Thank you, Mr. Bell. Please be seated. Good afternoon. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from the House today to attend to a personal family matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that effective 5:00 p.m. today, the Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger will take over responsibility for the following portfolios:

• • Minister of Health and Social Services;
• • Minister responsible for the Status of Women;
• • Minister responsible for Seniors; and
• • Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to advise the House and the people of the Northwest Territories about the new security measures that are in effect at airports in the Northwest Territories and across Canada following the shocking events that took place on September 11th in the United States. The new security measures may affect people leaving the Northwest Territories, depending on whether they are travelling domestically within Canada or internationally to the United States and other world destinations.

To be perfectly clear, I should point out that the legal authority for these new security measures is with the federal regulator, Transport Canada. The Department of Transportation operates our territorial airports and, like the air carriers, is subject to the federal jurisdiction.

Security measures apply to all public airports in Canada and vary depending upon the federal classification of the airport. For example, airports such as Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are designated category 1. These airports have regular international flights and have a highly restricted security environment. Yellowknife is a category 2 airport. The controlled security environment is limited to the terminal and apron area immediately in front of the main terminal building. Normal security requirements continue in all other areas of the airport. All other public airports in the NWT are category 3 and normal security measures continue to be applied. Passengers travelling to or from smaller regional and community airports should experience no change in procedures from before September 11th.

For anyone who is not sure of the security requirements where they intend to travel, they would be wise to confirm them with their travel agent or their air carrier beforehand. For passengers traveling from or through Yellowknife to destinations outside of the Northwest Territories, check-in and security screening processes have been modified to require closer passenger and carry-on baggage checks.

At check-in, air carriers are now required to ask specific questions about the contents, packing and custody of the passenger's baggage. Some airlines apply their own security policies as well to insist that passengers show a piece of photo ID. I would strongly recommend that air travelers carry a piece of photo ID with them if at all possible. There has been some inconsistency between different airlines and airports on the question of photo identification. Photo ID is definitely required for travel to the United States and other international destinations. I recommend that travelers obtain a passport as the best form of photo identification. An NWT driver's licence or NWT general identification card is another form of photo identification and can be obtained from GNWT licensing offices. However, they may not be recognized at all locations as surely as a Canadian passport.

Security personnel are required to search carry-on baggage randomly. Passengers may no longer carry certain items on their person or in their carry-on baggage such as any knife or knife-like object, straight razor, scissors, ice skates, tennis racquets or cork screws. The new security measures give security personnel the broad discretion to prohibit any article that may pose a threat. If they are in any doubt, travelers are well advised to put any sharp or pointed objects that they may have in with their checked-in luggage.

Additionally, passengers will be asked to demonstrate that any electronic equipment that they may have in their carry-on baggage is working. As with photo identification, the airlines may have their own policies regarding the size, type and number and content of carry-on bags. Airline policy may also permit passengers to send an article in checked baggage that has been removed by security personnel during a carry-on baggage check. However, items left with security cannot be recovered.

Additional airport security personnel are now stationed at the Yellowknife airport and air carriers must follow enhanced security measures concerning the handling of air cargo coming into and leaving the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the House and the people of the Northwest Territories that the Department of Transportation is committed to working with Transport Canada and the airline industry to maintain public confidence in the safety and security of the northern air transport industry with the least inconvenience and disruption to the travelling public.

I should add, Mr. Speaker, that Transport Canada's inspectors visited the Yellowknife airport on Tuesday, October 16th, and expressed their satisfaction with the way the new security measures have been implemented. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, October 28, 2001, I attended a meeting in Ottawa with the federal Minister of Finance, the Honourable Paul Martin, along with my provincial and territorial colleagues. The meeting was organized in order to allow Finance Ministers to discuss current economic and fiscal situations and to share outlooks in advance of the December federal budget.

We all agreed on the importance of a coordinated federal/provincial/territorial response to current economic and fiscal challenges. Although Mr. Martin did not share any specifics about his budget, we did discuss the revenue impacts of short-term economic conditions and the need to increase spending on security measures. However, all Ministers agreed that Canadians should be reassured that, while the short-term economic outlook is less certain, Canada's economic fundamentals remain sound. Low interest rates, reduced taxes and sound fiscal management are providing a secure base to build economic recovery.

The Northwest Territories is in a particularly fortunate position as our economy has not been impacted to the same extent as other jurisdictions by recent events and our prospects remain very positive.

The current slowdown is expected to have adverse effects on federal, provincial and territorial budgets. However, Ministers agreed that our common goals in addressing fiscal issues should be fiscal stability and economic security.

From the Northwest Territories' perspective, the links between our formula financing revenues and provincial spending and national economic growth mean that while we intend to maintain our overall fiscal strategy, we must exercise caution in how we proceed.

Finance Ministers also discussed the need for federal support for the national health care system. While issues of national security are of top priority in the short run, long-term issues such as health care, including federal transfers, cannot be forgotten. We have agreed to meet again early in the new year to discuss these issues further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, I believe it is important to recognize our many volunteers here in the NWT. The United Nations declared this year as the International Year of Volunteers to recognize the contributions of all volunteers. During this year, we have had many opportunities to recognize the ways that northern volunteers make our communities better places to live.

Recently, I had the opportunity to appear and speak at the Annual Live to Give Volunteer Symposium held in Inuvik on Saturday, October 27th. This was just one of many volunteer recognition events that have been held across the North this year. Many of these events honoured the recipients and nominees of the outstanding volunteer service awards program MACA sponsors.

Personally, my interest in volunteerism goes back some years, thanks to the opportunities I have had while growing up in the Delta. Along the way, I met some very fine people who volunteered for a variety of causes. It was inevitable that I would make volunteerism one of my focal points in the Assembly, along with the achievements, issues and concerns of people, especially the youth. I am delighted to see volunteerism receiving this much attention. It is almost as much as the attention that volunteers give to those they share so much of their precious time to help.

Helping our family, friends and neighbours is a way of life here in the North. Almost every volunteer I have ever met would shun the public spotlight. However, they must all be gratified to see that volunteer work, per se, is receiving the publicity and plaudits it deserves. Hopefully, this will draw others to volunteer. I have yet to meet a volunteer who is not a better, more rounded person because of his or her volunteer work.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleague for Inuvik Boot Lake, Floyd Roland, and myself, I would like to thank the town of Inuvik for taking the time to recognize their 58 volunteer organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Allen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to bring to the attention of the Assembly and give some profile to a very exciting and visionary initiative that has been growing over the summer and the fall, and that is the Back to the Future 2002 Project, Mr. Speaker. I think it is particularly timely to bring this forward. Anybody who may have been watching CBC Television last night would have seen a documentary that was aired on the evolution of the whole pipeline debate in the NWT. The documentary reflected on the positions that were taken in the NWT some 25 years ago and how they have changed.

It is largely from this point of view, Mr. Speaker, that the Back to the Future Project has started. It takes, perhaps from the start, that position and that time that we commonly know as the Berger decision and then sets out to say what has changed, what has progressed, what is different now in the new NWT, Mr. Speaker, and what could we do as a society and as a part of Canada to say what have we become? Where do we want to go and what can we do to demonstrate that not only to ourselves but to our neighbours and to the rest of Canada?

This, I think, is where the idea for the Back to the Future Project is very refreshing and very exciting to me. A personal agenda of mine in the Assembly has been to work on the identity of the new NWT. I think this project will really help to advance that.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories, I am pleased to see, has taken an early and a positive position on the work of this group. It is a society with members from across the Territory. It is going to encompass a number of projects and that will be for the society to announce. I do want to bring profile to it, bring awareness to it and look forward to our government's future involvement in 2002, Mr. Speaker, and beyond. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to discuss the matter of services provided by the court workers of the Northwest Territories and the responsibility they are given, whether it be by policy or by default, because they are the only game in town.

This is a matter of importance for two reasons. Firstly, because we are dealing with people's lives, both the accused and the victim. Secondly, because of the large number of people being processed through the judicial system and each person's right to fair, just and equitable treatment throughout such a process.

Mr. Speaker, in talking with my constituents with the unfortunate experience of being defendants in our legal process, questions have arisen as to the responsibility and expectation one has of court workers in contrast to the qualifications required for the position. I understand a court worker to be a person who should be trained or experienced in the judicial system for the purpose of providing non-legal counselling. This non-legal counselling would include providing the individual with the information or services throughout the judicial process to assist in making an informed decision, dealing with cultural and socio-economic diversities between clients, lawyers and court personnel. I would like to find alternate community-based solutions to the criminal justice system where fielding general questions.

However, Mr. Speaker, although I am aware that these areas are routinely dealt with by the court workers, the court worker may be required to provide these services throughout several communities, some accessible only by air or winter road. When in the communities, these court workers are required to operate out of their hotel rooms or in places that jeopardize the accused or the victim's confidentiality.

Furthermore, the clients tend to wait until the last minute before seeking the services of a court worker, who is then expected to dispense advice or hope on the spot.

Mr. Speaker, the court workers often seek advice from legal services staff members on matters they are not familiar with. This advice may not be always provided in a timely manner because of the workload of the staff lawyers. Clients tend to wait until the last minute prior to seeking advice.

On top of all this, Mr. Speaker, the court workers are being required to act as interpreters or agents for clients, or as defence counsel in matters before the justice of the peace. The question is, do they possess the qualifications and experience to provide such a service?

Your time has expired for your Member's statement, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize the court workers as a valuable community resource and in many instances a first line of communication with the accused or victims. It is apparent that the role of the court worker has expanded in the services provided and the responsibility placed on them. This makes it all the more important to make certain that each court worker possesses the required qualifications for the position and are provided ongoing training and support from staff lawyers and are monitored to ensure that each has a caseload that can be effectively and efficiently managed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have not had an opportunity to speak on what has happened to myself regarding the events we see today, the terror that has come to all of us in the world, especially the United States. Mr. Speaker, life as we know it can change in a split second. As free as we are, yet not knowing when terror will strike, or being in a situation where everything that you know is out of your control. Not knowing what will happen next, not realizing exactly what is happening or how serious the threat is around you.

Mr. Speaker, my experience in Washington D.C. on September 11th has changed my whole view on freedom as we know it. Myself and several northern delegates were in Washington D.C. to celebrate the Wilderness Week in Alaska, which included Mr. Joe Tetlichi, the chairman of the Porcupine Caribou Management Board; Lorraine Peter, the MLA for Old Crow; Chief Joe Linklater, the Gwich'in First Nation Chief; Ken Smith from Inuvik, a youth delegate; and Yukon Member of Parliament Larry Bagnell, along with myself.

We were in Washington on September 11th. That day we had meetings scheduled all day with staff and different senators at their offices. Mr. Speaker, when the word to evacuate was ordered, we were not sure what was meant by evacuate as we had never been put in that situation. It was clear something had definitely happened when you see people running all about, policemen with guns, hearing an F-18 flying over Capitol Hill and realizing on our way out there was a loud bang from which you could feel the ground shake.

Mr. Speaker, that event will always be in my mind. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From there, Mr. Speaker, the decision was made that we, along with my other colleagues from the North, would get together at a hotel where the majority of members were staying. We made our phone calls, tried to figure out what was happening. We called the Canadian Embassy and were told to stay put at the hotel for a couple of hours until things settled down. From there, we were told to go to the Canadian Embassy where we had an opportunity to be briefed by the Ambassador.

It was an eerie feeling sitting in the Ambassador's office with all the shades closed in case there was an explosion and the glass blew inward. At that point we were assured by the Ambassador that everything was well in regard to the Canadian citizens and they were going to work on getting us out. Knowing that there was no means of transportation, all airlines were closed, the transportation system, buses and trains were all shut down.

Mr. Speaker, from there we spent a couple of days at our hotels doing what everyone else was doing, being glued to the television wondering what was going to happen next. Through the efforts of the Member of Parliament from the Yukon, he managed to get the northern delegates on a Canadian bus that was chartered from Ottawa to Washington to pick up other Canadian citizens who were there at a health conference at Georgetown University.

From there, we took the long ride back to Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, there was a loud cheer as we crossed the Canadian border, realizing we were home. Regardless, Mr. Speaker, are we really home? Knowing that the threat is not a threat only to the United States, but a threat to what we are as Canadians. I believe we have to take the time to realize how important life is, realizing we are under threat. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent of mine, Denise Burlingame, an official with BHP here in Yellowknife.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize Denise. I worked with her a lot on BHP issues and I have always appreciated the relationship. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you. Any further recognitions of visitors in the gallery? The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Speaker, I believe he is still there. I would like to recognize Vern Jones, the executive director of the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre in Hay River.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the Legislative Assembly, members of the media and visitors from the public. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions at this time will be directed to the Minister responsible for Transportation. In his Minister's statement, he spoke of new security measures at NWT airports. My question is in the area of security at airports here in the NWT. I will use my community as a specific example.

Mr. Speaker, the same jet that flies into Yellowknife and brings passengers here then continues on to Norman Wells, then up to Inuvik. It then returns from Inuvik, Norman Wells and then here to Yellowknife and then back south.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know, why is it that passengers who get on the same plane that comes here to Yellowknife and further south, in Inuvik or Norman Wells, specifically Inuvik, then have to come off the plane here, take all their carry-on luggage back out and go through security in Yellowknife? Why is it only in Yellowknife and you do not have those measures at other major airports? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that is a measure put in place by the airlines and not by the department or Transport Canada.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the passenger screening and so on, for example, occurs here in Yellowknife at the airline's discretion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, I missed that question.

Mr. Roland, if you would just repeat the question for the honourable Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us that the passenger screening that occurs here at the Yellowknife airport is at the discretion of the airlines? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Speaker, I will take that question as notice.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The question is for the honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had some initial discussions with many communities. Although it is a costly undertaking, we are still looking at some feasibility studies. Nothing has been determined to date and we will continue to work in that perspective. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are currently finishing up some work on the technical details. I cannot give him a firm date, but it is an ongoing task and we will continue to work to finalize those details. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we will work with the Member to set out the scope of work that he feels is required to finalize the report and we will continue to keep him advised accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Transportation, regarding a contract that was let by the Town of Inuvik to access the gravel pit in the Inuvik airport. There was a letter sent to the Minister from the mayor on August 8th. Along with that, as part of the contract, there was a request from the Department of Transportation to also consider crushing 10,000 cubic metres of stockpile into supply for the Inuvik airport.

Mr. Speaker, a phone call was received by the Minister. I quote:

In questioning the Minister, along with the deputy minister of Transportation, in the area of the status of a tender, we were told by the Minister: "Bob called me at home last night and I will not compete against it with Bob."

I would like to ask the Minister, what was meant by "I will not compete against Bob?"

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The question is directed to the Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen. The Chair is having a bit of difficulty with it because you are quoting from a document that I am not sure whether the honourable Minister has. If the honourable Minister knows about the subject, perhaps you may wish to respond. Minister Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not clear which document he is quoting from either so I will take the question as notice.

Thank you. The honourable Minister has taken the question as notice.

-- Interjection

Minister Steen, the Chair thought he heard you were taking this question as notice. Are you taking the question as notice?

That is correct, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs a question along the same lines as my colleague, Mr. Lafferty, regarding arenas. I wanted to ask the Minister if he could tell me, according to the standards and criteria, what population size does a community have to be to be eligible for an arena? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the question was how large do the communities have to be. I do not think there are any specific requirements. It varies from population to population. I think the dimensions of the rink is determined by population size. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I am not clear on the Minister's answer. He said it varies by population to population. Does that mean all the communities in the Northwest Territories are eligible for arenas? That is my next question for the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope I did not give the wrong impression, although I think there has been a past practice where arenas were allocated to the communities, but again it varies from ice surface sizes. That was the purpose of my answer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is making me use all of my supplementary questions up but I am asking him if, by his answer, does he mean that all the communities of the North qualify for arenas? That was my question and he stated it varies from population to population.

I ask again, what is the criteria for an arena? If he is saying it is population by population, does that mean that everyone qualifies?

The question is, do all communities...Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will clarify my point. Mr. Speaker, previously we allocated arenas based on population and community sizes. I believe that practice has now ceased and we will have to re-evaluate the overall process. I am going to try to get the proper answer back to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I am still not clear on what the Minister is saying. I will ask my final question. Are there any communities in my riding that qualify for arenas and do not currently have one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Mr. Speaker, I am not familiar with each community on whether they do qualify or not so I will provide that detail. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Minister responsible for Finance. In his Minister's statement, he states that from a Northwest Territories perspective, the links between formula financing revenues and provincial spending and national and economic growth mean that while we intend to maintain our overall fiscal strategy, we must exercise caution on how we proceed.

I would like to know from the Minister what caution he is speaking about and are there changes coming to the way we do business as we now know it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, what I am referring to is the economic downturn that we are facing across Canada right now and that we see in the United States as well. The provincial and federal spending as well as the national GDP have a direct impact on our financing formula.

Right now, based on preliminary information, it is looking like we could be seeing somewhere in the neighbourhood of $8 million to $12 million less in revenue from the federal government. That figure is very fluid. It is based on a lot of assumptions and I think it is being analyzed daily across the country. That is the kind of information that we have to work with and we have to exercise some caution in case things continue to worsen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us as to what impact this has on our debt wall? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, every time we lose revenue or spend additional money, it has an impact. Right now, if nothing changed, if things just stayed the way they are right now, we would begin to exceed our borrowing limit, if I can put it that way, some time in 2004-2005. So every time we lose revenue or we spend money faster than we are bringing it in, we move that closer and closer.

A loss of $8 million to $12 million in revenues probably moves that debt wall closer by months and I have not calculated how many it would be, but probably a few months. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well, he mentioned that caution would have to be exercised. What type of caution is he referring to?

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am referring to expenditures, particularly that we have to be very careful on any new investments we may take on. I am particularly concerned about any new costs we assume that have ongoing implications that would mean we are committed to it for multiple years.

What we need to do starting now is look very carefully at any new commitments we make that may have ongoing implications. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister be referring to -- he did talk about new commitments, so initiatives, strategies, those are things that he would be looking to curtail? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I think all of those. As I say, I am more concerned about commitments that have ongoing implications, so if we are looking at increasing subsidies on any particular thing we do as a government, then that has an ongoing implication that we do not want to subsidize things that take it away. If we are looking at new capital projects, those we have to look at very carefully.

We are not at the point, Mr. Speaker, where I would want to say no, we have to stop spending or make dramatic changes. I am saying let's stay on with our fiscal strategy but let's keep our ear to the ground and listen to what others are saying and doing, what reaction other provinces are taking and respond accordingly. I do not think, Mr. Speaker, we have reached the point where we have to take any dramatic action at this point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question too is for the Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley, as a bit of a follow up to my colleague, Mr. Roland. We all know it is depressing news that the Canadian dollar is on a slide. It is at an all-time low. As of an hour ago, it was at 62.76 cents, a drop of about a quarter of a cent of yesterday's record low close.

My question is, Mr. Speaker, what impact does the low Canadian dollar have on the economy and business in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the immediate impact is, in terms of industry, it is to their advantage in many ways to have a lower Canadian dollar because the price of our products, which are mined or harvested using Canadian labour and Canadian products that are offered in Canadian dollars, is relatively less compared to where they may be selling it. There is a short-term advantage in that sense.

If the Canadian dollar were to stay low and we had to see purchases from outside of the country, or business done outside of the country with other currencies, then it could be a disadvantage.

Overall, a lower Canadian dollar is generally not a big kind of disadvantage to our kind of economy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly our export products would tend to benefit. I am wondering, is there anything here we could take advantage of and look at as an opportunity to potentially continue marketing that advantage to outside buyers? Is there anything we can do in this area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure there are areas where we could take advantage of it. I am not sure if some of the industries that are established, such as mining, for example, can do things that would change or help them in the short term. I do not think they are designed to be able to change their business plan that quickly.

The area that I see immediately as one where we can exploit the advantage of a lower Canadian dollar would be tourism, where we could become an increasingly attractive destination for people from other countries who can take advantage of our low dollar, come here and enjoy the experiences that we have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has really honed in on the area that I was hoping he would. I think this is something that should be encouraged. Mr. Krutko, in his Member's statement, gave us a very real and sobering and personal experience that he has had. I am wondering in the area of tourism, if you will allow me to go this far with my question, Mr. Speaker, where we have perhaps a dual advantage -- good value compared to other currencies and a safe destination. Is this an area that the Minister would consider as a short-term advantage, going out and marketing these NWT advantages? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Certainly they are areas that I hope we can continue to support the industry in. I was recently in Vancouver meeting with a lot of the booking agents for Japanese tourism. Again, exactly those messages, that we have a great natural resource here that tourists enjoy, the aurora borealis, plus the remoteness, plus the peacefulness of the North. We are a safe destination. Second, with the Canadian dollar as low as it is, this is a good buy for tourists anywhere.

I will continue to work with the NWT Arctic Tourism Association. As Members know, they received a considerable increase in their marketing money this year. They were going to go to Europe in the fall. They are now looking at some time in February. Anything we can do to support them in doing that and attracting more tourists here, then I am all in favour of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden. No supplementary? Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in August, there was a contract let, in which the Department of Transportation requested some 10,000 cubic metres and to access the Inuvik airport quarry.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, the contract was issued and then later pulled. Can the Minister explain why the contract was pulled?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have that information in front of me right now. In order to answer the question properly, I am going to have to take it as notice again, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.