Yes. Can we look at setting up an employment equity advisory committee? Yes or no and why not? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, the government went to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight in September of this year with a proposal for employment equity. In other words, taking specific targets and providing resources to make sure we could move to meet those targets in certain areas. The government hasn't had a formal response back yet from AOC. Once we have that response, we'll be prepared to move to address the issue and we'll certainly take a look at the proposal that Mr. Villeneuve is now making. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

With the new employment equity of programs, Mr. Speaker, is the government going to be applying any special measures to improve the rate at which our qualified members of a designated group are hired in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government believed that the employment equity plan that was put before committee would have improved the results over what we're seeing under the current policy. That was the position that was advanced. So yes, that was the goal to try and improve the results. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my understanding that the proponent is ready to accept the Novel housing concept, but we are waiting for the federal government to give us word on whether or not they are partnering in this program. Without the federal government, this project just doesn't work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the response. That was my fourth point in this written question. The federal government must agree financially to contribute to this and proponents must agree that to hand over these units upon completion of the Mackenzie gas project at no cost to the federal government. So my question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation, when will he know from this current government, when will he know that this deal must get done otherwise it's no go for this Novel concept? We're too late to get into the business of this Novel housing. So when will he expect to tell the people of the Northwest Territories the federal government's on board and we're ready to go with the Novel concept? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I haven't given the federal government a deadline of when I need them to reply because that's tied to when the pipeline project moves ahead and, as Members know, Imperial and their partners are just doing a costing of it right now and there could be some changes in their plans. But, Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Minister and I've told the Minister, tell us yes or no, are they on side with this one or are they not? Because if they're not going to partner on it then let us know and we'll stop spending our time and energy on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I certainly support the Premier's strong voice and opinions to the Prime Minister in terms of this Novel. Quit wasting the time; similar to the resource revenue sharing and devolution agreements. It's a no go or it's a go. So, Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister of the Housing Corporation in terms of this whole Novel concept, I understand from the previous discussions in the House with the Fort Providence bridge project that the Novel was going to be considered as a test in exposure of units of these types of Novel housing units. Are they still being considered elsewhere in the Northwest Territories in terms of testing out these ATCO homes in terms of the availability or strength of them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Member's right. The Mackenzie Valley pipeline isn't the only show in the Territories. There's mining opportunities and so on. The bridge, as the Member has mentioned, is one other. Mr. Speaker, those are all possibilities and they're still being considered with the manufacturer of these convertible houses. The requirement, though, will be that we have an affordable package, and there are still some design issues. We have some requirements for double walls and double floors and so on that the manufacturer has to take into consideration. In the end this has to be a good quality house; it has to be affordable; it has to be a good deal before we'll consider it. But if there are new mining operations where there are camps, required workforce camps, then, yes, I'm still interested as long as we get a good, affordable, economical housing package out of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of months I was in Tulita and I want to say that to the Premier in support of his government in terms of thanking him in terms of cleaning the uranium contaminated site. People are sure happy in terms of that move, Mr. Speaker. But I also found that the community of Deline is going to be doing some work in the uranium site up at Great Bear Lake and that they're going to put together a proposal I understand from Dolphus Tutcho, I'm sorry, from the community members in Deline that there may be a process where they could look at this ATCO Novel housing concept as a possible area that they would certainly look at as an opportunity to use. I want to ask the Minister, would he consider giving some discussions with his team in the Housing Corporation to

talk to the people, especially the land corporations in Deline, in terms of this type of an opportunity? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I certainly will. I will be meeting with the Housing Corporation this afternoon in fact and I will raise this one with them. I understand this is a 40-person camp that we're looking at. It might be one that would work very well, so, Mr. Speaker, yes, the Housing Corporation will go ahead and start talking with the land corporations and others on this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.