Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be directed to the Premier and it follows on the non-portfolio travel. Mr. Speaker, we are aware that the existing home travel allows for 32 trips for Ministers and that allows them, especially out-of-town Ministers, to travel back to their constituency up to 32 times per year.

We also know that as Members of this Legislative Assembly that we are all entitled through our constituency budgets to travel to other locations whether they are in our constituency or other jurisdictions in the Northwest Territories or Canada, as long as we feel it would benefit our constituency and the work we do.

I have a hard time relating to what this non-portfolio travel will allow above and beyond that. What will this non-portfolio travel benefit for, beyond what is already there? Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, Ministers that are elected in Yellowknife, for instance, have no home travel provisions. It has been pointed out they can walk or drive home everyday and walk through their constituency, so it is no great consequence there. It also does not allow for Yellowknife-elected Ministers to attend important functions in and out of the Territory where it is in their interest to attend as Members of the Executive.

I pointed one out earlier, the Great Northern Arts Festival. There are other occasions when Ministers of government should attend functions because it is in the interest of this government that they attend. Sometimes it is in our interest to ensure that their spouses are there, it adds to the charm where there is none. Where there is need for social interaction, social grace, it always enhances it when our spouses attend. That is what it provides for.

It provides for greater enhancement of family, the promotion of family values that the Member believes so strongly in. We do not work ourselves to death on this side at the expense of our family and our children. It does allow for better work, more efficient work by our Ministers and by this government, still staying within the resources allocated presently. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Great Northern Arts Festival is getting so much publicity today. It is a good thing. I refer again to constituency travel which allows for that if Members feel it is appropriate for them to be there. If a Minister is filling in on another Minister's responsibility or request, that department will pay that cost. I have a hard time yet to see who this would actually benefit.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier just stated that he would be doing this within existing resources. Is that correct? Within existing resources?

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

This change in procedures will not cost any more money. There is no additional money added or requested. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the other implications of this be in fact taxable if you are taking your spouse along on a trip? Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, as long as the trip is deemed to be on government business and duty travel, travel that is appropriate for a Minister to do under these procedures and it falls in the model of the House of Commons policy, I believe that would not apply. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know if that interpretation then falls over all of the Members of the Assembly? If we are going to adopt the translation of the federal government and the interpretation of the taxable benefit, is that going to impact on all Members of this Assembly when it comes to travel of this government? Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would have to work with Mr. Hamilton to ascertain that. All I know is that Ministers like myself, when I wish to travel home to my constituency, I should not be burdened with the costs any more than a Minister from Yellowknife should to go home and see my constituents.

This is what I think we have achieved. We have also achieved that Ministers elected from the community of Yellowknife can attend important functions. Again, I use the Great Northern Arts Festival, but it could be a funeral of a great Inuvialuit elder that takes place in the future where some of us would all feel compelled to attend. A Minister elected out of Yellowknife can use that to attend an important function like that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. I am not sure of the question, but the honourable Minister responsible for Housing may be. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to restate the definition of suitability, if there are enough bedrooms for the size of the family then that is to be deemed suitable. Now, I understand the Member's question is to have us assess the size of the family and whether the current accommodation they have is suitable for that family. We do have an LHO board that assesses those prerequisites. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for Housing, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a procedure set in place. That procedure is defined under the terms of the agreement between the LHOs and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. The intent is for the LHOs to work with the client base which is the public housing tenants.

If there is a problem, they may appeal to an LHO board or housing committee. If it cannot be resolved on that level, they have the ability to appeal to the district director. If that is not suitable, then they may appeal to the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation on a case-by-case basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.