Good afternoon. Before I begin the orders of the day, I would like to recognize in the visitors' gallery, students from the Arctic College Executive Secretary Program, and their instructor Suzanne Linttell.

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Also in the visitors' gallery today we have students from the Northern Studies Program at Sir John Franklin High School, and their instructor George Diveky.

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Item 2, Ministers' Statements. Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Zoe.

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

Members' Statements. Mr. Dent.

Members' Statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again the Northern News Services has got an issue wrong. I think the matter of Mr. Patterson's resignation in this House is not a result of weeks of attacks or, for that matter, rumours. The note which was sent is a matter of very serious consideration of this House.

I want to read a section regarding a matter of privilege: Beauchesne's citation 93, "it is generally accepted that any threat or attempt to influence the vote or actions of a Member is a breach of privilege." The note which was sent could be considered a serious breach of privilege. Most Members know that such a matter is of serious consequence.

Even more importantly, the honourable Member passed that note as a Minister, one who is responsible for and acts on behalf of all Members. His actions are seen as being responsible to and for Members.

I wanted to make that point because I do not want to hear the suggestion that Mr. Patterson is on this side of the House as a result of some rumour or a tax from the ordinary Members of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Members' Statements, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to comment today on workplace safety, education and enforcement.

While I realize that the Workers' Compensation Board portfolio is now vacant, it is my view that there are too many outstanding issues to allow the matter of the Workers' Compensation Board in the Northwest Territories to await the appointment of a permanent Minister. During this interim period, I would expect that the Government Leader, who is now the acting Minister, will also be an active Minister.

The honourable Members will recall the former Minister's acknowledgement that the W.C.B. is developing a scheme for sending employers money on more PYs and the bigger administration budget to carry out the workplace safety education and awareness. Mr. Speaker, I do not agree with the way the Workers' Compensation Board is trying to become the sole delivery agent for workplace safety programming. I believe that this will create a costly duplication of services and an unclear mandate.

The establishment of policies for the Department of Safety and Public Services states that the Minister and the department have the mandate for the administration of public safety in the Northwest Territories, including promoting and enforcing public and workers' safety. Further, the government's own programs and service manual clearly state that one of the purposes of the safety division is to provide safety education programs, to create a positive safety attitude and lower accident rates.

The department already has this mandate, Mr. Speaker. Why has the Workers' Compensation Board moved into this area by creating its own self-serving safety department? A regional presence will be required to carry out safety awareness and education programs in all communities in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Safety and Public Services already had that regional presence. Inspectors with the Department of Safety and Public Services already perform a safety education and awareness function during work site visits.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. If the Workers' Compensation Board really wants to have an impact on workplace safety, it will consider making agreements with the G.N.W.T. to fund effective cross training, using existing human resources and operations.

Honestly, Mr. Speaker, this government is going to have to start clearing up the confusion and doing a better job in this area. That will not be accomplished by handling responsibilities for safety programs through the Workers' Compensation Board, which is Yellowknife based, and which sees itself accountable only to organized labour, large industrial associations and has a recent record of questionable financial responsibilities. It will be accomplished by holding the Minister of Safety and Public Services accountable for the mandate which already applies to his department and by providing him with the appropriate financial support through a memorandum of understanding with the W.C.B. and the cost effective use of existing resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very concerned about the apparent inequities in the manner in which the government provides subsidy programs to municipalities in the

Northwest Territories for the provision of water and sewage services.

At the present time the Department of Municipal Community Affairs administers the water and sewage subsidy program that pays the difference between the economic and subsidized rates of water and sewer services to residential and commercial users in the settlement corporations and the hamlets. With the exception of Norman Wells and Iqaluit, there are no water or sewer subsidy program for tax-based municipalities. Norman Wells and Iqaluit receive subsides that are negotiated in the turn over agreements with this government.

I understand that a policy was developed by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to deal with the water and sewer subsidy for taxed-based municipalities, but that was never approved by the Financial Management Board. When we, in Fort Simpson, first heard about it we were quite happy about the positive move of this government.

Mr. Speaker, this situation caused a great deal of inequity within the system and placed a great deal of financial strain on municipal taxing authorities. In Fort Simpson, the current policy on water and sewer subsidy has caused a tremendous strain on the financial resources of the municipal government. Although classified as a tax-based municipality, the village of Fort Simpson simply does not have a large tax-base to draw upon. In fact, it is smaller in actual population than the larger hamlets, such as Pond Inlet, Rae-Edzo or Pangnirtung. Despite this, the current policy of the government is that the current water and sewer system in Fort Simpson should be operating as a stand-alone system. This is simply unrealistic.

Mr. Speaker, the best possible solution for this problem is for the government to introduce a water and sewer subsidy program for all tax-based municipalities. Failing that, an exception must be made to recognize the special difficulties faced by Fort Simpson and to provide a subsidy program to the community, similar to what is available to hamlets in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.

Item 3, Members' Statements, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning I was at the Yellowknife detachment of the R.C.M.P. to provide assistance with an incident. I was impressed by the manner in which the obviously over-worked and under-staffed detachment goes about its business. This potentially dangerous and stressful situation was handled in a quiet and efficient manner, with compassion shown for all involved, including the suspect. The policemen, some of whom had worked all night and were supposed to be off shift at 3:00 a.m., were still at work without complaints until the problem was resolved at 8:00 a.m. The situation was potentially dangerous due to the fact that weapons were involved, but it was handled without fuss, and with no injury to anyone.

The citizens of this city should be grateful for the quality of police officers it has who provide protection under trying circumstances. I, for one, have had a view of the Yellowknife detachment that makes me sleep better after seeing the type of people who do the work and the way they go about keeping peace in this community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' Statements, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to raise some points on a policy which this government is adopting. This policy is being called decentralization. It is called decentralization because some positions are being moved out of Yellowknife. I know that this is a sore point for the people and Members of Yellowknife. I would like to point out that it is also a sore point for the communities that are not the centre of each region. Mr. Antoine and other Members have made reference to this.

Between sessions I was able to talk to a number of people from hamlet councils, regional and community organizations mostly in the two communities I represent, Baker Lake and Arviat.

What is being called decentralization by this government is not decentralization. It is recentralization of positions into regional centres. The present regional centres are: Inuvik; Cambridge Bay; Fort Smith; Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit. These are the five communities to which the majority of these positions are going. To me, that is recentralization, not decentralization. It is giving opportunities where there is already much economic activity. What are the communities which are not regional centres getting? Nothing, they are getting just token positions, as in Baker Lake.

I will use as an example a position which was moved from Baker Laker two years ago, which was the position of the regional arts and crafts officer under the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. That position, rather than being moved to Rankin Inlet, should have been moved to Arviat where the real need is. There is much higher unemployment in that community per capita than in other communities in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I for one, would like to see real decentralization in the transfer of more of these positions to the communities that really need the employment opportunities, such as Arviat. To me, that would be real decentralization of this government and not recentralization. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Members' Statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to comment on the decision announced by the South Slave Divisional Board of Education regarding the house parents at the Lutsel K'e boarding home

in Fort Smith. The honourable Members will know that I have raised this matter previously.

On November 19 and 20, I questioned the former Minister of Education about the fact that the committee had been established to investigate allegations surrounding the performance of the house parents. I was concerned at the time, that the so-called inquiry committee comprised several of the same board members who had earlier voted to suspend the house parents.

I questioned the Minister as to how they could possibly conduct an independent review. I remained concerned about that, Mr. Speaker, particularly now that their recommendations have apparently been used by the divisional board as the basis for terminating the house parents. I am even more concerned about the procedures that have been used in implementing this decision. The constituent to whom I had been talking was not personally informed of the divisional board's decision by telephone or personal contact. In fact, she was sent a letter around the same time that the press was advised of her termination. News/North received notification of her dismal before she did.

Mr. Speaker, this is not appropriate. I believe that this is a shameful way to treat people and it should not be tolerated by the government. Mr. Speaker, the House and divisional board should be clear about one thing. Subsection 23 of the Education Act provides that it is the Ministers responsibility to operate student residences and boarding programs for students. This may be delegated to the divisional board, but the statutory obligation of the Minister is clear under the act. Where is delegated authority being abused? Where it is not being exercised according to proper standards of administrative conduct, the Minister should step in and take direct action. I trust that the Government Leader, in her capacity as acting Minister, will examine this matter and take action accordingly. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' Statements. Item 4, Returns to Oral Questions. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ningark on November 26, 1992. It concerns the economic development officer for Taloyoak. The superintendent of Economic Development and Tourism for the Kitikmeot met with the Hamlet Council of Taloyoak on November 25, 1992, on the subject of filling the position of economic development officer for that community. At that time he informed the hamlet that the position was in the process of being advertised and that the council would be advised of development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, Returns to Oral Questions. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Dent.