Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, will this document give us what Mr. Todd talks about? Will it give us the impetus at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, to address the revenue shortfalls that the Minister just talked about? Will that strategic document give us the tools so we can take it forward at the end of the day? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in this draft report that Mr. Todd is hoping to have available to stakeholders in a couple of weeks, what type of consultation was done? Mr. Todd has said, indeed, that consultation was not at the level that probably was expected at the beginning and that it was not at the level that probably the stakeholders would like to see. I am wondering what type of consultation was done to look at the new tax window for Nunavut and for resource development and, look at securing the financial health of Nunavut for our children, because at the end of the day that is what the economic strategy was developed for, for two territories and not just for one territory.

I wonder if Mr. Todd could back up a little bit in his verbiage on the discussion of the availability of this draft economic strategic plan and look at securing the financial health of Nunavut, look at the resource windows and look at the other type of tax plans for that southern marketplace for Miss Jane Stewart and take it from there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I think we heard something in the House concerning the economic strategy. I wonder if Mr. Todd could update us on the fiscal side of the economic strategy and the direction that it has taken. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest, great interest, to the statements made by the

honourable Member for Thebacha over the past couple of days about NorthwesTel. NorthwesTel is a monopoly. NorthwesTel delivers a service in a protected market. NorthwesTel is a subsidiary of the multinational Bell Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, residents will happily accept to subsidize a high-cost telecommunications system, including the higher-cost communities, only when they know for certain what the detailed cost structure is. Let me put it another way. No subsidization without detailed disclosure on costs, lists of salaries of executives, list of contracts, and failing these, you can be sure, Mr. Speaker, that our resident consumers in any kind of a market will want to drop the use of dead dog, inefficient suppliers at the first opportunity.

How? By moving to alternate suppliers such as AT&T, Sprint, London Telecommunications or Westcom. Why are not these alternate suppliers allowed to operate here, Mr. Speaker? Residents will no longer accept the compulsive anti-market interference in our marketplace. Why do we not have market phone services here, Mr. Speaker? If we are going to have a subsidization system working in the territories, then we must simply have full accountability for the monies that are spent. For instance, what is the return that NorthwesTel makes on its Northwest Territories operations? Have they shared those numbers with us? Perhaps the honourable Member who gave such an impassioned speech over the last couple of days could provide those to the House.

Another instance, Mr. Speaker, why is it that NorthwesTel has a fleet of late model trucks in their yard on the old airport road here in Yellowknife when many citizens of this territory are driving vehicles that are ten years old if they have one. All the while, these same citizens struggle to pay the phone long distance rates, Mr. Speaker, that are sometimes between four and six times higher than in the mainstream. There is something very wrong here, Mr. Speaker. Does all of this sound familiar, Mr. Speaker? It should because this is the same theme that we have been talking about in this House for some days and years now. When NorthwesTel finally releases and makes public the aforementioned, then and only then can or should we look at a subsidy or other government help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I am very pleased today to give the opening comments on the Special Committee from Nunavut Legislation on the review of Bill 21, The Nunavut Statutes Amendment Act. Madam Chairperson, we would like to begin by thanking Mr. Arlooktoo for introducing the bill and for the leadership shown by Mr. Arlooktoo with the Nunavut Caucus over the past several months, especially the last couple of weeks, with the amount of legislation we have had to do.

Madam Chairperson, the bill amends the Dental Profession Act and the Medical Profession Act to enable the review offices, the registrars and the registration committees set up in the Northwest Territories to carry out responsibilities in Nunavut.

As well, amendments are made to the Psychologists Act to allow the Association of Psychologists of the Northwest Territories to perform functions in Nunavut.

Now Madam Chairperson, the amendments to the Legal Services Act will allow Nunavut to enter into agreements with the Northwest Territories so that the Legal Services Board may administer the act in Nunavut. The agreement will also set out how the assets and liabilities of the board will be divided on the termination of the agreement. I think that is important to note that, Madam Chairperson.

Finally, amendments to the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association Act, will establish the Federation of Nunavut Teachers as the representative body and collective bargaining agent for teachers in Nunavut. Madam Chairperson, the special committee was satisfied, and I should say very satisfied, with the amendments proposed in this bill. They are appropriate and to be made in preparation for division. This concludes the special committee's comments on Bill 21, Nunavut Statutes Amendment Act, No. 2.

I would like to thank you and the committee for their time and we would like to now move into the next phase of the review of Bill 21 here in committee of the whole. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, that is good to hear, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if negotiations are not successful next week, the first

part of my question was to ask what the process was. Mr. Todd did explain what would happen if we had a successful agreement take place next week. What would the process be if negotiations next week are not successful?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Todd can be a little bit repetitious, but he is hardly boring. If agreement is not reached, Mr. Speaker, would the Minister use the power granted him out of the Public Service Act to implement a collective agreement? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Financial Management Board Secretariat. I believe next week the UNW and the government will sit down in the next phase of the negotiations. I wonder if the Minister could update us as to the process for next week? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the negotiations for the new Francophone school in Iqaluit have been ongoing between this government and the federal government for quite some time. I appreciate the support that Mr. Dent has shown this project in Iqaluit. I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister could, indeed, update this House as to what has caused the delay? Indeed, we did think that the agreement would have been signed off. Is it a problem with the federal government or is it a commitment of funds from this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.