(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to congratulate the newly elected Ministers. I am not going to indicate the names, but I would like to thank each newly elected Member for being able to respond to my questions. I would also like to congratulate the new elected Executive Council Members. I would like to congratulate all the Members who participated in the election of the Executive Council. I think we have to work closely together to make this a better government. We have to look at the future. I would like to thank all the Members and the new Executive Council Members.

Thank you, Mr. Pudlat. Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to tell the House that I really took this leadership race very seriously. I

wrote a speech out so that I knew exactly what I was going to say with a little bit of room to manoeuvre. The adrenaline began to flow. It was a very competitive feeling, something which I have lost for a long time. It was very good for me to become involved in a race against all these young and vigourous people who really want to do something. I have every confidence that our Cabinet will be an effective and strong one. I am delighted, although I hate losing, because Mr. Nerysoo has been in the wilderness for many years. He perhaps reached the top too soon. I remember meeting him on the street about seven years ago outside Yellowknife Radio. He looked very down and very unhappy. I remember saying to him, "People like you are going to go around several times yet. You may feel as if you are down now, but if you are very young in this business and achieve success, you can have a very depressing period of time because this is a very uncertain business that we are in. People can get down very easily." Now that he has had the chance to prove himself again with all his wisdom and experience, I am sure that when he gets on the other side and takes his seat he will have a different view of life. He will be richer and more experienced for it. I am sure that he will be a very productive and effective person in dealing with the very complicated issues that we have on the horizon. I appreciate the opportunity to say this so soon after being involved in this gigantic struggle to be a Member of our Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Members' Statements. Item 4, Returns to Oral Questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on November 25, in terms of the completion of the power line study.

Mr. Speaker, in September, 1992, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation did a review of the power supply options for the North Slave region. This review resulted in a statement by the corporation and the Dogrib Treaty II Council on September 8, 1992, outlining an agreement to negotiate acceptable terms for development of hydro sites in the Dogrib region.

Transmission of the excess power supply from the Taltson Dam site to Yellowknife was part of this review. An overland transmission line to the west of Great Slave Lake and a link under the lake were also considered.

The corporation has had discussions with the town of Fort Smith related to electric heat generation and a hydrogen generating proposal. In addition, Northland Utilities Limited has approached the corporation with a proposal for the supply of power to Fort Fitzgerald.

Subject to the current negotiations, a review of the various options for the utilization of the excess capacity in the Fort Smith area will result in recommendations for the corporation's board of directors by spring, 1993. The review will include input from interested parties in the Fort Smith area and will take into consideration future power supply requirements.

Mr. Speaker, I also have a return to an oral question asked on December 1 by Mr. Fred Koe, about the planning and funding for the Inuvik Health Care Facility.

In April, 1993, the Inuvik Regional Health Board, with the support of the Department of Health, will be initiating development of a strategic plan for the health board and an operational plan for regional health services. The development

of a regional health service plan will be a collaborative initiative involving residents, aboriginal groups and councils.

The first phase of the planning program will be to complete a regional needs study and profile.

The second phase will translate the findings of the needs study into health programs and service needs.

The third and final phase will be the development of an action plan. It is anticipated that the overall planning program will take between six and nine months.

The needs of individual communities will be addressed as well, with a requirement for capital projects. Until the community and regional health needs are clearly understood, it is premature to speculate about what the regional capital planning program will be.

While there is a commitment to replace the Inuvik Regional Hospital, the programming and design of a replacement facility must wait until the proposed planning is completed. Funding is currently proposed for 1996-97 and 1997-98 to complete the program and design of a replacement facility.

The Department of Health will review the current capital plan and determine whether the programming and design for the replacement facility can be advanced to begin in 1994-95. This approach will provide the necessary time for a regional health plan to be completed and the capital needs of the region to be identified. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Cournoyea. Item 4, Returns to Oral Questions. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. On December 2, 1992, the federal Minister of Finance, the Hon. Don Mazankowski, introduced an economic statement proposing extensive federal cuts in several areas. Cuts are being made to unemployment insurance and in other areas of particular importance to the north, such as the environment, cultural subsidies and assistance to aboriginal people. This new approach by the federal government could have great significance in the Northwest Territories.

My question is, has this government conducted an analysis of the economic statement delivered by the federal government

to determine its implications for the economic position of the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance is looking at the details in the economic statement made by the federal Finance Minister. There are some things though that I can say right now and that is with regard to the infrastructure development, particularly in the area of transportation, we anticipate that the federal Minister of Transport will be making an announcement within the next week.

There will be a Finance Ministers' meeting on the 16 and 17 of this month, which I will be attending, at which we expect to get further details. I would caution the Members in the House that in addition to the things you have already heard, departments were told to cut back by three per cent next year. I think that it is being left at the discretion of federal departments, so there may be other things that affect us when we see the new federal budget in the spring. I will keep the House up to date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister has indicated some of the effects that this may have, but can the Minister indicate to this House what this new federal position is expected to have for the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot comment on the proposed cuts for next year because, as I said, I do not know what those departments are going to propose. Certainly, there is an opportunity for us in this new announcement with regard to northern airports. Again, the federal Minister of Transport will tell us about the improvements they intend to make.

As far as participating in that infrastructure pool of money, I would assume that the new Minister of Transport, whoever he or she may be, will be aggressively pursuing that and following up on the groundwork that has been laid by the Premier in First Ministers' conferences.

With regard to the detail, certainly the small businesses will get a break on new employees and not have to pay the U.I.C. premiums. They will be grateful for that but there will be a down side to those people who will be accessing U.I.C. That will be the same across the country. Did we get hit hard by this economic statement? Not to my knowledge, Mr. Speaker, but we are still looking at the details to see if there is something in there that will affect us.

Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I have a final supplementary. Does the Minister anticipate any specific changes to the economic plan of this government as a result of the federal government's announcement?

Mr. Pollard.

No, Mr. Speaker. Apart from the fact that we would like to participate, if there are federal dollars available for infrastructure, we are concerned about the impact on people who may be drawing unemployment insurance. Our situation remains the same; our economy is sluggish, the same as it in southern Canada. We have higher unemployment and we will continue to try to seek other ways of employing those people.

There may be something that we will be announcing in the next session; something that the Premier and I have been working on to put people in communities back to work. That is not very far down the road right now but we do anticipate bringing forward some suggestions in the spring session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the acting Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, the Minister, or whoever is acting Minister, I believe it is Mr. Pollard, is well aware of the concerns caused by Parks Canada's announcement last spring indicating they would no longer fund the maintenance of the winter road between Fort Smith and Fort Chipewyan. At the end of June, I placed a motion in this House requesting that the Cabinet negotiate with Parks Canada to try to keep this road open.

This road is vital to the community of Fort Smith. It is a key link to many of the traditions of the native people with regard to visiting their relatives. It is good for the economy also, Mr. Speaker. Not only do the community people from Fort Chipewyan come to Fort Smith to play bingo, they spend a lot of money doing their Christmas shopping there also.

I would like to ask the Minister, can he advise this House as to what progress, if any, has been made in negotiations with the federal government with regard to maintenance of the winter road between Fort Smith and Fort Chipewyan?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of Transportation, Mr. Whitford, pursued the federal government, Mr. Charest. He also had discussions with the Alberta government, and with Mr. Jack Shields who is the federal Member of Parliament for Fort Chipewyan. I am pleased to say that Mr. Shields called me today and advised me that the federal government will be putting the road from Fort Smith through to Fort Chipewyan, as they have done in previous years, and they will do it again this winter, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have also been cautioned by Mr. Shields that there should be some discussion between Fort Smith, Alberta, the federal government and ourselves in the new year to discuss some further cost sharing on this road. They are prepared to do it this year, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

That is very good news, Mr. Speaker, and I commend the Minister and the government for taking on and fulfilling the initiative. I would like to ask the Minister, however, if he would request and make a commitment on behalf of his department to ensure that these negotiations do take place so that we are not in this type of dilemma next year? Thank you.