Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, on March 2 and 27, 1991, the honourable Member for Nahendeh asked whether the Department of Health had assessed the delivery of home care services in Fort Simpson. The Member also asked whether there had been any discussions on the development and implementation of a model for home care program in small communities.

A community health services and facilities review is under way, and the department expects to have a community profile by the end of April 1992. The Department of Health and the Mackenzie Regional Health Service will then meet with key respondents in Fort Simpson to review the information and develop service delivery options.

The Department of Social Services presently contracts for the delivery of home care and support services for elderly and disabled residents in the community. Discussions on home care services in Fort Simpson would be premature at this state and should wait until the formal review is complete.

This is a reply to a question asked by Mr. Nerysoo on February 25, 1992. A basic bibliography listing documents reviewed by the review project team during the development of Strength at Two Levels has been circulated to all Members.

Returns to oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Ms. Mike on March 26, 1992. A four-classroom addition was planned for Quluaq School for construction last year, However, due to funding limitations and the school enrolment declining from 177 in 1989-90 to 166 in 1990-91, construction was delayed until enrolment increased.

Since this decision, 1991-92 enrolments have again risen to 177 students. The capacity of the school is calculated at 198 students. The existing school was built in 1984 and is in good condition. Should the enrolment continue to increase in 1992-93, the department will begin the planning for additional classroom space in 1993-94, with construction to commence in 1994-95. Thank you.

Returns to oral questions. Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Patterson.

This is a return to a question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on March 24th. I wish to correct some information I provided in replying to questions from the Member on March 24, 1992. For operational reasons the municipal planning engineer position is being transferred, along with the incumbent, effective May 4, 1992. As this position serves the entire Fort Smith Region, including the Deh Cho, North Slave and Fort Smith areas, we are confident that the same level of service will be maintained, and indeed improved, throughout the region. The honourable Member may be assured that as usual the department will monitor the delivery of municipal engineering programs in a manner consistent with other municipal assistance programs throughout the region. We have always been prepared to reallocate staff resources to improve program effectiveness.

The department intends to place a technical officer position on an interim basis in the Fort Smith office, similar to the positions in the Deh Cho and North Slave area offices. Under this arrangement the continuity of services in the Fort Smith area will be ensured.

This is a reply to an oral question asked by Mr. Pudlat on February 21 st. Mr. Pudlat asked about the status of interpreters during their assignments for the court and the possibility of lawsuits against them. Court interpreters, while interpreting for the court, are officers of the court. Their liability, if any, for actions done in good faith in the course of fulfilling their obligations to the courts as interpreters would be a matter for the Government of the NWT to deal with. This would be by defending or arranging for the defence of interpreters and would apply for interpreters who are employees and for independent contractors.

Returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I have the reply to a question asked by Mr. Brian Lewis on March 11, 1992 regarding the accomplishments of government over the last five months. Mr. Speaker, the activities of government since it took office in November have been driven by numerous issues at the national, territorial, regional and community levels. One of the most pressing matters is the decline in federal funding and the severe impact this has placed on cash flow. Cabinet has had to wrestle with this problem, and at the same time shape capital and O and M budgets for 1992-93 and develop a strategy to return to a balanced budget within two years. It has also considered a range of options for making government more efficient and less costly. Reshaping northern government is the beginning of this longer-term effort.

As you know, the government inherited no well-developed budget from the previous cabinet; however, in the short time it has been in office, we have prepared and submitted to the Legislative Assembly reduced 1992-93 capital estimates and a proposal on major innovations to the government's capital planning process. The innovations will significantly increase the involvement of all Members of the Legislative Assembly and community governments in the government's capital planning program. Part of these changes include the move to a fall capital budget in order to better co-ordinate with the summer transportation and construction season. By taking this approach, we can make sure that projects are planned well in advance and that construction activity in any one year does not exceed what the local labour force can handle.

We have prepared and submitted to the Legislative Assembly a proposed process and work plan for Reshaping Northern Government. This work plan is not a prescriptive outline of what the government has decided to do. Rather, it is an outline of the process the government proposes to follow to develop a plan of action for dealing with the issues before us. This proposal recognizes and provides for full consultation with ordinary MLAs, communities, aboriginal organization, the business community and other interest groups.

More recently, we have convened the Reshaping Northern Government working group, which is a joint cabinet/Legislative Assembly initiative to review and discuss many of the issues currently faced by the Government of the Northwest Territories. This working group's terms of reference include consultation with labour, business and aboriginal organizations.

Finally, we have worked towards and supported the introduction of a new Legislative approval process designed to give all stakeholders and the public far greater input into consideration of proposed legislation before it is presented in the House for committee of the whole discussion and subsequent approval.

These things have been accomplished, but the challenge to any government is to look ahead and deal with pending problems and issues. In this regard, we will continue to work with MLAs to develop strategies in a number of key areas: 1) education, which means not only K to 12 but also upgrading and job training; 2) employment strategies which will allow us to maximize northern employment and development opportunities; 3) refinement of social and housing policies so that, in these tough economic times, people most in need are cared for; and 4) continuing efforts on the intergovernmental front so that the NWT can take its rightful place among the other provinces.

Mr. Speaker, in the area of intergovernmental affairs, the Northwest Territories has accomplished full participation in both the First Ministers' Conference on the Economy and, more importantly, the federal-provincial conference on the constitution. As I reported to the House last week, we have been able to ensure that the interests of the Northwest Territories are understood and have been included in a number of position papers on the economy being developed by First Ministers.

Finally, the ratification of the Gwich'in land claim provided us with the opportunity to negotiate and sign implementation plans which clearly set out the financial implications of land claims and define the federal government's responsibilities. Mr. Speaker, hopefully, we will be equally successful in finalizing the details of the Nunavut final agreement due to be ratified later this spring. Thank you.

--- Applause

Returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Education. I received correspondence stating that they will be short one teacher in Chesterfield Inlet, according to the government goals and objectives. Is it changed now?

Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, based on the funding formula that the Department of Education allocates to divisional boards of education, based on enrolment of the previous year, in respect to Victor Sammurtok School in Chesterfield Inlet, the community is eligible for 4.5 teachers for this year and 1.5 teacher assistants. This means they are eligible for one additional teacher from the previous year. However, when we fund the divisional boards, based on this enrolment formula, it is up to the divisional boards of education in the regions to allocate funding to the communities where there feel it is a priority.

So it is not up to us to tell the divisional boards how many teaching positions should be allocated to Chesterfield Inlet. That is the responsibility of the divisional board. We fund the divisional board based on the enrolment. Up to this point, the Victor Sammurtok School is eligible for 4.5 teaching positions

and 1.5 classroom assistants, which is a one person year increase from previous years.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the current Minister of Health. Like many Northerners, our main concern is about the issues raised earlier this week and last week with respect to the surgical procedures performed at the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital. But perhaps I am more concerned about the performance of the territorial health administration. Since the issues were first raised, the response by the department has seemed, at least to me, to be uncoordinated and confused. I am also concerned that the former Minister appeared to be inadequately briefed about the complaints and the follow-up correspondence received by his department officials. Will the Minister undertake an internal review of whether standard policies for advising the Minister of critical issues are regularly followed by the director and the health officials within the department?

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, yes.

Supplementary, Mr. Todd.

I realize this is somewhat of an emotional issue, but frankly I was astounded by the way the department and the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital Board have been handling the release of public information. Press statements were released and later recalled. Public comments attributed to Dr. Morgentaler were later refuted. Local physicians have been making comments that contradicted the complaints by women. I thought the administration of the department was supposed to be the responsibility of the deputy minister and his senior staff. Removing the Minister is only one part of the solution. Is the current Minister willing to undertake a review of the deputy minister and his senior staff's performance throughout this matter?

Ms. Cournoyea.