Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to meet with the Construction Association myself and hear direction from them, their concerns, and they could hear directly from us our concerns. The meeting is still going ahead, as far as I am concerned.

This is a Cabinet decision, so we have to stick by this decision. The bids are out. We will know by the end of this month what kind of response there is to these bids. We are talking close to the $20 million range. Not too many companies up here could operate at that level. There are very few. It is a 15 percent advantage we are talking about here. We would like to see what is available in the market.

I think the Ordinary Members would also like to see that. We talk about numbers and we are talking about deficits. We are talking about a lot of things here that are very important to us. We are talking about public money. We are trying to do the best we can here as a government, to see what kind of dollars we could get out of the process we are trying at this point in time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue is dollars here, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, the history of this project, it started off as a $35.2 million project. We just came here to the House a couple of months ago for another $5.6 million for the first phase. We are told that the estimates for the second phase, we might have to come back here for another $4 million or $5 million. We knew it was very tough to do that last time, so we have to look at all the options.

One of the options is to try taking the BIP policy away for this one-time shot to see what kind of proposal, what kind of bids we receive, not only from the northern companies but from the southern. This does not preclude the northern companies to bid as well. They are available to bid if they want. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I take the honourable Member's point. I understand it very well. I have to stand by the Cabinet decision at this point in time, but yes, the BIP policy still applies. For this one part of the North Slave Correctional Centre, the phase two portion of it, we have waived the BIP. It was a Cabinet decision to do that to try to entertain what kinds of bids we would get. At the end of the day, we may not get what we had hoped to get. We still may have to come back here for a supplementary appropriation anyway, but we just wanted to try this on this one issue.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has been strongly demanding and encouraging companies doing business in the Northwest Territories to spend in the North and buy in the North, and we will continue to do so. We have always done that. We will continue to do so. The Government of the Northwest Territories has and will continue to promote northern business in its development.

However, these agreements are not intended or written to be applied at any cost. Is it applicable at any cost? We have to ask that very important question. If northern companies cannot or fail to be competitive with certain parameters, then Cabinet should have that authority and obligation to take necessary actions at that point in time.

At this moment, we have decided that the numbers are estimated to come high, so let's waive the BIP and see what kind of bids we will receive. The bids will be received at the end of the month, so at that point in time, we will know if what we are trying to do is going to work and save us some dollars here in the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier to the previous Member on the BIP policy review, because there is a review underway and there is a decision paper that is going to Cabinet at the end of the month with the changes with the revised Business Incentive Policy, I would ask for your patience in awaiting this new, revised BIP policy. There will be opportunity, if a Cabinet decision is made, that we will share this information with you on the other side of the House for your comments and perhaps some suggestions at this stage.

I agree. It is a BIP policy. It has been around for a number of years. The intent in the beginning of this Business Incentive Policy was to help, enhance and protect our companies that are in the North, but we have a booming economy here in Yellowknife and certain areas, like in Inuvik. We have to review it very carefully. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is probably some real, more defined way of doing it someplace in the government's contracting policy, but for me, I would have to ask the appropriate Minister of Public Works and Services to provide me with the proper definition of what local means in terms of the BIP policy. I would like to get back to the Member on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to refer this to the Minister of Public Works and Services. He is more hands-on with this. Thank you.