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.