Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, in an effort so history doesn't repeat itself, the deficit that was accrued in 2005-06 was recorded in the public accounts of that year. The deficit that is building up today didn't go to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. I am just wondering, the deficit that is accruing today, is there a plan by the department or by the Minister to include

Members on this side of the House and in the Standing Committee on Social Programs to address areas where we might be able to provide more funding for this hospital on an ongoing basis? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to running the facilities in the Northwest Territories, we would deal through committees on a number of fronts. One, first and foremost, is the business plan which sets up the budgets for the Department of Health and Social Services and, from there, each authority. As well, if we find during the year there are close cost overruns or increased costs from southern facilities, for example, we bring that to the table as well. The first picture we have to do is work with the authorities when they do identify to us there are some funding issues. One is to identify where those pressures are and look at it. In fact, if it is a one-year element or a blip, or if in fact it will become an ongoing process, the authority identifies that to the department. The department would then go forward to FMB for requests. As I stated through earlier questions in this area, at times they are directed to go back and firm up their numbers and come up with solid numbers or come back after one year of numbers has been established to confirm, in fact, this could be an ongoing trend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am just wondering why the Minister wouldn't come back to the Standing Committee on Social Programs to address a deficit recovery model or method and instead we see the 50 percent knockdown of the $5.8 million deficit from 2005-06. Why does it happen this way as opposed to working with the Standing Committee on Social Programs to take a look at areas that you could do better or do more? Is it common practice to go through a supplementary appropriation exercise to knock off a deficit in one of our operations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. There are a couple of questions there. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process that is used when a department does come into agreement with an authority on the numbers goes forward to FMB. If that is recognized, it is then included in the supplementary process. That is the process used. The policy was established quite some years ago when the idea of surpluses could be kept with authorities. We also had to address the other side if an authority made decisions to over expend in areas, there had to be a recovery plan. That recovery plan is worked through the authority and through the Department of Health and Social Services. It would be appropriate that the Minister, when decisions have been made, to inform committee that these things are outstanding. The practice is, for example, if a decision is made to agree with a deficit recovery plan, the Minister would approach the appropriate Members. As a result, they may see some decline in services. But that process is ongoing as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier, Honourable Joseph Handley. Yesterday, we witnessed the signing of the Sahoyue and ?ehdacho historical sites with the Government of Canada and, of course, the participation of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Deline representatives. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, in his discussions with the Minister of Environment, are there any further types of signings that we could see in the Northwest Territories that would have certain lands in the Northwest Territories come under the Protected Areas Strategy?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, over the years, as we first began discussing protected areas, there hadn't been a lot of progress being made. I was beginning to wonder if this was just going to be another boondoggle. Clearly, in yesterday's commitment by the Minister of Environment, the current Minister is certainly determined to move ahead with these. I was pleased with the announcements yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of other areas. I did talk to him about the ramparts area west of Fort Good Hope, the Horn Plateau. We had some brief discussion about the Nahanni expansion and also the East Arm. So, Mr. Speaker, while it is not time to cuddle up with the federal government on this one yet, we are moving in the right direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope I wasn't giving the intention that we are cuddling up to the federal government on these important decisions here. I guess my point is that, Mr. Speaker, these areas are so important that even our people back home are wondering if there was just only a good gesture in terms of continuing on with developing in our area in terms of resource development. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the Minister's discussions with the Environment Minister regarding the ramparts and other areas that we have interest in the Sahtu and other areas north of that, that their members would speak, at least areas in our communities and our region that have an interest, would we seek interim protection on some of the areas that they don't have that type of protection right now?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government's intention is to respect all of those areas that either have some protection to the claims or have been identified through the Protected Areas Strategy as well as other interests people may have for spiritual sites or culturally important sites. So we will have some form of interim protection of those. They fit into a number of different categories.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that, in my discussions with the federal Minister of Environment as well, he is committed to a balanced approach. We have protected areas and we also have areas that are open for development. I believe he is sincere in working with ourselves as well as the aboriginal leaders who were very influential in having the agreement yesterday. Chief Neyelle and others were influential at having that happen, and, presently, Roy Andre.

Mr. Speaker, I think we have a good model. We had a good start yesterday. I look forward to working closely on all of these. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. A short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of CBC's recent news announcement of the Mackenzie gas project, it may not happen until the first spike in the land so to speak. In terms of putting the pipeline through in 2014, is this department committing some of the Protected Areas Strategy that Sahoyue took 12 years? Is it something that we could speed up with the federal government in terms of creating that balanced approach to lands that we want protected in the North? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that the length of time it took for the Sahoyue and ?ehdacho areas is not indicative of how long it will take on these. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the federal Minister yesterday was speaking about months, not years, for designating some of these new areas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do applaud this government here on the leadership of Mr. Handley in terms of getting this deal done for the people in the Sahtu, Sahoyue and ?ehdacho. I also want to thank other people, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask again, would this government in terms of speeding up the process for Protected Areas Strategy takes precedent in terms of the amount of time that the Mackenzie gas project is proposed to be built? We would like to get some of our lands surely protected under this type of agreement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I would give the Member, and this House, assurance that we are going to move this ahead as quickly as we can even if the pipeline wasn't being built. I think it is important to protect these areas, that these are areas that have been, for hundreds if not thousands of years, important to people and we will do everything we can to protect them as quickly as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.