Before I begin with the orders of the day, I would like to read a letter from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, it is addressed to myself, as Speaker.

Dear, Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the passage of Bill 34, supplementary appropriation Act No. 2, 1992-93, during the second Session of the 12th Legislative Assembly. Yours truly, D.L. Norris, Commissioner.

Also, I would like to recognize in the gallery this morning, the grade 11 law class from Sir John Franklin High School, and their instructor, Michael Madore.

---Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later today, I will be tabling the Department of Health's implementation plan for recommendations made by the abortion service review committee.

All of the committee's recommendations have been accepted. The implementation plan was developed in collaboration with Stanton Yellowknife Hospital and regional health boards.

Many of the recommendations, especially those dealing with procedures at Stanton Yellowknife Hospital, have already been acted on. Other recommendations will take some time to implement.

The cost of implementing those recommendations, for which costing has been possible, is about $250,000 in 1992-93, with continuing costs of about $150,000 in succeeding years.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health wishes to acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital, hospital and health boards, the Northwest Territories Council on the Status of Women, and N.W.T. professional organizations, in the development of this plan. Qujannamiik.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Whitford.

Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about the commentary given on C.B.C. radio on September 30. In this commentary, Danielle Whitworth argues that the federal government is pursuant in the policy of assimilation of aboriginal people, and that by agreeing to the proposed Charlottetown Accord, our leaders have been pulled, perhaps unwillingly, into this process.

Mr. Speaker, as a strong advocate of the Charlottetown Accord, and an aboriginal leader, I must disagree with Ms. Whitworth. It is my firm belief, that this accord will, for the first time since confederation, allow aboriginal people to begin to solve some of the problems that they are faced with in terms of health, housing, education, etc.

The entrenchment of self-government in the Constitution allows aboriginal people to implement their own solutions to those pressing problems. Unlike, Ms. Whitworth, I believe that assimilation occurs and is occurring because aboriginal people have no control over the process that shapes our own lives.

To a large extent our institution, programs, or services within aboriginal communities, whether they be health, justice, education or housing, have been based on European models. This is an assimilation. To stop this, we must reinstate our own value systems into our communities and organizations.

I believe that one step in this process is the realization of aboriginal self-government. Despite the flaws, I believe that the Charlottetown Accord presents a unique opportunity for aboriginal people to take some measures of control over their own lives through this self-government process.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Whitworth argues that aboriginal women have been unjustly served by the accord and by male aboriginal leaders. That the accord will mean nothing more than the continued poverty and oppression of the rights of aboriginal women. Chief Wendy Grey of the Assembly of First Nations has suggested the opposite, that the women and the aboriginal women have never done that well under the Charter of Rights. This can only be an improvement.

Mr. Speaker, I can only speak from my perspective as an aboriginal person in the Northwest Territories, when I look around and see...

Mr. Gargan, you allotted time has lapsed. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask for unanimous consent to continue my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays, please proceed, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and honourable Members. Mr. speaker, I can only speak from my perspective as an aboriginal person in the Northwest Territories. When I look around and see the increasing number of aboriginal leaders, who are women, leaders such as Nellie Cournoyea, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Rosemarie Kuptana, Erna Landry, Mary Simon, and Bernadette Unka. I know that aboriginal women are in the forefront of the fight for aboriginal rights, at least in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue to respond to some of the remarks that have been made about my questions, but even more so, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to indicate to Members that on September 21, 1992, Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity, after hearing of the tragic situation that occurred here in Yellowknife.

I heard about, like all Members, that a trust fund had been established for the families who had suffered in the tragedy during the Royal Oak Mine disaster. I wrote to my constituents, Mr. Speaker, asking them to come to the aid of the families and the children of those miners who perished. Mr. Speaker, I asked my constituents, and in fact asked my leaders, to participate in contributing to the trust fund for the families.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you today, that my constituents have contributed, or at least committed to over $2,000 to the trust fund.

---Applause

I hope, Mr. Speaker, this shows that there is compassion in Members of this House, compassion and understanding in other constituencies about the tragedies that involve the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Oral questions, Mr. Lewis. Sorry, Members' statements, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over a week ago, I asked several questions about the proposed merger between Canadian Airlines International and Air Canada in question period, and the question is recorded in the unedited transcript as 777-12(2). I was very concerned at that time, when I asked Mr. Whitford about this proposed merger, to find that, in fact, this responsibility had been transferred to Mr. Pollard, the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, because of the huge economic impact this kind of merger would have on the residents of the Northwest Territories, in fact, to all of western Canada.

Mr. Speaker, one week from now, on October 9, the three senior officers of both airlines will be meeting in order to decide how this merger will work, who will be the senior executive officer, and to work out the details of this merger. Since, very clearly, the Government Leader, our Premier, has determined that this is of such a huge vital concern for all people in the Northwest Territories, that she has handed it over to her Minister of Finance and the Minister of Economic Development. I am somewhat alarmed to find that this government is the only government that, to date, has not responded to the requests of Canadian Airline International employees, who tried to get support all across the country, to save the airline and it disappoints me somewhat, that at least yesterday, we could not give them any kind of response.

So, it disappoints me that if it is such a huge issue for us and we recognize the impact it may have on us, that, to date, we have not responded to the requests of all the people that work for that airline to do something to help save it. Thank you.

Members' statements, Mr. Kakfwi.

Members' statements, Mr. Allooloo.

(Translation) Qujannamiik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I want to make a brief comment concerning the Tungavik land claims settlement, and their destination for self-government in the future.

Today, I was in my constituency, I mean I was there last week, in Igloolik, and they had many concerns about land claims. I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that our future and our own government is going to be our goal for the people from my region.

What I am trying to say to the people in our lands, on the day of election, that being November 3, 4, and 5, I urge them to vote "yes" because, of course, it would mean that if the "no" vote wins, we will not have our land claim, and as a result, we will not have our self-government in our future, which is our goal for 1992.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we are told that the aboriginal people of Nunavut are simply borrowing this land according to the laws of today. This land apparently belongs to the government. First, we want our own homeland, and that is why we want our own land claims.

We want legal recognition that this land is ours. The eligible voters will be aged 16 and up. I will urge them to vote "yes", so that we can have our own lands in the future because, as of yesterday, we are simply borrowing this land. Thank you.

Members' statements, Mr. Pudluk.

Qujannamiik. (Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to the comments made by my colleague, the Member for Amittuq, there are tours being done by the chief and committee. This is for our future, and it is very important. It is toward the vote.

If I was able to join them, I would be prepared to go along with the tours in my constituency. At this time, it will, of course, be up to the people to vote whichever way they prefer, be it "yes" or "no", but I think that more people should vote "yes" as opposed to the "no" votes.

We have been working towards this for a very long time, and we are trying to look at it from the positive side. I think we will be better organized, and that is the way we are trying to look at it. When they decided on the boundary issue, the majority of the vote was for it. The positive vote prevailed, and this is another confirmation of that earlier vote, which is to decide on a positive vote.

We have to look at our past as well as our future, and we have to remember our descendants who will still be here many years after we are underground. There will be a better future for them, more opportunities for them, and that is the way that we want to vote. I urge the people from my constituency to vote.

I tell you there should be more of you to vote "yes" in the upcoming Nunavut Land Claims Ratification Vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also, on the same issue, I have some concerns. The tour was in Lake Harbour recently. I am not sure if they are still there, but I send my apologies to my constituents for not being able to be at their communities, because I was interested in participating with the completion of the budget.

I have some concerns I have to address on this issue, so I want to send my apologies to the people in my constituency, particularly people from Cape Dorset and Lake Harbour. If I leave today, maybe I will be able to charter in, but I understand that they will be meetings in Lake Harbour over the weekend, and guess my constituencies will be using their freedom to vote either way. I also remind them that it is good to vote the "yes" vote.

I also want to reiterate my apologies. I was not quite sure what was happening on the land claims issue. Be that as it may, I know the people involved are working very hard toward it, and I cannot help it if I am not there. I am sure that the people on the ratification committee are informing the people, as they need to be informed, and it will be up to each individual to vote the way they want.

I apologize that I will not be in that constituency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Morin.