Minster Responsible for FMBS, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the policy with regard to the code of conduct and use of e-mail and Internet is very clear, that people cannot conduct a private business from their office. In that kind of situation where the manager is absolutely clear that this is what is happening, then there is no discretion and the manager should not be overlooking that. That is very clear in our policies. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the policy is written on Internet and e-mail use, it is absolutely prohibited to be used for personal use. So, given that that is practically unenforceable, would the Minister undertake to see if a reasonable policy, like the one covering phones, can be developed for e-mail and Internet use?

Minister responsible for the FMBS, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, certainly I can do that. I don't know what the Member is referring to as a policy on telephones. There is a section of the code of conduct that deals with using government equipment and property. So, maybe that is the section you are referring to. The Internet and e-mail policy is also very clear. Now, there are always some areas where some discretion is allowed and, Mr. Speaker, I'd say that we cannot ask of our civil service any more than we ask of ourselves. I would say to all of us, we are managers too, we all have staff, we manage, we use these things. I think we have to put this same test to ourselves and I'm certainly prepared to do that, take a look at what is happening and ensure that we have a policy that is workable... maybe start right here in our Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister wasn't listening to my statement. I didn't say that I thought we should have a policy that prohibited use; I said that is the way the policy reads now. I say that our policy, right now, is wrong. Let's recognize that it is wrong and let's develop a policy that is fair to our employees and recognizes that the Internet and e-mail services are being used. Can the Minister undertake to examine our policy with that in mind?

Minister responsible for the FMBS, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe our policy is wrong. I believe our policy allows discretion in the use, for example, of e-mail and Internet and I think that the managers and the employees have to use good judgment in how they are using it, but there are some areas that are absolutely prohibited. Running a business in your office is prohibited but using the Internet or using a telephone to check on the weather tomorrow, that may be something that is accepted in an office. So, this doesn't make the policy wrong, Mr. Speaker. We have to allow some discretion. The world isn't all black and white and there is no way you are ever going to manager-proof every office in any government organization, whether it is here or in one of the government departments downtown. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since my last question, I believe that just occurred in June in regards to what are we doing to try to help speed up the process. Well I have been working within our statutes to see where we can count on the Residential Tenancies Act to assist those landlords who are having problems with unsuitable tenants. It has been a difficult process, trying to reassess the level of detail required. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, it is interesting that the Minister allows that it is difficult to get detail on the way things are going in the situation we have, especially when I see, Mr. Speaker, after checking with our library here and the library is a pretty good source, that we haven't seen an annual report from the rentals officer since 1996-97, six years. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister explain why a report has not been filed on this very valuable and important part of our service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Member raised the point. I don't have any explanation at this time, but I will definitely undertake to find out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer and I do look forward to getting reports about this office. Regarding this office, Mr. Speaker, by one of the information flyers that the rental office sent out, our own department of Education, Culture and Employment, through its services as the income support office, is not a landlord and, therefore, the provisions regarding rent increases do not apply to subsidized public housing. So I wanted to ask, how is it that our government which is, in fact, a landlord to hundreds of families across the North, why is it that we are not subject to the same privileges, even though they are somewhat inadequate, as other landlords? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have an answer for that. I will take that question as notice.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, for a number of years now, I have been raising issues in this House about the young offenders' facility in Hay River, the Dene K'onia Centre. There was an initiative in place to change the designation of that centre from young offenders to an open custody facility. It's been talked about considerably, also the jobs surrounding that centre. I would like the Minister to bring me up to date as to where that whole initiative is with Dene K'onia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.