Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there are specific instances where there is a wrong or things have not been working or there has been an injustice, then we have to look at what those are and remedy that situation, be it on a social side or some other business side, and those things happen. But we've also talked around this table in the previous Assembly and the current Members about the need for a program and zero-based budget review that would give us a look at programs, how well they're doing, are they doing the right things. We also know that we've been slow on some things and I'd like to point to two key pieces of legislation that have to get done, and those would be the Species at Risk and the Wildlife Act, because it's been pointed out to us for years that we haven't been doing that right, that it's a gap that has to be filled. Ten years of work, it's time to get those things done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Chair will recognize the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre. No. No, I'm sorry. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I'll go to Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue does have a long history in the Northwest Territories. As I indicated in my comments to this Assembly and to the people, it is my considered opinion, after all these

years, that the one way that we can get the leaders into the tent, the aboriginal leaders and the territorial government so that we can have one strong northern voice, is to come and bring our focus to bear on those very fundamental issues of the water, the land, the animals and the people, and how are we going to take the steps to protect them. Very clearly, the way you're going to do that is get the authority to make those decisions for those very, very critical pieces of land claim agreements and of just surviving as a territory, having those decisions being made in the North. I believe that's one way to do that.

I stood up in this last Assembly a number of times and I pointed to Premier Willliams' approach that there is a benefit to standing up strong and proud periodically to say that we have a northern voice and the way things are going aren't acceptable. How fast can we do that? Well, we've heard the predictions that we'll probably still be talking about this through the life of this Assembly. I believe if there is the political will and we can find the way through the environment piece, that we may be able to speed up that process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I'll go to Mr. Roland.

Thank you. I think, right to the point on this, we've heard a bit about the authority we have. My analogy of the hunting trip and federal government, territorial government, northern aboriginal governments is something we have to look at, and the foundation that's been laid. There's been a lot of work done in that area, but I believe we, at this opportunity, can set the tone on how we deal with Ottawa, how we deal with industry and how we deal with our own people. At some point, we have to make a decision and move forward. We've all gone through the election process. It is the people of the Territories that have given this House the authority to work for their benefit, so it is time that we started working together to move forward. But I believe ultimately the will to push, and push hard, will come from all Members of this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The Chair will recognize the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to pose my questions to both candidates for Premier. The first question is with regards to childcare. Childcare is very important for young families starting out at home and it allows young people to be able to work, and also to attend school if they choose to do so. I'd like to know what the candidates would do to improve childcare in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. We'll go to Mr. Roland first.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This area is one that is fundamental if we are going to build a strong territory. As I had stated earlier, it starts with strong families building strong communities and building a strong territory, and we have to put the tools in place to help families at the start. I think we've done it as a GNWT and the governments of the past have done piecemeal by piecemeal. If a building becomes empty and a day care organization wants to start up, we give them that space, free rent in a sense, but we don't have an organized program. We tend to try to get the people in communities to do it. It may work in larger centres, but it's more difficult in smaller centres. I think we do have to start incorporating it. As all information shows, if we're going to affect a child's life, we're going to affect a child's life in the first

five years. So we need to start putting…If it means taking the money we already put out there and putting it into those first early years, that's something I believe we have to look at doing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that I think reflects back to the issue I raised in my comments about the need to consolidate government programs to take a look at what we're doing and how we're doing it to see how we can better fund existing programs, many of which are struggling by on a shoestring. So that is an issue I think that can be dealt with through this process. We also have to recognize the work that was done by the boards and agencies, the fact that NGOs struggle every year because multi-year funding still, even though it's possible, is not done as a matter of course. The other one is we have to be able to budget, through this upcoming business planning cycle, a way to give some increases on a regular basis to those groups that are providing services that if they didn't and the government had to, would cost us a tremendous amount more. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My second question is to both candidates. The Northwest Territories has had the strongest economy in Canada for several years now and there are lots of jobs and employment in the North. What concerns me is we have a lot of northern workers that are living in the South. I really believe that if you work in the North, you should live in the North. I'd like to know what both Premier candidates would do to make the North a more attractive place for these workers to live in. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. We'll go to Mr. Miltenberger first.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that's been identified, clearly, of great concern with the leakage of hundreds of millions of dollars. So we have some options that we already have on the books that we can look at further; such things as a payroll tax. We know that we have to work with the federal government to increase the northern tax benefit that hasn't been increased for at least 20 years. I think that has to be part of our deliberations as we look at how do we adjust the money we do have and the structures we do have to stop losses such as this, which are actually a drain on our bottom line because it's not only the actual wages by not living here, we lost their 15 or 17 thousand a year per capita head that we get from the federal government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Roland.

Thank you. I think there's a number of areas where, again, governments in the past have taken steps but it's been piecemeal and not very well coordinated. But I think we need to build on some of these areas; for example, our student financial assistance package and some of our training programs, some of the areas we've had most difficulty bringing people in the North and helping us deliver the programs and services day to day. We've put in place our college program, the Nurse Training Program, the Teacher Education Program, to get northerners from the communities to deliver those

programs and services. Part of what we do, as well, for those people who have student financial assistance -- and this is what I think we need to continue to build on -- is if they go to our communities, they get a higher rate of remuneration in the sense of payback on their student financial assistance loans, and we bring more of our people to those communities and stay in the communities. So I think that's something we need to build on.

We also have the payroll tax that's in place to try to keep some money in the North. Is that something we need to enhance? I think that's a discussion we need to have around this table, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The Chair will recognize the honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to pose my questions, as well, to both candidates for Premier. First, I would like to thank them very much, both of them, for putting their names forward for this very important role. In a consensus style of government, Mr. Speaker, I believe that every Member elected to this House is a leader in their own right, and I would like to ask the prospective candidates for Premier how they would lead a Cabinet that would ensure that the respect is shown to the Members, to engage every Member who brings the collective voice of their constituents to this House in the decision-making process of this House. We all know there's been opportunities in the past or instances in the past, where we've been extremely frustrated as Members of the Legislative. Our government does go out, they consult, they hire studies, they go through very expensive processes and at the same time we are sitting here as a collective voice and I would like to know how you would lead a Cabinet that would show respect to what we have in this room around this table in terms of the Members here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. We'll go to Mr. Roland first.

Thank you. I believe that question is one that goes right back to what we are as a government, consensus government. The fact that, as 19 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly, we have the authority as individuals to set direction in government, to set programs, policy, pass laws and give approvals for spending of monies. I think it is, and as I've told Members already, I'm consensus to the bone. I believe we need to work together and set direction together. Now, there are times that some directions will have to be taken and given in a short time frame, but I believe we have to strengthen that role we have from Regular Members to a Cabinet side, ensure that Ministers are connecting with committee members and Members in an appropriate time frame so that nobody is sitting out there and hearing a news broadcast go out there and sit in their chair at home and think where did that come from. That's something we have to continue to work on and that's why I fully respect the ability of each Member in this House to carry on their duties and carry their authority with the degree that is necessary to make this work and work properly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Miltenberger.