Madam Chairperson, I didn't have time on this trip to meet with them. The schedule was full from when I arrived to the hour I left. I did have a conversation with our staff person in Ottawa and asked her to set up meetings for when I am next in Ottawa. Right now I believe I'm in Ottawa on November 26th or 29th for other things. I do intend to meet with Mr. Layton and Mr. Harper at that time. Thank you.

Thank you, Premier Handley. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The next thing I just wanted to mention, I'm not sure exactly what happens when the Premier and the Finance Minister go to Ottawa and I haven't been part of those meetings, but if they get an opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister himself, or is it his staff, how does that work exactly? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier Handley.

The Prime Minister is very good at giving us the opportunity to meet face to face, one on one when we need to. If he can fit it in at all, he will and the meetings are generally face to face. When I was in Ottawa this week on Sunday, the Prime Minister, Premier Fentie, Premier Okalik and I met with the Prime Minister for a half-hour before any other Minister was brought into the room, and we had time to discuss some things privately. Then following that private meeting, the process is that we will bring in whoever we have to. The only officials who attend the meetings that we have with the Prime Minister though on this kind of situation were one note taker from the territories' side and one note taker from the federal side. These two individuals will compare their notes to make sure that they have got the same record. But it is face to face with the Prime Minister.

I might also, add, Madam Chairperson, that the Prime Minister also takes a great deal of pride in being able to say I return phone calls to Premiers; and I can say that he has been very good at doing that in returning any calls that I have made to him. Thank you.

Thank you, Premier Handley. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Thank you, Mr. Premier, for that. I know the meetings were on equalization and on the territorial formula financing agreement, but did you have an opportunity to again address the issue of setting aside our resource revenue in trust for the citizens of the Northwest Territories? Did you have a chance to discuss that with the Prime Minister on this trip to Ottawa? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr Handley.

Madam Chairperson, I didn't talk to him specifically about setting up a trust fund or a heritage fund, but I did raise, as part of our discussions on a northern strategy, the need for consideration of resource revenue sharing and the need for us to begin to negotiate an interim process fairly quickly. I might also say that I also emphasised that we don't want to get some of these kinds of exercises like negotiating in terms of resource revenue sharing arrangement tied up in some long, drawn-out strategy development process. I made that point to the Prime Minister: let's not slow down some of the quick wins by rolling them into the strategy. He was in agreement with that.

Thank you, Premier Handley. Thank you. Next on the list I have Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Braden. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my question is in regards to the concerns I was raising last week, which was Canada's involvement with the missile defence program specifically with the United States, and my questions were directed to the Premier during question period at that time. I can refer to the page and whatnot but, just in a brief summary, I was asking about our involvement and where is our policy and what are we doing about it. The last item mentioned in a return to my question by the Premier was basically this issue would be brought up with his meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada. I can cite the specific pages, but I've already done that earlier when I got called on that point of order; however, I'm sure it's not necessarily necessary at this time.

Could the Premier explain today what he did bring up in that regard to the Prime Minister, as he did sort of commit at that time that he would bring that issue to the front of some of their discussions? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Premier Handley.

Madam Chair, I didn't talk specifically about ballistic missiles; I may have mentioned it. But certainly one of the issues or one of the items I had identified in our proposal to the Prime Minister on a long-term strategy was sovereignty and security, and within that package would fit the ballistic missile defence system.

Madam Chair, I also have on my desk a draft copy of a letter that I am looking at signing, along with the other two territorial Premiers, and sending to the Prime Minister, that deals specifically with the ballistic missile defence and the need for us to be involved and briefed on what is happening here and be kept up to speed as this unfolds.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have to really say thank you, Mr. Premier, I think that's a good day for the Northwest Territories as well as a good day for the other two territories taking a serious look at this issue. I

think it's a great day. I'm excited to hear that, I guess. All I can ask at this stage, assuming that the letter is probably in draft with some confidence between the other Premiers, would the Minister be able to share a draft copy with MLAs at this time to see what you are asking to get a sense of that perspective, as well as I think you indicated or alluded to a package? Would the Premier be able to share that package of information with all Members to keep us up to speed on this issue? Madam Chair, can the Premier commit to that at this time? Also recognizing that some of this information may be confidential, maybe if the Premier could speak to that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Madam Chairperson, I don't have a problem with sharing with MLAs, but I want to check with the other two territorial Premiers as well, to make sure that they are fine with that. Thank you.

Thank you, Premier Handley. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If the Premier could give me some indication as to when this letter may be going out, I suspect it's probably under some quite significant scrutiny to make sure on a big issue like this that it gets written properly so the messages are clear. Would the Premier be able to indicate roughly when this letter would be going out? Because I'll give the Premier the latitude of the assumption that if it's going out this week, maybe next week, I am certainly satisfied to wait until the letter goes out, but if the letter is going to be sitting on his desk for another month due to the...(inaudible)...scrutiny, I don't want to wait a month. I don't mind waiting a week, I think that is probably reasonable if he has to consult or if the letter just needs to be formalized, but when does the Premier think the letter will go out? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Premier.

Madam Chairperson, the main thing that has to happen with the letter now is for it to be updated, since it was first drafted, to reflect the meeting we had earlier this week. So as quickly as that is done, I expect it will go out. We will have a letter to that effect going out this week, unless the other Premiers were to change their mind in the meantime. But it's basically a letter that just says look, let us know, Prime Minister, what is happening on this front, we want to be briefed before actions are taken. We live here, we are concerned about these things flying around over our heads and the possible landing in our territory. So I expect this letter will go out pretty quickly, not months from now.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Mr. Premier. I'm quite enthused by the fact that assuming that no major significant changes to the letter happens, that the letter will be going out. I am more than happy to wait for a copy of that letter after it goes out. I think that is probably reasonable. It sounds as if it's going to be out in a timely fashion, so I think a few days, a week, is very, very reasonable for the Premier to get all updates or whatnot to address the letter.

I think my final question would be is, the Premier did allude to some type of package and whatnot, I wasn't sure I heard, I thought I said some package for this earlier, and if the Premier could maybe further elaborate, the package of information in regards to this ballistic missile information. I'm not sure; I thought I heard the word package. It's hard to hear on this side of the House. I wasn't wearing my earpiece.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.