Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I will allow the Minister to answer the question, but I would just caution Members that the judiciary is a separate arm of government and we have to watch it. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I understand where the Member is going with this and the nature of his question. The Member knows that it is the GNWT that is responsible for the administration of justice in this territory pursuant to our Northwest Territories Act and that, of course, is separate and apart from the prosecution function which, in the NWT, is the mandate of the federal Department of Justice.

In the past, when we've needed additional courtroom space for the administration of justice, we've gone out and found that. I am not sure that would be the case here. I doubt it. If it was, we would certainly do that. I can assure the Member that -- and I think he referred to people being back on the street in his Member's statement -- nobody is going to be back on the street because our Department of Justice failed to provide a courtroom, a court reporter or a court clerk. I can give the Member that assurance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his response. I will be careful with my

questions. I know and can appreciate the difference in the Crown prosecutor's office and the Minister's department. Are the resources currently in place in the Crown prosecutor's office to deal effectively with those being charged with drug trafficking? That's the question, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's not my department. It is the federal government's Crown prosecutor office. I don't think we have seen a case to date, I don't believe, where the Crown prosecutor's office, for lack of resources, has had to stand down a prosecution. I can't imagine that that would be the case. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the operation yesterday was targeting more high-level drug trafficking. Could the Minister let the House know if the department is working with the RCMP on targeting the street level crime that's taking place and the street level drug trafficking that is taking place here in the city of Yellowknife and other communities around the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a very real problem and certainly a priority for our government and the RCMP. They've been listening to and hearing from our public for quite some time that not only do they need to go after the big fish or the high-level dealers, but deal with the street level. The RCMP intends to do that. We've been working with them. They have now unveiled a pilot project called the NWT Street Team. It will dedicate some officers to dealing with disrupting the supply of drugs in our communities, which is very important. So there will be a lot of work going into this over the next year. We have to be cognizant in communities to work to reduce the demand, and support people to get the help that they need. The strategy has to be multi-pronged. But I can say that this is a priority for the RCMP and they are moving forward on this, and I am certainly happy to see that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the RCMP's operation yesterday, they brought in a drug dog from Peace River and one from Wetaskawin, Alberta. I know in last year's budget, we had approved funding, $1.2 million, which included a search and rescue/drug dog and a handler. I wonder if the Minister knows when that resource will be on the ground here in the Northwest Territories able to help tackle the drug wave here in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I indicated I believed the dog was already present in the Northwest Territories. In fact, that was wrong. I understand the dog will be here November 6th and will be based in Yellowknife but available for use right across the territory in their operations. I think we can look forward to that. That gives us some additional capacity in this regard and it's much needed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the honourable Minister of Public Works and Services with regard to the procurement practices of our government. Recently in Fort Simpson, the PWS leased some office space locally, and I am here to say that I don't think it was done properly in following a proper procurement process. There were no tenders put in the newspapers or asking the general public to bid on the contracts, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to ask the Minister today, what is the procurement process when you are looking for office spaces in our regions and communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of practices put in place about how we procure supplies or lease office space in communities. We put out a public request for proposals or a tender on facilities and rate them through the proposals that are received. The others would be in the communities themselves where we know there isn't adequate space available; if there was only one supplier available, we would go directly to that supplier and have an arrangement made with them. It's almost case by case because, for example, for office space, there are standards that have to be met that we would look at if we decided to go out for a public offering. In the case in the Member's community, I believe the example he is looking at is one where we have gone directly to a supplier in that community for space that was available.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is absolutely correct and that is what the government chose to do. They went directly to one owner, one building in the community when there is another

business that offers office space. What happens is you have two providers for the service and our procurement policy, Mr. Speaker, is we offer the opportunity to everybody for goods and services that we need. In this case, it didn't happen, and I would like to ask the Minister why.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the community the Member is speaking about, there was a search done to see what would have been available in that community for these offices that we are looking for. One of the conditions we have is it has to meet a certain standard. The other business the Member is referring to did not, from what I am being informed, have the adequate space available to meet what was being requested. It was on that basis that we made the decision to proceed with doing a sole source to one company.

I am prepared to sit with the Member and go over this file if he feels we were not provided accurate information on what was available in his community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the procurement of office space in Fort Simpson, that's exactly what has happened, Mr. Speaker. There was no opportunity given to this other provider. He's got office space. It's a prefabricated building, which is like a trailer. One of the reasons he was given, Mr. Speaker, is because it's a trailer-type office space and the government says they don't even consider that. If I asked a written question today to ask the government to list all the trailers that we do rent throughout the NWT, I am sure it' going to be there. This reason is not acceptable. As well, can the Minister tell me in what process do we disregard a tender or public proposal call for sole source or negotiations only? Thank you.