Mr. Speaker, from this Assembly's point of view, I think the average person in the Northwest Territories is on the outside looking in, or trying to look in, and get some comprehension of the process that's underway, and have some say in what happens here. We are feeling marginalized and left out. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, we greeted, with enthusiasm and confidence, the direction that Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan would be assigned this file. What is the latest this government has heard from the Deputy Prime Minister? Do we have somebody who is on this and looking after our interests? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am speaking quite often with the Deputy Prime Minister on this file. She has, as she represents the federal government, some responsibilities for negotiating some pieces of this very complicated process, but not all of it. We have some responsibility for some pieces, but, again, not all of it, and the aboriginal organizations, the land claim corporations, have some responsibility, but not all of it. So none of us has the whole picture, but industry, who are negotiating with a number of different parties, depending on their area of responsibility. The Deputy Prime Minister is focused on the financial ask by the corporation. She had a meeting with them about a week-and-a-half ago. From what I understand, from the limited information she can share with us, the meeting was a very positive one, and there was progress made; and she was optimistic about it. She recently confirmed that to me, in the last few days. I have to take her word for it that it's moving well. I don't have all the detail of exactly what the discussion was. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the Alaska gas project, which is, in some order of magnitude, larger than the Canadian one, seems to be getting some momentum. This is a contract with the attitude, the confidence, that we've had that even if both projects were to go, the Canadian one would go first. Do we have reason to be looking over our shoulder now, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, on these kinds of big projects, we should always be looking over our shoulder and watching out for what the next alternative might be. The Alaska project has many hurdles to overcome yet. The governor of the State of Alaska is working feverishly on coming up with proposals,

alternatives and ideas of how he can give the guarantees to make their project a good economic project. We have to be doing the same in our discussions with the federal government, because it's going to be on economic terms that both of these pipelines will be decided. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, if I was a businessperson, or a community looking at making an investment to prepare for a Mackenzie gas pipeline, would it be a good idea for me to continue today, knowing what we know? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know if I can give that kind of advice. That's kind of asking my personal opinion on it, but I will take the liberty of replying and say yes, carry on.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pose some questions to the Minister of Public Works and Services. It gets back to his responsibility in terms of sole sourcing office space contracts. Under the GNWT Executive policy for leasing of improved real property, it states, quite categorically, that all of these properties will initially be acquired through an invitation to tender or public proposal calls, except where the Executive Council has authorized negotiations. Does the Minister have the authority to sole source contracts for office space required in Yellowknife and in the communities, or is it a Cabinet decision to do so? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the authority would be given by Cabinet. I would prepare a document, bring it forward to my colleagues, and seek their approval. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, in the community of Fort Simpson, there was a sole source procurement that took place with an office building in Fort Simpson. I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services, was it a Cabinet decision to sole source that contract, or was it his own personal decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the size of the contract would affect to what level you would bring it. A lot of the authorities have been delegated to the deputy minister, at that level, for decisions to be made. The Fort Simpson situation, the office space there -- we looked at the space that was available in the community, and it was felt, at that time, that the space that was available was one proponent, and the department dealt with them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't really answer my question. The fact of the matter is, the contract for office space in Fort Simpson was sole sourced. I think the Minister and the government owe some type of explanation to other proponents in Fort Simpson. This is just one case. It happens across the territory, Mr. Speaker. They owe people an explanation on how sole source contracts work with this government. Right now, Mr. Speaker, I think most people out there have no idea of how sole source contracts work when dealing with this government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I need to correct my initial answer to the Member. What I bring forward to my Cabinet colleagues is an information item to tell them that the department is intending to do the work, and whether it's a sole source contract. As I stated earlier, a lot of the authorities can be delegated down from the Premier to the Ministers, and, in some cases, from Ministers to senior staff. We have done that on a number of occasions. A lot of it also depends on the amount of dollars, the total amount of the contract that would be issued. So there are steps involved in this. Yes, it can be fairly confusing because, within Public Works and Services, we have a sole source process, as well. We have one overall throughout government. Thank you.