Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of things going on and the Member is correct; of course, we have access and benefits agreements that are being agreed on between the regions and Imperial. We have the $500 million fund that the federal government has pledged to mitigate socio-economic agreements. There are a number of things going on in addition to our socio-economic agreement negotiations and now the signing of the document. It's understandable that communities need to get a handle on how this will impact them, how they will take advantage of the businesses and opportunities. Obviously in terms of specific business opportunities in the socio-economic agreements, Imperial has made some pledges and some commitments. They are working in regions to develop lists of business and business capacity, so they know who they can use and who to use.

Mr. Speaker, we're more than prepared, as a government, to sit down with communities that are interested and further brief them and discuss with them all of the various negotiations and aspects of the various deals going on, Mr. Speaker, as well as the socio-economic agreement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister to go one step further by advising the smaller business organizations, the community members who maybe need to have this outlined in plain language in terms of some of the benefits of this agreement and some of the things that need to happen with community involvement and some time frame, date, in terms of this agreement being rolled out. The implementation of this agreement is key, so would the Minister look at some of these options I've laid out? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would agree that implementation of this agreement is key and, of course, that hinges on a positive construction decision being made. We are advancing through the regulatory process, JRP, NEB, but certainly, Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to sit down with communities and go through this. I can't say definitively when that construction decision will be made. We think end of '08, first gas by 2012, but I do know that work is underway. Imperial, on behalf of the producers, are meeting with the regions to talk about creating lists of businesses so that the business community can take full advantage. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would again urge the Minister if he would at least check with his staff to ensure that there are other regions out there that want to get a jumpstart on understanding this agreement and the amount of work that needs to be explained to our people in terms of what do we need to do to get ready for the first gas down the Mackenzie Valley here in terms of having this agreement come into effect in terms of the benefits that will show the Northwest Territories, otherwise this deal will go, you'll have sour gas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly will make the commitment that my department will work with the regions to talk about the business opportunities. I know that, as I've indicated, work is underway. We don't know exactly what's in the access and benefits agreements, but let me say that I have it on good authority that there's millions and millions and millions of dollars worth of set-aside work and contracts for the regions. That's why the lists are being created. That's why Imperial is leading this work. This socio-economic agreement commitment is in addition to that. We're prepared to sit down with the regions and talk about how that will impact them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the reason that this government went to a centralized system was to save costs and look at a more workable system that we're able to facilitate all the departments and also the regions in having a system that's more efficient, but also ensuring that we have security considerations taken care of, we have the technical support there when we need them, and also to ensure that we have a system that's basically workable in all areas, from health care, education, and the government programs and services. That decision was made by the previous government to ensure that we do centralize our system. Mr. Speaker, this is not unique just to governments. Industries across the country are doing a similar thing, having a centralized technical support system so that they can maintain their own service, but also, more importantly, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we have the security that is now required and also having the support mechanisms there to do it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While I appreciate the Minister's history of this whole process, the question is, has the department done any review of the market disruption and the concerns that have been raised now for years? I have a file that's fairly thick on this and I've gone to a number of Ministers to try to address this. We have enough time under out belt to try to go back and take a longitudinal look in the rear-view mirror to see. I'd like to ask the Minister, if they haven't, would he consider doing such a review so that we could have that discussion and put this matter to rest? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government continues to spend roughly about a million dollars a year just on IT support out there in the private sector with regard to calls that are put out to consider the material requests we need for new computers, new upgrades and whatnot. So we are working with the private sector. We're spending about a million dollars a year out there with regard to technical support which is put out through a tendering process. We are still working with them to ensure that we are benefiting the business community out there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this money, I would suggest, is probably spent mainly in Yellowknife. This is a small community/regional centre issue. I would like to ask the Minister again, would he commit to have his department take a look at the impact of what has happened with the setting up of the TSC and that impact on communities and businesses in the smaller centres that have been directly affected? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, there is a pretty vibrant business community out there. We have NorthwesTel that's involved in the Internet system; we have different aboriginal corporations now looking at it. I think the systems that we have in place, that we're not the only game in town. We have to realize that there are other industries out there that are also competing for the similar market. I think for ourselves to take the notion that we're the ones at fault here, I don't think it's justified but, again, Mr. Speaker, if the Member would like, I can give him a breakdown on those expenditures that are out there today. We cannot take the full responsibility of what's happening with regard to this business by way of the private sector. Again, it's a competitive business and we are providing a service for this government and on behalf of the people in the Northwest Territories to ensure that we are efficient in what we do but, more importantly, that we're responsible for the costs of doing this business. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I wanted to get back to my Member's statement and the issue is autism. As I mentioned, the diagnosis on an autistic child usually takes place around the age of two. Mr. Speaker, the change to a daily routine for an autistic child is something that just throws them for a loop, it causes them a great deal of trouble and they are completely out of their element when you add changes. So a weekly visit to a speech therapist in a taxi cab is quite a chaotic event for some parents who have to take their children there. I'm wondering if the Minister could let the House know today what services are currently available for parents with preschool autistic children between the age of two and four. Thank you.