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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Premier's statements today in raising the issues about the official languages agreement. I rise today to express my disappointment with the federal government by making these announced cuts in grants and contributions programs. I also rise today to express my support for the intent and the contents that were negotiated in establishing the languages agreement, even though I was not a Member of this Assembly at the time the agreement was developed and signed. I was in the back room supporting the initiatives undertaken by the Members of this House at that time.

I am also opposed to any reductions in the languages agreement. I would like to indicate my support for the Government Leader, her Cabinet and this government to try their best to protect the valuable resources we have and the need to continue this agreement to protect and enhance language development in the Northwest Territories, especially the development and training of the professionals required to provide and deliver these necessary services.

I encourage all Members of this Assembly to express their displeasure at these cuts. Mahsi.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Nunatsiaq News of January 22, 1993, published an article on Peter Salomonie and his family living in a makeshift wooden shack for the last seven years. When we are able to forgive loans to businesses in the NWT, we should at least be able to provide decent housing to tenants in the NWT, even when they are in arrears. During question period, I will be asking the question to the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Tony Whitford on February 23 regarding the causes of the power outage.

On Sunday, January 31, 1993, power supply to Giant Mine was interrupted at 12:04 pm. Relaying indicated a phase to ground fault. Line patrolling disclosed no reason to believe vandalism or third-party interference. The RCMP was not called and service was restored in approximately one hour. No other customers were affected, except Nerco which lost some process machinery.

The status of the RCMP investigation into the suspected third-party interference in the early months of the Giant strike is continuing. Charges have not been laid and the intentions of the police are now known to Power Corporation officials.

Mr. Speaker, I have a long-overdue return to oral question asked by Mr. Ningark on December 1.

On December 1, Mr. Ningark asked whether the Power Corporation has a specific model for research in developmental planning. This question related to plans for sale of the corporation's eastern operation, or portions of the eastern operation to beneficiaries under the TFN land claim.

I would advise this Assembly that the Power Corporation has not developed such a model and that sale of the corporation's eastern operation is inconsistent with the government's strategy for the corporation. Since the time of purchase, it has been the intention of this government to groom the corporation for sale to private sector investors. The financial potential of this objective will not be realized by piecemeal sale of the corporation. While devolution of governmental responsibility was addressed within the TFN claim, the future role of the Power Corporation was not addressed within the claim frame work. As such, beneficiaries under the TFN claim will have an opportunity for investment in the corporation when privatization occurs. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Gargan, MLA for Deh Cho, on December 2, with respect to the cost of the Coast Guard rescue.

On December 2, 1992, the Member for Deh Cho asked the Minister of Transportation if the department intended to recover the costs it incurred on October 23, 1992, when the MV Merv Hardie went to the rescue of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Ekaloo which had suffered the misfortune of running aground on a sandbar on the Mackenzie River.

The costs of the Department of Transportation in this incident were small and the attempt to recover its costs would do much to damage the positive and cooperative relationship the department enjoys with the Coast Guard.

Mariners have a long-standing professional code which requires the master of every ship, on receiving a message of distress from another ship, to proceed with all speed to offer its every assistance. The captain and crew of the MV Merv Hardie did exactly as expected of them when they received the Ekaloo's message that it had run aground. The crews of the department's ships would depend on the same unhesitant response from any nearby ship to their signal of distress.

The MV Merv Hardie was away from the Fort Providence ferry crossing for approximately seven and a half hours at a cost, over and above its usual running costs, of approximately $50 for fuel. The ferry's operating costs are about $200 per hour. The total cost of the rescue operation came to less than $2,000.

We should not forget that the Cost Guard spent several hundred thousand dollars last hear helping this government to evaluate the possibility of access from the sea to Pelly Bay, an expenditure that will save the GNWT substantial amounts in the annual cost of resupply to the community.

Had the rescue been expensive, the department might have good reason to consider recovery. In this event, it was not. There is little to be gained in seeking compensation from the Coast Guard.

I have another return, Mr. Speaker.

Continue, Mr. Todd.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Whitford and Mr. Koe on the replacement of X-ray in the Inuvik hospital.

The safety of patients and staff of the Inuvik Regional Hospital is of the utmost importance. I can assure you that all three X-ray units at the Inuvik Regional Hospital are fully operational and used in accordance with prescribed procedures.

No X-ray unit at the Inuvik Regional Hospital pose a threat to the safety of patients or staff. All three units have been inspected by the radiation protection branch which has imposed an August, 1993, deadline for replacement of the unit in question. The radiation protection branch expects it to be replaced in the fiscal year 1993-94 as planned by the Department of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, returns to oral question. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

Mr. Speaker, I have a Member's statement to give, so I seek unanimous consent to give my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 3, Members' statements. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say some more things about the cruise missile testing today. Mr. Speaker, I was absolutely appalled with the information we received yesterday. The Government of Canada and the Government of the United States have signed an agreement which will allow cruise missiles to be tested over the Mackenzie Valley for the next ten years.

Yesterday, when I asked the Government Leader whether the Government of the Northwest Territories had been asked for input, she stated that we were not consulted. I find it completely unacceptable that the federal government did not even discuss the matter with the Government of the Northwest Territories or the leaders in the Mackenzie Valley. It is a shameful way for them to conduct intergovernmental relations. I was also annoyed that the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Kim Campbell, has not yet agreed to meet our Premier to discuss this. I am not willing to accept this conduct on the part of the federal government, Mr. Speaker. Their attitude is 20 years out of date. I have written the Minister of National Defence this morning to express my concern, for the people in my constituency, and to encourage her to meet immediately with our Premier on the matter. I will table the letter tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, these war machines, the ones which test over Dene land, have been created to destroy and to kill. Again, I say it is offensive for the federal government to use the northern skies to prepare these missiles for use without even asking us. Mr. Speaker, we are going to have to make sure the federal government understands that we have a voice. I think that the time is here for the Premier to insist on meeting the Minister of National Defence and we should not accept "no" for an answer. I am not willing to tolerate the disrespect and lack of consideration which the federal government has demonstrated to this Assembly, to the people of Nahendeh, and to all northerners on this issue. Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am rising today to announce that I am proud of our young people. Many young people today are getting into recreation, and I would like to congratulate them. There are recreational facilities in the communities which can be used by our young people. Just recently the young people of Resolute Bay went out to a sports tournament and they won the gold medal. I would like to congratulate the young people of Resolute Bay. I am very proud that they were able to receive the gold medal. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Housing. Mr. Speaker, Peter Salomonie is 52 years old and has been living with his family in a make shift wooden shack for the last seven years. A man and his family living in a wooden home in the dead of winter may not be an issue in this House, however, it is an issue to me, Mr. Speaker. What is the Minister of Housing doing to address the needs of the family in Iqaluit? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Member for bringing this to my attention. I visited Iqaluit in the fall of 1991 and I met with the families on the beach. The Minister responsible for Social Services at the time, the Honourable Tony Whitford, had addressed two of the families. There were three living on the beach. They were given private accommodation within the community. Social Services paid the bill. It is true that they did not qualify for public housing. If a person is too far in arrears and has not paid their bill, under the housing policy, they do not qualify for public housing. This also disqualifies them for the old HAP program. These are the types of people who would fall through the cracks of the Housing Corporation's old programs.

Since we have restructured the programs, they now qualify for a special project. There are special projects being allocated to Iqaluit. Mr. and Mrs. Salomonie are given high priority for a special project. I have been working with the Member for Iqaluit, as has the mayor, on this matter. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.