Thank you, Mr. Koe. Orders of the day for Monday, December 6, 1993. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Concerning the Premier's absence from the House, the Premier's return from Tuktoyaktuk has been delayed for a day, as a result of the tragic events on the weekend. Ms. Cournoyea will be in the House tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pollard. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus, I would like to express our sincere condolences to the family, relatives and friends in the Delta area who have been affected by the tragedy in Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, a tragedy happened Friday evening, on December 3. After having problems with one of its engines, a Britain-Norman Islander plane, owned by Arctic Wings & Rotors Limited, crashed nose-first in a small lake ten kilometres south of Tuktoyaktuk. All seven passengers on board were killed.

Among the dead were Edna Anna Elias, Jason Jacobson, Jimmy Cockney, and Willard Brooks, all from Tuktoyaktuk. Naomi Cardinal and her two week-old baby from Arctic Red River were also killed. The pilot with Arctic Wings and Rotors was also killed. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the community, and we ask the Lord to give the families the strength they need in dealing with such a tragic loss. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, it has not been a good weekend in the NWT. First we heard of the terrible plane crash near Tuktoyaktuk, then at about 1:20 am Saturday morning, there was a fire in the Sanajiit staff house in Rankin Inlet. Fortunately, although it was in the middle of the night, most of the building's occupants escaped. Sadly, one of the hotel staff members -- and I have not received the official release of her name -- was unable to get out of the building and perished as a result of the fire.

Her unfortunate death reminds us all that tragedy may strike at any time. On behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus and the Cabinet, I offer our prayers and condolences to her family and friends.

Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Cabinet, I wish to express our deepest sympathies for the families and friends for the seven people who died Friday when a small plane crashed on a frozen lake between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I express my condolences to those who are left and who are wondering how something so terrible could happen to the ones they loved.

There are no easy answers to help us understand why something like this happens, Mr. Speaker, and there are no easy words to help the wounds created by such a loss. I just want to say that the hearts of all northern residents go out to the families and friends of those killed in this horrible tragedy. We offer to them our most profound sympathies, our strongest support in their time of deep, personal suffering, and we will continue to give thought to those who are feeling the sadness of this event. We also offer our prayers to those who require our support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. If all Members would join me for a moment of silence for the victims of the tragic plane crash in Tuktoyaktuk and the tragic fire in Rankin Inlet, and to think of the families and friends of the victims. Please rise.

---Minute of Silence Thank you. Please be seated. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to welcome the following pages from Fort Providence. Mr. Speaker, they are standing by the door, there. At the far left is Lorie MacKenzie, second to the right is Melissa Nadli, Trinett Constant is on the far right and Delmore Bonnetrouge is second to the left.

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of driving these young people in from Fort Providence yesterday. I was very impressed, as their parents are, with their children being selected to serve as pages in this House. Mr. Speaker, these young adults were chosen by the principal of Deh Gah Elementary School on the basis of their high marks and attitudes. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud of these kids and I know they will provide positive role models for other kids upon their return to Fort Providence. I ask honourable Members to join me in welcoming these young people to our place of Assembly.

---Applause

Further, Mr. Speaker, as most Members are aware, it is not difficult for me to arrange transportation and accommodation for these fine young people. There is little cost when I request pages from a constituency. However, unfortunately, the same situation cannot apply to pages from other constituencies that have to cover high costs of transportation. As Members, we all have the same desire for our younger generation to be exposed to the political arena. I say to the honourable Members in this House and you, Mr. Speaker, that perhaps a review of pages serving from our communities is one area we should seriously look at, for consistency, as a consensus government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have read the report of the Languages Commissioner titled, Eight Official Languages - Meeting the Challenge, and I find it to be an excellent piece of work. Any criticisms I have are very minor. This is the first report of the Languages Commissioner and provides much background information about language in the Northwest Territories, the Official Languages Act itself, and language rights. It's expected that future reports of the Commissioner would not need to cover information provided in the first 70 pages of this report. The first report, therefore, provides excellent information for future reference.

One section, on attitudes to official languages, provides some insights into the way people feel about official languages, but is very anecdotal. The information can only be useful if it is collected in a systematic fashion. Only then would it be possible to discern trends or changing opinions towards official languages in the future. The information on attitudes presented by the Commissioner is too impressionistic to be of any real practical use, and could be improved. Perhaps the Commissioner could arrange to develop some method to track changing attitudes in the future.

The substance of the report is contained in chapters four through eight, covering the next 115 pages. The most important section is chapter five, which deals with complaints and inquiries from around 250 different sources. This information is presented according to general topics and is extremely useful in highlighting weaknesses in the act, in policy directions and in implementation. The plan, to provide some statistical analysis of the data in future reports, is a very good one.

The government tends to be a little irritated, perhaps, by reports which deal with complaints. Especially, when it demonstrates many shortcomings of government. This report is quite critical of the government's inability to make use of funds allocated to it. However, this report should be welcomed by the government and also by people who are interested in language issues. It is well-planned, well-written and it is objective. It clearly sets out what the job of a Languages Commissioner is all about, so that people can fully understand the kind of problems we are dealing with. It is a good beginning by the Languages Commissioner and she should be congratulated on the quality of this report. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during 1969 and 1970, the Registrar General of vital statistics initiated a naming project in order to eliminate disc numbers and disc lists which identified individuals of Inuit descent. The program was called, project surname. It entailed that each Inuit family would select a surname and be registered as such, for federal government purposes. Residents from the entire Arctic were named under this program. Since project surname was completed, there have been tens of thousands of new individuals born and registered in the Northwest Territories. Birth registrations have been done by missionaries, government bureaucrats, and by health care officials. Mr. Speaker, as individuals completing registration forms varied and changed, so did the spelling of people's names. This led to variations and inconsistencies in the spelling of names throughout the Arctic for various reasons. The primary reason for the misspelling of names, is the utilization of the letter "k" or "q" in names. The Baffin and Keewatin regions primarily utilized "q" in their spelling, while the western Arctic primarily uses "k." The Kitikmeot region is almost split. The Natilikmiot communities use "q," while the Kitikmeot communities use "k."

Mr. Speaker, in the NWT, the Change of Name Act is administered by the Supreme Court. This results in individuals wishing to change their name, or correct the spelling of their name, having to hire legal counsel and apply through the courts for name changes. In other Canadian jurisdictions, the majority of the change of name acts are administered by the Department of Vital Statistics, resulting in minimal costs. Newfoundland's Change of Name Act is administered by their Department of Justice, again, a minimal costs to individuals wishing to change names. PEI is the only other jurisdiction, besides ours, which requires individuals to utilize the court system for name changes. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the legal profession, we all know that legal fees charged by lawyers are not inexpensive. In fact, the cost of their fees are often questioned by their clients, as they are more often than not perceived to be excessive. The majority of individuals in our communities do not have the access or the financial means to hire lawyers to carry out name changes or minor spelling corrections in their names. Mr. Speaker, I am pointing this out as I see the need for our government to enact the necessary changes to make it easier for individuals...

Mr. Ng.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement.

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

I am pointing this out, as I see the need for our government to enact the necessary changes to make it easier for individuals to correct or change the spelling of their names, at minimal cost and inconvenience. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I made a statement about my disappointment with this government's handling and administration of the Canada/Northwest Territories cooperation agreement on aboriginal languages and French. The issues came to light when the first annual report of the Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories was tabled in this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, it seems that some Cabinet Ministers are not completely enamoured with this report, nor do they agree with some of the information which was printed in the report. For example, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment stated, and I quote from unedited Hansard of December 1, "There is refutable information in this report." He also stated, and I quote, "I have read the summary and in my view, it is not completely accurate." Mr. Speaker, I understand that Members have the privilege of making comments on reports and I know that certain groups of people in this House have access to much more information and decision-making responsibilities than others, and should be given the chance to review and investigate the issues and concerns raised by people in positions such as the Languages Commissioner.

However, Mr. Speaker, I have great concern when Members, who are in a position of authority, make statements which try to alleviate the focus from their responsibilities. The main point in the Languages Commissioner's review of the languages agreement is that this government lapsed significant amounts of funds, which I believe could have been used to support and enhance many of our northern languages projects. Mr. Speaker, the responsibility rests with each Minister to encourage, enhance, and promote the use of aboriginal languages in the workplace and in the north. To me, it doesn't matter that the underspending was $1,000 or $1 million dollars. The point is, all the funds should be utilized for the items for which they were budgeted.

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

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

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, the reason for my statement is that this Assembly will have to eventually deal with the issue of the Languages Commissioner. We have to determine who is responsible and we must decide to whom the Languages Commissioner is accountable. We need to do this, try to stay away from personality clashes and focus on the roles and responsibilities of the positions. We have to determine the correct facts related to the management of government programs and services. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak a little bit more today about our elders and their birth dates. I have met many elders over the past couple of years -- not collectively, but as individuals -- regarding their birth dates and birth certificates. Many of the elders have come to me about their inability to have their birth certificates corrected. I have heard story upon story about the circumstances surrounding the time of each person's birth. One may be the year that there was great hunger or the year that the first missionaries came. These were usually told to them by one of their parents, or one of their older relatives.

As David Woodman has discovered, Inuit will tell circumstances about their surroundings with much accuracy. He has written a book called, "Unravelling the Franklin Expedition" and, contrary to popular belief, using Inuit testimony and connecting them to the diaries of various writers, he has been able to come up with a theory which substantiates Inuit testimony about Sir John Franklin's demise.

Mr. Speaker, I liken this book to the statutory declarations that the Department of Safety and Public Services receives from elders regarding birth dates. I'm also glad to see that there is another Member, Mr. Ng, who will confirm my concerns. There are still a considerable number of errors in many Inuit birth certificates. Before project surname, we had to use disc numbers. Even I remember using them, as mine was E2591.

I give credit to those who initiated project surname and Abe Okpik for getting rid of our dog tags, as that is an incredible amount of work. However, as stated in the summary of project surname, "Mistakes have been made. Some of them will take years to straighten out, a few may never be corrected." Mr. Speaker, one of the remarks I heard went as follows, "People have spoken of when they lived on the land. They didn't have calendars. People didn't know what year they were born. When the RCMP came to find out birth dates, the RCMP guessed the date and people would just agree to the date suggested."

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. "They didn't understand that years were numbered. Today, Inuit understand calendars." Another problem is at the time that project surname was conducted, people used their given names. For example, those who were born shortly after project surname will be registered in Winnipeg or other southern cities under a given Inuit name and not necessarily under their last name.

To complicate things even more, the nurse or interpreter, who registers newborns for live births, will spell the name differently from the present spelling by that individual. When that individual tries to get a birth certificate, the Registrar General is unable to find any record of live birth for that individual. Mr. Speaker, I am saying this from first-hand knowledge. I have a younger brother who is alive today, without a birth certificate, all because the Registrar General in Winnipeg is not able to find his registration of live birth.

I am to the point now where I would even suggest that a comprehensive project, such as project surname, be conducted. The person who performs the project does not have to interview each and every individual. Most of the work has been done by Abe Okpik. He or she will only have to call on those who need to have their birth certificates corrected. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Arngna'naaq. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Whitford.

Have you concluded, Mr. Whitford? Your allotted time has elapsed. Mr. Whitford has concluded. Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Lewis on November 29, 1993, about Keeping the Circle Strong in Northern Communities conference and GNWT involvement. The Keeping the Circle Strong in Northern Communities conference, held two weeks ago in Yellowknife, was sponsored by Northern Addiction Services. Funding and other support for this conference came from both federal and territorial governments.

The focus of the conference was on solvent abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol effects, addictions and suicide. The conference provided a forum for experts from the north, other parts of Canada and, indeed the world, to share their knowledge and expertise.

The conference was designed to share information and ideas where much is still unknown. No resolutions or recommendations were formulated. However, a report of the proceedings is currently being prepared by Northern Addiction Services and will be available by December 15, 1993. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About one week ago, I asked a question of the Minister of DPW. He responded to my question, but he stated that he does not know whether there was a DPW maintainer in the community. When I was in Sanikiluaq, in October, that position was still vacant. I would like the Minister responsible for DPW to see if he can find out when the government maintainer position was last filled in Sanikiluaq. Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Public Works and Services has two positions in Sanikiluaq, a power plant operator/supervisor and a settlement maintainer. The power plant operator/supervisor position has been vacant for months. The department is now operating the plant through contract services. The responsibility for the operation of the Sanikiluaq power plant is scheduled to be transferred to the NWT Power Corporation in April of 1994. That's when they'll be hiring a new person for that position.

The settlement maintainer position has been vacant since May of 1993. That position was filled with a resident, hired on a casual basis, for June and July. A plumber from Igloolik handled that maintenance responsibility until the middle of September. Since then, we've had that position on contract with JT Ann Construction. That's a private business out of Sanikiluaq. We went to competition and we didn't have anyone apply for that position, so we've gone to competition again. It should be closing fairly shortly and hopefully we will have someone apply for that position. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Justice. In view of what I outlined in my earlier statement regarding what many of my constituents have identified as a problem in the legalities and costs of hiring a lawyer to correct the spelling of their names, will the Minister commit to initiating the necessary amendments to allow for name changes, with minimal paper work and costs to individuals who wish to do so?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Social Services. In 1988, we had what was called the Adbet Dependents Act. In other jurisdictions, it's called the Guardianship Act. The Minister has indicated there is a new act which he intends to table in this House. Would the Minister give us an indication of when this act will be made available so the public can see it?

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The act will be tabled during the Fifth Session. Thank you.

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

I understand the department has hired Professor Nelson as a consultant, who is with the criminology department at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. I'd like to ask the Minister if she has had an opportunity to meet with Professor Nelson in connection with this act.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have not.

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

I'd like to ask the Minister, was she aware that the consultant hired to develop this act was, in fact, Professor Nelson from Simon Fraser University?

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't get involved with the administration part of the function of Social Services unless there is a concern and politically sensitive issues, that's where my job comes in. I was not aware of this person you are talking about being in town, so I have not met with him. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Programs. I'm trying to determine the facts, Mr. Speaker, as they relate to the special study done by the Languages Commissioner in her review of the Canada/Northwest Territories cooperation agreement on aboriginal languages and French. On December 1, 1993, the Minister stated, and I quote from unedited Hansard, "the department has not had an opportunity to review the facts in these reports. There is refutable information in this report." My question to the Minister is, has the department completed its review and is the report available on what facts are refutable or not completely accurate?

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The difficulty with trying to address these particular questions is, like all other Members, when one gets up in the House and makes statements chastising Ministers, it becomes very difficult to respond.

What was clear on that particular day was this: I spoke to one of the Members opposite, who indicated that we, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, had not spent $427,000. Rather, we had only spent approximately $152,000. That is incorrect. They should be reversed. We have spent $400,000 and the fact is, we have not spent $152,000 in Arctic College.

The problem with responding generally to the question is that we have not seen and assessed all the questions and the recommendations that have been made. Like Mr. Lewis, I agree with the importance, and I think the honourable Member's interests are articulated quite clearly. Time spent on reviewing the report can only give us an opportunity to clarify some of the initiatives this government has undertaken, in response to some of the significant concerns that have been expressed in the report already, since I have become a Minister and prior to the tabling of that report in this House. So, that makes it very difficult for us to generalize on some of the comments that have been made and at the same time respond, first of all, by asking the Commissioner questions and, secondly, by providing a detailed summary and response to the report in this House.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Again, I was just quoting from the statements made by the Minister in Hansard on December 1. Another quote that the Minister made was in response to one of my colleagues. He stated that, "the federal Secretary of State agreed to a budget cut of four per cent." Yet, in a motion which I made in March, and from my understanding of the issue, the actual cut was ten per cent. I would like to ask the Minister, which is the correct number?

Mr. Nerysoo.

Again, Mr. Speaker, that depends on what you're talking about. The fact is, under the French language educational programming, the Secretary of State agreed to a four per cent reduction only. Under the aboriginal languages area, it was ten per cent. So, the problem is, it depends on what it is you're talking about. The general criticism directed to me by the honourable colleague opposite, was that we did not stand up to the government, in terms of making sure that certain cuts did not take place. We were not successful in the aboriginal rights languages area, but we were able to protect the French language area.

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

Again, I'm just quoting from statements made and the questions answered. I didn't ask those particular questions...

Point of order, Mr. Nerysoo.

Point Of Order

Mr. Speaker, I'm concerned about the notion, or the suggestion, of quoting from unedited Hansard on a regular basis. Is it not a rule of this House that we must be careful with the matter of using unedited Hansard?

Mr. Nerysoo, to your point of order, I think it's been the practice of this House, when Ministers make statements in the House that are recorded in unedited Hansard, Ministers are accountable for those statements. The honourable Member has quoted, so far, two different

statements, but hasn't repeated each one. I think the line of questioning is fair and I will allow it to continue. If the chair feels that this line of questioning is getting too repetitive, the chair will end this line of questioning. Carry on, Mr. Koe.

Once again, I'm trying to determine the facts so we can properly assess the report and the issues related to it. The Minister, in response to a question again on December 1, stated and I quote from unedited Hansard, "there is a ten per cent allowance to move money from one project to another." My understanding of the agreement is that there is a 25 per cent allowance to reallocate funds upon approval of the federal government. Again, I'd like to know which is the correct number.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, the correct number is 25 per cent. The fact is, the honourable Member is misleading the House again by suggesting that it's 25 per cent that can be moved around. The fact is, it's project to project on...

Mr. Koe.

Point Of Order

I think there's an allegation being made that I'm misleading the House. I'm just quoting from unedited Hansard in my question and the statements made by the Minister.

If I could just make a response to your point of order. The problem with quoting from unedited Hansard is sometimes the quotation can be taken out of context. I think that was Mr. Nerysoo's original point of order. It gets difficult for Members of the House to follow a line of questioning that may be hinging on one sentence, as opposed to the overall context of the original words.

First of all, I would ask if Mr. Nerysoo would reconsider his statement, then I would ask if Mr. Koe would be cautious in the line of questioning to make sure there is enough context in the line of questioning so it's clear to all Members of the House and to the Minister, exactly what the question is referring to. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll certainly review the Hansard and if there's a suggestion of allegation, I will apologize for it.

Item 5, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, on November 23 -- and I am aware that there has been a review of the South Slave Divisional Board of Education -- the Minister relayed the intention and purpose of the review. I'd like to ask the Minister whether there has been a terms of reference drafted to facilitate this particular review of the South Slave Divisional Board of Education? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there has been and I will be prepared to provide a copy of those terms of reference to the honourable Member.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to take his question as notice. Thank you.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. First of all, a slight correction. I asked the Minister if she had met with a professor from the criminology department at Simon Fraser University. I said his name was Professor Nelson and it is Professor Gordon. He has helped with the Guardianship Act in British Columbia, which has resulted in quite a bit of controversy. I would like to ask the Minister, would she undertake to examine this act in detail, since it's the result of this person's work, to make sure she agreed with the underlying principles and philosophy of this new act?

Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, during committee of the whole, when the House is sitting dealing with other issues, I have been reviewing the act and reading it over. I believe I'm now on page 37, so I still have a few pages to go. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Finance. It has been my understanding that the federal government has not been remitting the payroll tax for their employees who work in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister indicate the status of this issue, please?

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. The federal government had some technical problems getting it onto their computer system. They have agreed that they will, in fact, deduct the amount from their employees and remit it to us in the very near future. We have an agreement with them in that order, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary. Mr. Koe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Are there any other groups or employers who are not remitting the payroll tax?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I believe DND will come on board when the federal government does. The RCMP have filed. There are some people, such as Mr. Evoy who has said that he won't remit, although he'll deduct. I believe the Dene Nation is having some problems. I'm meeting with Mr. Bill Erasmus tomorrow morning for breakfast and that will be one of the issues on the agenda, Mr. Speaker. Those are the only ones that I know about, although I'm sure that there are people still out there who may or may not have received the information yet that, hopefully, we'll run across as time goes by. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In the payroll tax legislation there are stringent penalty clauses and audit provisions for people that don't remit. My supplementary to the Minister is, what audits have been done to ensure employers are remitting the payroll tax?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I don't think we've done any audits at the present time. We're still getting the system together and educating people, although I would admit to the House that once we are a little further into the process, there will be audits conducted. If there are delinquent companies, they will be dealt with under the act.

Supplementary. Mr. Koe.

My final supplementary, Mr. Speaker, is to the Minister. What penalties have been imposed on the federal government, DIAND, the RCMP, and the Federation of Labour for not remitting their payroll tax deductions on time?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, we don't have the ability to do anything to the federal government and I have not asked the department to press any other charges against anybody else in the Northwest Territories. I prefer to try to work it out with these people, before we have to go to the law and ask people to comply in court. It's a new thing, there were some problems with people accepting it and I'm trying to be as understanding as possible, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Minister Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, we have been advised that it would be retroactive. The federal government has indicated to us that it would be retroactive. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the NWT Federation of Labour, they have registered. Whether or not they will remit to us, we won't know. Because of it's size, the first time they would have to remit would be in January of next year. As I said, the Dene Nation has indicated that they would not be complying with the tax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary. Mr. Whitford.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I haven't managed to come up with the right size plug for the loophole, but I assure the Member through you, sir, that we are still working on the problem. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of DPW. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the sale of houses under the staff housing strategy, the Minister has provided information with respect to these units. I'd like to ask the Minister if it would be possible to receive not the details of the sale, but the location of these units, so I can somehow be able to develop my reply to the Commissioner's address on this issue.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I get clarification? Do you mean communities' addresses?

Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.