Good morning. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, this is an emergency statement. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and pride that I advise this Assembly of a landmark agreement concluded last evening between the Dogrib Treaty 11 tribal council and the Northwest Territories Power Corporation for development of hydro potential in the North Slave region.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, subject to regulatory approvals, this historic agreement provides for development of hydro sites at Snare cascades on the Snare River and Lac La Martre river system. These projects will be developed, constructed and owned by the Dogrib Power Corporation, a wholly owned Dogrib enterprise.

---Applause

As each site is completed the Northwest Territories Power Corporation will accept operating responsibility. Mr. Speaker, this agreement as represented by the Dogrib power project agreement and the power acquisition agreement reflects the spirit of goodwill, respect and cooperation that was evident throughout the negotiations.

The agreement, Mr. Speaker, that was reached today secures employment and training opportunities for the residents of Rae-Edzo, Snare Lake, Rae Lakes and Lac La Martre through control and ownership of each development. These projects have been made possible by the market security and operating experience that partnership with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation will provide.

Mr. Speaker, first and foremost this agreement is a commercial undertaking that balances the interests of both parties. Engineering and construction contracts will be awarded by the Dogrib Power Corporation on the basis of the tender process; all regulatory requirements including environmental, land and water issues will be addressed by the Dogrib Power Corporation; and the interest of Northwest Territories Power Corporation customers will be protected by the Public Utilities Board review of the power acquisition agreement. This agreement is really a true partnership.

The first phase of the proposed project calls for an investment of up to $35 million. The second phase has an estimated cost of $80 million.

Development of these sites will reduce the growing reliance on diesel for power generation in the North Slave region. With adequate power supply and the long-term price stability associated with hydroelectric power generation, the growing opportunities for economic development throughout the region are further advanced.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the dedicated and professional efforts of both Dogrib representatives and Power Corporation officials, many of whom are here in the gallery today, in concluding an agreement that will guarantee investment, development and employment in the North Slave region. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Zoe.

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

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Two of the key players in negotiating this historic agreement are in the gallery. I would like to recognize Grand Chief Joe Rabesca of the Dogrib nation, he is also the...

---Applause

...first chairman of the Dogrib Power Corporation. We also have Jim Robertson, the chairman of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I stand today to speak on behalf of the young people who are our future and the people who go to different communities to attend school, especially from the smaller communities. It is good they want to get their education and that their parents encourage them to get their education, but sometimes when they experience something for the first time they have a hard time because they miss their family in their communities. Whenever they are having problems and they do not see their family for a long time they have to phone them long distance and talk with their parents to make life better for themselves. Mr. Speaker, this is all right when the young people go to school to a different community from smaller communities.

I think this is great because I went to school in a different community myself, but the grade extensions have to be given to the smaller communities in this day and age. At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of Education regarding students who have to travel out of their communities to attend school. I know it is a good thing, but it is very hard for the students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. This is the budget session and we have all seen how difficult it is to maintain our levels of services just like other governments, especially watching the performances of other provincial governments in trying to stave off huge debts. Like other governments, we have been forced to live within our means, Mr. Speaker, through a combination of spending cuts and some small tax increases.

Last June, Mr. Speaker, when she was an ordinary Member, Ms. Mike made an observation. She did not believe Mr. Pollard should be both Finance Minister and Minister of Economic Development, since she believed there was a conflict. Economic Development Ministers like to spend money and if you are a Finance Minister you like to hang onto it. I did not feel there was a huge difficulty at that time, but I began to see some difficulties. We have heard the Minister of Finance's commitment to a balanced budget, as our Finance Minister, and his efforts to achieve that have been greatly appreciated by both the Members of the House and also the public.

Wearing his other hat, however, just one week ago, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Pollard went uncharacteristically wild. He talked about borrowing $250 billion to build an infrastructure to support mining. Yellowknife people, of course, are delighted that the Minister has shown such an interest in the sector of the economy which is very important to this region and there is no doubt that it will continue to be that way. The point I am making, Mr. Speaker, is that Mr. Pollard, after the weekend, goes somewhat wild. Since it is Friday, I would like to remind Members that this weekend he will be in Montreal, and I will be looking to see how restrained he will be on Monday when he returns as our Finance Minister to continue with the budget debate. Thank you.

...by the Montreal Canadians. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in regard to the petition coming from one of my communities in my constituency. Lake Harbour is a community which does not have much flat space to develop. The community is making a proposal through the capital budget. The proposal, to the Department of Public Works, requests the community be provided with a rock crusher.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In reviewing the Social Services' budget yesterday, we were advised in this House that there is a surplus of funding of $300,000 in the youth initiative. Mr. Speaker, many of the Members were very disappointed to hear this. We recognize the need to address youth of the Northwest Territories, and the use this funding could have helped youth in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, last night we met both with the concerned fishermen and the friendship centre regarding the amount of funding they are seeking. The friendship centres assist youth across the north. I will be asking my colleagues at the appropriate time for support for a motion that I would like to put forth in this House to request the Minister to use that surplus funding prior to March 31, instead of lapsing the funding to assist the friendship centres in the north that do go out and help the youth of the north. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

(Translation) I would like to speak about the agreement between the NWT Power Corporation and the Dogrib nation. They will be building a dam which will generate electricity. I have been thinking for quite some time about major projects on our lands. I think it is proper that the aboriginal people are involved in those projects. I would like to congratulate the Dogrib nation and the NWT Power Corporation. It is a start. The Northwest Territories is large, so if there are major projects occurring the native people should be involved. This agreement between the NWT Power Corporation and the Dogrib nation is a start. I would like to thank them for this.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Member's statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the lighter side of things, Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure that your hockey team, the MLA Sharks, is ready to take a serious bite out of the Yellowknife Media Ravens.

---Applause

After months of gruelling practice, the last of which was last night, the MLA Sharks have developed into a finely tuned hockey machine.

---Laughter

They are, Mr. Speaker, poetry in motion. It is therefore my opinion, Mr. Speaker, that the MLA Sharks will deliver a crushing defeat to the Ravens tomorrow evening at the second annual media/MLA hockey game. Mr. Speaker, the coach of the MLA Sharks, Mrs. Jeannie Marie-Jewell, and the general manager, Mr. David Hamilton, have just released the MLA Sharks final roster for tomorrow evening. Representing the MLA Sharks squad will be Nellie Cournoyea, Titus Allooloo, Richard Nerysoo, Henry Zoe, James Arvaluk, Don Morin and of course myself. A most impressive line up would you not say, Mr. Speaker? I would advise the media to keep their heads up in the corners because I have heard Cabinet Members muttering something about "pay back time."

---Laughter

---Applause

Perhaps they were talking about the ordinary MLAs, I am not sure about that, Mr. Speaker. Also, wearing the MLA Sharks' blue and white uniforms with pride will be the Assembly staff of Joe Maduke, Craig Robinson, Vera Raschke, Kuluk Gamble and Sheila MacPherson.

---Applause

Just a fair warning to the media, Mr. Speaker, Ms. MacPherson is the Assembly's legal counsel and will be prosecuting all media infractions to the fullest extent of the law.

---Laughter

Last but not least, on the MLA Sharks' roster are deputy minister, Al Menard, assistant deputy minister, Conrad Pilon, and Andy Langford. The Ravens have also agreed to our special request to allow Archie Catholique to play with the MLA Sharks. This, Mr. Speaker, was a serious technical error on the part of the media. However, I guess we have always known that they are not playing with a full duffle bag.

---Laughter

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the public that the proceeds for the media/MLA hockey game will go to the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital intensive care unit. I encourage everyone to come out and watch the MLA Sharks pluck the Ravens beginning at 7:00 pm tomorrow evening at the Yellowknife Community Arena. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. Obviously the media are worried, they are not here so they must be practising.

---Laughter

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Kakfwi will work his way back into the line up in due course. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.