Thank you. Mr. O'Brien, could you repeat the question?

Mr. Speaker, my question was, regarding the

proposed economic strategy for the GNWT, will the Minister confirm whether or not the new Department of Sustainable Development for Nunavut will be involved in this particular study and review?

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, my apologies. Mr. Speaker, my understanding of what is going on in Nunavut is there is a collaborative effort of a number of parties in Nunavut right now looking at an economic strategy for the new Nunavut territory. NTI, GNWT, the Interim Commissioner's Office through Ms. Catherine Trumper's office, et cetera, are all intimately involved in that. The current and the future Departments of RWED are involved in this process. It has been undertaken along with some private sector people, I believe, through the Nunavut Chamber of Commerce, et cetera, are involved in this process of developing an economic strategy for the Nunavut area. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister indicated, I believe, the costs produced by sub-contractors, can the Minister tell the House actually who the sub-contractors will be, if any, for the Nunavut portion of the study?

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That has been done by this other group through this collaborative effort headed up by the groups I mentioned: NTI, Interim Commissioner's Office, GNWT and the new Department of RWED under the Interim Commissioner's Office. My understanding is that they are moving on their own on this issue. We are providing for them all the information they require and all the statistical information they require and I am not aware at this time what consultants they have hired to work with them on this issue. Thank you.

Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be able to tell the House exactly what the Nunavut costs of the study will be? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

I do not know, Mr. Speaker. I said already that there is a reticence, if you want, on the part of Nunavut. We are intimately involved in what we are doing and what they are doing is their own separate study in which we are a partner in. We are not heading up that study, that is being done through a collaborative effort of all the parties, including the Nunavut Chamber of Commerce, I believe. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister had indicated that he had spoken to a number of parties and invited various individuals, business people, into Yellowknife to discuss the parameters of this particular study. Can the Minister indicate who was requested or invited to come in from the Nunavut region?

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to remind my colleague that this was an informal discussion that I asked for to get a general feeling of whether we are heading in the right direction. As a matter of fact, I did ask Mr. Bob Leonard from Arviat, from his riding, a man that I have a lot of respect for the advice and guidance he has given me over the years, along with a member from the Kivalik Partners. However, unfortunately, both parties chose, for a variety of reasons, not to attend. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Minister for FMB, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the question raised by my honourable colleague. I think I, along with my honourable colleague, Mr. Ng, and everybody at this table understands the urgent need to find a solution to the recruitment of nurses. One part of that recruitment, and there is only one part of it, is in the compensation that that profession receives.

In our Hay Plan Job Evaluation system we recognized that was one particular profession that was underpaid and it would be our intention, assuming we can get a collective agreement signed off and get agreement on pay equity, provide the nurses with a renewed fiscal rewards for the jobs that they have. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, should we be successful in ever getting this to our membership, which I hope we will in the coming weeks, I believe community nurses salaries increase somewhere in the range of $10,000 to $12,000 on an annual basis and that is on salary alone, never mind the additional increases in northern allowance and the natural two percent increase, et cetera. It is a significant increase and I think it is only one part of the issue which Mr. Ng is trying to address, but it certainly is an issue that would enhance the take home pay of our nursing fraternity at the community level.

I think the other important issue here, and I have said this consistently and I mean it sincerely, if we get pay equity signed off it could be as much as $30,000 before tax money retroactively for nurses who have spent a long time in this part of the country. There is a concerted effort on our part to compensate people for the work in which they have performed and fortunately community based nurses get a significant increase should we be able to get the UNW to ever get this issue brought to the people to vote on it. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Well, I believe, Mr. Speaker, that is, in fact, what we have done. I think when we did the Hay Plan Job Evaluation System it was clearly recognized that some professions were, if you want, out of whack with their responsibilities that they have. There was a genuine effort made to try to bring about a more balanced approach to the way in which we compensate our staff based upon the responsibilities they have. As I said to Mr. Steen's earlier question, there is a significant increase in the annual salaries of community based nurses should we get an agreement signed off both in the collective side of things and on the pay equity end of things.

I would like to caution everybody about reading a statement on March 31, 1999 as it relates to surpluses, et cetera. I have already said in this House, and I will say again, that when I know exactly what the anticipated surplus is going to be and when I know we have paid down the accumulated debt and we are going to balance the budget, I will be only too happy to provide that to all the Members as I will to the Premier and to my Cabinet colleagues. I think it is a little early at this stage of the game to suggest the level of surplus that we are going to have. Clearly, if there is one, we will have to analyze, listen to what has been said in this House and try to target the areas where the monies should be spent. I cannot intervene in the collective bargaining process. I believe the offer, and I am going to say again and I will say it until March 31st if I cannot get an arrangement, that the offer that we have put on the table is a good one. It puts significant new money in the hands of our employees and the UNW has an obligation and responsibility to let the membership vote on this important issue.