Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Member can appreciate that these recommendations were received by the department yesterday. There has been no chance to analyze them. I do know, however, that the Chalmers report recommends as well that there we have a detox centre. It is an issue and a gap that we are aware of and we are looking to see how we can address that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I do appreciate that these are only very recent recommendations. I was simply looking for assurance that the Department of Health was taking them seriously. One more question, Mr. Speaker. The suggestion that it be a priority to ensure the number of resident psychiatrists in the NWT is in keeping with the national averages. I am wondering if the Minister can indicate whether or not he is aware if we are at the national average, lower or higher. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, having briefly reviewed the recommendations and the text of some of the recommendations, they indicate in there that we are under the national average so I would accept that. I am not in a position to dispute that. It is a recommendation as well that we would be looking at. 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. I am concerned that we do not have an idea of what the capital expenditure is going to be on the highway system next year with regard to Highway No.8, the Dempster Highway. I am concerned that going through the budgetary review process there was no capital amount set for Highway No.8. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Transportation how soon can we get capital expenditures for Highway No.8 next year so we can assure our constituents that there will be the possibility of employment on this highway next year?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a matter that is being considered as part of the preparation of the 2003-2004 main estimates so it will be considered as we put those estimates together. That will happen over the next month or so. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

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

Mr. Speaker, part of the process of business reviews by the committees, and again review of the main estimates in committee and then in the Legislative Assembly, is to ensure that we are being fair to all regions of the Northwest Territories. Any multi-year contracts that we have are, of course, always subject to the Legislative Assembly here approving the money. Mr. Speaker, as we put these main estimates together then I think there is an opportunity for all MLAs to have input. We take that advice seriously and the final input, of course, is the vote on our budget next year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear that because my concern is, how is it that this government is making these major capital expenditures by way of tying us into these contracts knowing that those finances have been approved through this House. So why is it that that practice is being condoned by Cabinet and this is happening today knowing that those expenditures have not been approved through this House?

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

Mr. Speaker, all of the situations vary a bit. In some cases we are making multi-year commitments because those are the terms under which we accepted the money. For example, in the strategy highway infrastructure program we accept it that way and we make an agreement with the federal government to spend that money accordingly. In other situations we make multi-year commitments in order to enable companies who are going to be doing the work to have time to have their equipment and people in place, and training programs in place and so on. In other situations we make the multi-year commitments because we are able to get a better price by doing it. But the bottom line, Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier is that all of these are subject to Legislative Assembly approval of the budgets in the final analysis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the issues that the Minister touched on such as ensuring that the companies that make the capital investment and also ensuring employment and whatnot, follows across the board on every highway system. Every contractor takes on that responsibility of making these capital investments to purchase equipment to carry out these contracts, so why is it that the Minister is not offering the same treatment to the other contractors in the Northwest Territories who have taken on that major financial risk? What kind of assurance can the Minister give those other contractors that they will not be stuck and hung out to dry with this major capital investment?

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

Mr. Speaker, as we have time I am certainly willing to meet with any contractors and to have my officials in the Department of Transportation do likewise, look at whatever the issues are that they are facing as they either contemplate additional contracts or look at how they may handle one that has been awarded to them. We want to be fair to everyone. If there are instances where someone feels we are not being fair, then I would be happy to review all of those. Mr. Speaker, through our budgeting process that is the best way for us to ensure fair treatment for everyone. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a real problem with the word "fairness". Mr. Speaker, from the information I have received to date with regard to where the expenditures are going to be made in 2003-2004 was Highway No.3 and Highway No.4 with zero dollars in other highway systems. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Transportation, how fair is that to the other highways in the Northwest Territories?