Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the problem with the government getting into the communities has been a land claims related issue. Can I get the Minister to at least make some recommendations to his department that in order for this to balance out some funding arrangements better for the communities that have improper assessments in relation to the ones that have correct ones? Just in regard to all government-owned buildings, because in the Property Assessment and Taxation Act it's the law, the law of the act, and we have to go into these communities and do the actual physical inspections. Can the Minister direct his department to send in assessors and accurately do assessments on all government-owned buildings in these communities, so at least the communities are balanced out with their grants at least with respect to government property? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, of course we can send our assessors in to do an assessment in the community. We've been trying to for several years now. The leadership of the community has indicated to us that they are very reluctant to have that done. We continue to push forward and we'd like to do that this summer. If we can work with the Member and sit down with leadership to look at some solutions or some methodology of resolving some of these issues, we'd gladly do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Third supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't think the Minister really answered my question about going into the communities. I know that any government

official that has any taxation sign on their portfolio is not going to be welcome anywhere. But I just want to ask the Minister why can't the department go in and assess government-owned properties, just so that will even out things a little more? I'm not saying that he's got to do the whole town, but maybe while they are there...

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. I'll allow the Minister to answer that question. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the leadership of that community has requested that we not go into the community to do property assessment, and we're respecting that, until we have some discussion to try to resolve the issue. We would gladly go in there, we want to go in there and that's something we've been attempting to do for a long time. There are a lot of issues on this subject and we want to have further discussions. We've had some verbal communication with the chief. He has indicated a desire to sit down and talk about this issue and we'll commit to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I know that the community leadership doesn't want the government going there and looking at all private homeowners with respect to their land claim negotiation process and whatnot. I'm just talking about government property. The government doesn't need permission from any leadership to go in and look at their own property, to do maintenance work on their property. They don't look for community leadership direction to do anything with any government property, as a matter of fact. So I don't think the issue here is so much allowing an assessor to go in and do an inspection of the whole community. I think that's what the communities are against, but I just don't know why Municipal and Community Affairs...I know the last meeting we did have was about a year ago in the community, and since then it's been really kind of dead in the water. Nothing has been happening. The communities said they didn't want them there and the government sort of puts it by the wayside and...

Do you have a question, Mr. Villeneuve?

I just want to say, well, okay, if we can't go in there and the community says just no go, when can we set up some kind of a meeting where we could say, well, maybe we will go in there and inspect government-owned property?

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. I heard a question there. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are doing assessments. We're just not able to do the physical inspections of the properties. We have had some discussions with the chief. He wants to meet. We will talk to the leadership and we'll set up a meeting and we'll have the Member notified so he can attend and we will put that on the table that if there is still a desire for us to look at options for the private properties or the members of the Deninu K'ue First Nations and the Metis as a separate issue and the government property as a separate issue, we will look at that also. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to continue questioning the Minister of Health and Social Services in regard to healthy eating at schools. Mr. Speaker, I did leave out one area, which is commitment upon this Minister about what is he doing to address this problem. Is this Minister willing to bring forward legislation that addresses the problem I spoke of earlier with regard to junk food in our schools? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I indicated to the Member that there is work being done and I don't believe that this is an issue requiring legislation. It's a policy issue, it's an education issue, it's a political will issue. So we're moving on those areas to see if we can capitalize and get other areas to follow on the lead that Inuvik has taken. I've indicated, as well, that I intend to move, as Minister, to provide direction to the facilities and authorities that are under Health and Social Services to take a similar approach. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister spoke about political will and it's a policy issue and I can appreciate that, but the problem with policies, as we all know, we have trouble instituting our own affirmative action policies without problems out there or complaints in inconsistencies. So when it comes to this policy, it has never been implemented across the board evenly and that's the problem with this. So, Mr. Speaker, will this Minister show political will and political leadership by leading forward with legislation that addresses the junk food in our schools? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be working with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on this issue. I would just like to point out that Health and Social

Services, like every government department, has a host of initiatives that we are working on aggressively and with great vigour. This is one of them as it pertains to the health of our citizens. It is very important, and we will continue to show the leadership and the support that we have to improve in those areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am really glad to hear there is great vigour out there working away at this problem, but, Mr. Speaker, the Minister clearly said that all the information is out there. When I had asked him, would you provide the resources to the DEAs and whatnot, to get this information and make the pros and cons to the decision, the information is out there. So if we had the information, and it is good information in places like Ontario, they are stepping forward on this type of issue to institute this type of legislation. What is stopping this Minister from making that commitment that we are going to go down that road and seriously look at it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.