Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs as we do our work, we need additional help from time to time and we secure the services of different individuals. We have used Mr. James Ross' services in the past for different occasions and we will continue to do that. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

The Deputy Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is not directly involved with the Commissioner's Award, but because of our contacts and the people we work with, we have assisted others in going through the Awards Committee in doing the necessary research and the arrangements, et cetera. I will assist the Member in making the contacts and making sure that the Awards Committee is well aware of the wish of the Member. Also, I will ask Mr. Tony Whitford, who helps coordinate these awards, to talk to the Member in making the arrangements. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the FMBS, Mr. Todd. It is in reference to the P3 projects in Nunavut. Could the Minister give us a brief update as to where these projects stand as of this date?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as my honourable colleague knows, the projects have been identified that we think can go forward as potential P3 projects, everything from hospitals to water reservoirs in Fort McPherson. The departments are moving as quickly as they can to either get them to RFP or RFQ depending on the size of the project. We are optimistic that we can get some of them on the ground this year. We are running out of time, as some would say, in terms of some of the larger projects, but we are optimistic that we will have some of the projects moved forward this spring and summer, probably in the late fall. As I said, we are moving as quickly as we can to bring most of these projects forward through a public tender RFQ and RFP process. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the Interim Commissioner has to sign off these various projects. Could the Minister inform the House as

to what level of signing authority that the Interim Commissioner can sign for? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a protocol agreement with the Interim Commissioner which we signed in relationship to either current contracts that require a continuance, for example, an extension of leases or for any new projects which go beyond April 1, 1999. I think there is a 30-day turn around time in terms of putting Project A out. Let us use my colleague's riding. His interest, for example, would be for the health centre. Let us assume the health centre goes out and an appropriate group of companies or company is selected at the end of July or earlier and there is a fiscal requirement that goes beyond April 1, 1999. We would advise the Interim Commissioner. We would seek his concurrence and proceed with it. There would be a protocol agreement which would have been signed, which allows us to do that. His level of fiscal responsibility, I am not sufficiently knowledgable of that today, but I will look into that and report back to my colleague before the session closes. I can say again that there is a protocol agreement in place which enables us to move forward in a timely and orderly way with the Interim Commissioner's office for commitments in Nunavut that go beyond April 1, 1999. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the recent agreement that was just signed between Health Canada and the GNWT in the last number of weeks, can the Minister tell us if this will in any way impact on the projects that are moving forward in Nunavut?

Mr. Todd.

Theoretically, it should not. As I say, we have a protocol agreement between the Interim Commissioner's office and this current government. We are mandated until April 1, 1999, to continue to expend funds as voted in this House. As I said for the protocol agreement, it should not. There is some concern that is being raised out there with respect to some of the larger projects, in particular, the hospital facilities in Iqaluit. We are talking about Nunavut. I am not anticipating any major problem with this initiative once we get it on the ground and we get proponents coming forward with reasonable proposals. Of course, as I have said in the House the other day to a question raised by Mr. Ootes, that clearly we need to do a cost benefit analysis and it has to be in the interest of the government, both this one and the future governments. It has to be in the fiscal interest that we proceed to these projects. Certainly, that is our intent, and we are trying to move as expeditiously as possible. Hopefully, we will get some of these projects on the ground this year. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just a point of clarification to my earlier question. At what point does the Interim Commissioner sign off these projects? Is it after the total cost is known or prior to?

Mr. Todd.

My understanding of the protocol agreement is that right now, and again, if we use the Arviat Health Care facility, assuming we get successful proposals, we have asked the Interim Commissioner's office, at the bureaucratic level, to be part of our P3 management team, so they will be involved on the front end. We are doing that for obvious reasons. We want to bring them into this important initiative, but secondly, we want to bring them in early so there is no time lapse, that we minimize the time lapse in the decision making. I am optimistic that if, for example, the government of the day receives a proposal on this date, if it is 30 days, to make a decision, that they will be able to make that decision within that 30 day, 15 day or 20 day policy that we have. We will make it in conjunction with the Interim Commissioner's office to expedite early acceptance of the proposal, so we can move forward and get these projects done. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that a final contract offer has now been made to the UNW. Can the Minister of FMBS update this House on this final offer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.