Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's part of the process to review programs on a regular basis, so we would normally review how programs are working, on a regular basis, to make sure that what's being done is still right. Having said that, the contributions on both the operating side and the parent subsidies side were increased in 2002, so it's certainly time for us to take a look at increasing those contributions. As I said earlier, we thought we would be able to do that this year because we

had thought that, like other jurisdictions, we would see the money flowing by now.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation. What has happened in Fort Simpson recently is their ferry has shut down. The constituents would like to know when the ferry will be operating, Mr. Speaker. There were indications that it would be Tuesday morning, at the earliest, and I would like to get a commitment from the Minister that that's what he can do for the residents of Fort Simpson and Wrigley. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the ferry was shut down on Thursday, and I had indicated then that we would make every effort to have the ferry up and running this week. We are working on that. We have filed notice to the employer -- or to the contractor -- rather, that we'd like to see some response as to when that ferry service will be running. We have given a deadline of 8:00 tomorrow morning to have a response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I see that the ferry services up north are giving 72 hours' notice, which allows people to get their last-minute supplies. I notice that we have some legislation that banks are not allowed to be shut for more than three days. Yet we have a case here with the Fort Simpson ferry, Mr. Speaker, where it was shut down within eight hours of notice, and it has been shut down since last Thursday, like the Minister said. That's four days ago,...

...and the people are frustrated. I see in today's News/North, Mr. Speaker, that there's an editorial on ferry services, saying that the Yellowknife residents won't stand for it if that ferry shut down in Fort Providence, but the ferry is shut down in Fort Simpson and we don't stand for it, Mr. Speaker. We'd like to know when this ferry is going to be running, and we'd want to know now. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we were not in a position to give 72 hours' notice on the shutdown of this ferry. The ferry was running on reduced hours, and we had, I think, roughly eight hours' notice, and we did provide that to the communities that the ferry would be shut down. This interruption in service is not acceptable to us, also. We are looking at how we can accommodate the resupply in the communities, and we have given notice to the contractor that we expect them to resume ferry services by 8:00 tomorrow morning. Failing that, we will make every reasonable effort to have a resupply system in place, so that the communities can get fuel and groceries over this week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I am glad the Minister is really focused on Fort Simpson, because how we handle this situation today is going to determine how he's going to handle the Fort Providence-Liard situation that's going to develop later on. That's what the people want, is that our cost of living pressures are, even with the gas, just so high and now, because of the freight costs and air shuttle, things are costing that much more. One of the gas stations ran out of gas on the weekend while I was there, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I'd like to ask the Minister, that once the ferry is running, to guarantee the residents and transportation companies that there will be no interruption until the end of the season. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a difficult commitment to make. We'd like to be able to commit to the Member that we will make every effort to have the ferry running tomorrow, and we will abide by that. Whether or not we can guarantee that the ferry will not be interrupted is something that I don't know if I'm in control of. Low water, ice, all those things will come into play. We will certainly make every effort to run the ferry as long as we can, and for the duration of the season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to hold the Minister to his word, that he's going to exert every effort to get the ferry up and running at Fort Simpson by tomorrow morning, because that's what's acceptable to Fort Simpson, Mr. Speaker, is getting the ferry running by tomorrow morning. Any further delays than that, then I would like to ask the Minister, and perhaps the Premier, if they could come to Fort Simpson tomorrow, and tell the residents and our people why the ferry will not be operating by Tuesday. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member that resupply for fuel and for groceries and for other necessities Fort Simpson requires is a priority for us. Tomorrow is the deadline. We want to see that ferry running. If at all possible, we hope to have it in place tomorrow, by the contractor or by other means. Resupply has to be done. Of course, if we are not able to follow that, we will certainly commit to coming to Fort Simpson to have a meeting with the community. We've been talking to the leaders, on an ongoing basis, as to how the situation unfolds, and we will certainly commit to keeping that communication line open. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke before about the calls having to go through Yellowknife for the RCMP. I have no problem with the work that the RCMP are doing; I think they're doing a heck of a job. But we have to assure the residents of the NWT that if they make a phone call, that it's answered locally and acted on quickly. I'd like to ask the Minister of Justice why all the calls have to go through Yellowknife. Are there any particular reasons, or statistics, to back this up? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is true that we have, effectively, a centralized dispatch set up at the RCMP, and I think Members can imagine that, in some of our smaller detachments, it won't be possible for somebody to answer the phone at all times. We want to make sure that when there is a call through to the RCMP, if there isn't a local answer, that it bounces to centralized dispatch, so that they can then turn around and radio the closest officer possible, and make sure there's a timely response. Now, if there are situations where there isn't an answer, that is very concerning for me, and certainly something that I will raise with the RCMP. I think we can all recognize that it won't be possible, at all times, to have a local answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.