It is my duty to inform the House that the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is not prepared to address the Assembly until a Speaker has been elected. I would call for a motion to elect the Speaker. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for High Arctic, that Mrs. Jeannie Marie-Jewell, of the electoral district of Thebacha, take the chair of this House as Speaker.

---Applause

Are there any further nominations? Being no further motions, all those in favour of the motion, please indicate. All those opposed to the motion? The motion is carried unanimously.

---Carried

I therefore declare that the honourable Member for Thebacha, Mrs. Marie-Jewell, has been elected Speaker of the House.

---Applause

I would request the mover of the motion and the seconder to escort the Speaker to the chair.

Speaker's Opening Remarks

Honourable Members, first of all, I want to express to this House my gratitude for the honour which you have placed upon me by choosing me as your Speaker. It is a gratifying feeling to also recognize that you have chosen me, I am sure, not only for my attributes to be fair as a chair, but more importantly as the first woman Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly...

---Applause

...and the very first aboriginal woman Speaker in Canada.

---Applause

I graciously accept your trust to be Speaker.

My first obligation to you, however, is the traditional requirement that the Speaker ensures that the rights and privileges of all Members are upheld, and to ensure you are each able to fulfil your duties. The most important are fundamental rights, freedom of speech in your debates and freedom from interference in carrying out your duties. I can assure you that I will do my best to ensure that these fundamental rights are upheld, as are other rules and procedures that this House has adopted.

I am acutely aware of my responsibilities, and I will ensure that each Member of this House allows for the voice of the citizens we represent to be heard in this House. It is through you that the territories, as a whole, expresses itself and its legislature which tries to reflect the aspirations of the whole territory.

My responsibility is merely to ensure that everyone can speak freely, without constraint, but also within the rules this House has adopted. I will be cognizant of the rules to apply, however, within the purpose of enhancing freedom of speech, the very foundation of parliamentary democracy must be upheld. I take up this task, aware of my limitations, and will endeavour to fulfil exactly what role you are asking me to play so that this Assembly can work for the greater good of the Northwest Territories as a whole.

There is no doubt, some Members and some of illustrious media have indicated that the support for the Speaker's chair is to keep me from continuing my normal role in the House. I can assure all Members and the people of the Northwest Territories, through our media, that this is not the case.

---Applause

This has been one of the most difficult political decisions to make. Even though I may not be able to speak in the debate, the duties of a Member are not only in this House, they are in our constituency dealing with the problems of the people who elected us. There is no doubt I will miss the opportunity at times to speak in your debates, but I believe you all have the ability to debate accordingly and the results of your debates will reflect the spirit and the consensus and the for health and prosperity of the Northwest Territories.

I would like to take the time now to thank the constituents of Thebacha who were first to trust me by electing me and who, even now, I am confident, will still support me in my new responsibility. I would also like to say to my constituents that accepting the position of Speaker will not diminish my efforts to continue to serve each and every one of them to the best of my ability. I want to advise my constituents, I have met with the Premier to establish a protocol to ensure all my constituents' concerns are addressed. I am sure my constituents will be proud of the history we are making today.

I am particularly proud of our Assembly. Even before we moved into this building, we have tried to bring traditions from all cultures in the north, from language to decor. I can assure you that in the time I continue to have the support of the Members, as Speaker, I will continue the work which has been started, particularly where changes and additions are required to have our Assembly reflect our diverse cultural make up, I will continue to do so.

I would like to thank the Members of the Ordinary Members' Caucus for allowing me to obtain the experience of being your chair. We have worked out our differences when we needed, we've laughed together and I am particularly proud to have been part of the process for the Ordinary Members' Caucus.

Before closing, I would like to mention the most important people to all of us. These are our husbands, our wives and our children. I am well-aware, as we all are, of the time that we have to be away from our families, but I would like, on a personal note, to mention my husband Malcolm, our children, Clinton, Trina, Shelley and Melanie, for their constant love and support, day by day, without which nothing in my political commitment would have been possible. I might add that my daughter Trina has always been impressed by the term "Mr. Speaker" as she thought, because he had a big chair and everyone kept calling him "Mr. Speaker," he must be really important. I am not sure if she'll understand the term "Madam Speaker." Maybe we should use the term "Mrs. Speaker" so my daughter knows who we are talking about.

In conclusion, my ability to preside over this House ultimately rests in your hands. I will do my best, inspired by the trust and confidence that you have placed in me.

With that, I would like to thank you. For the remainder of our 12th Assembly, it is my honour to serve you as your Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Mr. Clerk, would you ascertain if the Commissioner would open the session.

Madam Speaker, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Fifth Session of the 12th Legislative Assembly.

I would like to take this opportunity to express appreciation for the work of the Honourable Michael Ballantyne, who served this House well during the two years he sat in the Speaker's chair.

---Applause

May I also offer my congratulations for a job well done to the Dean of the Legislature, Ludy Pudluk, who also...

---Applause

...resigned Wednesday, as Deputy Speaker.

Congratulations are also in order for the Honourable Jeannie Marie-Jewell who was elected as the seventh Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Friday, and to Silas Arngna'naaq, who was elected to Cabinet, during the weekend.

---Applause

As you know, the Fifth Session will be recessed later this week, until February 9, when the main estimates for 1994-95 will be presented.

Of particular importance to government at this time, is the need for Members to discuss and establish spending priorities and agree to a process of managing the deficit. As a result, the Minister of Finance will be tabling a discussion paper on deficit management, before the business of this House is recessed for the holiday season.

Madam Speaker, during this session, your government will also be presenting a legislative program including the following bills for the consideration of the House: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95; Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act; Workers' Compensation Act; Charter Communities Act; Cities, Towns and Villages Act; Hamlets Act; Personal Property Security Act; and, the Partnership Act. Madam Speaker, your government considers these bills essential to the good conduct of government business and I recommend passage of each of these acts.

I would now like to commend to you for your earnest consideration and wise judgement, the business of this House as I declare open, the Fifth Session of the 12th Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Before leaving the Chamber, Madam Speaker, I would like to wish each one of you, together with members of your family and the people of the Northwest Territories, a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

---Applause

Just before we go to opening remarks, I would like to recognize in the gallery, one of my daughters, Trina Jewell, who has come to see me take the role of the Speaker's chair today.

---Applause

Orders of the day. Item 3, Ministers' statements. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I am privileged to be the first one to speak with you being the new Speaker. Madam Speaker, on December 10 and 11, we met as a territorial leadership committee to review the performance of the Ministers and the Government Leader

over the past two years. The review was agreed to by Members at the beginning of the 12th Assembly. The ordinary Members have spent time since that review, considering what was said, what action should be taken next. We have some serious concerns regarding specific portfolios. However, Members were generally satisfied with the responses and actions of most of the Ministers. On behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus, I would like to advise this House that tomorrow we will make a detailed statement regarding the outcome of the review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ningark.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. First, I would like to officially congratulate you on your election as the first female Speaker in the history of the NWT Legislature and I would also like to congratulate you as being the first aboriginal female Speaker in Canadian legislative history. I would like to also congratulate Mr. Silas Arngna'naaq, Member for Kivallivik, for his election to the Executive Council and, finally, I would like to thank the honourable Member for Natilikmiot for nominating me on Saturday and I would like to thank the Members who supported me. It will be an experience that I'll remember. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Congratulations to you, too. I rise today to speak about a certain Minister's conduct, in relation to facility funding for the Dene Cultural Institute. In the capital budget, this House had approved $500,000 under item 16-14, to provide the Dene Cultural Institute with the money to start construction of their new home. Madam Speaker, the Minister, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, in a meeting on April 29 with some board and staff members of the Dene Cultural Institute, was questioned on when the funding could be expected. The Minister's response both shocked and dismayed me. The response, which was relayed to myself and some other MLAs, was as follows and I quote, "I have two cultural centre proposals in front of me, one from you and one from the Gwich'in. There is not enough money for both and we both know who elected me." In response to a question about the fact that the Legislative Assembly had already committed $500,000 towards the project for this fiscal year, the Minister replied, and I again quote, "There has been no commitment made to the Dene Cultural Institute for this project and as far as I'm concerned, it is still open and I am faced with a similar proposal from the Gwich'in. As the Minister, I have to decide between them. They need to show me that they represent my region."

Madam Speaker, on December 8 we passed a set of conduct guidelines for all Members to live up to. We are supposed to distribute resources fairly and justly and we are not supposed to act in ways that are dishonest or which exploit positions of privilege for personal gains. Madam Speaker, I really have to question the Minister's commitment to fairness. I believe that, in this case, the Minister has used, or at least thought of using, his power for personal political gains.

Madam Speaker, I see this incident as no different than the time I was passed a threatening note in the House by a previous Minister. The only difference as I perceive it is, instead of threatening one Member, the Minister has threatened an entire organization. Madam Speaker, as an ordinary Member and because of the Minister's action, I have had to spend a considerable amount of time working with this concern on behalf of the Dene Cultural Institute, to the detriment of the rest of my constituents.

Mr. Gargan, your time has expired. Mr. Gargan.

Madam Speaker, I would like to get unanimous consent to continue my statement.

The honourable Member for Deh Cho is seeking unanimous consent to proceed with his Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Speaker and honourable Members. I would like to say that I am disappointed that my fellow Members did not regard this incident as a serious enough breach of trust on the part of the Minister to support me in a vote of non-confidence. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' Statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I, too, would like to congratulate you, as Speaker, on behalf of the people I represent in Nahendeh. On Friday and Saturday, Madam Speaker, we went through a leadership process. We asked a lot of questions. There was crucial set of questions that I wanted to pursue, but we ended before I got to it. It is with regard to the relationship between the Dene and the Crown.

The relationship between the Dene and the federal government is a long-standing one. Formal agreements between the two parities go back to 1899 with Treaty 8, and to 1921 with Treaty 11. This relationship is a special one. It is a bilateral relationship that includes all aspects of Dene life. The treaties were made in good faith by the Dene and the Crown and are to be adhered to forever. As our elders remember, and it is a famous quote, "As long as the sun shines, the river continues to flow, and the grass grows." This is a sacred oath, Madam Speaker. It is part of a prayer and it is part of a spiritual ceremony.

I was amazed this summer, when I attended special summer ceremonies the Blackfoot Nation have called, The Sun Dance, that this famous quote was used in the most crucial part of the ceremony. This nation to nation relationship has eroded over time, and has resulted in a situation whereby now, the majority of responsibility between our respective peoples is being administered by this Government of the Northwest Territories and this Legislative Assembly.

This occurred without the consent of the Dene. As a result, we hear the Dene telling us very clearly that the Government of the Northwest Territories is not their government and it is not responsible for administering on their behalf. At the same time, it is clear that this House, and the Government of the Northwest Territories, in general, do not recognize the Dene as self-governing with an agreement in place that recognizes their independence.

I thereby suggest that this dilemma be dealt with immediately, and be recognized as a priority in Cabinet. All the Members are sitting here today on disputed Dene land. I recommend to Cabinet that you immediately develop a new relationship with the leadership of the Dene and recognize them, as intended in the treaties, consistent with the new Liberal government's approach. I suggest, further...

Mr. Antoine, your time has elapsed.

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude.

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

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I suggest that you immediately sit down, face to face with the leadership of the Dene Nation chiefs, to begin resolving the outstanding differences that exist. I understand, from my discussion with Dene leaders, that the new Liberal Government of Canada is preparing to get into a new bilateral approach with First Nations across Canada, including the Dene. The Government of the Northwest Territories, with all the uniqueness represented in the north, can play a lead role in this relationship and take this opportunity to help secure political and financial stability in Denendeh. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, and congratulations, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, since the staff housing strategy was implemented last year, one effect has been to put pressures on employees to look for alternatives to higher rents. As I said in this House at the time, the pressure on employees with lower incomes and larger families would be especially acute. I was concerned at the time, that the ground might not have been adequately prepared to allow those employees pressured by higher rents to seek home ownership as an option.

There were only about half a dozen home ownership units available in Iqaluit from the Housing Corporation last year. That meant increasing pressure on our government to make the relatively few single detached housing units available for sale to these employees with the greatest need. The general perception in my constituency is that the process for appraisal of these units has been generous. The prices offered to those employees fortunate enough to live in them has been so reasonable as to be quite attractive. But, that is not my concern today, Madam Speaker.

I am, however, very concerned about the process for allocation of these prized detached housing units, once they are vacant or otherwise available, since it is occupation which allows an employee the opportunity to buy. There is a perception in my riding that the process of allocation of these units may be unfair and that there may be different standards in place for management, HAY plan staff or employees of certain departments than other less-privileged employees.

I have also been made to understand, in the discussions of the staff housing strategy, that the government would not undertake repair work on staff houses eligible for sale. In the spirit of the government getting out of staff housing, the idea was that employees who purchase these units would undertake the repairs at their expense and those costs would be reflected in the appraisal. My constituents are also concerned that renovations have been undertaken on detached units in Iqaluit which are prime opportunities for employee purchase, in order to benefit incumbent employees, especially employees of the Department of Public Works and Services, who might then wish to apply to purchase these units.

Madam Speaker, on both these accounts, I'll be pursuing this matter through oral and written questions. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Ms. Cournoyea.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just want to take this opportunity, on behalf of Cabinet, to congratulate you on your role as Speaker of this House. We are all confident, as Cabinet, that you will be effective, hard-working and fair. I would also like to thank you for the marvellous opportunity we had yesterday, to meet with representatives of your community, and would like to congratulate you and your community on the excellent concert that was held in the cathedral. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

---Applause

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to congratulate you on becoming Speaker. I'm sure you will be a fine and fair Speaker. I, for one, am very confident in your ability to do a great job. I thought quite a bit about what I would say in my first Member's statement for many years. Over the past couple of years, we've heard about many of the problems that are facing the people of the Northwest Territories: about the health billings problem with its ramifications of over $100 million; the housing issue with another $17 million; forest fire suppression is $9.5 million. Looking at the cost of land claims, there is a potential of many millions that will be in dispute with the federal government. We have further possible deficits of $25 million or $35 million. We have talked about possible revenue resources, the northern accord and the mining accord. On each one of these issues, the government has made valiant efforts to try to deal with each issue. I think the danger is to concentrate on one issue, at the expense of the totality. The deficit of $35 million pales, when one thinks of the $200 million or $300 million a year it may cost to divide the territories.

Formula financing issues, again, are very important but they, alone, won't solve the problem. I think it is time for the government to put together a comprehensive strategy to deal with the federal government looking for a ten year plan, which will give fiscal certainty and which will also turn over some of the levers of economic power to both territories. It is critical that the strategy is developed. The strategy is not a list of requests. It is a specific task for each Minister. It means bringing the political expertise of the Cabinet to bear on the federal government. Unless we look at all these problems in totality, we are doomed to failure. We may win a court case about health, we may win $100 million, but they will take $100 million away somewhere else. So I think it is incumbent on this Cabinet to come up with a comprehensive strategy...

(Microphone turned off)

Mr. Ballantyne, your time has expired.

The honourable Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent to proceed. Are there any nays? There are no nays, go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the timing is critical. I think the window of opportunity it short. As the terrible financial picture becomes clearer to the present federal government, their flexibility is going to whither away. So my suggestion to the government is, put a plan together and implement it immediately. I think it is an opportunity we have now in the next two or three months, that we won't have two years from now. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the people of Aivilik, I also would like to congratulate you on your successful election for the seat of Speaker. I had the pleasure of serving under your chairmanship on the Ordinary Members' Caucus. You have always been very fair and patient, especially with those who do not speak English very well, like myself. I am sure you will continue to uphold that integrity and fairness as the Speaker of this House. Once again, I would like to congratulate you on behalf of Aivilik.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your election as Speaker, on behalf of my constituency. I know you will be assisting us as Speaker of the House, and I am very confident

that you can do the job by being fair to all the MLAs. As a unilingual MLA, I can only speak Inuktitut in the House. I would also like to thank our former Speaker, Mr. Ballantyne. I am sure you will treat me the same as he did. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, Members' statements. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I gave some notice of this question to the Minister of Personnel. I would like to ask the Minister, what is the process for allocating staff housing in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. The territorial government staff, who are living in government staff houses, have been offered the purchase of the house they are residing in. This is the mandate of the Department of Personnel.

The honourable Member for Baffin Central, the interpreter didn't understand the last part of your response. I would ask if you would respond again, please.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Department of Personnel...First of all, ask the staff who are residing in staff houses, whether they would like to purchase the houses they are living in. Then they are turned over to the Department of Public Works. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to try to make my question as clear as possible. It is not about the sale of staff housing units. I know DPW handles the sale and I will be pursuing those questions to the Minister of Public Works. My question was about the process for allocating staff housing in the Northwest Territories before a sale takes place. I believe that the Department of Personnel decides who goes into what house. My question is -- and I will try this again because I don't think I got an answer the first time -- disregarding the sale of the units, how does the Minister's Department of Personnel decide when and where to allocate staff housing among staff in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is based on need. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson, supplementary.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My constituents believe that there seem to be factors other than need in place, in the present process of allocating staff housing units in Iqaluit, and I won't give examples. However, could I ask the Minister, this process of allocation based on need, are there principles and criteria that she would be prepared to make available to the House to determine need, because it's a very subjective concept. Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will be happy to provide that to the Member. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Antoine, the honourable Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Renewable Resources, with regard to a hunting corridor being imposed on the Ingraham Trail without the consent of the First Nations, who are affected by it. Why was the consent of the Dene not sought before this hunting corridor was imposed on the Ingraham Trail? Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Nahendeh, supplementary.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the same Minister, what is the department doing with regard to consulting with the Dene people on the hunting corridor, at this time? Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. If I could remind Ministers, if they intend to take questions as notice, to advise the Members immediately. Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I, too, would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Speaker, on behalf of my constituents.

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board...he is aware of the accidents that took place a couple years ago involving Hall Beach hunters. Unfortunately, one of them died in the accident. They were lost for a number of days out on the floe ice. One of the hunters lost both legs due to cold weather, and another hunter lost one foot. To this day, the Workers' Compensation Board has not been able to help these people. Since the policy has been changed, would the Minister now be able to assist these people? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd.

I'm not familiar with...I remember the incident but I'm not familiar with the claim of the WCB because there were 3,700 last year. I would think we could look into it, and if the changes to the act get approved quickly, the act intends to protect and provide compensation for hunters and trappers. We would address the issue at that time. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. The question has to do with the hunting corridor that was imposed on the Ingraham Trail. Why was this corridor policy made by Municipal and Community Affairs rather than the ministry of Renewable Resources? Thank you.

Honourable Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd.

I don't know why it was done. I would have to look into it and take the question as notice.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services about the sale of staff housing. Since the staff housing policy was put in place last year, does the Department of Public Works and Services have a policy on whether they will do major repairs and renovations on staff housing which is eligible for purchase by employees? Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Congratulations. My understanding is that regular maintenance would happen to the unit. Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson, supplementary.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I guess what I'm curious about is major renovations and things like new carpets and furniture. Would it be the policy of the government -- since the government stated its intention is to get out of staff housing and to sell units -- in places like Iqaluit where there's a high degree of interest in purchasing staff housing, to avoid major renovations and upgrading of staff housing units, and instead to let prospective purchases undertake those expenses? Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The unit is appraised in the condition that it's in. If there are any renovations done, they are needed through regular maintenance to make sure the unit does not deteriorate any more, unnecessarily. That would be put into the price of selling the unit. Thank you.

Thank you. Honourable Member for Iqaluit, supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, as the honourable Minister knows, there are concerns in my constituency that there has been work done by the government in houses that employees have expressed an interest in purchasing. The perception is that this work is being done at government expense, rather than the prospective purchaser's expense. I wonder if the Minister would be open to providing the House with detailed information about the work that has been done on certain staff housing units, since the staff housing policy was put in place. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would prefer not to beat around the bush and I would prefer not to give my department a lot of work for nothing. If you have specific issues where there are employees of my department who have done major maintenance on a house and got the house at a lesser rate than they should have, please advise me and I will look at those issues. Let's not look at all of them. That is a lot of work. If the Member could provide me with the unit numbers or addresses, I will investigate those. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation a question. The Minister knows during the last session of this Legislative Assembly, and considerable time has elapsed, I informed him of the problem that is occurring in Pond Inlet with regard to access units. The electrical contract was let out but, because the contractor did not comply with what he said he would, the contract was taken back. Has the ministry been able to take care of this problem? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Member for Pond Inlet raised this issue several times during the last session. We did look into it. Kharaj, I believe is the name of the contractor, did not follow the contract. We got a legal opinion from Justice and we gave him a fine for not following the contract. We took some money back from him, and he proceeded to finish the contract. Based on the instructions I got from Justice and my department, that was the most we could do at that time. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is a job that has to be done now. Is the electrical work being done to those houses?

Thank you. Minister responsible for Housing, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is my understanding that the electrical work is proceeding on those three access units. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you. My information is somewhat different. I was talking to access people last night and they informed me that the electrical work is not being done and they don't know who is going to do it. Would the Minister look after this problem as soon as possible, so that these people are able to move in before Christmas? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Agreed.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Finance Minister with regard to the payroll tax that was implemented July 1. Many treaty people have approached me in the past few months about this payroll tax. There is a lot of concern about why they're paying it. I understand that the Finance Minister did have a meeting with the Dene Nation leadership. The question is, why are treaty people who work in the Northwest Territories not exempt from the one per cent payroll tax? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr. Pollard, Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and congratulations. Madam Speaker, the legal opinion that we obtained indicated that people who earn wages in the Northwest Territories should pay that tax. The Member is correct, I did meet with Mr. Erasmus on this particular issue because the administration of the Dene Nation has not

registered and has not been remitting the tax. I have been advised by Mr. Erasmus that he is in consultation with the federal department of Finance and the Department of Revenue with regard to the total exemption of any taxes, including GST; taxes on alcohol; taxes on cigarettes; taxes on property, presumably; and taxes on motor fuel.

My agreement with him was that I would meet with the federal Minister of Finance -- and I'm going to in January -- and we would discuss this issue, because it really flows from the federal government. I recognize the fact that they're doing it on the basis of a treaty that was signed by people of the Northwest Territories. There were actually two treaties with the Government of Canada of the day. I will wait until I talk with the Minister of Finance and see what the federal government is going to do with regard to this general issue.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I did say I did not have the opportunity to ask these questions during the leadership review, so I'm taking this opportunity. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. In the tripartite administrative agreement for the Hay River Reserve, is the Hay River Reserve intended to be a model for all Indian Affairs lands and future lands set aside through treaties? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd, Minister of MACA.

I'm not knowledgeable of that situation right now, Madam Speaker, so I'll take that question as notice.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is a question to the Minister of Personnel. Earlier today, she undertook to provide information on the criteria and the process for allocating staff housing for employees in the Northwest Territories, for which I'm grateful. My question to the Minister is this: for HAY plan and senior management staff, is there a different and special set of criteria for those excluded employees than for other employees? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Minister of Personnel, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. No.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to turn my questions to the Minister of Renewable Resources.

Nay, nay.

As the Member knows, the caribou population is quite high all over, in the western Arctic and in the Baffin area. There is still a problem in the smaller communities. The quotas are still small. In the community that I represent, the quota is about 50. The problem is the assessing of the caribou.

Let me say, Madam Speaker, before you land in Pond Inlet, right now, you have to scare the caribou away and then the plane is able to land, there are so many of them.

Would the Minister undertake a review of commercial quotas, with a view to help communities get economic development going and also to address the need to serve country food in hotels and other places. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi, Minister for Renewable Resources.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, once again, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Housing Minister. When the need for social housing is so pressing and the cost of government delivery is too high, why does the ministry cut the quantity of units provided instead of reducing its own administrative costs or better still, consider direct delivery of housing by community housing corporations? Thank you.