Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear the Minister feels the meeting will have a predictable outcome. I would suggest that if we did not attend meetings with predictable outcomes with the federal government, we would not be going anywhere.

I would suggest that the Minister should be at this meeting. Although she has offered that she will be meeting with Mr. Rock this spring, I really think this is an oversight on the government's part, and a snub. I hope Mrs. Groenewegen will seriously consider my comments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. There was no question there. That was a comment. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, these are important meetings. I hope Mr. Rock will not feel snubbed. We do have a significant delegation there, including someone representing inter-governmental affairs, a senior official of our government, as well as the assistant deputy minister of Health and Social Services, and the senior official responsible for the Northwest Territories relations between our government and other governments.

If Mr. Rock feels snubbed by my absence, I certainly do apologize. I look forward to working with him in the future. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. I rise simply for clarification.

I was listening to the discussion going back and forth and the shameful way that my colleague for Inuvik Boot Lake has been treated in the issue of deferred capital, and how he was blind sided in committee.

I am wondering if the Minister could elaborate. He has gone to great lengths to say that this particular Assembly has somehow instituted unique processes that have prevented him from showing the common courtesy of consulting with Members, letting them know bad news is coming down the pipeline. Could the Minister elaborate on these unique circumstances? It is still not clear to me, as I see this Assembly following on the footsteps of the 13th Assembly with no dramatic change in process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The interim budget is one that is unusual. It usually happens every four years. As I have stated earlier, there is some difference between this one and other interim budgets in previous years. It has been one where money was available, and there may not have been the cuts that had to be considered.

In this particular budget, $10 billion had to be cut from the capital program, which created some problems. It has been a situation where it has come to us on a pressure basis. We have had to deal with some things very quickly. In the course of that, there has been perhaps an omission of communication.

As I mentioned earlier, I apologized to the Member for not communicating with him. Under normal circumstances, I think we would have had a different system. I think that a different system allows us a better communication system to contact and stay in touch with Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. The time for question period has expired. Mr. Miltenberger, you may continue with your supplementaries.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to try to get the history straight here. There were interim appropriations in 1992, 1996, 1999 and the one currently before us. The Minister has taken part in 1996, 1999 and of course this one.

In 1996, there were significant cuts made to the budget. Is the Minister telling us there is more bad news coming now, worse than what we went through in 1996, as a justification for what is transpiring in this House? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what the Member means when he asks if there is more bad news coming. I cannot address that question, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an excuse for what has happened, the Minister is using the fact that this is somehow a unique Assembly, and that somehow the cuts and the financial situation we have somehow precluded him, unlike in any other Assembly, from following the basic steps of working in a consensus style government with other Members.

I am asking him to clarify that. When we compare it to what we went through in 1996, that was far worse than what we are going through today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I have explained the situation to the Member already. I was not a Cabinet Minister back in 1996 or 1999. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. The time for question period has expired. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Honourable Jim Antoine, Minister responsible for the Department of Justice. On review of the contract report for the second quarter year to date of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2000, I would like to request a response to the following question as it relates to the Department of Justice:

For the contracts listed under the Department of Justice, could the Minister provide an explanation as to why the Government of the Northwest Territories spent more than $1.3 million on external legal services during the first half of the fiscal year?

Thank you for your timely response.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, March 31, 2000, I will move the following motion. Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that the Legislative Assembly request the Auditor General of Canada to undertake a comprehensive audit of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, and report thereon to the Legislative Assembly.

And further, that the Legislative Assembly request the Auditor General to complete this comprehensive audit as expeditiously as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 14, notices of motion. The Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, March 31, 2000, I will move the following motion. Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that the Government introduce legislation regarding a human rights act no later than November 30, 2000.