Bill 18 is now ready for third reading. Thank you, Mr. Minister, and your witnesses. Since there is no further business for committee of the whole, we will rise and report progress.

Item 20, report of committee of the whole. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you. Do we have a seconder for the motion? The chair recognizes the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Ootes seconds the motion. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? Thank you. The motion is carried. Item 21, third reading of bills. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with third reading of Bill 12, Supplementary Appropriation Act No. 1, 2000-2001. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River south that...

Order, please. Minister Handley, you do not have consent.

I am sorry. I was in a hurry.

It is referred to in racing circuits as a false start. The Member is seeking consent to proceed to third reading of Bill 12. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Minister Handley, you may proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 12, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2000-2001, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 12 has had third reading. Item 21, third reading of bills. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with third reading of Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 5, 1999-2000.

Thank you, Minister Handley. The Minister is seeking consent to proceed with third reading of Bill 18. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have consent, Minister Handley, to proceed.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 5, 1999-2000, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. We have a motion. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? Thank you. The motion is carried. Bill 18 has had third reading. The chair recognizes the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland, on a point of order.

Point of Order

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the fact that earlier this afternoon during question period, Question 293-14(3), I was questioning the Premier regarding the contract. I quote, Mr. Speaker, from unedited Hansard, and his answer to my response was: "The contract says that she is chief of staff and that she is an executive assistant to the Premier and that is the function." It says that "...where there is a reference to the deputy minister, it should read chief of staff instead of DM." Mr. Speaker, my point of order is he was referring to a document that is not before the House, and as I know the rules, that is not permitted. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. At this point, from where I sit, he may or may not have a point of order. I am permitted, as the Speaker, to allow a certain amount of debate on this issue. Does any Member want to speak to this point of order? The Chair recognizes the honourable Member for the Sahtu, Premier Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, during oral questions I believe I had indicated that I was quoting the remarks made by the secretary to Cabinet, Liz Snider, in the remarks she had made earlier to Members of the Legislature in a meeting. I was reading from notes I had made myself on remarks she had made. I was not quoting from a document or from a contract because I have neither in front of me. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any further comments on this? The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Clearly, in the unedited Hansard, the Premier is quoted as saying "the contract says", Mr. Speaker. He did not say, quoting the principle senior staff/deputy minister to Cabinet sort of thing. He clearly states "the contract says" that she is chief of staff, executive assistant for them, Mr. Speaker, so clearly he is referring to a document that is not before the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Is there any further debate? The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Just to emphasize if it was not clear then, it should be clear now that I was not quoting from a document. I was quoting from notes that I had made and I was quoting the deputy minister of the Executive or the secretary to Cabinet, Liz Snider, when she had made remarks, and I was quoting the remarks that she had made earlier during this session to Members of the Legislature. So if it is not clear, it should be clear now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. The Chair recognizes the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lakes, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in this section where the Premier responds to my question, he does not say and I quote, "senior staff said." It is very clear here. It says "...the...". He responds "...the contract says...". He is referring to a specific document, Mr. Speaker, and I think that is very clear. Here in writing, I have raised this issue at the earliest point and, Mr. Speaker, it clearly says "...the contract says...".

Thank you. Okay, I guess at some point, we can go back and forth here. I have heard the debate. I will allow the honourable Member for Sahtu one more comment. Mr. Kakfwi.