Good afternoon. Before we get into the orders of the day, I have a message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Commissioner is wishing the Premier Nellie Cournoyea a very happy birthday.

---Applause

I think we all join the Commissioner in wishing Ms. Cournoyea all the best on her 39th birthday.

---Applause

Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mine safety bill committee was formed in December of 1991 to prepare a new mine safety bill and regulations. At that time, the unions representing the vast majority of unionized mine workers in the Northwest Territories refused to join the committee because they objected to the manner in which the committee was structured.

The committee is comprised of two representatives from mine management, one representative of employees from a non-union mine and one representative from the Union of Northern Workers who represents a small number of mine employees.

Despite the absence of organized workers, the committee has continued with its work and has been developing a new mine safety bill and regulations for close to one year.

To date, the committee has completed the drafting instructions for the new bill and has made substantial headway on the regulations that will accompany this legislation.

While the work of the committee has been admirable, this process does not address the views of all of the stakeholders concerned with mine safety in the Northwest Territories. The absence of organized workers in this process means that the views of a significant and important sector of the mining industry in the Northwest Territories are not being considered.

Like previous Ministers of Safety and Public Services, I have tried to explore ways that organized labour could be accommodated within the existing review process as a full and willing participant.

After a great deal of discussion with the president of the Northwest Territories Federation of Labour, an accommodation has been reached that will allow organized labour to participate in the development of this important legislation.

This agreement would allow the Northwest Territories Federation of Labour to nominate persons from organized labour to sit on the committee, the number to be equivalent to the membership of the committee as currently structured. The Federation of Labour would also be given the opportunity to review the proposed new act and the work done on the regulations to date and offer suggestions on how it can be improved.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the president and executive of the Northwest Territories federation of labour for their efforts in bringing organized labour back to the table to review this important piece of legislation.

It is important to ensure, at the conclusion of this process, we have a good piece of legislation which ensures the safety of all mine workers in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I note we failed to mark the passage of your birthday last week, Mr. Speaker. Of a similar vintage to yourself, Mr. Speaker, is an institution in this city called the Yellowknife guild of crafts. It was founded in 1946. Ruth Stanton was the first president. The first secretary was Mrs. Anderson-Thomson. The guild, in those days, was established because people were very interested in doing creative things with their hands in a place which, at that time, was very isolated. People lived under conditions which were much different than what they are today. Some people may be amused by the idea of people sitting down doing handicrafts for long hours on those winter nights. However, one of the things which happened with that guild, Mr. Speaker, which many people do not know of, is that Dr. Stanton on all of his travels throughout the Mackenzie Valley and up to the Delta, was instrumental in bringing the art work of many aboriginal

people to the attention of Yellowknife and the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this has been of interest to me. This is still something which is seen as elitist, something that is somehow irrelevant to the Northwest Territories because it serves only the interests of urban people who are bored and have nothing to do. Many of us do not see it that way. We have seen all kinds of very interesting things done there and I will be tabling a letter from that guild as they are very concerned about the future of this institution which has been around, Mr. Speaker, for about the same length of time as you have.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Personnel. The Minister should be aware that the high school in Coral Harbour will be proceeding with grade extensions to allow grade 11 students to remain in their home community. This expansion will likely require the addition of two more teachers. Many people in the community have raised concerns regarding the inadequate availability of government staff housing. They are wondering what arrangements are going to be made for housing these new teachers. Frankly, this is a problem which seems to occur every time program expansion or decentralization has been discussed in eastern Arctic communities. It has remained one of the biggest barriers to the establishment of the government infrastructure. Can the Minister of Personnel tell the House what he is planning to do to address the chronic shortage of housing for government employees, especially teachers, during the 1993-94 fiscal year?

Mr. Kakfwi.

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

Like many other honourable Members, I would have no trouble supporting the principle that the GNWT should get out of the business of being a landlord for its staff. However, I cannot see moving quickly toward policy equalization when there are such great inadequacies of availability and condition of housing, which presently exist in our communities. Can the Minister of Personnel explain how his new staff housing strategy is going to deal with the critical shortage of staff housing and the poor conditions of old staff houses which still exist?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Personnel will then be able to write to the community education councils and inform them that the guarantees are available to build such houses and the teachers can be properly housed. The community education councils can then inform the public, especially the business sector, to proceed with the process of loan guarantees to build houses for government staff. Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 5, oral questions. This is your last supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister making a commitment that he will be accepting proposals from the private sector from Coral Harbour, who want to build staff housing for the government?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago I asked the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation about the methods of transportation for housing materials. In one of the Minister's responses, he stated he is in the process of preparing a decision paper for Cabinet to consider barge companies having the opportunity to carry cargo, and whether we can ship materials in the Inuvik region by truck. Can the Minister please advise when he is proposing to deal with this issue in Cabinet?

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will attempt to get this on the Cabinet's agenda prior to the fall session. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Personnel. I am interested in finding out about the manner in which decisions are made for granting education leave. Will the Minister confirm that far fewer GNWT employees were able to take education leave this year in comparison to previous years? Thank you.

Minister of Personnel, Mr. Kakfwi.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I am not in possession of any statistics, this is why I am asking the Minister the question. Will the Minister determine to find out whether fewer employees were granted educational leave this year than previous years? If he does not know, would he take the question as notice? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

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

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to add something to the question Mr. Arvaluk raised. This question is for the Minister of Personnel regarding housing. We are aware that housing, which is used by GNWT staff, was built in the early 1960s. Many aboriginal people have lived in the same units for 20 years. They have been paying for their units. If an employee wants to buy a unit which he or she has lived in for many years, would there be a decrease in the amount of the house? Thank you.

Minister of Personnel.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Transportation. I understand there is a policy which requires this government to ship their freight by Northern Transportation Company Limited barges to any place north of Norman Wells. Can the Minister provide us with a brief explanation of this policy?

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak specific to the policy. I am not aware of it. It is my understanding there is somewhat of a history involved where the GNWT had determined as part of their policy that they would support the NTCL operations. With specifics to Norman Wells, I am not in a position today to answer that question. I will take it as notice.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask some further questions to the Minister of Personnel regarding the matter of staff housing shortages in remote communities such as Coral Harbour. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the government's new staff housing policy will encourage employees in communities such as Coral Harbour to purchase their staff housing units. Mr. Speaker, given that there is, and he has just acknowledged it, a historical shortage of staff housing units in those remote communities, and given that employees who buy these rare staff houses might retire from employment or might sell the house to the private sector, how is the government going to preserve the short supply of staff housing already in place if they are allowing those houses to come out of the pool of scarce houses now available, by allowing employees to buy them and then retire or sell them to the private sector? How is that going to improve the staff housing shortage which my colleagues have just described with their questions? Thank you.

Minister of Personnel.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister may know that it has been extremely difficult for private entrepreneurs and development corporations in the Baffin region to finance staff housing projects with the banks or with other financial institutions, even with the guarantee of long-term government leases. Now the Minister is saying that without that government guarantee of long-term leases, the Minister believes the private sector will step in and finance, take that risk, and build houses to rent directly to tenants. Has the Department of Personnel taken the time to consult with established contractors or native development corporations in the Baffin region to see whether any of those people would be prepared to take the risk of building houses on speculation for direct rental to government employees without the security of a long-term government lease?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can inform the honourable Minister that I have approached established contractors in the Baffin region. I have been told that not only has the government not asked them about this proposition, but if the government did take the trouble to ask them whether they would be interested in this proposition of building houses for staff, they would be seriously questioning taking that kind of risk. Since the Minister speculates that the divisional board of education, the health board and like agencies would be prepared to enter into these long-term arrangements so developers would have the sort of financial security required to invest in staff housing in such a high risk, high cost environment as the eastern Arctic. Has the Minister and the department consulted with the Baffin health board or the Baffin divisional board of education about providing the kind of lease guarantees to the private sector in that region so that housing could be constructed in communities such as Arctic Bay? Have those consultations taken place with those regional boards? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Point of order, Mr. Patterson.

Point Of Order

Mr. Speaker, the honourable Minister's answer is so long that I am in danger of forgetting the question I asked.

---Applause

I wonder if the Minister could answer. He is making a wonderful speech, very eloquent. I wonder if the honourable Minister could be requested to answer the question. Thank you.

In this particular case, I think I was quite lenient with Mr. Patterson, allowing him quite a long preamble to his question and quite lenient to the Minister in allowing him quite a long response. The rules clearly state that both the question and the response should be quite short. I would ask all Members to try to live within the intention of those rules. Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to ask for the same preamble as the Minister's reply because I know other Members may have questions. Mr. Speaker, I think the honourable Minister has said we have not consulted with the private sector, we have not consulted with the regional boards, but we expect that somehow they will put up staff housing units to meet this shortage. I would like to ask the honourable Minister, given that it really takes guarantees to the health and education boards that the government will back them up with long-term financial commitments rather than year to year funding if they are to make long-term lease commitments, would it not be appropriate to take the necessary time to establish regimes with the regional boards so that these commitments and guarantees can be worked out so that in communities such as Coral Harbour and Arctic Bay plans can be undertaken to meet the staff housing shortage before the pressures from the sale of housing to the private sector and from the retirement of employees worsen an already bad situation? Would it not be better to take the time to do the homework so a strategy can be in place to have the private sector build houses before the rug is pulled out from under the boards and teachers in the remote communities? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Government Leader. First of all, I would like to wish her a happy birthday.

---Applause

We will try to make it happy for you. Mr. Speaker, on September 10 of last year, Mr. Todd, when he was on our side of the House, asked the Premier to provide a listing of all employees at the DM and ADM level who over the last five years, had been given early retirement. The Premier indicated she would do so. As a supplementary question, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Todd asked to outline all the financial obligations associated with any special arrangements for these retiring staff. At the time, she did indicate the information would be provided, providing there were no other legal obligations that would prevent her from doing this. However, Mr. Speaker, when I went through Hansard from September onward, I found no information on the public record. In reviewing the records to see if any documents were tabled regarding this requested information, there has been none to date. Will the Government Leader provide this House with a full listing of employees at the DM and ADM level who, over the last five years, have been given early retirement? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the honourable Member is asking for some information. I would like to apologize that the information I promised to bring forward has not been provided. I thought we had done it. However, I will take her question as notice and provide the information. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Personnel. Did I understand correctly, were you saying that some public housing does not even have doorknobs or windows? If that is the case, would that be deducted from the mortgage they would be paying if they decided to purchase the staff house? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Personnel.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Whitford.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The discussions and negotiations were delicate enough to get the organized labour to the table. I am pleased to say we were successful, with the support of the president of the Federation of Labour, in achieving that. It is our intention, between the parties involved, to negotiate an appropriate structure of the board and to ensure equal representation between organized and unionized workers and the mine management. At this time, I am anticipating four and four, three and three, but there has been no decisions made at this time. The current board has one unionized worker for the UNW, one non-unionized worker from Lupin, one mine manager is currently on it and there is another one who has to be appointed. I am hoping to accomplish, by discussing it with the different parties, some kind of compromise that will satisfy all parties and move this Mine Safety Act forward.

Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Mr. Todd.

I made a clear commitment to organized labour that they will have a balance of unionized workers and others on that committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Personnel. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Personnel knows that one of the affirmative action priorities for this government is to increase the number of women working in non-traditional occupations. I am aware there has been some progress made by the previous and current Ministers of Education, Culture and Employment Programs in enhancing women in trades, training and apprenticeship programs. However, I am concerned about the lack of progress we seem to be making as a government in terms of hiring women into all non-traditional occupations whether they are management positions or trades oriented jobs. Can the Minister of Personnel indicate whether his department has evaluated areas where more progress could be made in terms of women working for this government in non-traditional occupations? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes with respect to trying to acquire that information, one of the main factors which prevent women from entering into non-traditional trades or occupations is the attitude of predominantly male senior management within our public service. Will the Minister take the responsibility to determine whether he can have this evaluation done in order to determine the amount of women attempting to enter non-traditional occupational trades programs? Thank you.

Mrs. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I know we work very carefully with the Department of Personnel. The honourable Member is correct in saying that women in trades fall very short of the objectives that have been set in the past. It has been two years since the document "Women in trades - a needs assessment" was completed. The document was developed by women in trades steering committee which included a representative from the Department of Personnel, the Equal Employment Directorate, the Department of Education, the Women's Directorate, Arctic College and the Department of Public Works.

Mr. Speaker, based on the findings and conclusions of the report, nine recommendations have been structured to identify the responsibilities and the specific action required. Mr. Speaker, as Members should know, there is a special advisor to the Government Leader, Bertha Norwegian, who proposes to do a follow-up with the GNWT departments as mentioned to determine what actions have and have not been taken. This responsibility has been given to the government's special advisor on women's issues.

Upon completion of the follow-up, a women and trades steering committee will be struck and one of the main objectives of the committee will be to outline implementation strategies based on the recommendations and, further, to identify what resources and time frames are required for the implementation. Mr. Speaker, this responsibility has been given to the special advisor so we can take an overall governmental approach, rather than a departmental one. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, when does the Government Leader anticipate this work would be complete? Thank you.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the special advisor has begun to undertake the work now and hopefully by the summer it should be complete and we will have an evaluation to give those recommendations some weight within the government. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Government Leader make a commitment to provide to this House the report and findings of the evaluation which she has requested her special advisor complete? Thank you.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is anticipated that the findings of the special advisor would not be another study, but something to put together a time frame on how we can implement those recommendations which have already been put forward. I will provide that report. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I have a simple question for the Minister of Personnel. I am going to try it again. Employees have been offered the chance to buy staff housing in level II and III communities. What will the government do to replace a staff house needed for a teacher, if the employee buys the staff house and retires, or if an employee buys the staff house and sells it to the private sector. In both cases the staff house would no longer be available for other government employees. What will the government do if it loses houses through retirement or sales to the private sector? Thank you.

Minister of Personnel.

The time allotted for oral questions has expired. Item 6, written questions. There is an instruction booklet, Mr. Patterson, on how to read the clock. Item 6, written questions. Item 7, returns to written questions. Item 8, replies to opening address. Item 9, petitions. Item 10, reports of standing and special committees. Item 11, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 12, tabling of documents. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table Tabled Document 77-12(3), Government Services and Public Works contracts negotiated in 1992 and 1993. Thank you.

Item 12, tabling of documents. Item 13, notices of motion. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 15, motions. Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 12, tabling of documents.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table Tabled Document 78-12(3), a letter addressed to the Honourable Don Morin, Minister of Government Services and Public Works from Autumn Downey, the president of the Yellowknife Guild of Crafts which has 150 members. All these artists are not rich people, Mr. Speaker. The letter is in regard to the imminent termination of their lease agreement and request for information and assistance in finding alternative accommodation for the guild.

Item 12, tabling of documents. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have three documents. Tabled document 79-12(3) is a letter which I wrote to the Honourable Kim Campbell regarding my disappointment and dissatisfaction with the actions of the Government of Canada in the renewing of the international arrangements of the cruise missile testing.

Tabled Document 80-12(3), is a letter from the Deh Cho Tribal Council to Honourable Kim Campbell.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Do you have another document, Mr. Antoine?

Yes. Tabled document 81-12(3), are some letters written from children in kindergarten to grade three from Nahanni Butte. They did them by themselves on the computers and there are some typos. I will read a few. One says, "Dear Jim, can you make the water better to drink to make juice? Can you make a well for us? Our water is not good because it is yellow and it stinks." This is from Dean Betsaka. I have a number of letters like this which I would like to table. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 12, tabling of documents. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table Tabled Document 82-12(3), dated February 19, on the front page of Press Independent, a headline "Sexual Assault of Inmates in Hay River Youth Centre." Thank you.

Item 12, tabling of documents. That concludes tabling of documents. We will go back to item 15, motions. Motion 18-12(3). Mr. Koe.

Mahsi.

WHEREAS the federal government has recently announced a ten per cent reduction in grants and contributions programs;

AND WHEREAS the federal government has informed the Government of the Northwest Territories that they intend to apply the ten per cent reduction to the Canada-Northwest Territories agreement for French and aboriginal languages;

AND WHEREAS this would mean a reduction of about one million dollars next year in contributions to language services and programs in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the three year agreement which was entered into in good faith with the federal government is now being unilaterally eroded;

AND WHEREAS the proposed cuts will have an immediate negative impact on both aboriginal languages programs and the provision of French language services in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the procedure used to advise the Government of the Northwest Territories of the cuts demonstrates a certain disregard for the terms and spirit of the agreement;

AND WHEREAS the proposed cuts will mean a delay in initiating approved projects funded under the agreement;

AND WHEREAS the action of the Government of Canada shows little regard for the official languages of the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories as confided by the Official Languages Act;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Aivilik, that this Legislative Assembly strongly disapprove of the unilateral actions of the Government of Canada in cutting contributions under the Canada-NWT cooperation agreement for French and aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories;

Hear, hear.

AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly supports the efforts of the Premier and the Government of the Northwest Territories in reinstating the full level of funding committed under the Canada-Northwest Territories agreement;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Speaker convey this resolution to the Government of Canada. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Koe. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Koe.

I would like to speak to this motion. My concerns are fairly self-explanatory and have been stated many times and by many Members in many different ways in this House.

(Translation) We are all aware of the uniqueness of the Northwest Territories with respect to its official languages. We are also aware of the importance of promoting and protecting our language and heritage. Federal funding in support of these official languages is critical. (Translation ends)

We recognize the importance of the official status given to aboriginal languages of the Northwest Territories. We know we have a special obligation to preserve them. The federal government also has a legal responsibility and constitutional obligation to protect aboriginal rights of which aboriginal languages are fundamental.

Aboriginal languages are endangered. If these languages disappear there is nowhere else in the world where our youth will be able to learn the language again. The only place to preserve our aboriginal languages is here and now. We need support in this endeavour.

---Applause

We, in the north, have also been committed to upholding the official status of the French language. We recognize the importance of a united Canada and have consistently demonstrated this commitment in the provision of French language programs and services. We require the continued support of the federal government in our efforts to respect and uphold the official language provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is a critical time in Canada's history. We are facing some very difficult issues with respect to unity. It is the wrong time to reduce support to the country's official languages.

I am deeply disturbed by the recent announcement regarding the ten per cent reduction to language funding from the federal government. I am troubled by a number of aspects of this situation. The federal government's method of determining the amount of the cuts seems arbitrary. The manner in which the federal government chose to inform the Northwest Territories of its decision disregards the good faith in which we entered into the agreement. The timing of the announcement makes it very difficult for us to make adjustments to our programs and services. This may create an unnecessary delay in approving the government's 1993-94 budget. The reductions will have a far reaching impact on the language and cultural programs and services of the Government of the Northwest Territories. An enormous additional effort will be required to rework allocations and proposals to the various departments to support their programs.

(Translation) I can appreciate the federal government's need to make tough economic decisions but I do not agree with the method used in this case. While across the board reductions may be the easiest way to reduce expenditures, it is seldom the most effective approach. (Translation ends)

If the federal government chooses to deal with their own expenditure reductions in this arbitrary fashion, that is fine. To simply pass it on is unacceptable. The manner in which the federal government chose to inform this government of its decision shows a total disregard for the spirit and intent of the funding agreement. The Government of the Northwest Territories entered into this agreement in good faith. We were counting on the federal government to uphold its end of the bargain. We believed that in signing this agreement the federal government demonstrated an understanding of our needs and our unique situation. We were obviously wrong.

It may well have been possible to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution, however the federal government has chosen to act unilaterally. I cannot understand this conduct.

The timing of the announcement will cause a significant delay in initiating approved or proposed projects. The agreed to contributions under this agreement are distributed across the entire government and territories.

It is obvious that a great deal of hard work was devoted to allocating these resources. If the federal government is not persuaded to reverse its decision, all of this work will have to be reworked.

A ten per cent reduction means approximately $1 million dollars which is a very significant amount of funding. If the federal government fails to reconsider this decision, many people in the Northwest Territories will suffer the consequences.

The programs developed with the Canada-Northwest Territories agreement funding are wide-ranging. Successful achievements can be found in school, community, linguistic, cultural and media-oriented programs. The funding provided under this agreement supports a wide range of diverse projects.

For instance, these funds have supported the delivery of translation and interpretation services. We depend on these services each and every day we sit in this Assembly. All departments rely on them in order to communicate with people in smaller communities across the territories.

These funds support communities in their efforts to maintain and revitalize aboriginal languages. Support has been provided through this agreement to aboriginal language programming on radio and television.

Programs have been developed to provide training for health interpreters and court interpreters.

Museum and heritage education programs have been developed and delivered to a wide range of citizens in the territories.

(Translation) Literacy awareness campaigns have been created to carry important messages to our youth. Our citizens have received public services in their own native languages. (Translation ends)

These programs and services are essential to the well-being of the citizens of the north. They are now being jeopardized.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has used federal contributions under this agreement wisely. An evaluation report, produced in 1991, concluded that, "The Government of the Northwest Territories acted judiciously in producing and implementing language training programs and in providing translation and interpretation services in the aboriginal languages during the period of this agreement."

The evaluation report says the funding provided under this agreement contributed to the launching of a board policy and program process pertaining to aboriginal languages.

We have laid the foundation and we need to keep building. The foundation provides a basis upon which to build a territorial linguistic future. A future where English, French and aboriginal languages have equal usefulness and respect.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is in a position to save and strengthen our languages which are still strong. We are still in a position to revitalize those languages which are in danger. In order to be successful in accomplishing this, we need to keep our original objectives in sight, have sufficient funding and have the resources to try innovative solutions.

The authors of the evaluation report go on to say that in 20 years many of these languages could disappear. We cannot allow this to happen. Aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories are still viable, however they are at risk. Experience with other indigenous languages around the world warns us we are at a critical point. The alternatives are clear, act now or lose our languages.

I encourage Members of this House to join me in supporting the Premier and the Government of the Northwest Territories in their efforts to reverse the proposed federal government cuts. I urge you to support this motion today. Mahsi cho.

---Applause