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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Related to this is another area that at times has been contentious in the area of government contracting, and that is negotiated contracts. Will this paper also encompass any recommendations on the future of negotiated contracts as a purchasing tool of this government? Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question would be directed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services and it goes to the regional reorganization of health boards. I would like to know from the Minister, what has brought this on, to look at regional reorganization of the health boards? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a political commitment to look at bringing the health boards authorities into line with the political boundaries of the Sahtu. That was what motivated it, but we are now approaching this from a Health and Social Services system perspective, to do it in the best way possible. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated a political commitment. Who has made this political commitment? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a commitment of the government. It is a long-standing issue. It was identified, I believe, in the Cuff report. The action plan included it as one of the action items, along with dealing with the situations in Lutselk'e and Deninoo. It is a commitment of this government. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding on the Cuff report and action plan is the number of health boards overall was many, so they looked at a way of pulling some of those together. However, on the other hand, we are looking at establishing this. Again, what is the reason for the creation of a new health board in the Sahtu region? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the process, we will end up with one less board than we had pre-Cuff and pre-action plan.

The purpose of the board, the direction, we are identifying that as an action item. I have already stated the reasons why, Mr. Speaker. I can just say those are still the reasons now as they were two minutes ago. It is part of the action plan. It was identified as one of the things to be dealt with and we are doing that. Thank you

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is from two minutes ago; the political commitment that was made, it was made when and for what reason? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we are proceeding on is what is known as the action plan. The motivating factor was to bring the service delivery systems in line with the political boundaries of the Sahtu. It has been built in, as I indicated, to the action plan and we are proceeding on that basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. The honourable Clerk, Mr. Hamilton.