Use the people up there.

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

Hear, hear.

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last session, during the month of March, I posed many questions to the Minister of Justice, regarding the River Ridge facility in Fort Smith, better know as the young offenders'

secure facility. Mr. Speaker, we all know the Minister designated this facility as a triple designated facility. What was once known to staff as a secure facility, is now a facility for open custody of young offenders. In addition, it is a facility to hold remanded young offenders.

Mr. Speaker, last spring I was extremely concerned regarding the Minister's decision to designate such a facility as a triple designated facility. I was concerned because under the federal legislation, the Canada Corrections Act, looks after young offenders who commit serious crimes, such as murders. I was concerned because the Young Offenders' Act, under territorial legislation, looks after crimes such as break and enters, liquor offences and minor crimes. So one facility was deemed to be responsible to look after different types of young offenders who commit different types of crimes.

Mr. Speaker, on April 1, I compromised with the Minister's decision, even though I didn't agree with that. He knew triple designation of a facility was not intended, in any way, shape or form, to look after open custody. The only way I allowed myself to compromise is because the Minister made a commitment to provide a report to this House on the facility, which I quote from, April 1, "I will be very pleased to provide a written report in October to show the Members that things are going very well, and will continue to go very well as planned." To date, I have been waiting very patiently for this report the Minister promised to provide. In fact, I even mentioned it in private a few times to the Minister -- I am still waiting for his report.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue with my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you. As I stated, I have asked in private a few times for this report and I did indicate to the Minister that I had been waiting for his report. Although, Mr. Speaker, I am convinced I am right in stating in this House that the Minister made the wrong decision to triple designate, I can wait no longer for this report and I want to tell the Members why.

First of all, last summer one of my constituents was held hostage at gunpoint by two young offenders who had escaped from the River Ridge facility. It was demanded of my constituent, at the time, to take these young offenders to Hay River, which they did. I recognize the courts addressed this matter and these young offenders received a lengthy sentence. However, again, my constituent's concern is an issue here.

Mr. Speaker, now I hear last night quite a few young offenders escaped. But before they did escape, I hear they attempted to beat up the young officers. I don't know whether or not they were successful, but I do know they did take one of the vehicles of a worker and totalled the vehicle. Mr. Speaker, this is a very dangerous situation to place our youth workers in and it is due to keeping such a facility as an open custody facility, which was initially intended as a secure custody facility, these types of incidents are happening.

Mr. Speaker, it is my concern as Member for Thebacha to wonder what would it take for this ill-advised decision to be reversed? Do one of my constituents have to be killed before this government will consider and realize the mistake they made? I hope not. Mr. Speaker, since there is time to correct such an ill-advised decision, I urge this government to recognize what serious impact this mistake could have on my constituency and to correct this matter and avoid tragedy in the future. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Antoine on November 25, regarding federal priorities for the transportation infrastructure.

As of September, 1992, three months before the former Minister of Finance had announced the federal government's new infrastructure initiative, Transport Canada's capital plan for 1993-94 included $3.7 million for a maintenance garage and $1.8 million for a pavement overlay at the Fort Simpson airport.

In March of 1993, these same two projects at the Fort Simpson airport, along with several others, appeared as part of Transport Canada's proposal for Mr. Mazankowski's infrastructure program. In discussion with my federal counterparts, I was able to convince them that these projects did not really qualify as new initiatives, nor did they meet the priorities of the territorial government.

My officials at the Department of Transportation have found that the maintenance garage and pavement overlay at the Fort Simpson airport were deferred for a year. A month ago, October 1993, the same two projects appear again in Transport Canada's capital plan. They are now scheduled for 1994-95.

Other than to say that the rescheduling and deferral of projects is a routine budget management decision federal and territorial departments must make from time to time, I am not privy to the internal decisions of Transport Canada and I do not know why the Fort Simpson projects were deferred for one year. Thank you.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Allooloo on November 23, 1993, percentage allotted to northern firms under the business incentive policy.

While I was in Ottawa meeting with the federal Minister of Housing, Mr. Allooloo asked a question regarding the application of the business incentive policy on a Housing Corporation contract in Pond Inlet.

For clarification, under the business incentive policy, a 15 per cent adjustment to the bid is given to the specified northern content of the bid and 20 per cent adjustment to the bid is given to the specified local content of the bid. No bid adjustment is given to any southern content.

With reference to the specific situation mentioned by Mr. Allooloo in Pond Inlet regarding the electrical contract:

-the contract was to provide labour to complete electrical wiring for three houses;

-the local company proposed to employ an individual from Montreal. Also, the required information on the local or northern content was not provided in the bid. Therefore, no adjustment was made to the bid;

-the company from outside the community is a business incentive policy-registered northern firm operating out of Resolute Bay. The northern company's bid proposed to employ two northerners, a northern electrician and a northern apprentice. Based on the stated northern content, the Resolute Bay company was given a 15 per cent adjustment on the bid and became the low bidder on the contract.

-Subsequent to the contract award, the Resolute Bay company informed the Housing Corporation that the original northern electrician was unable to undertake the work and that a replacement northern electrician would take his place. The corporation agreed to this.

-During the week of November 15, 1993, the Housing Corporation received information that the Resolute Bay company hired an electrician from Newfoundland to do the work.

The investigation which followed confirmed these allegations. Apparently, the northern electrician who was to replace the original northern electrician was also unable to work on the project due to other commitments. The owner of the Resolute Bay company admitted that he has seriously erred in replacing the northern electrician with a southern import without first informing the Housing Corporation.

The Housing Corporation is currently considering the actions it can take against the Resolute Bay company. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on November 19, 1993, regarding a list of early retirees; deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers.

Mr. Speaker, 11 deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers were given special arrangements or early retirement over the past five years. Although I have a legal obligation to hold the content of these special arrangements in confidence, I can, however, inform the House that the average cost was $76,808 and the range was from $17,000 to $186,247. Thank you.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the honourable Minister responsible for Social Services. About a year ago I asked the Minister -- probably the Minister prior to the Minister we have now -- about a senior citizens' home for Gjoa Haven. The response, according to my understanding, was that it was in the capital works.

Mr. Speaker, we owe our lives and education to our senior citizens. It is my understanding that the Kitikmeot region is the only region that doesn't have a senior citizens' facility. Is the honourable Minister committed to providing a senior citizens' home for Gjoa Haven that could be utilized by both Taloyoak and Pelly Bay for the time being? Thank you.

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member for Natilikmiot is well aware that the funding arrangements we had with the federal government were cut. The federal government was providing 75 per cent, and our government was providing 25 per cent for senior citizens' homes. Since the cutback we have been having problems identifying the other 75 per cent that the federal government no longer provides.

Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I have, on occasion, talked to the Minister about the facility. One thing that I'm not up-to-date on is whether, in fact, the senior citizens' home in Gjoa Haven will be reinstated in the next fiscal year. Thank you.

We are waiting for your question, Mr. Ningark. I know it is coming. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question to the honourable Minister is will the senior citizens' home in Gjoa Haven be reinstated in the next fiscal year?