Mr. Speaker, I am astounded that the Member would ask the same question so many times.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, we realize the sense of urgency that some of the Members are experiencing in wanting to get some of the answers. Our staff has been working on drafting some of the criteria that we will be using. We have had some early discussions with the NWT Association of Communities. We are still working on some of the other funding initiatives. We plan to have our MRIF funding and our gas tax all in place by some time this year, so there's a lot of work we have to do. We have scheduled a number of meetings with the NWT Association of Communities over the next little while, and we are still targeting to have some information to give to the Members so that they know, even if it's early indicators of where we're going. We have a lot of work to do in terms of reviewing what all the information is, all the projects that were in the capital plan and some that were not in the different areas that have been brought forward as a priority by some of the Members. So we are trying to package all of that up as fast as we can so we can have some information for the Members. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, am astounded how many times I hear the same answer. Just

with respect to that, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister can just tell me again...I'm travelling to Nahanni next week. What pray do I tell the people and the students and the children in Nahanni Butte? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I would advise the Member to tell the members of Nahanni Butte he has raised the issue of the Nahanni Butte gym I forget how many times, but he certainly can feel comfortable assuring them that he has brought that matter to the attention of our department and this government. We are looking at the whole issue of recreation facilities in small communities. It seems this has become a high priority. It's an issue that we have not been able to invest in for some time. So we will be giving strong consideration to the recreation facilities and facilities in general to the smaller communities that are experiencing some difficulty. So all those things we will be looking into and have some answers for the community and for the Member by the end of this month or early into April. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are going to be for the Premier of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, this is my last opportunity in this session to talk about the closure of the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre remand unit in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, soon Regular Members will be out of sight and out of mind, and I'm afraid the Premier and the Justice Minister are going to forget about me.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I have compiled every word I have said on the remand centre during session, and I put it into a binder with my picture on the front.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I'm going to present this as a parting gift to the Premier, and I would like to know if he would take the time to re-read and reassess what I had to say about the remand centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am just overwhelmed with the gift.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will definitely read the document. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all seriousness, if the Premier feels compelled by the arguments that have been made and the comments and the positions that have been taken by all the Members on this side of the House, their comments are also in here and excerpts from Hansard. If he feels compelled to do so, as a result of re-reading this, would he consider bringing the remand closure back to FMB and consider reinstating those funds? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will and I believe there was a recommendation to that effect to bring it back, so it will be brought back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

My last supplementary on this, Mr. Speaker, is I would just like to ask the Premier if he would keep me and my constituents apprised of any movement or decision on this, as there are many people in Hay River very anxiously waiting to hear if the government will respond to the position taken by the Members and myself in this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I expect that the recommendations from the committees will be reviewed at the next regular FMB meeting, and either myself or the chair of the Financial Management Board, our Minister of Finance, will certainly apprise the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. It goes back to my Member's statement that I made earlier. I know that the Premier and his government have worked very hard on trying to establish a relationship with Ottawa in an effort to

try to get a resource revenue and devolution deal, a deal that the last government and many governments before it have failed to do. I felt sorry for the Premier and his government yesterday with the action that Minister Scott took in appointing a non-northerner, non-nominee to the chair of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. I would like to ask the Premier if he has spoken to Minister Scott and what are the reasons that Minister Scott has given the Premier and the Government of the Northwest Territories as to why he did what he did. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say first of all, that the appointment of the chair for either of the boards under the Mackenzie Valley Management Act is the responsibility of the federal government. So, Mr. Speaker, having said that, as I said yesterday, I have communicated my preferences to Minister Scott in the past, I have written a letter to him, and last week I attempted to contact him -- I believe it was on Thursday -- and waited for his call. Yesterday I tried to contact him. I did not get to speak to him. I was told that he's in Edmonton or in Alberta today for the memorial for the RCMP officers, but that he would get back to me tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.