Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the mould problem in Fort Liard is an issue that is isolated to a number of houses that are managed through a co-management agreement with the community and a non-profit society there. These units were built in 1991 and they were transferred over to the NWT Housing Corporation in 1997, so the houses have been under our management, along with the community, for roughly seven years. The issue of construction and the issue of upkeep is something we're looking at. We are preparing a work plan. We are providing some of the costs and we're looking at what some of the causes may be with this issue, and we're also looking at putting together a time frame and different recourse we have to eliminate this problem and to identify the cause so that we won't see this return. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister speaks about the assessment of the problem being highly technical and scientific. I'm just wondering if the department or the Minister has any plans to provide people who have this problem with information that they can easily understand. Thank you very much.

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we have hired an environmental specialist to look at this whole issue. As I said earlier, we are compiling a report that will deal with the cost, the time frame, the causes and some of the solutions. I certainly will commit to providing that to the community, to the people who live in the units, to our partners in the...(inaudible)...Housing Association, and also to the Members as they desire. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would just like to recognize the clock. The time for oral questions has expired, but I will allow the Member to ask his final supplementary. Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. My final question is certainly the government is aware of the problem that exists in my riding, and probably other communities as well. I'm just wondering if they have in place any plan to raise public awareness of the problem and to educate people about the dangers and perhaps ways to avoid mould problems within their homes. Thank you.

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of contamination or safety or health issues in our units are always a very great cause for concern. We have standard procedures within the corporation for dealing with these issues. In this case, we have hired an environmental specialist to look at the situation. We would like to identify the cause of the problem, we would like to look at a number of issues that revolve around this whole mould issue. We are also looking at maybe upgrading our mechanical systems in the units which may be contributing to this whole issue. We take it very seriously. We will share all our information with the community, we will share all our information with the people in the units, and we also share our information with the Member and keep him up to date on what the status is of this issue. Thank you.

Item 8, written questions. Mr. Allen.

Item 8, written questions. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item number 7 on the order paper. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are dealing with written questions, so when I conclude. I have Mr. Yakeleya on the list for written questions. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell.

Today the Sahtu leadership are meeting in Tulita to discuss, plan and work on the Sahtu Regional Access Team to negotiate a regional approach to land access agreements for the Mackenzie gas pipeline.

Can the Minister tell us what RWED is doing to assist the Sahtu communities:

• • in preparing community positions on impacts and benefits of the pipeline;
• • to complete community consultation to ensure public support for the regional plan adopted by the Sahtu leadership this week; and
• • to prepare for community development which will be made possible from the access fees and community benefits of the pipeline?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 8, written questions. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Given that the problem with mould in houses is, in some cases, attributable to homes being constructed during off season in wet conditions, does the government have guidelines or schedules in place for contractors to follow to prevent the problem from occurring?

Item 8, written questions. Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7 on the order paper.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent. At this time we'll take a short break for 10 minutes, and then we'll get back into oral questions.

---SHORT RECESS

We are on item 7, oral questions. I have Mr. Ramsay on my list.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Mr. Speaker, without having some names to address, it's a difficult one to have some comments on. I guess I should point out though that the Member makes it sound like there are no aboriginal employees in corrections. In fact, our department is ranked third in government, in the last report on affirmative action, at 34.2 percent of its employees being aboriginal. Corrections services, since that time, has increased the number of aboriginal managers by 35 percent. So of the current 46 manager and supervisor positions, 57 percent are staffed by aboriginal persons and an additional 21 percent are staffed by northern, non-aboriginal people. So, Mr. Speaker, it's difficult to say that we are ignoring aboriginal people. I think the department, particularly corrections, has a very good record at ensuring that aboriginal candidates can advance.