Good afternoon. I hope everyone had a restful weekend. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, February 19, the Member for Thebacha rose and made a Member's statement regarding concerns she had with the way in which an issue she had raised with me was dealt with. I accept responsibility for the fact that the issue was not dealt with properly.

What I do not accept, however, is the tone and the manner in which the Member chose to communicate her displeasure. In the space of a two and a half page statement she claims that I am not taking my job seriously, I am cavalier, unprofessional, forgetful, unhelpful, lazy, irresponsible and unconscientious.

Point of order. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to ask clarification, the Minister is making ...

Mrs. Marie-Jewell, Members cannot ask for clarification. What is your point of order, Mrs. Marie-Jewell?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister rose under Ministers' statements. I received a copy of the Minister's statement as put forth. Under the rules of this House, a Minister is to speak to a Minister's statement on a policy issue. Thank you.

Up to this particular point, I am unable to rule on your point of order. I wiU say, though, the issue at hand here is, I believe, to be that of policy insomuch as it deals with how the government and the govemment Ministers deal wilh concerns of MLAs. Up to this point, you do not have a point of order, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Please continue, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. She claims that I am not taking my job seriously, I am cavalier, unprofessional, forgetful, unhelpful, lazy, irresponsible and unconscientious.

Mr. Speaker, I am none of those things, the Member knows it as do the other Members of this House. I have tried as best as I know how to deal with Members' issues in a timely and conscientious way. This issue was dealt with the way in which most issues are dealt with. Staff are asked to research facts and provide answers and options available to the Minister at which point in time direction is given. There were two basic mistakes made in this case, the way in which the client was dealt with, and the way in which the corporation officials dealt with the Member's letter of complaint. Both of these have been dealt with and, hopefully, the issue is resolved.

I welcome constructive criticism from Members of this House, but I will not allow mysett to be abused in an irresponsible manner by a Member who, on one hand, expects to be dealt with in a courteous and professional manner but, on the other hand, is not willing to act that way herself.

Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, this is why the reputation and conduct of Members of this House is being perceived by the public in an increasingly cynical manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that seven students who graduated from NWT high schools last year have been named Canada scholars. These seven students are enrolled in university programs in science or engineering. They have all demonstrated high academic standards and we are very proud of all of them. We need to develop a strong resident population of scientists and engineers in the Northwest Territories.

Hear, hear.

---Applause

I hope all seven of these new Canada scholars will excel in their studies and return to the Northwest Territories where they can help us build our future. For the record, Mr. Speaker, I would like to read the names of our 1992 Canada scholars. Our congratulations go out to Katherine Searle, a graduate of Samuel Hearne Secondary School; Jonathan Hazenburg of Fort Simpson; Robert Hewlett of Hay River, and Yellowknife students Brian Auge, Michel Haener, Josip Peleskei and Ivan Tolentino.

My best wishes go out to an these students and I, along with my Cabinet colleagues, and an of the Members of this Assembly, encourage them to continue their achievements by setting outstarnfmg educational standards and examples for students of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Ministers' statements. Ms. Cournoyea.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An announcement was made recently by a US based company, Hondo Oil and Gas, that it has created a subsidiary, the Mackenzie-Porcupine Pipeline Company, to pursue the development of a large scale project to take natural gas from the Mackenzie Delta by pipeline to a new terminal near Anchorage, Alaska. From there, the gas would be liquefied for shipment to markets in China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, this is an ambitious project, and it is at a very preliminary stage. The proponents will need seles contracts in several different countries, purchase agreements with the Delta producers, environmental and regulatory approvals, and billions of dollars of debt financing. Discussions on these basic requirements for a successful project have only just begun.

We should also note that gas from the Delta would have to compete with gas reserves in the Persian Gulf and Indonesia, which could be developed and transported to Asian markets at a much lower cost.

Natural gas prices, and growth in the demand for natural gas, should continue to be much higher in the Far East than in North America. It, therefore, makes sense for industry to investigate the concept of bringing gas from the Delta to these markets. If this partirular project looks realistic, then it is also possible that other proponents will come forward with different ideas about how natural gas might be transported from the Delta to the Far East. If this type of project were to be constructed, it would probably displace any large scale gas pipeline from the Delta up the Mackenzie Valley to Alberta. However, it is difficult to foresee when gas markets in North America could justify the development of a Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline. The project proposed by Hondo could open up the north to a potentially better gas market.

This proposed pipeline would not cross any caribou calving areas that we are aware of. It would be buied for most of its length, and would follow the Dempster Highway corridor as much as possible. The project would also involve the construc:tion of a small diameter liquids pipeline from the Delta to Norman Wells.

Mr. Speaker, at this point there is not enough information for the government to take a position on the proposal. It will take the companies involved several years to bring the project to the point where it could be reviewed by the appropriate regulatory agencies. In the meantime, we intend to keep an open mind and work cooperatively with the proponents. Next week representatives from Hondo Oil and Gas are planning to visit Old Crow in Inuvik to discuss their proposals with community leaders, the Gwich'in Tribal Council and the lnuvialuit Regional Corporation. The company appreciates the importance of an open dialogue with the affected communities and aboriginal organizations whose support will be of critical importance to the success of this venture. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Coumoyea. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was home on the weekend and it was indicated to me that at the beginning of my Member's statement on Friday, my constituents were unable to hear my Member's statement because at that time the radio was cut off. Therefore, my constituents wondered why the Minister of the Housing Corporation was using the tone that he did, saying I was conducting rnyseH in an irresponsible manner as a Member. I resent that. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I am thinking of requesting an apology. I would like to re-read my statement.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I expressed my disappointment and concern in the actions undertaken by the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation in dealing with a serious matter, which I brought to his attention. Mr. Speaker, on November 12, I wrote to the Minister to indicate that one of my constituents had approached me in exasperation and frustration with the attitudes of Housing Corporation personnel in the Hay River district office. In doing so, I had faith that the Minister would take the issue seriously and take responsibility to find an appropriate resolution.

I remember clearly, on November 13, 1991, in reviewing the edited Hansard, the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe said some things when he asked Members of this House to select him for a Cabinet position. He said, in this House, and I quote, "I am still committed to working with all 24 Members of this Assembly in the next four years, whether I be a Cabinet Member or an ordinary Member, guaranteed. You are going to hear from me because I am here to represent my people who are aboriginal from small communities." He also said, "When you vote today, my friends, vote for someone who is here to do a job and not someone who is just here for the job." That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am disappointment and concerned with the cavalier manner in which the Minister conducted himself when he dealt with my constituent's concern.

The constituent who approached me...

Your allotted time has elapsed, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

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

Agreed.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The constituent who approached me heel a serious problem with his housing unit and had waited months for an answer to queries placed with the Housing Corporation. He found corporation personnel unresponsive and negative in their dealings with him. These are the sort of concerns that I believe the Minister should know about. I believe that he would take a professional approach and attempt to resolve the problem. However, he did not.

Mr. Speaker, what did he do? it seems that he delegated and then he forgot about it because I did not hear from him again until just the day before session started. He delegated the matter to one of his senior officials in the Housing Corporation. That person delegated it to the district manager. The district manager delegated it to the staff person who had caused the problem in the first place. This person took the matter to his lawyer. Instead of getting help from the Minister, which Members expect, we did not, in resolving a particular attitude problem within the corporation. What I did get though, was a cease and desist letter from an employee's lawyer. Who knows what they might have in store for the constituent who brought the original concern to me in the first place. What was the Minister thinking about when he responded in this way? I wondered where his management skills were. Where was his commitment to working together and his concern for constituents that he told us about on November 13? Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, as I said on Friday, his teflon is rubbing off.

I recognize the Minister wrote and apologized, Mr. Speaker, the day before the session. However, Mr. Speaker, I want the Minister and the people who he is allowing to do his job for him to know that I will not cease and desist from continuing to express my concerns on behalf of my constituents. The fact that one of his employees tried to hire a local lawyer to intimidate me makes no difference. Should other constituents come and raise their concerns with respect to the behaviour of a civil servant, I will not hesitate to communicate those concerns to the appropriate people. My privilege to do so, as a Member of this House, is clearly defined and has been protected by court decisions in countries served by parliaments all over the world.

To confirm what type of privilege I have, through legal counsel, I was advised it was called "qualified privilege," when it is outside of the House. However, in researching cases in 1972, judgement of a case in England, the court found, and I quote, "It will be a sad day when a Member of Parliament has to look over his shoulder before ventilating to the proper authorities criticism about the work of a public servant, which he honestly believes to merit investigation." I strongly believe that all Members of this House would do no less in bringing the concerns of their constituents to the appropriate Minister. I trust that their issues will receive a more conscientious treatment than what was displayed towards me by the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation.

I also bud when we bring forth our concerns in this manner, that Ministers will not get so defensive to the point where they are calling Members on this side of the House "irresponsible." I find that type of conduct ignorant, at the very least. of a Minister. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Today I would like to say a few things about the Workers' Compensation Board. For a long time many of the ordinary Members have been concerned about the Workers' Compensation Board. We have known it was too closely tied to Yellowknife and that members of the board do not understand what it is like to be a worker in a small community. We are concerned about the policies that have been developed. Sometimes it seems like those policies have lost sight of the fact that injured workers are human beings and they have feelings and fears.

We have also been concerned about the way money was spent on the administration of the Workers' Compensation Board. These concerns are outlined in the report of the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions. I think all Members of the House are aware that some major changes have been made. What I want to say today is John Todd is doing a good job of addressing these problems. I agree with the decisions he made about the people who should be appointed to the Workers' Compensation Board. I also agree with his statement that he will put a stop to the run away administrative costs of the board. (Translation ends)

... challenges facing him. These are difficult financial times and the workers' compensation system needs much work. I look forward to seeing the report of this special advisor and I would urge him, as I am sure my honourable colleague for Deh Cho will also do, to finalize a workable plan for providing compensation to injured harvesters and traditional artists and carvers.

I am confident the Minister will be able to move ahead to deal with these and other issues. He has certainly gained my support of the approach he has taken so far. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.