Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent visiting from the community of Kimmirut, Mr. Jawlie Mingeriak.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a good friend of mine and also the new Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Elders, for the new Government of Nunavut, Mr. Peter Ernerk. Mr. Picco informs me that Mr. Ernerk is one of his new constituents. Thank you.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to recognize Rhoda Perkison, a former deputy clerk of the House.

--Applause

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The dollars assigned to the major highways initiatives are coming from the supplementary appropriations.

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

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like some clarity. Is my honourable colleague talking about the road's strategy or is he talking about the P3 projects that we have all been discussing since early January? If he can give me some clarity, then I can give him an answer.

Mr. Ootes. Your supplementary.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important to step back a little bit and give some history here so everybody understands the issue. I had spoken to the committee at length, at which Mr. Ootes, of course, is a Member. I believe he was at one of the meetings, if my memory serves me correctly, and I will go back and check that. I indicated then that in our budget statement of January we will move forward on some P3 projects. We also indicated that we were going to try to bring forward some new monies for the desperate need in the housing program and that the reallocation of some of the capital projects into P3 projects will be put toward the development of the new housing initiative. That was clear at the time, I have spoken on a number of occasions about that issue and it was understood. I then sent a letter on March 9, 1998, to Mr. Erasmus, Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Government Operations, outlining the criteria for P3 and outlining a list of potential projects that the deputy ministers had allocated and where they thought they would get the best cost recovery based on the criteria that were set for P3.

I then received a letter from the standing committee and followed up with a further letter on March 23, 1998, to all Members of the Legislative Assembly, including Mr. Ootes. On April 16, 1998, based on the request from Mr. Ootes with respect to P3 meeting all the criteria and all the questions he asked in the House, the projects, I then sent him a ten-page correspondence outlining what was occurring and why it was occurring. Mr. Speaker, just give me a moment because it goes on and on and on. Maybe my honourable colleague forgot to read his mail. On April 28, 1998, he then wrote to me again. Mr. Speaker, if the honourable colleague has read his mail, he has obviously not read it properly because we have answered the questions and that is the point I am trying to make here. On May 6, 1998, we also wrote all the Members and I specifically wrote to all the Members with respect to the P3 projects prior to any official public release of the P3 projects. Then on May 25, 1998, I wrote to Mr. Ootes specifically with respect to the $3.6 million approved in the main estimates and explained to him where the money was going.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Todd.

I will try to keep it simple and I will talk real slow. Mr. Speaker, I said from the very beginning, in which Mr. Ootes was aware of in committee and all the Members were, that we were going to reallocate some of the P3 project money into housing money that is desperately needed right across the Northwest Territories. That was explained from the very beginning. The P3 projects were identified by the deputy ministers to ensure the government is going to get value for money et cetera. I wrote to the Government Operations Committee, Mr. Erasmus, who I have worked cooperatively with the last two and half years and asked him for input to the P3 projects. I received the response from him. I believe you are a member of that committee or can be a member of that committee if you wish to attend. Give me some input into the projects. I then wrote to each and every Member about the projects prior to the public release. I do not know how else to explain it to my colleagues. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.