It is as plain as it will come.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. On October 28th and 29th, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce hosted the business to business trade show in Yellowknife. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism was a participant in this venture, which was a promotional effort to support Small Business Week across Canada.

I would like to ask the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, what was the total cost of the department's participation in this trade show?

---Laughter

Thank you, Madam Speaker, honourable Members. We don't need pavement or turning lanes, but a few extra feet of shoulder on the road would go a long ways to improving driving conditions on the way to the Hay River Reserve before we have any tragic accidents. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have listened with interest a few weeks ago to the statement made by the Minister of Transportation about the positive results achieved by his department in running the community access road program. Madam Speaker, the community access road program is a good program. It is a good example of the government program meeting the needs of the people it is supposed to serve. I might drop a hint to my

constituents that the money from this program could be obtained to improve access to our traditional hunting grounds up around the Horn River.

Unfortunately, for my friend across the way, Madam Speaker, I do have a problem with one of his department's programs. I see in his budget that the Department of Transportation has budgeted money to improve the access roads into the larger communities on the highway system. We just have to look at the road that goes past this Assembly to see the results of this program; nice wide shoulders, turning lanes to speed up the flow of traffic, truly a modern transportation engineering...

---Laughter

Madam Speaker, if only the Queen visited us here every year, we would probably have paved roads to Coppermine and Inuvik by the year 2010.

Madam Speaker, I can agree with the principle of this program, however, they have forgotten someone. The road to the Hay River Reserve is very narrow. After or during a snowfall, no one driving can see the edge of the road. Madam Speaker, I have driven that stretch of the road from the highway to the reserve, a distance of only eight kilometres, and have seen the tracks of as many as four vehicles in the ditch after a snowfall. Madam Speaker, I am the first to admit that some of these mishaps may be the result of not driving on these road conditions often. But after darn near ending up in the rhubarb myself last year, I am of the belief that it is more the road's fault than the drivers'.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge the Minister to also look at access roads in the smaller communities on our highway system, such as the Hay River Reserve, with a view of improving them also.

Madam Speaker, can I get unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

With regard to clause 15, the act comes into force on the first dissolution of the Legislative Assembly that occurs after the act receives assent. This is the first time that something like this has been written. Usually it comes into force after the Commissioner...There's usually a date there on the enforcement of it. So it comes into force, I guess on Friday.

Mr. Chairman, the Languages Commissioner is not here to respond to the bill itself, since it was her recommendation to make amendments to this act. I'm just wondering whether the government is aware of the circumstances that lead to these amendments being recommended.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on November 7, 1994, the standing committee held a public hearing to review Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 2. The bill proposed to amend the present legislation in a number of ways. It would allow a Member to request advice from the Chief Commissioner of the Conflict of Interest Commission. It would allow Members and former Members to ask the Chief Commissioner for permission to enter into a contract with the government, and it changes the reporting requirements of the clerk of the Assembly and the Conflict of Interest Commission with respect to disclosure by Members. These amendments are proposed in response to a report of the Conflict of Interest Commission. In particular, the commission noted that the Chief Commissioner was unable to advise Members of the Legislative Assembly on their obligation under the act with respect to conflict of interest provision.

The Honourable John Pollard, as Government House Leader, appeared before the committee on November 7, 1994, to present the bill and respond to the committee's questions and concerns. In discussing the origin of the bill, it was noted that the act currently spells out conflict of interest in black and white terms. Either there is a conflict or there isn't. However, the north, with it's small population and limited business community, may not be in the public's best interest to strictly prohibit some form of activity by Members of this Legislature. Some contracts may be innocent and in the public interest. In effect, the amendments generally relaxes the provision of the act to allow for interpretation of the grey areas and strikes a balance between protecting the public interest and allowing, in certain circumstances, Members and former Members to hold contracts with the government.

The committee discussed their concerns about urgent situations where the Chief Commissioner may be required to render a ruling or dispense advice immediately. It was noted that while requests for advice have to be in writing, requests for contract authorizations do not. Urgent matters of potential conflict respecting contracts could be dealt with most immediately. The committee was particularly concerned that some aspects of the proposed amendments are not found in other jurisdictions. In effect, the bill proposes to allow contractual activity between elected Members and the government. Generally speaking, other jurisdictions prohibit this kind of contractual activity between government and former Ministers. The committee feels that the Legislative Assembly must recognize that this bill would create a legal instrument -- not merely a code or guidelines -- that allows elected Members, former Members, and Ministers to do business with the government under specific circumstances. The committee urges the Assembly to ensure that the duty to the public interest remains first and foremost in the minds and actions of all Members.

During its review the committee passed motions to amend clause 6 and 8 of the bill. The amendment to clause 6 was made to include an exception to the confidentiality of the closure documents that was omitted in error. The amendment to clause 8 corrected an error in tense in the English version. Mr. Chairman, on Monday, November 7, 1994, the standing committee on legislation passed a motion that Bill 16 was ready for consideration in committee of the whole as amended and reprinted. Mahsi cho.

Mr. Chairman, I have just have one final comment before question is called. I support the electoral boundary, but when you have a situation where aboriginal organizations are negotiating with the federal government, third-party interests are not an issue. I think that is what happened in Jim Antoine's area. Even though he has been impacted by Sahtu claims, there is no avenue for him to express his concerns. The territorial government is aware of that, too.

I suppose it was Mr. Antoine who brought up the whole issue of the mandate of the Electoral District Boundaries Commission. They only had the mandate to change the boundaries based on the political line, and nothing else. But, I think Mr. Antoine also brought up an issue that would never have been addressed if he hadn't, and that is even though he is being impacted by the Sahtu claim -- and I'm sure it is the same way with all the other claims -- it is a boundaries issue. The Deh Cho region is caught between the Dogrib claim and the Sahtu claim. We are not saying we are going to be pursuing claims, but we are certainly impacted by them and this is the only arena, I believe, where we have the opportunity to bring up that point.

But, I support the motion because the lines mean the same, and they don't go into areas.

Mr. Chairman, I believe an issue arose out of Mr. Antoine's problem. Has that been addressed?