Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to announce that a demonstration of new trapping technology is available for honourable Members and the public to view in the foyer of the Legislative Assembly.

A number of respected trappers are available to discuss the new systems and answer questions. In the Northwest Territories we are committed to doing all we can to ensure trappers have the tools to continue this life-style. The display will be available today, March 9, and tomorrow March 10. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, ten years ago today, Mr. David Hamilton was appointed Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

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Mr. Speaker, since that time he has served with dedication, skill and efficiency, and a good sense of humour. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank Mr. Hamilton for his many contributions to this Legislature. Thank you.

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Thank you, Madam Premier. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment Programs was created on August 4, 1992. The 1992 report, Reshaping Northern Government, outlined plans for the consolidation of culture, schools, advanced education and related programs, in order to provide new opportunities for better delivery of programs and services.

To make the most of these opportunities, and to better integrate operations, the new department has started work on a strategic plan which will shape the direction of the department for the next ten to 15 years.

The plan will improve coherence among all activities of the department, and ensure there are better links between resources and priorities, specifically between programs and employment opportunities. The goals of the plan include improving the quality of programs and services, improving access for the public, enhancing the return on our investment and improving the department's accountability.

Consultation is an integral part of the planning process. Everyone who is involved in the planning and delivery of departmental programs and services, and everyone who is served by them, has a role to play in the strategic planning process. Consultation will include: the boards and agencies who deliver programs and services; advisory boards; students; parents; key interest groups, including aboriginal organizations and community governments; Members of the Legislative Assembly, and their staff; and, the general public. Preliminary public consultation will begin in the next few weeks. I expect to be able to review a draft plan with the Assembly in the fall of this year, with the final report prepared for March, 1994.

Mr. Speaker, the future holds many challenges, but it also holds many opportunities. Through the strategic plan, I am determined that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment Programs will reshape and develop programs for delivery in communities to enable the people of the Northwest Territories to meet those challenges.

Further, Mr. Speaker, I am committed to directly consulting and involving the Members, boards and your constituents in the development of a vision and plan for education and training, which respects the cultures and languages of the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, decentralizing Arctic College into two separate college systems was one of the directions which followed from the report, Reshaping Northern Government. Today, I would like to bring the Members of the Legislative Assembly up-to-date on the college's decentralization plans.

The college is planning to establish one college system in Nunavut, with a head office located in Iqaluit, and another in the western Arctic, with its head office in Fort Smith. Decentralization should be complete by June, 1994.

The structure of the two new colleges will be streamlined. In Nunavut, the college will serve the Kitikmeot, Keewatin and Baffin regions. In the western Arctic, the college will include the Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife regions. Each college will be incorporated and directed by a board of governors.

Decentralization will not jeopardize the college's ability to deliver a high level of programming to its students. The board of governors has directed the college president to develop and monitor decentralization and its impact on programs. This plan will include a model for the two college systems, legislative changes, a description of their boards and their relationship to government, and the possibility of future agreements between the two institutions. Although there will be two separate colleges with their own programs, I will ensure links be established between them to help them run their programs efficiently.

The college's decentralization plan will be aligned with the strategic plan for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment Programs. The department's reorganization will also recognize the need to provide support for college-related programs.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the dean of this House...

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Mr. Speaker and honourable colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to extend on behalf of all Members our thanks and congratulations to Mr. David Hamilton on his tenth anniversary...

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...as the Clerk of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

On March 9, 1983, our former colleagues in this House voted on a motion to appoint Mr. Hamilton as the Clerk of this Legislative Assembly. The motion was carried unanimously. If a similar vote was held today, I am sure the result would be the same.

Hear, hear.

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Mr. Speaker, as we all know, our consensus form of government presents many unique and varied challenges, and Mr. Hamilton's dedication, work ethic, common sense approach and sense of humour have helped to guide us through the good times and the bad. For this, I am sure we are all very thankful.

In addition to his duties as Clerk of the House, Mr. Hamilton has also served on the following organizations in an exemplary fashion: Elections Canada, as the chief electoral officer for the NWT; the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association; and, the Canadian Association of Clerks-at-the-Table.

Mr. Hamilton, I hope your next ten years are just as productive. Not bad for a wee lad from bonny Scotland. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

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

Mr. Speaker, I certainly do not have the same tenure as my honourable colleague on my right, but I have had the pleasure of being in this Assembly since Mr. Hamilton's appointment and I too want to rise to pay tribute to him on this important anniversary.

He has a very difficult job, Mr. Speaker, especially in a consensus government where sometimes the Clerk performs miracles to keep the system working. David Hamilton, as we all know, for those of us who have worked in this House, is a fixer. He can tell you how to do something, never why you cannot do it. He is a superb organizer. Anyone who has been involved in elections in the Northwest Territories, and plebiscites, knows what vagaries of human foibles can cause the works to be off-track. The fact that David has managed to steer us through a number of votes, plebiscites and elections which have occurred in this vast territory over that period of time, while carrying on his job as the Clerk, is a tribute to his organizational abilities and his human skills.

I want to say, as a Member, that we do have our ups and downs, our difficulties, and David treats us all with respect and affection. He lets us talk to him and unwind, and sometimes complain. I want to express my gratitude to him for that and for his ever present humour. This is essential to survival in politics and in this Assembly.

I would like to join my colleagues and our Government Leader in thanking David for his time and wishing him an equally long tenure over the next decade. Qujannamiik.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very concerned about the current state of the business community in Fort Simpson, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of businesses in distress. The unemployment rate is approximately 36 per cent and it will be higher if these business fail. Unfortunately, the problem is larger than just failed businesses. It affects the morale and the self-confidence of the entire community. It tends to destroy relationships among community members.

I believe a large part of the problem stems from the policy and practices of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. In dealing with business ventures in the communities, once an initial investment has been made, there is inadequate follow through. The goal of the department in this area is to stimulate economic development through investment in business enterprises. Providing investment and capital alone is not enough. The supply of capital funds needs to be accompanied by the provision of business management support services. In fact, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism identified, in the 1993-94 Main Estimates, the departmental goal to provide more effective business management assistance to new and existing businesses. I will be watching to see if this goal is reached in my communities.

Many entrepreneurs in the communities require support, not only in starting their businesses, but in building them. Often they have highly developed skills in the technical parts of their business, but require assistance in developing business management skills.

The government needs to go beyond investing money, Mr. Speaker. If the Department of Economic Development and Tourism is going to be truly successful in moving communities towards self-sufficiency, it must follow through with its capital investments. The benefits would be many, the communities would be healthier and the return on government investment would be greater. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Fred Koe on the status of the teacher education program in the Beaufort/Delta region.

The GNWT has submitted its 1993-94 proposed budgets on February 10, 1993, under the Canada-NWT cooperation agreement for French and aboriginal languages in the NWT to the Secretary of State of Canada. The community teacher education proposal for the Beaufort/Delta was one of the aboriginal language development projects submitted in the GNWT proposal.

This process may be delayed and funding levels reduced due to the ten per cent cuts proposed by the federal government which were mentioned in my statement of February 24, 1993. All attempts will be made to ensure that funding is secured prior to the end of the current fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Cournoyea. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question, asked by Mr. Pudlat, regarding environmental assessment of the great whale project.

The Department of Renewable Resources has been regularly consulting with community organizations and assisting them in participating in the environmental assessment of the proposed great whale hydroelectric project since it became an issue in 1990.

Throughout 1990 and 1991, the Department of Renewable Resources provided technical advice and helped the Sanikiluaq environmental committee prepare for the public scoping sessions which mark the first stage of the environmental assessment process.

In March, 1992, the territorial government made a presentation at the Sanikiluaq public scoping session. The presentation was developed in close consultation with the Keewatin regional health board and the Sanikiluaq environmental committee.

After the completion of the public scoping sessions a new northern organization was formed, the Nunavut environmental coalition, representing several groups in the Keewatin region. Government officials recently met with the Sanikiluaq environmental committee and Nunavut environmental coalition to begin planning for the next stage of the environmental assessment process.

We will continue to work closely with the two community groups through the remaining stages of the environmental assessment process. Our goal is to ensure the review of the proposed great whale hydroelectric project provides a complete assessment of the potential environmental health and socio-economic impacts to communities in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize, in the gallery, Mr. John Matthews, and with him are 12 students from the management studies class of Nunatta campus, Arctic College.

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This is their fifth annual visit to our Legislative Assembly. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

My question is to the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. The Minister knows I am very concerned about the current state of the business community in Fort Simpson. A number of businesses are in distress and there has been a real slow down in the number of new ventures. We have identified a need in Fort Simpson for provisions of business management support service. After making an initial investment in support of new business ventures, the department has not been following through. There is a gap in service delivery. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism has identified, in the 1993-94 Main Estimates, a departmental goal to provide more effective business management assistance in new and existing businesses. Will the Minister tell the Members of this Assembly how his department plans to provide more effective business management assistance to businesses? Mahsi.

Mr. Pollard.