Mr. Whitford.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the Member is referring to those tapestries that were so elegantly hanging in the gallery. They are out for cleaning at the moment. We are having some work done on the overall image of the building. We want to see whether or not they will be replaced in that same position. They could be returned in a short time. There is going to be an overall plan and the Members will be involved in the overall review of the cultural vision of the building. That may be included in it.

Ms. Lee.

I don't know if this is something that the Board of Management has been discussing or anything. People have asked me about what happened to those tapestries, I shouldn't call them drapes. They were important and people appreciated seeing them there. I wasn't aware they were gone for cleaning. I am hoping they will come back. I am not sure if you could replace them in an economical way and I don't want to see a whole lot of money spent to replace those when the ones that were there were doing a good job. It was pictures of landscapes of the North, so I would like to see them come back unless there are other suggestions for cultural enhancement in the works. If that's the case, then I would like to state that I wouldn't want to see something that's going to cost us a lot of money.

I have another question, and this is something that someone brought to me who works at night. She dropped by the Legislative Assembly building, and she asked me why the building is lit up so brightly at night. I don't know the answer to that and I want to put it on public record. Have there been recent enhancements done to the building that makes the dome light up so bright and is there extra cost, bills? These are some serious questions. I want to know if it's costing us any extra money.

Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I think the Members will probably recall it in last year's budget that was brought forward and was approved by the House. The honourable Member is correct, we've gone ahead with lighting up the outside of the building. It isn't on all night. It's on for parts of the evening and certain events. Certainly we don't light it up in the summertime. When we don't need to, we save money. In the wintertime, it is one of the tourist attractions, and we've received a tremendous number of compliments on the way the building is now visible from the town due to the lighting. It's still not quite finished.

Ms. Lee.

For the benefit of the public, are there extra lights that make it light up so much or is it something different we did?

Mr. Whitford.

Yes, they are low sodium lights that are energy efficient and you will see more lights this year than in the past years because it is a new project that is going to be a part of the capital site enhancement, but they are energy efficient lights, as energy efficient as we can get them.

Ms. Lee.

I don't think I heard about the extra expenditures that we have allotted for that extra lighting in the building. I would like an answer to that and I have a question on the security system because I noticed a camera outside my window.

---Laughter

There is this round camera. I just noticed it, Mr. Chairman.

Could I have some order in the House, please. Ms. Lee, continue your question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know it is public money we are spending for various security measures. I did notice a camera that is a round ball and I just want to know...

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. While it does lend a little bit of humour to the conversation, it is a very serious question Ms. Lee asks. I would like to assuage her fears. These are not roving cameras. They are fixed in certain positions that are pre-assigned. This was part of the security package that was put before the House some time ago. Yes, it did cost us $225,000 to do all of the work, including the light, that has included the camera for security reasons. The safety and security of the staff and the Members are foremost in the mind of the Speaker. The Speaker had put forward a much larger plan prior to that, but the House gave us direction which we followed. There are several new cameras that have been put up and they are monitored by the security. They are in positions that are not as easily watchable by the staff and that's the reason they are there. They are not mobile. They are only fixed to a certain area. It's there to enhance the safety and the security of the building and the honourable Members.

Ms. Lee.

I realize there was a budget approved for this sort of expenditure last year, but I might have missed this but was there some kind of directive or some rules we are supposed to follow as a Legislature in Canada that served as some kind of impetus to upgrade our security system? What was the cause of us having to take these steps to install cameras and lights and things for security?

Mr. Speaker.

General comments. Mr. Nitah.

Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the past, the Pages would be selected from the schools here in Yellowknife. There was very little cost associated with it except for the wages we would pay the Pages and the uniforms they would wear and getting them to and from their school to here. At the request of the Members, over the years the board has agreed to allow Members to bring in students from their ridings up to so many a year to match with those that are here already. In the past, it was the total responsibility of the Member for transportation, for food and lodging and the care of the students while they were here. The policy was that the schools would do the selecting and not the Members and that the Member would be responsible for the student to page us while they were here. In response to the Members' requests, the board agreed to pay the transportation costs, and part of that transportation cost would come out of the Member's constituency budget. The board agreed to pay for two students a year for each of the ridings that chose to bring students in here. However, the responsibility for the page when they were in town, in the city here, would be that of the Member. The Legislative Assembly could not and should not get involved in the keeping and maintaining of students. It takes on a very serious responsibility and that is why the Members are asked to be responsible for their Pages coming from their communities.