It was the honourable Member, Mr. Ningark, who raised the issue of community access roads, in the House, last year. A number of other Members also raised it. The previous budget under the former Minister, Mr. Whitford, was $250,000. I think I said in my opening comments earlier this week, that I see community access roads as an important policy or program to allow people -- as Mr. Ningark said -- to access whether it's fishing, hunting or recreational areas. It is our intention to...We've moved the budget to $650,000 in 1994-95 and, I believe, it's projected to move to $1 million in 1996-97. There will be a policy in place very shortly which will allow us to move forward with a joint initiative between the departments and municipalities or other groups where we can provide, hopefully, over a period of time, some dollars to build what we call access roads. I would caution everybody, when we talk about access roads we're not talking about highways. We're talking about a road that would be capable of a four-wheel truck or a recreational vehicle. It is our intention to move forward with that. It is in the budget.

We are getting requests from the communities and we're trying to work out a plan to do that. We have a request from Gjoa Haven and Pelly Bay. We also have a request from Arviat, Baker Lake and Coral Harbour, Mr. Zoe. There are a number of requests out there because of this policy. We're going to endeavour to do the best we can with the limited resources we have. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Item 7, returns to written questions. Mr. Todd.

Pardon me, was that returns to written questions?

I believe item 6, written questions has already been passed. If anybody wants to go back to item 6, they have to ask for unanimous consent. Item 7, returns to written questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a written question by Mr. Patterson, yesterday, on the Iqaluit council dissolution discussions. Both Mr. Patterson and myself have agreed it would be appropriate to read the response into the record.

This is with respect to the Iqaluit council dissolution discussions.

The president of the Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities, Mayor Pat McMahon, informed a municipal inspector, in January of 1993, that representatives from the town of Iqaluit were concerned that the debenture dilemma could lead to the appointment of the municipal administrator in Iqaluit. The president informed the inspector that she was available to lend assistance to the department and the town in resolving this dispute.

On the morning of Wednesday, February 17, 1993 the superintendent of Municipal and Community Affairs for the Baffin region met in Iqaluit with Mayor Ruttan and gave him an advance copy of the 1992 municipal evaluation report. This report was discussed for a considerable length of time. The superintendent conveyed to the mayor the seriousness of a report with more than 50 recommendations for corrective action on the part of the town.

The superintendent made reference to a lack of administrative direction and expressed concern about the senior administration officer's ability to manage the town administration properly. The superintendent believes that the mayor understood the message but shortly thereafter, the mayor wrote to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and requested the evaluation report be withdrawn.

On Wednesday, February 24, 1993, the superintendent met with town councillor, Chris Groves. The superintendent and councillor Groves discussed the councillor's serious concerns about the way the town was being managed and the poor performance of the senior administration officer. Councillor Groves also expressed questions on the municipal evaluation he had yet to receive. The possibility of appointment of a municipal administrator was raised.

On March 4 and 5, 1993, senior officials of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs met in the town of Iqaluit and held several meetings -- some with town administration, some with town councillors, and some with town administration and town councillors together -- to discuss the report of the municipal evaluation that had been conducted by the department in November, 1992. The tone of the meetings was set by the town and can be characterized as defensive and adversarial.

At the March 5 luncheon meeting with the mayor, five town councillors, the SAO and the auditor, the seriousness of both the evaluation report and the land development debenture issue were discussed at length, including the ultimate solution of placing a municipal administrator in Iqaluit. The departmental officials answered in the affirmative when members of council asked direct questions about the potential for the appointment of a municipal administrator. Some councillors made reference to the fact that a municipal administrator had been appointed in 1976.

After the March 5 luncheon meeting, Mayor Ruttan and the assistant deputy minister of operations for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs held a private meeting. The meeting lasted about one hour. The overall theme of the meeting was that the town administration had failed the council and that the senior administration officer was at the root of the problems. The assistant deputy minister suggested that, in the opinion of the department, the senior administration officer had to be removed. The assistant deputy minister added that problems would continue to arise regardless of what fix was developed, unless the SAO was removed from her position. The discussion also centred on the severity of the problems and that, although it would not be what the department would desire, the problems were serious enough to have the town placed under a municipal administrator.

The Baffin regional superintendent's telephone log for October, 1993 shows that Mayor Ruttan either visited the superintendent's office or telephoned the superintendent five times between October 14, 1993 and October 28, 1993. On these occasions, the mayor discussed problems, concerns and legal questions regarding the current operation of the town. The mayor made reference to the question of dissolving the town council and placing a municipal administrator in the town.

I have been advised by a number of persons, including the Baffin regional director, that the issue of lack of effective performance of the town senior administration officer was a subject of common discussion among ratepayers and members of the business community in Iqaluit. It is inconceivable that Mayor Ruttan could not have known, well before the appointment of the municipal administrator on November 12, 1993, that the performance of the town senior administration office was a major issue. Thank you.

Item 7, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, return to Written Question 11-12(4) asked by Mr. Arngna'naaq to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs concerning the policy and funds for missing persons.

The policy on contributions for community organized searches for missing persons provides for the Government of the Northwest Territories to make contributions of up to $1,000 to a community council to offset the costs associated with a community council under the authority of the Civil Emergency Measures Act.

The common procedure under the policy, when a person is missing from a community is as follows:

1. the community council determines that a search for a missing person or persons is necessary. A council may determine that the search is necessary either before or after a public search by the RCMP or other federal agency;

2. the community council makes an official request to the regional director to authorize a community organized search;

3. the regional director authorizes the community organized search.

Where there is no recognized community council, the regional director may offer financial assistance under the policy to an appropriate group or organization, such as a hunters' and trappers' association.

Funding is not set aside in advance for search and rescue in communities. Under the policy, the provision of financial assistance for community-organized searches is done on an application basis, at the time that a search is considered necessary by the community council.

Under the policy, the regional director has the authority to approve search-related expenditures and to determine reasonable costs associated with conducting a community-organized search. Aircraft charter costs, the purchase of groceries, fuel, lubricants and minor machine parts may be eligible expenditures.

Thank you. Item 8, replies to opening address. Item 9, replies to budget address. Item 10, petitions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have Petition 2-12(4) from the hamlet council and the Pond Inlet Housing Association. They are jointly initiating this petition, in opposition to the Government of the Northwest Territories proposal to privatize the NWTPC. There are over 298 signatures. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 10, petitions. Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table Petition 3-12(4) from parents and community members of Chesterfield Inlet. The 99 signatories of this petition request that the Minister of Education reconsider the planned expansion of the Victor Sammurtok school in the 1998-99 fiscal year to the 1994-95 fiscal year.

Mr. Speaker, the school has used the library resource centre, industrial arts and home economics areas. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the porch area where coats and boots are placed, is being used as a teaching space for Inuktitut classes. Because of the increase in student numbers, I would ask that the Minister look very seriously at this request. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table Tabled Document 23-12(4), which is a letter dated October 28, to myself with regard to concerns of my constituents, advising me of the unfair practice by the Government of Northwest Territories in respect to charging a fee for parking at their place of employment. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 2 has had second reading and bill stands referred to committee. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Pollard.