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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is the same situation there. We collect maybe $13 million or $14 million a year through alcohol taxes or sale of alcohol products. It is not really a tax. Again, the amount of money that we spend on promotion of responsible living, the prevention of alcohol abuse and FAS/FAE, the other problem that results from alcohol abuse, the amount is much greater than what we collect. It is the same situation with the tobacco tax. I say let us set the priorities as a government and allocate our money accordingly, rather than trying to dedicate money, or we will find ourselves shortchanged in some very important areas. Thank you.

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

I think it is fortunate then that the amount we spend on tourism is not much more than what we will collect with this hotel tax, because we spend so little. I am wondering if the Minister does see a change here or maybe this could be a precedent for future governments.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member that we do spend a lot more, even though it is not a great amount, on tourism than this tax will collect. We have spent roughly $4.5 million on tourism and parks. Are we setting a precedent that is dangerous by doing this? I think we are probably setting a precedent that is dangerous and would be irreversible if we found ourselves not liking this in a few years because it did not achieve the results we were aiming at. I do not think we are setting anything that is dangerous by this one, Mr. Speaker. It may prove to be a real good model for the partnership we want to have with the tourism industry and others who benefit from all the tourism activity that I anticipate that we can generate by working this way with people. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The time for question period has expired, but I will allow Mr. Lafferty's questions to continue until he is finished. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think in previous governments, we embarked on the support for northern manufactured products and northern value adding, that we did it looking at the bigger picture. We have to look at this in the big picture. We have to find a way of diversifying our economy. It is always possible for somebody to make a onetime deal that is cheaper, less expensive. You can go and buy a tank or go buy a window or whatever that is less expensive somewhere else.

In the big picture, looking at the benefits in the northern economy, I am convinced that the support for diversifying our economy is worth it. I would have to see the figures to know that it is costing $40,000 more to build a house using northern manufactured products.

The honourable Member, Mr. Dent, and I visited the fibreglass tank manufacturing facility recently. We were told by the owners that the price of fibre glass tanks is now cheaper in the North than it was several years ago before we had a northern manufacturer. When we did not have northern competition, we were taken advantage of by southern people who could sell us everything. Now we can buy tanks cheaper. We do not notice that in the price because people do not recall what the prices were five or six years ago. I can tell you that happens when we set up our own competitive businesses. We have to look at it in the big picture. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, the policy does not explicitly protect the homeowner from additional costs they might have to pay because we do not know what to compare that to. I am sure anybody can go to the Home Depot in Edmonton and buy something cheaper than they could in the North. There is no way for us to provide that kind of protection. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is certainly something we can take into consideration as we do the review of the Business Incentive Policy. We do not want to see northern people having to suffer inordinate amounts just because of the policy. Yes, we can do that.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The time for question period is over. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a written question to the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Northwest Territories Business Incentive Policy in support for northern manufacturers acknowledges the government's initiatives in other jurisdictions, such as Alaska, to increase trade investment. We need to ensure northern businesses are accessing and encouraged to participate in those inter-jurisdictional ventures. Can the Minister:

1. Provide a list of northern suppliers and manufacturers, including sub-contractors, that were used in the recent sale of a seniors' complex in Alaska.
2. Discuss the need for enforcement and accountability programs that are in place to ensure northern manufacturers and suppliers and support services will be used in future trade transactions in other jurisdictions.
3. Provide me with a contract report that will provide:
4. a) a total value of contracts;
5. b) a list of northern businesses that were used in the contracts; and
6. c) the amount of revenue generated from each of the listed northern businesses using contractors for every transaction made by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation outside of the Northwest Territories in the past five years.
4. Provide me with information showing whether or not the government's Business Incentive Policy infringes upon the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question today for the Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services. One of my constituents, Douglas Anderson, is trying to obtain information about the reason he was taken from his family and into the care of the government when he was a young person living with his family in Eskimo Point, or Arviat in Nunavut as it is known today. I should note the department has already provided certain information under the Access to Information Act. In spite of this, Mr. Anderson still believes some key information is not available regarding the reasons he was taken from his family.

My written question is: will the Minister of Health and Social Services have any further information or reports concerning the reasons Mr. Anderson was taken from his family and into the care of the government, particularly as noted in, but not limited to correspondence of January 12, 2000, from the department to Mr. Anderson? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Honourable Jane Groenewegen, Minister of Health and Social Services. Further to my oral questions in committee of the whole regarding palliative care in the North, I am requesting a response in addressing the following written questions:

1. Recognizing the demand for palliative care facilities and the need for alternative care will surely increase over the years, I would be interested in receiving the statistics relating to the number of deaths per year due to a terminal illness and deaths resulting from palliative care patients.
2. Could you provide a breakdown as to whether the deaths occurred within a hospital, other facilities or a home setting? If these figures are readily available for the past five years, I believe they would confirm an increased need for palliative care services, especially for seniors.
3. A cost analysis for palliative care for the terminally ill, including a breakdown of the hours of care required to provide service by physicians and nurses, as well as the additional costs incurred for other hospital services.
4. What is the number of current hospital beds allocated at Stanton to accommodate the needs of the terminally ill or those requiring palliative care?

Thank you for addressing the above questions. I look forward to your timely response so I may reply to my constituent regarding these issues. Thank you.