Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe when I met with the municipality that they had a number of options on which approach Municipal and Community Affairs for funding for the ball diamond. One, when capital planning appeared the community could identify the ball diamond there as a priority. That was one option. The other option was that they could apply for funding under the special initiative program that we just introduced. Thirdly, they could ask Municipal and Community Affairs to take a special request to Financial Management Board Secretariat for funding for the ball diamond for this year. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us if he has received any correspondence and information on the different types of financial arrangements that are available to communities, such as emergency funding for this special community initiatives program? Is the Minister prepared to take anything to Financial Management Board Secretariat or Cabinet to try to access funding to complete this project?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Municipal and Community Affairs would prefer that we use the present programs that are available for communities to access funding for capital rather than take them straight to Financial Management Board Secretariat. At the present time the Aklavik hamlet has put in an application to Municipal and Community Affairs under the special initiatives program for $200,000 toward the ball diamond. The regional office has not responded to that particular application as yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister tell me and also the community of Aklavik exactly how soon we will hear if any progress has been made with any of these initiatives that your department may have come up with so that we can put this project behind us and move on to bigger and better things. This thing has been dragging on for some time and I for one would like to see it put to rest, along with probably the Minister. So I would like to ask the Minister, could you get back to us as soon as you hear something on this matter so that the community and I can get a better understanding of how to get this thing completed?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am advised that Municipal and Community Affairs was scheduled to go into Aklavik on June 9th to hold their capital planning consultation. It would have been at that time that the community would identify this as a capital priority and, therefore, they would put it in the business plan in that way. I do not have the information right now when the region will be reviewing all the applications under the special initiatives. So as soon as I have this back I will advise the Member and the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It is in regards to the letter dated June 5th that we already have talked about. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the latest letter puts different facts into this, but there is one section in this letter that talks about the long-term consequences. I have tabled this document, Mr. Speaker, so it is available for the House. It is the concern raised by the obstetrics doctors and it says, "...although the above is very serious the long-term effects of the specialists resignations are even more grave. What we have now is a well-functioning team of specialists. If a major part of this group departs we can see two consequences. First, those of us who remain will also be looking to move on as we will not be able to carry on our current model of practice. Secondly, it will take many years and exceptional people committed to the North to recreate this team. Do we have the time? Where will those people be found?" So my question, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister is, what is his answer to those two questions? Do we have the time and where will those people be found? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger. Two questions there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is making an assumption, an assumption that all the specialists are leaving July 1st and that subsequent to the contingency plan there will be nothing. It is an assumption that I do not share. We will make an arrangement with the specialists for special services and we will do it in a timely way. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I do not believe this is my assumption or my view. Mr. Speaker, it is professionals giving a professional opinion. They have put it on paper and they have put their names down and they say, "...those who remain will..." This is not an assumption or hypothetical. "...will also be looking to move on...". Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the government that this is something the government has to look at in the cost and benefit analysis. Has the Minister done that and what are his findings?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a broad process of coming to an agreement with the Department of Health and Social Services or the government and the specialists. There are a lot of forces at play, but at the end of the day there is a commitment I believe by both parties to reach a satisfactory agreement, which we intend to do. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to hear what the Minister is intending to do to come to a satisfactory resolution. That is the kind of thing I want to hear. So does that mean, Mr. Speaker, that he is going to contact the Northwest Territories Medical Association and get back into negotiations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it means that we will come to an agreement with the specialists and we will do that in a timely way. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The latest thing that the Minister has said is that the doctors have turned down the final offer by the government and turned down arbitration. So how does this get started so it can come to a resolution? Does it not require the government to give a counter proposal? Somebody has to give a counter proposal to get this thing restarted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.