Good morning. I would like to recognize, seated in the Speaker's Gallery, the Hon. David Warner, Member of the Provincial Legislature of Ontario for Scarborough/Ellesemere and Speaker of the Ontario Legislature.

---Applause

I understand that the Deputy Commissioner is prepared to assent to bills this morning. Therefore, Mr. Clerk, would you ascertain if Her Honour, the Deputy Commissioner, is prepared to assent to bills?

Please be seated. Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to be here today to perform my first official act as Deputy Commissioner. Before assenting to bills, I would like to say how honoured I am to have been appointed to this position.

The position of Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories has a special place in the history of the Northwest Territories, and I want you to know that I will do my best to represent the wonderful mixture of cultures and heritage that we all share.

Mr. Speaker, as Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I hereby assent to: Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Elections Act; Bill 10, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act; Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Plebiscite Act.

---Applause

Please be seated. Orders of the day for Friday, March 6, 1992. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the House on my recent meetings in Vancouver and Ottawa. In Vancouver I met with the Hon. John Crosbie, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Our discussions concerned the developing Baffin fishing industry. Mr. Crosbie was able to assure me of the following commitments:

1) The Tungavik Federation of Nunavut land claim provisions will be considered in decisions relating to the management and harvest of inshore and offshore marine resources;

2) No new northern shrimp licences will be issued. Any increases to the quota will be divided among the existing 17 licence holders, of which 1.5 licences are held by territorial companies; and

3) The Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to participate in the Atlantic Council of Fisheries Ministers and its advisory committees. Through this council, decisions are made on the management of Atlantic marine resources. I extended an invitation to co-host the next meeting of this Ministers' council in Pangnirtung next summer.

After this meeting with Mr. Crosbie, I went to Ottawa. At the National Forest Congress, I and the other Ministers of Forestry signed an accord supporting the new Canadian forest strategy. This strategy sets the direction for forest management in Canada. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that this strategy follows the direction that our government has already established in our forest management programs.

The strategy states that: a) forests should be harvested on a sustainable basis; b) forests are also important as wildlife habitats, for subsistence uses, and for leisure activities and should be managed accordingly; c) forests should be managed with involvement from residents; d) traditional uses and knowledge should be part of forest management.

At the National Forest Congress, I met with Mr. Paul Ramsey, who represented the British Columbia Forest Minister. We discussed the problems being created for trappers by forest companies in the Liard area. Mr. Ramsey made a commitment, on behalf of the Minister, to investigate the problems and to report back to me.

While in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to meet with several other agencies: the Fur Institute of Canada; Indigenous Survival International; the Canadian UNESCO committee; and the organizers of an international environmental education conference called ECO-ED, which will be held in Toronto this July. Each meeting related to promoting the use of renewable resources at national and international forums.

Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged by these meetings because one of my objectives as Minister of Renewable Resources is to educate the people throughout the world about the way we live. Two of these agencies are highlighting the importance of traditional knowledge, especially in resource management. The Government of the Northwest Territories is recognized as a leader in this field, in large part because of the efforts of Mr. Jim Bourque, the former deputy minister of Renewable Resources.

Although I was busy, I can also report that it is already spring in Vancouver, still winter in Ottawa, and I am glad to be home. Mahsi cho.

We are glad to have you home, Mr. Ningark. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ningark.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, a long time ago, I went to school in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson. At the time we were only taught in English. When we said something in Slavey we were punished for it. As a result of that, when I went to school in 1967, that is the only way I have been taught. We rarely did things in Slavey; we only did things in English.

These days, when kids go to school in Fort Providence, they get taught in Slavey, but the place that they are taught is a white man's setting, and I do not feel this is right. What the government is saying, right now, is that if the communities want to govern something they would be able to help them. What I am saying, Mr. Speaker, is that if we are going to be taught in the native way I think the people at the community level should be the ones who are in charge of it. The way they sing, the way they tell stories -- these things should all be looked after by native people.

If the children were taught outside of the school setting, they would be taught better. If they were taught in the native way, the native people should be in charge of teaching them. The Department of Education should be giving some thought to these kinds of things. The people are concerned about the way the students are being taught in English and the government should be helping them. The way I see it, the songs and the native stories, the way the native language is taught right now, I do not think it will survive. I think it has to be taught outside of the school, and that way I think they will be able to preserve it. Thank you.

Members' statements. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Returns to oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Returns to oral questions. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Arngna'naaq on February 21, 1992, on the business incentive policy not being enforced. I have looked into the Member's concerns, and I can assure him that all contracts awarded by DPW have been, and will continue to be, awarded in accordance with all GNWT contract policies and procedures. The department follows these procedures for all contract awards in every NWT community. Thank you.

Returns to oral questions. Oral questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I received a fax yesterday from the Hay River Reserve. There is a concern about Evergreen Forestry, Mr. Speaker. The company itself is a company combined of Fort Providence and the Hay River Reserve, and the problem they are having right now is that they have been put on hold with regard to an agreement. The five-year agreement was signed, with three years of operation and an option of two additional years. The difficulty right now is that the government has indicated that they are not going to negotiate the two other optional years until they come up with their privatization policy or direction.

Mr. Speaker, while the government is still addressing that whole privatization issue, there is a situation where spring is around the corner, summer is around the corner, and we still have not had any direction in that area. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he will be dealing with Evergreen Forestry with regard to the two optional years. They would like to operate for the next two years.

The preamble was a little bit long, Mr. Gargan. If Members could try to shorten their preambles. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am still new in the Department of Renewable Resources dealing with forestry, and I am very interested in the area of forestry, although I came from an area with no trees. I am also very interested in community concerns regarding this forestry issue. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for asking the question. I will review the matter with my officials and get back to the

Member, and I hope I will be able to deal with this matter positively for the Member's benefit. Thank you.

Are you taking the question as notice, Mr. Ningark?

Yes.

Question is being taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously Toronto is not a level II or level III community. The reason for that retail outlet is, if we want to improve the economy in level II and level III communities in the Northwest Territories, one of the ways that we can do it is to market the products that they produce. We are trying a two-year experiment in Toronto, to move products made in the Northwest Territories into a greater marketplace. There is a lot of traffic there. If it works, we will consider going to other high density traffic areas to move more Northwest Territories products. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.