Before we commence with the orders of the day, I would like to bring to the attention of the House, my response to the point of privilege raised by Mr. Nerysoo on September 15.

The point of privilege raised by Mr. Nerysoo on September 15, on remarks made by the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi during his reply to an oral question by Mr. Nerysoo, as I have reviewed the unedited transcripts, and I find that the Honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Nerysoo, does not have prima facie point of privilege.

However, my review of the exchange between the honourable Members led me to conclude that an important principle is at issue here. A Member's duties and responsibilities, on behalf of his or her constituents, is for each Member to decide on their own. It is not for any Member to interpret for another Member how he or she must carry out their duties. I trust that in future, all honourable Members will respect that principle. Thank you.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

I would like to recognize, in the gallery, Chief James Firth from Inuvik, and Chief Peter Ross from Arctic Red River.

---Applause

I also would like to recognize in the visitor's gallery, Mr. Tony Campbell, and his grade 11 class from St. Patrick's High School.

---Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to give an emergency statement.

Proceed, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, I have received distressing news that the submission put forward by the Honourable Elmer MacKay, seeking reinstatement of federal funding for the new social housing units in the Northwest Territories, has been rejected by the federal Cabinet.

In February, 1992, in his budget speech, the federal Minister of Finance announced major reductions in the federal social housing programs right across Canada. These reductions would hold growth of the federal social housing budget to a maximum of three percent increase with no allowance for inflation. The cost of inflation must be funded from within the three percent growth factor. Reducing the funding available for new social housing construction by 23 percent in 1992, and a further 36 percent in 1993, for a total of 59 percent.

The impact of these federal funding reductions here in the Northwest Territories was to drastically reduce our cost shared new social housing units. There was 372 units built last year, and by 1993 the Government of the Northwest Territories will be funded to build 153 cost shared units.

I wanted to assure Members that we have continued to work to get the federal funding reinstated to its former levels. When I met with the Standing Committee on Finance, I told Members that we were engaged in serious and intense negotiations with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. These efforts began right after the cuts were announced in the federal budget in April. I intended a special meeting of provincial and territorial housing Ministers to discuss the implications of the cuts. I also appeared before the Aboriginal Affairs Committee of the House of Commons in May. We found them supportive of our needs. This was followed in June by a meeting between myself and federal Minister responsible for the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Honourable Elmer MacKay. Minister MacKay listened carefully to what we had to say about our unique situation in the Northwest Territories, and we were able to convince him that our needs were urgent. Also, in June, I had a meeting of the federal, provincial and territorial housing Ministers. I urged the federal Minister and my colleagues in other jurisdictions, to recognize the unique and urgent housing requirements of the Northwest Territories. We got a positive and supportive response at that meeting. The federal Minister responsible for the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Honourable Elmer MacKay, made a submission to the federal Cabinet to address the funding shortage for new housing construction for the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon, on a priority basis. If approved, funding to the Northwest Territories would have been reinstated to the 1991-92 levels. Unfortunately, although we were able to convince the federal Minister responsible for the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Honourable Elmer MacKay, the federal Cabinet did not support the submission because there was no additional funding available.

Mr. Speaker, although I see this as a serious setback, I am still hopeful that further efforts on the part of this government will result in funding reinstatement. You will recall the federal government initially rejected us supplying the Business Incentive Policy to cost shared housing contracts. Our continuous efforts were finally successful in having Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation accept the Business Incentive Policy. The same may be possible in this case.

I am continuing my discussions with Mr. MacKay, and we are also pursuing this through the Government Leader directly with the Prime Minister, and with the other provinces, and the Yukon, who are all also seriously affected by the federal cuts.

In addition, I will work with Members to complete the development of the strategy to deal with potential of no federal funding being reinstated. The efforts today were concentrated on convincing the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and Mr. MacKay, on our need for funding, and to have the federal funding submission put forward. The strategy being developed will maximize the new unit delivery within the funding available, while recognizing that the level of service, and the number of new units, may have to decrease from today's levels.

Later on today, I will be tabling the 1992 Housing Needs Survey. The survey confirms that housing needs are continuing to grow in the Northwest Territories, and this provides us with additional information to use in our efforts to have federal cuts reinstated.

Mr. Speaker, although the news today is bad, I will continue to work to change the federal position, and will keep all Members of this Assembly informed of our progress. I would appreciate receiving input from the Members to this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a motion and move, seconded by the honourable Member from North Slave, that Minister's Statement 90-12(2) Federal Social Housing Budget Cuts, be moved into committee of the whole.

Motion is in order, Mr. Koe, to the motion, Mr. Koe.

Question.

The question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Ministers' statements. Members' statement. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the direction from the Ordinary Members' Caucus. Mr. Speaker, this House, including the Government Leader, should never tolerate disrespectful manners, and disrespect for the rules and practice of this House, which was demonstrated by a Member of the Cabinet. Mr. Speaker, what I am speaking about, is the manner in which Mr. Kakfwi dealt with a question posed by Mr. Gargan. Mr. Speaker, this House, or this side of the House, will not tolerate arrogance, or the insulting inconsideration given to Mr. Gargan's view, which is a serious issue. Or for that matter, issues raised by all Members, including in some instances, issues raised by Members of Cabinet. Mr. Speaker, the rules are clear on answering of questions. All Members are obliged to follow the practices, and respect of decorum, of this House, by rising to answer a question. Mr. Speaker, we own this side of the House, and know that trying to bend the rules is a fact of life, but complete ignorance should not, and will not, be tolerated. Mr. Speaker, we respect the right of the Minister to decide how or when he or she answers, but Mr. Speaker, as honourable Members, this side of the House will not tolerate the arrogance, aloofness, and disrespect that has been shown by Mr. Kakfwi when responding to a question, and the manner in which he dealt with Mr. Gargan. You can be assured we will deal with the continued existence of this type of attitude appropriately, and with dispatch if necessary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must tell the House today that I was dismayed by the way the Minister for Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs answered yesterday's questions about the transfer of government programs and services to community self-government. I checked the unedited transcript just this morning to see if I had actually heard the Minister correctly. His response to my honourable colleagues from Inuvik and MacKenzie Delta essentially let us know that in eight and a half months, there has been no substantive progress towards establishing community transfer initiatives. From what I understood from the Minister's comments, all that has been accomplished has been a partial completion of a draft implementation strategy, and we hear that, and I quote, "a rather high level deputy minister's committee has philosophical or political differences, and is to blame for this." I have the Minister attributing the delay, and this initiative, to the honourable Members in this House, simply because we want to review and approve the media report recommendations on the Minister's implementation plan. Mr. Speaker, that is our job. When the Minister comes forward with the implementation details we will review them then, but it is not the fault of the Members on this side of the House that he decided to sit by and watch his rather high level deputy ministers run the show for the last eight and a half months, and then blame them for it.

Mr. Speaker, I can readily understand that in seven parts of the Northwest Territories there are going to be difficult constitutional matters, and philosophical differences, that we will need to form for part of the process leading up to community transfers. I fully support the Metis and Dene leaders in their desire to work these out, as they progress towards community or aboriginal self-government. In the east, Mr. Speaker, we have accepted the principle of public government for the last 20 years. Many of our communities are ready for community self-government now. This is the process that will power us towards the constitutional emergence of Nunavut. We cannot, and will not, allow the goal to be put on hold. The Minister should bring forward a paper, so that this House can move forward in reviewing it, and consulting with our community leaders. Thank you.

---Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have already spoken on two occasions regarding the federal government's initiatives on aboriginal justice and justice administration. I am concerned about the way the decision was made by the federal Minister of Justice to appoint the Northwest Territories Chief Crown Counsel as Director General for the Council on Aboriginal Justice and Administration. When she was questioned on April 8 about her judgement in making this appointment, the Honourable Kim Campbell told the House of Commons that "when I was in Yellowknife in September with the federal/provincial meetings of Ministers responsible for Justice, I had the opportunity to see how this individual was received in his community and how he was regarded by aboriginals and women in that community." Mr. Speaker, I have personally reviewed the agenda and list of participants who attended the federal/provincial meetings. There were no aboriginal women in the final list of delegates from the Northwest Territories. Department of Justice personnel have confirmed that the public input during the federal/provincial meetings was nil. No public organizations were invited to contribute. On February 25, 1992 I was asked by our former Minister of Justice, the Honourable Dennis Patterson, about this appointment. He has responded that he was generally aware of Mr. Avison's departure but was not precisely sure of his irresponsibilities. This response does not make me think that the Minister had been involved in government to government consultations surrounding Mr. Avison's April appointment.

Aboriginal people in the north and throughout Canada have waited a long time for the federal government to begin to address the many outstanding issues that surround the treatment of our people by the justice system. As a major stakeholder in any review of aboriginal justice, I would hope that our government would take the lead role in monitoring and providing input to the current federal initiative.

Mr. Gargan, your allotted time has elapsed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I get unanimous consent to complete the last paragraph?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, honourable Members. This could include ensuring that key figures in the projects have demonstrated the sensitivity, understanding and

credibility required to carry out that task. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize in the visitor's gallery Mr. Willard Hagen, President of the Gwich'in Tribal Council; Chief James Ross of Fort McPherson; Chief Eugene Pascal from Aklavik; and Mr. Robert Alexi, Jr., the Vice-President of the Gwich'in Tribal Council. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' Statements. Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question that I would like to direct to the Minister of Education in regard to the Cape Dorset school. There is a proposal for the school in Cape Dorset. They are going to renovate or expand the school, and they are going to put in four new classrooms, but the teachers would like to see five classrooms.

The school in Cape Dorset is proposing that there should be five classes added every year. In 1986 to 1992, the population has grown in Cape Dorset. There were 44 new students that were born in 1986 and went into Kindergarten in 1992. So, for the school year 1992-93, the population will also have grown, and for the year 1993-94, there will be an increase in the population, and as well, there will also be an increase for the years 1994-95, and 1995-96. Because of this, in Cape Dorset, they are requesting more classrooms for the school. So, I would like the Minister of Education to think about this request. Thank you.