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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Premier tell us how long the western Premiers will be visiting the Northwest Territories and what type of time they will have available to meet with other MLAs, the business community, Association of Municipalities and so forth? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premiers arrive, I believe, on a Friday and the conference is over on a Saturday. It is usually a two-day conference. We are sending out invitations. The Northwest Territories is a host for this conference, so I am trying to make sure it is a Northwest Territories event that includes people from clear across the Northwest Territories, not just the capital city. That is very important. I have sent out invitations already. I believe my wife has sent out invitations as well to all the chiefs' wives. I have sent out invitations to the chiefs, the Metis local presidents, the Dene Nation, the Metis Nation, NTI and mayors. I am sure I forgot some but just about to every elected leader in the Northwest Territories to come to the conference as well as their spouses. We have it organized fairly well. We have the greatest of respect for Darlene Mandeville, who is organizing it. She seems to be doing a very good job, so I am sure it will be a great event, and I am sure northerners will come out and enjoy meeting the western Premiers. This is the first time we are ever hosting a Western Premiers' Conference in the Northwest Territories. It will also be the last time as the Northwest Territories exists today. We will be hosting again in six years. We are on that rotation list. MLAs will be getting invitations as well and feel free to attend. We will not be paying your way or anybody's way. Your wives and husbands will be getting invitations as well. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A final question to the Premier, if I may. I have never had the opportunity to attend one of the meetings of the western Premiers. Could the Premier tell us what type of items would be on the agenda? I would be interested in knowing that so that potentially Members could have some input into the Premier with regard to ideas he could propose? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Intergovernmental Affairs is working with the provincial jurisdictions and the Yukon Territory on developing the agenda. I would prefer at this time to wait until the agenda is developed, to comment on it. I think that is only proper. If Members feel they have any issues they would like to raise, feel free to do that with myself. Let me assure all Members that when I attend these conferences, I will be hosting this conference. The Northwest Territories agenda will be on the agenda at every opportunity I have. We also will have national press in Yellowknife for 48 hours, so we have to take every opportunity to capitalize on that as well. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister in charge of the Liquor Licensing Board and Liquor Taxing. What discussions have taken place for a separate liquor licensing board and liquor tax collecting after March 31, 1999 in Nunavut? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Todd.

Discussions regarding the Liquor Licensing Board, whether it is from a regulatory perspective or from a taxation perspective, are on the table, as is everything else with respect to division. We are moving along slowly but surely in trying to resolve each and every one of those issues. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut government will not have much at the beginning stages of a revenue stream other than the fiscal grant from the federal government. Mr. Speaker, at the present time, for example, liquor is shipped to the Keewatin and the Kitikmeot region from here in Yellowknife. Presently the NWT levies and collects its taxes on these shipments within this jurisdiction here in Yellowknife. After division, would the liquor be shipped directly from Yellowknife and then taxed by the Western Arctic and then taxed by Nunavut? How would that work? Mr. Todd said they have had some preliminary discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

I would not say it is double taxing. As I said, we are working these issues out. It is all on the table

along with two or three hundred other issues. We will have to come to some appropriate arrangement that permits the acquisition and access to liquor and that the new Nunavut government will be able to tax it. I think if my memory serves me correctly, there were some changes being made to the Nunavut Act that would permit Nunavut to make some changes like taxation on liquor and other things that would occur after April 1, 1999. I do not have a detailed response today because it is currently being discussed. I am sure that we will reach resolve to this issue well before April 1, 1999. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the present time, there is only one Liquor Licensing Board in the Northwest Territories. I think there is only one person from Nunavut on that Liquor Licensing board. The discussions, to date, have been centred around the Liquor Licensing Board and how that would be applicable to Nunavut and how we would have board representation to have that board up and running by April lst. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

The whole issue of agencies, boards and commissions is one that is all encompassing. They are not isolated, whether you talk about the liquor board, the Public Utilities Board, the Labour Standards Board or whatever. The whole issue of boards and how they are going to function in Nunavut is currently under review by the parties at the table. As I said to my honourable colleague, I am optimistic we will reach the appropriate resolve and compromises that are necessary to ensure Nunavut has the ability; one, to regulate its own liquor outlets, if you want; and two, to secure the necessary taxes that do come from liquor, I think, are somewhere in the region of about $30 million a year. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

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