Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to Question O19-12(2), asked by Henry Zoe on February 13, 1992. As the Members are aware, this government implemented an expenditure management program for the 1991-92 fiscal year effective November 25, 1991 which applies to all departments and agencies.

Specifically, all capital projects for which a contract had not been entered into by November 29, 1991 were to be submitted to the Financial Management Board for review, to consider the possibility of cancellation or deferral.

I concurred with the recommendation to delay the facility at Lac la Martre to follow the new airport construction. A heliport is planned as part of the station, and this should be located at the airport. The current site that is proposed for the Lac la Martre base is in the middle of town. This is not a good site for the heliport. Other communities who have heliports in the middle of town are also requesting relocation of the offices. We expect this would happen in Lac la Martre and prefer not to have to move the facility once it is constructed.

The department advised the community of Lac la Martre in the fall of 1991 that the project was under review and there was a possibility of postponing construction of the station to coincide with the reconstruction of the airport.

The chairman of the Financial Management Board met with all deputy ministers on December 20, 1991 to identify potential reductions or deferrals. The actual decision to defer the Lac la Martre project was confirmed by the Financial Management Board on December 24, 1991. We have not formally advised the community of any decision pending the standing committee on finance review and the tabling of the proposed reductions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River, that Bill 6, Purchasing Management Association Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we will be looking at the legal implications with my staff and we will look at the issue seriously.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that young people who are under the drinking age do not have proof of age for drinking in licensed establishments. However, Mr. Speaker, there are times when young people are invited to drink with their friends in private homes. We are not able to control this. However, I will review the matter because I am as concerned as my colleague about this problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mrs. Jeannie Marie-Jewell on February 13, 1992, regarding the status of negotiations on the transboundary water agreement. Negotiations with Alberta regarding a transboundary water agreement began in 1983. Several technical documents and a monitoring program were developed as a result of these negotiations. As both governments were heavily involved in the ALPAC hearings, there were no meetings held during the latter part of 1989 and early 1990. Once the Government of the Northwest Territories announced legal action against the federal government over the Daishowa pulp mill, Alberta suspended negotiations because they felt their case may have been compromised by continuing negotiations. In addition, Alberta has indicated that they may not be able to finalize an agreement with the NWT until they have reached an agreement with British Columbia. This is because the water quality and quantity of the Peace River is affected by the Bennett Dam and other upstream industrial developments in British Columbia.

As a means to rekindle negotiations, the GNWT cabinet, in the spring of 1991, directed the Department of Renewable Resources to negotiate an interim agreement with Alberta. These negotiations dealt specifically with water quality on the Slave River and its tributaries.

The Mackenzie River basin committee, which includes the negotiators for the NWT and Alberta, has made a commitment to conclude negotiations on all transboundary bilateral agreements within the Mackenzie River basin by the end of 1992.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through you, I would like to inform the House about the health condition of our colleague, Ernie Bernhardt. As most Members know, Mr. Bernhardt was admitted to the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital Wednesday night. I visited him this morning about 10:30. What he tells me is that he got sick Wednesday afternoon. When he was admitted to the hospital his temperature was 105 degrees Fahrenheit. At one point he was not able to walk. His throat was sore. He had a very bad headache. He was hooked up to IV during that time. This morning when I talked to him, he was in the lobby of the hospital feeling much better, but he still looked very weak, and he did not look very healthy at all.

According to Ernie Bernhardt the nature of his illness was not determined. He tells me he should be out of the hospital by tomorrow. I cautioned the Member to take his time, if he does not feel he is capable of doing his job. He was quite concerned about not being in this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to table Tabled Document 6-12(2), a document on hunting licence tag fees.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Jeannie Marie-Jewell on February 12, 1992. The new pulp and paper regulation package that was published in the Canada Gazette had been put together by Environment Canada following extensive public consultation with provincial and territorial governments, the pulp and paper industry and environment groups.

The Department of Renewable Resources participated in the public consultation meeting held in Yellowknife regarding the amendments and prepared a series of questions relating to the concerns of the Northwest Territories. Our major concern was how the regulations would address the cumulative effects of several mills operating on the same river system. Department officials also participated in a workshop in Ottawa regarding the amendments. This was also followed up by correspondence to the federal Minister of the Environment.

The federal Environment Minister responded to our question by stating that cumulative effects could not specifically be dealt with by "end of pipe" regulations. However, our concerns would be addressed by the Northern Rivers Study, and if problems arise once the regulations are in place, then site-specific regulations could be developed. Environmental effects-monitoring studies required by the pulp mills may also lead to more specific site requirements.

Therefore, after reviewing the draft regulations, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, and based on the comments from the federal Minister, the Government of the Northwest Territories' concerns have been addressed. Those regulations call for no detection of dioxins and furons in pulp mill effluent and a ban on defoamers which form dioxins and furons. Once these regulations are implemented, they will virtually eliminate dioxins and furons in pulp mill effluent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to announce that prices for all hunting licences and tags will increase in July 1993. This price increase will be the first overall adjustment since 1978. During the past two years department officials have conducted an extensive review and compared our prices with other jurisdictions. The findings indicate that in general our fees are lower and certainly do not reflect the uniqueness of some of the species of big game that are hunted in the Northwest Territories.

The new prices will bring our fee schedule in line with other jurisdictions. Furthermore, the new fees will better reflect the value we place on our wildlife resource. By announcing our intention now, the outfitting industry will have 18 months to review their operations plans and modify their marketing brochures. Mr. Speaker, I will be tabling a list of the increases today. Thank you.