Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on the Nunavut leaders' meeting in Iqaluit this past January, I understood that some time in the first two weeks of this month of February the Nunavut Act amendments would have been introduced at the House of Commons. There has been a delay. Does our Premier or Deputy Premier have any information on the situation surrounding those important amendments because of the time line involved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have Mr. Arlooktoo, the Deputy Premier, answer. Thank you.

The Deputy Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The working group that consists of officials from the GNWT, the federal government and the other parties have been working overtime on this issue. The Nunavut Act amendments are seen to be critical in the process and they need to be introduced and passed within the next few months. There has been good progress in most areas of the needed amendments. As I understand it, there are discussions on some final outstanding issues or points which all the parties are working on, in fact, today, and over the weekend, in order to come to a closer consensus on what is required. As far as the timing for our introduction into the House of Commons that is still planned for the next couple months and we are confident that will happen. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the update from the Deputy Premier. We had understood last week the act would have been brought forward in the House of Commons. It is very important the Nunavut Act be introduced to allow for the early elections and other issues which are outlined in the act. Will this government be supporting the passage of that legislation in Ottawa by lobbying or any type of information from Members in the House, going to Ottawa, to support the passage or this government representation on the issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the amendments are to be introduced next week. I am travelling this Sunday, to Ottawa, where I have a meeting on Monday with the federal Minister of Justice, Anne McLellan and the Minister of DIAND, Jane Stewart on this exact issue. One of the options we are looking at is a presentation by Members of this government to the standing committee with the House of Commons to ensure the views of northerners are reflected in the Nunavut Act Amendments and that they are passed on a timely basis. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question would be for the Deputy Premier concerning implementation of the Nunavut land claim. The area is Article 24. There had been some discussion last month. Can the Minister update us on the GNWT's actions to implement Article 24? Thank you.

Deputy Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I told the House before, we had made two actions as a government on the issue of Article 24(1) earlier on in the beginning of our Assembly. We introduced the interim measures to ensure the GNWT was in compliance with Article 24. We have since worked on, approved and made public the final implementation measures for Article 24 and the basis for the basic thrust of that is to ensure beneficiary-owned companies or beneficiaries have a fair chance of competing for and winning government contracts. We are working on that, on an ongoing basis, and we are also working on a report which will outline exactly our

progress in that area detailing what kind of support we have put in toward the work of complying with Article 24 of the Nunavut final land claim agreement. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the interim measures compliance, have they been successful to date, have they been welcomed receptively by the land claim organization, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can only say that the interim and final measures the government introduced, were done in consultation with NTI. We did get an agreement from NTI on the documents before making them public.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Premier mentioned the report on the interim measures. When will that report be coming to the House or when would the Deputy Premier be making that report public?

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things the measures we put forward requires is, not only do we need to take actions to ensure Inuit-owned companies and Inuit themselves have fair chances and do compete and receive the awarding of government contracts. The other part to that is a fairly complicated and detailed reporting plan that the GNWT has had to put together. This includes monthly, biannually and annual reports. I would be pleased to table soon, that portion of the requirements and the reports will be tabled when they are due. Thank you.

Thank you. Question period is over. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it fair then to say because of Article 24, indeed, there have been few, or none at all, negotiated contracts in the Nunavut settlement region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.