Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is consistent with all other jurisdictions as I indicated, across the country and including the federal government. We want to try to work toward putting together a financial assistance package. There are negotiations ongoing in trying to rectify that and reach a suitable solution, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a concern. It is a national story. The Minister was at the meetings, so it is quite informative to be able to get first-hand information from him. I want to follow up on my earlier two questions in this area. Could the Minister tell us how many people, indeed, in the Northwest Territories would fall under the Hepatitis C package, that hopefully, is underway in negotiations?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our jurisdiction has had very limited exposure in respect to actual individuals who may be impacted as a result of this. I do not have the specific numbers but it is very small. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of days of following on the heels of that meeting, several of the Minister's provincial and territorial counterparts have made statements concerning this issue. Would the Minister be making a statement or any type of declaration on this position, on the Hepatitis C, from the Government of the NWT?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will not be making a specific one. There is one done jointly by federal/provincial/territorial Ministers. There was a communique outlined over the last two days, but there was one Monday evening for the provincial/territorial Ministers and there was one yesterday from the federal/provincial/territorial Ministers which outlines our positions. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd. It is in regard to the pay equity issue and the statement of facts that were advertised in the newspaper under a GNWT banner. I am looking for some clarity, Mr. Speaker, on a statement made where the Minister talks about the $9 million portion of the budget to implement the new Hay Job Evaluation System. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, will the $9 million be paid out as part of the ongoing resolution of this issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I would like to take a couple of minutes to explain, and I think it is important, because it gives everybody clarity about what the offer we put on the table was. There was a $25 million retroactivity offer that is the money that is owed to people from the past. It was calculated based on the Hay and Associates Group that it would be an ongoing cost for our principle service of $9 million. Unless we come to some agreement on the job evaluations, this $9 million would, in fact, not be spent. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on the meetings that were held with the Minister of Health in Ottawa, we were hoping to have some clarity on the issue of federal funding and financing for the two major hospital projects which the federal government has a commitment on the table to help us out with. Could the Minister update us at this time about his meetings with his federal counterpart as to what is happening with this situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the meeting in Toronto that I just returned from, the two main agenda items were the hepatitis C potential financial assistance package and the establishment of a Canadian blood service to take over the responsibilities from the Canadian Red Cross Society. Those were the two major national issues that we had to deal with. I did not have a chance and I would not, quite frankly, bring it up with the federal Minister, the outstanding issue of the Inuvik and Iqaluit hospital financing agreements because there is still work being done at an official level on it. I have indicated in the past and it is coming close to a resolution. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have never had an opportunity to attend one of these ministerial conferences, but I have been at other meetings and I do know that there is a lot of networking that goes on between colleagues. I did understand from the Minister in questioning in this House and with the Hansard review, I think I will be proven correct but he did say he would be talking to his federal counterpart but he did not specifically say at that meeting. Following up on that, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister that indeed, when you are looking at $50 or $60 or $70 million coming from the federal government, it would be a major priority of this government and you would hope they would have some discussion on it. When does the Minister finally think we are going to have some closure on how much money is actually going to come from the federal government on the commitment for the two facilities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is not $60 or $70 million the honourable Member refers to. There is, as I indicated, discussions ongoing with our officials right now and it is coming close to resolution. There is no point, Mr. Speaker, in myself as a Minister speaking to the federal Health Minister unless we cannot resolve this issue at a bureaucratic level. I do not see the need, as I indicated, unless there is a breakdown in negotiations and an impasse which has to be settled politically. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, for clarity purposes, I have a lot of concern in my riding concerning this project and people keep continuing to ask me what the amount and dollar values are. The Minister just said it was not $60 or $70 million, so what is the value? Someone must have an idea. Give us an approximate value of what is being discussed during these ongoing negotiations since 1988 when this agreement was first signed. Thank you.

Mr. Ng.