Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what I'm hearing is we're going to take a neutral stand on these projects; we're not going to evaluate them for their relative merits and then seek out one that we can support. So I guess my question is, are we going to be standing on the sidelines as the two projects develop, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we are working with the joint venture group, who are the proponents, actually the ones that are considering both routes, and working along with them. Certainly the road mining transportation alternative study that they had released in April 2007 does recommend the best short-term solution is the one that runs the southern portion of the ice road, which is the southern part. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Thank you, Mr. Braden. Colleagues, before I go to the next Member, I'd like to draw your attention to two young ladies in the Chamber that have been paging for us from my riding: Hilary Aldridge and Frankie Ranger.

---Applause

Oral questions. The honourable Member from Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, may I remind Members, back in 1999, the GNWT split into two and Nunavut became their own territory. But, Mr. Speaker, since that time, we continue to share the same licence plate. Mr. Speaker, our licence plate, as well as theirs, says "Explore Canada's Arctic." I wrote a letter to the Minister of Transportation to say is this relevant, does this need to be looked at? I've also talked to the NWT Tourism Association and they think it's an important issue to at least examine and discuss. Can I ask the Minister of Transportation what has he done on this matter as of yet? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, my honourable friend, MLA from Yellowknife Centre, did enquire about changing the slogan on the licence plates. Working with the NWT Tourism, they do have a new branding strategy and they are recommending the term "spectacular." Our existing slogan, "Explore Canada's Arctic," we have been using that for some time. It was at that time as well, Mr. Speaker, it was recommended at that time, too, by the NWT Tourism Association and again they're recommending a change and that's something that we're prepared to look at. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister could expand what we're prepared to look at means, because I hope he would go to some type of public discussion, potentially even a competition, but I would certainly like to make sure that he engages our tourism industry partners on this issue. Is he willing to go out to some kind of discussion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that a great deal of market research has gone into the selection of a new slogan "spectacular" by the NWT Tourism Association, and we continue to express our support in changing the slogan to reflect the NWT Tourism new branding strategy. Right now, we're currently working with the Tourism Association in investigating the cost and timing of the launch of this new plate, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a supplementary question. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's actually good news, because when I brought the Minister the phrase "spectacular" to line up with the NWT Tourism initiative, I was quite in favour of it, but I was a little hesitant to suggest it had to be that one, only because I thought a lot of discussion would have to go into this. Could the Minister explain, or possibly highlight, when he expects a new campaign to launch this will take place? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned earlier, we are working with NWT Tourism to look at launching the plates. I can't really give an exact date. There are other issues involved here, too. We do have a large stock of the old plates that we wish to...That is a consideration. But we continue to work with the affected groups, and we're very supportive of it and would like to launch a new plate as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Written questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is for the Premier of the Northwest Territories.

The Protected Areas Strategy and the Mackenzie Valley five-year action plan provides a blueprint for establishing a network of ecologically and culturally significant areas in advance of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. There have been some successes, but we are not moving fast enough.

1. Please provide a detailed account of activities that the Government of the Northwest Territories has done to encourage the federal government to expediently approve the interim land withdrawal application for the Ramparts, extend the withdrawal for Edehzhie, and approve the other outstanding NWT interim land withdrawal requests.
2. Please provide any correspondence on the timeline for when these approvals/extensions are to be completed.
3. Please provide a detailed account of the activities this government has undertaken to ensure that a portion of the $10 million federal budget allocation for protected areas in the NWT will come to the GNWT to create or expand protected areas in the NWT, including, but not limited to, the mechanism through which the GNWT can receive a portion of the budget allocation.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to opening address. Petitions. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Tabling of documents. Honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document Workers' Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut 2007 Corporate Plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Tabling of documents. Honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a signed letter from Chief Gon from Gameti on a concern on the school extension for Gameti School. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on May 17, 2007, it shall be adjourned until Wednesday, August 15, 2007;

AND FURTHER that any time prior to August 15, 2007, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.