Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Ng. In my opening statement, I mentioned the Supplementary Appropriation, No. 2. Special warrants were given for $414,500 for a purchase of individuals' houses in Tuktoyaktuk of $166,400; in Arctic Bay, Broughton Island and Norman Wells for $248,000. My question is with regard to the practice of this government, in the case of Tuktoyaktuk, apparently the unit that was purchased by the government which was a HAP unit which was given to the individual from the Housing Corporation of the Northwest Territories at a cost of whatever. With the intention of purchasing it back for $166,000, basically you could have built yourself two houses. I think at that cost, for the shortage of housing, I would like to know how long this practice has been going on and how many other units which were HAP units are being purchased back by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

I would like to recognize a pool shark in the gallery, Mr. Pete Liske.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to note that yesterday, going through the Supplementary Appropriation, No. 2, I was amazed at my colleague from Tuktoyaktuk when he stated that the Housing Corporation are presently still in the process of purchasing units that have been given to individuals as HAP units and buying them back at possibly twice as much as what it cost to build. If that practise is being continued, this government should seriously look at it. In this time of restraint, we are short of a lot of houses in the Northwest Territories.

The previous government announced that they were in the process of selling off government units to employees and getting out of the housing market. I find it awful that this practice is continuing. With the need of housing for individuals and the cutback with regard to the funding for housing from the federal government, we should seriously look at individuals who receive HAP units as a house which is given to them, versus the existing program of access where a person has to qualify and pay into that program. This should be looked at, especially if this government is purchasing units that have been given by this government by individuals and then buying them back. That practice doesn't make sense. I will be asking the Minister question on this later on. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to congratulate this government for having the initiative to establish such a program with regard to this and with regard to the situation we are in. If we earl double the money we are investing, it is getting double the bang for your buck. For investing $18 million in the economy, we are getting $36 million out of it. I think that is a good investment.

For people to realize, especially from the aboriginal communities, the battles we have fought at the negotiating table to establish something like this because it is being established through the James Bay agreement, now through the Inuit agreement and the western aboriginal groups, there are certain tax initiatives in the land claim agreements which address this. I find it personally offensive that it seems like it is always earmarked when anything is associated with an aboriginal initiative such as this to be picked at like we are a welfare state. Anything they do to try to get ahead seems to be picked on by groups that seem to have it all.

It is the same thing with the $900,000 of buffalo burgers. More power to the community. Thank you.

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Thank you, Madam Chair. In reviewing Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1995-96, the Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development noted a number of concerns. The most significant was the apparent misuse of special warrants and a previous lack of planning on behalf of the department. Special warrants allow the government to make emergency expenditures without the approval of the Legislative Assembly. Committee Members were concerned and noted that most, if not all, the special warrant items brought forward were not of a particularly urgent nature.

The committee noted three special warrant items totalling $455,000 was spent in the Department of Renewable Resources. The committee was disappointed that the department could not justify why these expenditures, under the western NWT harvesters' assistance program, required the urgency of a special warrant. Committee Members were in strong support of this program, but disagreed with the way in which it was currently funded.

Committee Members were also concerned with a $500,000 special warrant issued to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism for the continued development of the Mortgage Investment Corporation. Again, no justification was presented as to why a special warrant was used to fund this expenditure.

Committee Members viewed these types of items as a misuse of special warrants. The committee, therefore, recommends that the government not approve future special warrants unless a true emergency situation exists and substantiation can be brought forward to the committee. Members would like to remind the government that the current fiscal situation does not leave room for supplemental appropriations and that, in the future, such additional funds will not be readily approved by the committee.

The committee recognizes that planning, at the best of times, is a difficult exercise. Nevertheless, Members expressed their concern that this and future supplemental appropriations not be used in an attempt to conceal poor budget planning practices. Tighter controls will be required in this area and will force departments to more accurately plan for expenditures.

And now, Madam Chair, I would like to ask the chairman of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Mr. Ed Picco, to continue.

Standing Committee On Infrastructure Comments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. As I mentioned earlier in my statement, in the early morning of January 9th, the Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson was destroyed by a fire at a loss of $7 million to $8 million. Since the time of the blaze, the community of Fort McPherson has rallied amongst themselves in various community buildings, which now double as classrooms and offices --the hamlet office; band council; Gwich'in Tribal Council office; the youth hall; the church; and the nursing station --which house approximately 240 students.

At this time, I would like to ask the Minister what the status is with regard to the building of a new school and what kind of time frames we are looking at.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rose in the House last week and made a statement with regard to the school in Fort McPherson. In consultation with members of the school, teachers and students, there seems to be a real loss in losing such a facility. Things that a lot of us take for granted with regard to having to cope without a gymnasium, regular classrooms and recreation equipment such as cross country skis, hockey equipment and recreation equipment; especially at this time, students don't have the opportunities that most people take for granted.

At this time, I would like to inform all the Members of the House and people in other northern communities that they can contribute to the school in Fort McPherson through the Beaufort Divisional Board of Education and give any equipment they may have by way of skis, hockey equipment, broomball equipment, et cetera. The only facility we have use of at the present time is the recreation complex which is a hockey arena and a small community hall. So anything that can be donated at this time will be greatly appreciated.

Later I will be asking questions to the Minister with regard to the progress of the new renovations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for NTPC regarding the proposed fuel supply for the Mackenzie Delta/Arctic coast fuel resupply. I would like to know the status on that. Exactly when will the decision be made on that proposal?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement is with regard to the Honourable Donnie Morin's statement on amalgamating the departments of Renewable Resources and Economic Development and Tourism. It's with regard to natural resource development, especially in my region, the Delta, where we have a long, great history of trapping in the Delta except for the downturn of the trapping industry.

In order for us to proceed with that process of amalgamating these departments, we have to take into account the interest groups that are out there. We have land claims groups in the Delta, we have hunters' and trappers' associations. When it comes to commercializing anything, especially what we've seen with regard to commercial harvesting of muskox and caribou and also the history of big game hunting, especially what we've seen in the Mackenzie Mountains, it has to be taken into account that the local hunters and trappers have to be involved with how that amalgamation takes place, also with regard to how the NWT Act will be amended to streamline the commercial harvesting and also allow people to get back to a wage economy.

Also keeping in mind that there are some clear obligations which are under land claims agreements that we have to adhere to with regard to the wildlife sections of the Inuvialuit agreement, the Gwich'in agreement and also the commercial harvesting sectors that are in there when we look at amending any of these acts to allow for this amalgamation to take place. There are also economic factors that we have to consider.

In closing, I would like the Ministers to keep in mind that when these amalgamations do take place that there are interest groups in the communities and in the regions with regard to land claims settlements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.