Mr. Speaker, affirmative action, employment equity, it's all the same to me, but in the Human Resources Services Agreement that was drafted up in 2004 there's continuous improvement where review teams will be established on a regular basis with the goal of reviewing the service performance and identifying opportunities for process and improvement, and the membership on the review teams will be fluid to reflect the issues of current interest or concerns, Mr. Speaker. I think that's one of the most important aspects of this whole human resource amalgamation, is to make sure that, you know, we're spending a lot of money on this amalgamation, you know. I want to ensure that it's actually improving things in the government workforce and in the NWT economy as a whole. You know, if we're spending $1 million on the review of the amalgamation, I want to see these review teams put in place, and is the Minister going to ensure the northern residents that, yes, we do have review teams that are looking at their human resource amalgamation and employment equity or affirmative action policies to ensure that there is some reviews done on an annual basis? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are tracking the work that has been done as a result of the amalgamation and, as well, looking at further process that we operate under and are working to improve them. That's one of the reasons why we have the contract with the Hackett Group, is to further look at our processes and how we've aligned ourselves, how we're using our computer environment to ensure we're being most efficient in what we do, and there are changes coming about. I will be tabling information on the work around the human resources in this House later in the session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, $450,000 for the review is pretty expensive. That's a lot of public money. I just want to ask the Minister, the membership on these review teams, are they going to be independent members that ensure that there's some objectivity and non-biasness, or are they just going to consist of FMBS employees and department employees of FMBS, because if they do, then what's the use of even having these review teams in place, Mr. Speaker? Is the Minister going to create an independent arm's length body to do the reviews for the government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll have to get information on the actual makeup of how we're going to form these review committees. Initially, my understanding is that we're going to look at doing it from within our own forces. If we have to hire outside help to help us in that review, we will do so, much as we've done to date, but I will get further information on that piece. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm sure a lot of the other Members here would agree, I couldn't stress the importance more of having an independent, objective review committee in place to do this whole human resource amalgamation review, to do a review of the Employment Equity Program, to do a review of the Affirmative Action Program. I think that would be something that this government has got to prioritize and ensure northerners that the review committee is going to be at arm's length from this government to ensure there is objectivity, and I don't think northerners are going to accept anything of the lesser. Can the Minister commit to that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time I will not commit to looking at an independent review process. We've got a lot of work to do within the amalgamation to complete it before we can do a final review. But at stages, as we are in this case with the Hackett Group, looking at the processes we have, the operating environment and seeing where we need to improve on that, and once we have that established would look at the next phase of how we go about this. But as I said, throughout the amalgamation process and the work we're achieving, I would be happy to continue to inform Members of how that work is progressing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we are able to put someone into a homeownership package for $130,000 and someone is buying a home here in Yellowknife for $330,000, I think that alone should tell the people then what they're paying here in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly expect that when he has created an ADM position -- and I know he's got people working a lot on this project -- then I would expect better comparison and better analysis and better numbers than going by anecdotal evidence. Mr. Speaker, what evidence, what has he done to compare the advantage and I want to be shown the advantage? I'm prepared to support this as long as there's an advantage that he says there is. So I would like to know is he prepared. When would he do a comparison between this Novel housing with what's in the market in a comparable way with another manufacturing home setting? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, I've gone to committee time and time again, which the Member is a chair of, which basically made presentations which show them the difference between what it costed for stick built, which is roughly about $195 a square foot compared to about $100 a square foot for Novel, which is 1,400 square foot home in regards to what it's costing with stick built. We've given that presentation to committee and basically have updated committee every time there's been a change, basically new information being provided. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day this is a project that's moving forward with the endorsement of CMHC, which is a federal agency for housing in Canada, and also FMBS is basically the responsibility for financial accounting of this government who, again, are proceeding on the basis that the information that we provide to committee is as up to date and as current as possible. So if the Member is missing something, I think that at the end of the day, this project, we will continue on on the basis of negotiating the best deal that we can and also knowing at the end of the day there is a project for this to happen. Without a pipeline, without federal dollars and also with our assurance that this is not economically viable, it will not proceed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Minister for that non-answer and if he wishes, I'd be happy to make all the information that we're getting, we have been getting in the committee for public consumption, because, as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing in there that is anything other than a big song and dance on behalf of the project. The Housing Corporation is so enamoured with this project they are failing to do the due diligence on a project as big as $200 million.

It's scandalous for any government to go with a project that big and not do any analysis. So I ask the Minister again, why would he not do an independent analysis, hire somebody and do a real comparison? Because if he wants help, I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that the best number he has shown us in committee is that Novel housing will cost about $117 per square foot and I think he owes it to the people of the Territories and the potential owners of these homes that he asked industry what could they come up with, something close to that number with mobile homes. I'm not talking stick built, we're not talking stick built anymore and I accept that, but for new and things that don't need to be converted and transported and all that, why would he not ask industry how better they can do?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.