

We also have got an obligation, as I said yesterday, to the collective, but we have also got an obligation to the individual. We are all aware, any of us that have been in business, know the over, I do not know if overbearing is the right word, but there is an enormous influence in terms of how people do business with government because it really is the primary engine of the economy over the last 20 years. That is changing obviously. Certainly, I recognize the seriousness of the issue and, again, repeat, I will have to check with Mr. Voytilla as to what kind of forms there are. If they are available, I will table them in the House tomorrow so that we can have a look at them. I am working as quickly as I can to bring some confidence and some clarity to how we proceed in the future.

Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.