Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, one process that could speed up the planning and more efficiency on this problem is we could start releasing tender documents in January, February or March with the proviso that until the Assembly approves it, the project is not a go. Could we consider that approach? Therefore, we would not formally have to change our process of any cycle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that approach would add too much uncertainty to the process of actually going out through advertising and putting out an RFP to find out the project was not proceeded with for a number of reasons. So that would add too much uncertainty to the industry. Our process would be one of looking at the actual capital process itself and when a project comes in on that three-year business and if that's the most up-to-date number or the year before it comes into the main estimates, should it be revised at that point. Those are some of the areas we probably should concentrate on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two years ago the eight-plex was approved, disabilities eight-plex in my riding was approved by this House and it took almost a year for that project to get started so, Mr. Speaker, by that time we never knew what the final construction cost would be and the project is still ongoing. So, Mr. Speaker, the process is flawed, as I see it. I'd like to see him speed it up. Does the Minister have any better ideas how we can solve this problem?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, part of the issue as well in a heated economy, most projects, whether they be through the government or through private sector, are finding impacts when it comes to the costing of projects being proceeded with as well as just pure volume of projects being done. At one point the government was seen as the prime for many of the contracts when it came to what was being issued. I recall in Inuvik where you'd have 10 contractors bidding on a $30,000 contract. Now we have difficulty having one bid on a $200,000 contract. So that's some of the issues we face in a heated economy. I think we do have to look at our process and start from that section. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think a heated economy is the issue because that's going to happen all year long, all 12 months. Mr. Speaker, with the uncertainty problem, the fact is if we tender these things in February or March, we haven't changed anything because a lot of these projects have been planned for almost a full year in advance. All it needs is the stamp of approval of this Assembly. So my last question to the Minister is, will he look at seriously adjusting the tendering process to speed it up by a couple months? Therefore, we can have construction start in the summer season. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there may be initiatives undertaken internally from within the departments. This is not just one department alone, it's all departments and the work they do with the Department of Public Works and Services, ensuring we have the up-to-date information. So once the budget is approved, RFPs can be let out. So that work may be undertaken internally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a fairly broad question and I'd have to get the information on where there are vacancies on the various boards, but I'll undertake to do that. Thank you.

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

When there are vacancies, Mr. Speaker, and it is our role to suggest or nominate candidates to sit on those boards but it is ultimately the federal government's responsibility to appoint them, would the Premier commit to undertake that that would be done in an expeditious manner so that we do not leave boards with vacancies that would affect their ability to get a quorum to consider applications in a timely manner? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Ministers are telling me that we have all our nominations in, so we've done our share of it. Mr. Speaker, I will have our people find out from the appropriate Minister the status of appointments from there, where it is the federal government's appointment. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, also recently there was word from the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs that when it came to board appointments, they were looking for individuals with certain qualifications. This is a bit of a change from previous Ministers, federal Ministers, and I want to ask the Premier, then, if he would, to avoid again delays, ensure that the communication is clear with the federal government so that we know what kind of credentials they're looking for so that we don't end up suggesting or nominating people that they will ultimately find unacceptable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we've had that discussion in Cabinet. We're looking at our own processes for who we nominate and so on. I have been told by the federal Minister that he wants to have people who are going to facilitate the process. He's frustrated with our complex regulatory process, for example, and how long it takes to get things done. He wants people who will be able to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I know the federal government does criminal record checks and so on. We want to get more information on that. But if there's a way for us to streamline ours, we're ready to do that and we've had that discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.