Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not familiar with what type of facility is available in the Dogrib communities in terms of infrastructure and physical space. I am not sure what is available in those communities.

I do know that there are community-based projects in 23 of our communities here in the North and I have to assume that these 23 communities' programs are operated out of facilities. I would have to get back to the Member with respect to what our department has funded or will fund in the future in terms of spaces for these trained workers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it would be my pleasure to travel with the Member once this House is finished and the summer is upon us and we have some time to free up. I would be pleased to travel to the communities in the Member's riding to look at what facilities are available, to discuss with him the number of workers that are being trained, and where they might work out of once they are trained. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Finance. I was rather concerned with what I perceived to be a cavalier response to the Member's question about the hotel tax.

As the Minister states, we cannot be expected to know how much our boards, municipalities, NGOs and people undergoing medical travel actually spend on travel. I am wondering where the accountability is. How can we be sure the boards are not spending their money on popcorn?

-- Laughter

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe they are buying some popcorn, I really do not know.

When we provide a contribution to an organization, we base it on the estimates that they provide. Now if it is a board, there is a set of rules in terms of contributions and grants they have to abide by.

In terms of contributions, for example, to the aboriginal leaders meeting last week, we based that on estimates they provide to us. They hold the meeting and we know how many people were there. We know whether or not the money was misspent. Certainly, there is accountability. When I take it down and try to figure out who stayed in the hotel and how many people stayed in other people's homes because there was not sufficient accommodation, that is where it becomes speculative. I am not being cavalier in saying this. I am just saying that it is difficult to break it down with any accuracy and be able to say that, last week at the aboriginal leaders conference, 'x' number of dollars were spent on accommodation. I just do not have that. What I have is their estimate of what they spent. That is the best I can work at. As I say, I am not trying to be cavalier at all. As I said, I have to work very much on estimates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So when I am an NGO applying for funding and I provide an estimate, does it matter whether or not I actually follow through and make that expenditure? What I am asking, Mr. Speaker, is if, as the Minister has suggested, I have an estimate for a hotel stay and stay at my relative's place, can I turn around and pocket the money? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. That is bordering on hypothetical. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, no, they certainly cannot do something else with the money and pocket it. They have to spend the money for the purpose that is intended. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, assuming they have to spend the money for the purpose intended, I have to assume that the government has a way to track and find out if indeed they are spending the money on that purpose. Can the Minister confirm this?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, I am not sure how to deal with that question, but you may answer it if you wish. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, definitely, if it is a contribution, then there is one way of accounting for that. Contributions allow a fair bit of flexibility, so that is generally how we will fund, as I mentioned, a meeting of aboriginal leaders, a special conference and so on. There, we work on the main proposal that is provided to us and their best estimates.

If their total costs are less than what they had required from us, then they would be expected to reimburse us. If it is done as a grant, then it is completely accountable and they have to provide us with statements of what happened. It depends on how we are giving the money. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My argument is that there has to be accountability. I think this government does know how the funds are spent and can give us some real blue chip information and let us know exactly how much of this tax will be the government taxing itself or its various agencies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. There was no question. That was a comment. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier and it relates to the issue of the Giant Mine pensioners. Mr. Speaker, when I met with some Giant Mine pensioners last month, they confirmed that they thought this government had done a fair bit to help get the issue raised in Ottawa and were hoping we would continue to do that.

I am concerned today that in response to Ms. Lee, the Premier has said that he does not see how this issue can continue to be a priority. I note, Mr. Speaker, that one of the main agencies we deal with here, DIAND, says right now that the well has run dry. They have no more money. Since DIAND was the department that was held out by the Premier and the Minister responsible for Finance as potentially ready to invest in our future and help us ensure that we had Northerners ready to take on the economic opportunities that are just on the horizon, if DIAND will not follow through on a commitment to Giant Mine pensioners, how can we count on them to follow through on the hope that the Premier and the Minister responsible for Finance have led us to believe we should have?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.