Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It does not matter how many times we ask. What we are getting is because it is costing too much and the cost is out of control, we have to throw this policy out the window. It is missing the middle part. They have to be able to say because throwing this out the window will show us that we are going to save $2 million or $3 million or $4 million. What is really alarming is that Cabinet is not even establishing any criteria on what basis they will throw a policy out the window. Would they throw the Affirmative Action Policy out the window, for example, hoping that maybe we could do something better?

What other policies are there? There are hundreds of policies in government, and we have Cabinet saying, "We are going to throw it out the window but we do not know what the benefit would be, but we know it is going to help. We think it is going to help. Let's just see what happens."

What is the criteria on this government throwing out a policy?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. A short supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know this is going to be in Yellowknife and we will get it done somehow. Mr. Speaker, costs in changing a policy like that has to involve more than just dollar costs. Look at the flip-flop. Why is this project made in such a way that it is so huge, it is $20 million, and the Minister keeps saying only one or two businesses in the Territories could do it? Why was it done that way? Why could that not have been done any other way so more northern businesses could take advantage of it?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Public Works and Services, the question has been referred to you, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe we said yesterday that we did it in this manner because it was a fast-track project. We decided that we would hire a project manager for this project. It is not an all-inclusive type of contract or tender that was let. It includes a number of different aspects of the project. Both phases are the same.

In phase one, it could have been as much as 20 different tenders put out for different aspects of the work. It was not just one or two. There were one or two large portions to it, but overall, it was broken down into quite a few different tenders. These tenders were put out by the project manager, PCL.

Some of these projects were in the million dollar range and they were quite large in relation to what is normally handled by local contractors, so therefore, they found themselves having to go south for materials, having to go south for manpower, for everything, because of the already inflated market. Everything became higher cost -- everything.

That is where the overall aspect of this is, that we are hoping that by waiving the BIP, we will get more bidders on the broken down portions of the contracts. Tenders will be let, and they are already let.

Some of these portions of the project, Mr. Speaker, there is no expertise in the Territory for that type of work. These people are coming from down south. We do not expect to gain anything in that aspect of the work. However, we feel that we may gain something on the electrical or the mechanical aspects of the projects, things like that where we may receive better bids. That is why we are doing what we are doing, but it is not one or two large contracts. It is broken down into many portions of the project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The time for question period has ended. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table two articles from the Wednesday, June 12th edition of the Yellowknifer. One is entitled Stanton's Staff Speak, and the other, ICU Closes Early. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, the honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his motion today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Roland, you may proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Tabled Document 35-14(5), Social Agenda, A Draft for People of the NWT, be moved into committee of the whole for discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. We have a motion. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried.

Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 3, Bill 6, Bill 11, Minister's Statement 46-14(5), Minister's Statement 47-14(5) and Tabled Document 35-14(5), with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I will call committee of the whole to order. We have a number of items before the committee today; Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act; Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act; Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act; Minister's Statement 46-14(5); Minister's Statement 47-14(5) and Tabled Document 35-14(5). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee would like to consider Bill 3, Bill 6 and Bill 11 in that order, time permitting. Thank you.

Does the committee agree?