Good afternoon. Prior to Item 2, Ministers' statements, I wish to make a brief ruling.

Speaker's Ruling

On Friday, February 26, 1993, the Member for Thebacha submitted two written questions. Written Question 22-12(3) seeks information from the Minister of Health on the number of patient visits to each of the physicians on contract with the Fort Smith health centre from 1989 to 1993. Written Question 23-12(3) seeks a summary of travel of all board members of the Fort Smith health centre during the period 1988 to the dissolution of the board. I have reviewed the written questions and the terms of reference of the public inquiry into the Fort Smith health centre, which was tabled on September 30, 1992, and is Tabled Document 106-12(2), and rule that both questions contravene rule 35(g)(ii) of our rules, which prohibit debate on any matter that is before any quasi-judicial, administrative or investigative body constituted by the Assembly or under the authority of an act of the Assembly where any person or persons may be prejudice in such matter by the reference. In addition, the public inquiry was established as a result of adopted Motion 30-12(2) of this Assembly. On reviewing the terms of reference, it is clear the public inquiry established under the Public Inquiries Act is to review the provision and quality of medical services at the Fort Smith health centre. It is also mandated to review the role and responsibility of board members with the public. The inquiry is also mandated to review the events leading to the resignation of the board. In addition, the inquiry is to conduct a comprehensive review of various features of the administration of the Fort Smith health centre over the last five years and the relationship between the facility and the community it serves.

Accordingly, Mrs. Marie-Jewell's questions are directly relevant to the matters the inquiry is to review and report on and are, therefore, a contravention of our rules and the sub judice convention. The fact that these issues were raised by written questions and not in oral questions or in debate is not relevant, as the same rules that apply to oral questions apply to written questions.

I would like to quote citation 427 from Beauchesne's, 6th edition, "The Speaker, in common with the duties of supervision over the proceedings of the House, may rule out of order any question which violates the rules or practice of parliament in the same way as irregularities in motions and amendments are dealt with." It is the chair's responsibility to ensure that the rules are enforced. The chair believes that wide latitude should be given Members in asking questions. However, when questions, either oral or written, are obviously an infraction of a specific rule, and since the rules are the rules of the Legislative Assembly, I will enforce the rules. Then, accordingly, I rule Written Questions 22-12(3) and 23-12(3) out of order.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 2, 3 and 4, I plan to travel to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to meet with four representatives of the European Parliament, who have been invited by the international fund for animal welfare to learn about harp seals. Members of this Assembly will recall that the international fund for animal welfare recently sponsored the full page advertisement in Canada's newspapers requesting a ban on seal hunts.

Mr. Speaker, I intend to inform the members of the European parliament about the impact of the European ban on importing sealskins on our northern economy and peoples. I will also explain our life-style and the benefits that our northern renewable resources provide to us. The chairman from the Clyde River hunters' and trappers' association will accompany me to meet these people and he will also emphasize how we live.

By teaching other people about how we live, we help ensure that actions will not be taken to adversely affect our way of life. I will provide a full report upon my return. Thank you.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome, once again, to the Legislative Assembly, the Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, Dr. the Honourable David Carter and Mrs. Carter, also accompanying the Speaker are four members of the Alberta legislative interns' program.

---Applause

I would like to welcome in the gallery the Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, Ethel Blondin.

---Applause Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Gargan.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to mention that Harriet McKay, an elder from the Hay River Reserve passed away last week.

The Hay River reserve was first established in 1974. They have been requesting for public housing for many years. I have even written to the Government Leader and before that to the Ministers of Housing, Tom Butters and Nick Sibbeston. To date we have not seen any results. The people who most deserve public housing, the poor people, do not seem to get these houses. If these people who are in need of housing were to get these houses, incidents such as this would not happen. The elder I am speaking about still burned wood and had no electricity. The house which she passed away in was an old shack. If these conditions continue there are going to be more incidents such as this one on the Hay River reserve.

The senior citizens' home will be opening this Friday.

This is the request that I would like to put forth. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Speaker, this is not going to be a Member's statement, it is going to be an announcement only.

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, I have been requested by our colleague Mr. Kenoayoak Pudlat, MLA for Baffin South, to inform the House that he would not be here today because two of his relatives passed away this past weekend in his constituency. As well, his brother-in-law is in critical condition. For that reason he will not be in the House today. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, overall I am very pleased with the progress which has been made towards the new school in Apex since the tragic fire last fall. I am pleased to report to the House that renovations on a temporary school in a former duplex/residence are progressing well and occupancy of that temporary school is expected to take place March 31. I am told that DPW officials in the community have worked above and beyond the call of duty to see that this moves ahead.

Also last week, town council approved in principle, construction on the existing site of the burned school following a meeting in Apex. There was a good turn out and unanimous support from the community for rebuilding on the existing site. Virtually everyone was there, they were very pleased that council accepted their recommendations and that the Department of Public Works would be applying for a development permit for that site. I am very pleased with all of this, Mr. Speaker.

However, I do have one concern. Niaqunguut education council and members of the community are concerned that the new school should have a gym. The old school, which burned down, had a good size gym. The Niaqunguut education society had been told the government had insurance on the school and that this insurance entitles the government to replace the destroyed property with property of "like kind and quality." I think that is a provision of the GNWT's all-property blanket insurance policy. Mr. Speaker, the people of Apex are expecting the new school will also have a gym and Members who have been there know the school has always been a focal point for community meetings and activities. I will be asking the Minister of Education to work with myself and the community to ensure the new school has a gym. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson, your timing was impeccable. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question by Mr. Gargan on February 24. Mr. Gargan asked me if the Department of Transportation has insurance for its ferry, the MV Merv Hardie. The ferry carries full marine insurance for operations in Canadian minor waters. This includes operation anywhere in the Mackenzie River watershed.

The insurance covers collision, striking, stranding, sinking, fire and the discharge of pollutants.

The vessel itself is insured for a value of $5.1 million. Its third-party liability is unlimited and, in the event of a discharge of pollutants, the coverage is up to $170 million.

All ships owned by the federal government, whether Fisheries and Oceans, Department of National Defence or the Canadian Coast Guard, are self-insured.

In the incident of October 23, 1992, neither vessel sustained any damage or loss which would constitute a recoverable claim.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Pudluk with respect to the classification of drivers' licences.

On Tuesday, February 23, the honourable Member for High Arctic reported a problem his constituents were having in applying for class three drivers' licences and receiving class five licences instead. I told Mr. Pudluk that I would look into the problem for him and report back to the House.

The registrar of motor vehicles has reviewed all the class five licences issued over the past six months in the communities of Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, Nanisivik and Resolute Bay. Over this period, 18 class five and no class three licences were issued in these communities. Four of the class five licences were issued to new drivers and the remaining 14 were licence transfers from jurisdictions outside the Northwest Territories. The registrar could find no instances of converting an application for a class three licence to a class five instead.

The motor vehicles division does change class three applications to class five licences under three circumstances. The application may have been sent to Yellowknife without proof of the practical road test portion of the driving examination. The class three licence requires medical certification and this may not have been included with the application. In some instances, the holder of a class five licence may be issued a restricted class three licence. A condition is added to the back of a class five licence which allows the driver -- this is ridiculous -- to operate a class three single unit truck within the Northwest Territories. Who wrote this?

To the registrar's knowledge, none of these circumstances have occurred in the Member's constituency over the past six months.

If Mr. Pudluk could give me more detail about a particular case, I would be only too pleased to have the department staff look into it for him. Thank you.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Pudluk on February 24 regarding the status of the Baffin regional council audit.

The audit team has completed its on-site audit of the BRC and has begun to prepare its report on the audit findings.

The report is expected to be completed by Friday, March 19, 1993. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Gargan on February 19, 1993, regarding the sobriety policy.

Mr. Gargan asked on February 28, 1993, that the Minister "direct his officials to make a report to other alcohol and drug organizations about the success of this important policy." The Minister at that time undertook to "share the success of this policy with our counterparts in southern Canada."

The policy related to sobriety for alcohol and drug workers has been in place for almost a year and a half. Provincial alcohol and drug commissions were advised of our policy during federal/provincial meetings in Newfoundland in May, 1992.

In order for the adequate assessment and evaluation of the sobriety clause policy to be carried out to effectively measure its success, a significantly longer period of time for the policy to be in place will be required. It would be appropriate to carry out an assessment and evaluation of its effectiveness in 1995, which would be five years after its implementation. In the meantime, I will be instructing officials in the department to monitor the impact of the policy on an ongoing basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Renewable Resources a question. As he indicated, he will be leaving to go to Prince Edward Island. I assume that since he is leaving shortly, he must have some kind of report which he will be presenting during the meeting. Does he have a written document for presentation which he would table in this House to keep us informed of what he intends to present at his meeting? Thank you.

Mr. Allooloo.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The presentation I will be making is not completed as of yet. It is being documented at the present time. I will be at the meetings for two days. Members from the European parliament will be in attendance, and members from the IFAW will also be in attendance. The meetings begin at 2:00 pm. The European parliament members will be having a dinner meeting in the evening. My agenda items are not all in written form. I do have documents which are being completed right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are two organizations which were originally funded, one is the Pangnirtung alcohol and drug education committee and the other one is Tuvvik. They are no longer funded through this program. Thank you.