Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

I wanted to ask if the position was filled with an aboriginal person.

Minister Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, the position was filled with a person who is of aboriginal descent, that is correct.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the honourable Minister responsible for Economic Development and Tourism. Knowing that the Minister is a great proponent of community hire and the community development corporations...Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to extend the question period after this -- There is a community...

---Laughter

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Question period is extended. Please proceed with the next part of your agenda, Mr. Ningark.

---Laughter

Thank you, colleagues, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now we have a development corporation in Taloyoak by the name of Boothia, which is very anxious to expand and prosper. I also have a request from the community of Gjoa Haven to create a community development corporation. Mr. Speaker, community development corporations are known to hire local people. It is an initiative to train local people. It is an initiative that ensures that money stays within the community.

A community development corporation does not, Mr. Speaker, import their staff. Usually, they hire people from the community unless there is a specialized person needed to help the community. Now, Mr. Speaker, my question to the honourable Minister is, will the honourable Minister do everything in his power to provide financial assistance and any other assistance that may be required by the people of Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, who are in the process of expanding and starting a development corporation? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to assure the honourable Member, that as a strong supporter of aboriginal people in the private sector, I encourage the development of what I call private sector development corporations.

I would advise him that I did speak with the mayor from Gjoa Haven and we are currently having discussions about how we can assist them in bringing forward some kind of group that would represent the economic interests of that community. I'm confident we'll be able to move quickly on that and certainly, in the new year, we should be in a position to provide them with the kind of assistance we are currently negotiating.

On the Taloyoak situation, I have been working for the last four or five months on a significant proposal coming from that community. I'm confident that we can come to some satisfactory conclusion that will: one, put an asset base in that community that is owned and operated by the people; two, provide the kind of services that Taloyoak is sadly lacking; and three, will ultimately provide a dividend flow for the children and the shareholders.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a whole pile of questions about the Keeping the Circle Strong conference that was held between November 25 and November 26. Since Mr. Pollard is here today and he won't be with us for the rest of the week, and since he is the Minister of Health, I would like to ask him a question.

Last week, on Friday, Dr. Wheeler was introduced as a government spokesperson. He made the comment that FAS is not a social or moral issue, it is a health issue. I would like to ask the Minister of Health, does Dr. Wheeler have it right? Is this the policy of the government, that FAS is a health issue and a health issue alone?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge, there isn't a policy in this government that states the words of Dr. Wheeler that Health is totally responsible for or that fetal alcohol syndrome is totally the responsibility of the Department of Health. I would agree with my colleague that this is an issue that goes across both departments.

Mr. Speaker, a woman may be having problems with alcohol and dealing with Social Services in getting assistance, et cetera. When that person becomes pregnant, Mr. Speaker, then she is not only affecting herself, she is affecting her fetus. That becomes a health problem because we are concerned about the healthy baby. The doctor may counsel that particular person on their diet, on the use of drugs, on the use of prescription drugs, on the use of alcohol and on a number of other issues that may affect the health of the mother and the baby.

Mr. Speaker, if the lady keeps drinking and it affects the baby, then it is a health issue for us and it, ultimately, becomes a social problem because we have somebody who is born into this world without the capabilities to function as well as he or she might have, had the mother led a healthy life and not drank during pregnancy.

I think it would be very difficult for me to agree with Dr. Wheeler, not that I like to disagree with doctors. But I would say that I cannot agree with him and I believe this crosses between both departments. It is a moral issue, a social issue and a health issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

I have the greatest respect for Dr. Wheeler. I would like to ask the Minister of Health, even though he has made this statement today in the House about his position, will he in fact undertake to get an official government position on this whole issue of fetal alcohol syndrome?

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will, Mr. Speaker.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last spring I believe the Minister of Social Services and the department sponsored a conference of community alcohol and drug workers. I believe the Minister actually attended that conference sometime during the end of the last fiscal year. I would like to ask the Minister what was the cost was of that conference. Thank you.

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get further clarification. Which conference is Mr. Patterson referring to? Thank you.

Mr. Patterson, a clarification.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The conference brought together alcohol and drug workers from communities all across the Northwest Territories to Yellowknife. It was held in the Explorer Hotel. I believe the Minister attended. It was held near the end of the last fiscal year. Thank you.