Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from a health perspective, we are very aware that respiratory problems are an issue in the Northwest Territories. Bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer. One of the major contributing factors, of course, is smoking. The issue of particulate matter and dust control is not an issue that I am fully aware of. I have listened to the debate with Transportation and MACA, but the Department of Health doesn't measure that type of figure in the communities. It's something we rely on other departments to do and if there are problems, we will assist in remedying them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately even many of us who are non-smokers suffer the ravages of second-hand smoke. I will commit to the Member that I will take the time and check with the authorities and heath centres to see if they can give us an indication of any kinds of allergies or calls to the nursing stations and health centres that may be related to dust problems as an indication. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are talking health issues, health concerns. Very clearly the evidence is there in terms of respiratory problems. Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer and those related illnesses, there is a direct correlation to cigarette smoke. The Member has raised the issue that in his mind dust is a factor that affects the health of people. He has approached the Ministers of Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Transportation, and the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development just recently made a statement about clean air in this House. I know there are some monitors here that were put up 20 years ago. There was some discussion about possibly relocating those to other communities, possibly Lutselk'e, to see in fact if there is any substance to the concern, the point being that they have been there for 20 years and they are just now starting to look at and analyze that data. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First let me be very clear that the issue of personal choice and smoking and drinking, exercise, what you eat, are issues for all Northerners. Wherever you live they respect no age, no colour, no boundary by community and they are something we all must be clearly aware of. The health of the Northwest Territories residents is of concern across the land, not just small communities versus large communities or vice versa. The Member has indicated that in his opinion dust is a significant health issue in his community and we have indicated that we are going to make efforts to see what options there are to remediate the dust and I have just committed to checking to see if there are, in fact, any significant health indicators by visits to the community health and nursing stations that would give any kind of verifiable substance to the Member's concern. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

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

Thank you, Minister Antoine. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What assurances do we have that DIAND will keep this project at the top of its priority list, Mr. Speaker, regardless of the kind of recommendations or terms that the committee is suggesting? Can the Minister advise just how the federal government is going to maintain the significance and the importance of cleaning this place up? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, a few short weeks ago there was a news item to the effect that the surface cleanup initiatives at Giant Mine, which our government has been deemed to have some responsibility in, have stopped. They have been stalled because of some kind of a dispute with DIAND over jurisdiction and responsibility for surface cleanup of mines in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister give us a status report on this apparent dispute? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. I just want to remind both the questioner and the Minister of the full slate of people wanting to ask questions. If the answers such as you are asking there are lengthy, it does cut into the question period, so perhaps some of these things would best be written questions and responses of such nature. However, I will let the Minister use his discretion. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.