Mr. Speaker, as the Member well knows, anything outside of the policies I have issued has to go to the Government Leader's office. I think the clearance would be at the fifth sheet, sir.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Safety. Yesterday, the Minister indicated there were some problems in developing, facilitating and co-ordinating the mining safety committee that he proposes to deal with in the Mining Safety Act. As well, he said there are problems with organized labour. He stated that an unorganized worker may be influenced by management. Organized labour is having a difficult time allowing an unorganized labourer to be a participant on the committee. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister whether he deems it necessary, and whether or not he feels strongly enough that it is important, critical and imperative that an unorganized worker should be a part of this mining safety committee.

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, rather than describing the two workers' representatives on the committee as being from organized and unorganized labour alone in those terms, I prefer to think of the workers' representatives as being from two distinct and different classes of mines in the Northwest Territories. People who happen to be from unorganized workplaces would include the majority of mines in the Northwest Territories, all the mines that are remote from Yellowknife, mines that are fly-in operations with generally different shift schedules, mines that use different mining methods and different technology than the mines in Yellowknife, as well as mines that happen to be generally above the tree line and in the eastern part of the Territories, as opposed to the West.

Mr. Speaker, in attempting to have a mining safety bill committee that was reflective of all the workers in the Northwest Territories, I felt that someone from that category of mines -- that is, the remote mines, the fly-in mines, the newer mines, et cetera -- would provide a balance to the committee to ensure that all workplace situations were represented in developing the new bill. It was not just that they were organized or unorganized. That was my thinking in structuring this committee. As I indicated yesterday, it has caused strong opposition from the two major mining unions in the Northwest Territories -- CASAW, Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers, and Steel, United Steelworkers of America -- who informed me, yesterday, that they will not participate in this exercise because of those objections that I outlined yesterday. That is my problem at the moment, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, since the Minister indicated that the two mining unions have decided not to participate in this committee that will assist in formulating the amendments that are necessary to safety of the workers of the mines, and since the Minister had indicated in December that this committee would begin its work in January, what other alternatives is he now going to use to address amendments that are needed for safety of the workers in amending the Mining Safety Act? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

Yes, thank you. Mr. Speaker, since I just learned yesterday of the unwillingness of CASAW and Steel to nominate a workers' representative to this committee, I have not as yet had a chance to figure out where we go from here; but I can tell the Member that there is one trade union that represents mine workers that is willing to participate in this exercise, and that is the UNW. They do represent a smaller proportion of workers than CASAW and Steel, but they have indicated they are willing to participate with the committee as it is structured, and they have nominated a person who could represent organized workers on that committee. So I could conceivably still structure the committee with an organized worker sitting in representing the UNW, although CASAW and Steel have indicated they are boycotting this exercise. I am going to consult later today with representatives of the Chamber of Mines to see what advice they might give me on this difficult situation.

Another option, rather than proceeding with the committee as originally intended, would be to still conduct an exercise to rewrite the Mining Safety Act using an independent chairperson or an independent person -- and there have been several good people nominated -- who would consult as widely as possible with those interested parties that would participate and do an exercise of that kind, which then would be presented to the House and could then have a public consultation process through the standing committee on legislation.

Those are the two main options I am looking at, Mr. Speaker, and I will keep the House informed as I formulate the next steps with advice from my cabinet colleagues. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, what was the purpose of formulating this new consultative process which would include two representatives from industry? His proposal was to include two representatives from industry, one representative each from unionized and non-unionized labour, and now he anticipates to follow through on this process with only the UNW and not CASAW or the Steel union from the mines.

Mr. Patterson.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I did not say that. The honourable Member asked me what I was going to do now, and I said one option would be to go ahead with the committee with the unionized nominee from a union that is willing to participate in the exercise. That is the UNW. That is one option, I said. The other option would be some other process for developing the bill which could take advantage of an independent person that had been identified to be chairman of this committee. So I am looking at two clear options, one which would be a consultative process involving workers in industry. Another would be more of a process of consulting stakeholders through an independent expert on mining safety, and I have not fastened on a particular option at this point, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, what was his purpose in making such a statement in the House? I would like to quote from Hansard on Wednesday, December 11, 1991. It says, "Mr. Speaker, the new consultative process will take place under the auspices of a mine safety bill committee that will have an independent chairman who is knowledgeable in mining, two representatives from industry, and one representative from each unionized and non-unionized labour. We expect this committee to begin its work in January." Now he states that he will only go with the UNW and overlook and not worry about the participation of CASAW or the Steel union that represents mine workers.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. I have not determined what I will do next. Yesterday, CASAW and Steel said they were boycotting the process; they are not going to participate. I have one union that is willing to participate, the UNW. One option, which I have not yet selected, and on which I am awaiting further advice from interested persons, would be to go ahead with the committee with the union that is willing to participate. The others are refusing to participate, and there does not seem to be much that I can do about it, after having worked hard to try to get them to buy into the process. However, Mr. Speaker, that is only one option.

Another option would be to recognize that because of the refusals of the two major unions in the Northwest Territories to participate, I would recognize that the committee, as envisioned, simply will not work; therefore, I would have to go back to the drawing board and develop a bill in some other manner. The process was designed to involve workers and industry in coming up with a mining safety bill, but if the workers will not participate, then, obviously, the committee is not going to work.

What I want to make clear to the honourable Member is, in light of these developments yesterday I am now going to have to figure out a course of action which will result in a new mining safety act because everybody -- union, organized and unorganized industry, and our government -- recognizes that the present bill is dated and in need of updating and modernization. My object is to get a new mining safety bill, and I will continue to work hard in that direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister of DPW give me an update on the freezing of the Resolute Bay pipeline?

Minister responsible for Public Works, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The pipeline from the reservoir had a valve that failed to close at the proper time; so the water would not return and keep circulating, and that is the reason that it froze. It is my understanding that it has been fixed now. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Morin.