Thank you. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 14 has had second reading. Item 19, second reading of bills. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon. Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Baffin Central, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the second time.

Madam Speaker, this act amends the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to substitute "Premier" for the term "Government Leader." The same change is made by consequential amendment to the Department of Justice Act and the Public Service Act. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. To the principle of the bill.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 15 has had second reading. Bills 13, 14 and 15 have all had second reading, and, accordingly, the bills stand referred to a committee. Item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 14-12(6), "Open for Business" - Privatizing the Northwest Territories Power Corporation; Tabled Document 23-12(6), Report of the 1993-94 Electoral District Boundaries Commission Northwest Territories; Minister's Statement 11-12(6), Return to Session; Committee Report 6-12(6), Report on the Review of Bill 3 - Guardianship and Trusteeship Act; Committee Report 9-12(6), Investing In Our Future, October 1994; Committee Report 10-12(6), Report on the Review of the 1995-96 Capital Estimates; Committee Report 11-12(6), Report on the First Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner of the NWT; Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1995-96; Bill 2, Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act; Bill 3, Guardianship and Trusteeship Act; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act; Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act, with Mr. Ningark in the chair. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. Merci. Yesterday when we concluded we were dealing with Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Arctic College Act. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Does the committee concur with the recommendation by Mr. Dent to deal with Committee Report 9-12(6), Committee Report 10-12(6) and Bill 1? Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. We are dealing with Committee Report 9-12(6), Investing In Our Future, October 1994. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Finance report, Committee Report 9-12(6), Investing in our Future, was read into the record. If there are any comments on that, we should deal with that. If not, there are five motions that I would like to deal with within this committee report.

Any general comments on the report? Mr. Gargan.

General Comments

Yes. I'm just looking for the report itself, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Gargan, if you find the report you will have the floor. Mr. Gargan, if you can't find a copy, we could provide you with a copy. Mr. Gargan.

Just one question, Mr. Chairman, with regard to the report on page 16, fire suppression. It's with regard to the more efficient and effective way of dealing with fire suppression in the north. I don't know if the Minister has any cause, but I would like to ask whether under this, has there been any response on this one? I'm interested in finding out where most of the expenditures took place. Fire suppression is one area that requires human resources, but most of the expenditure this summer wasn't as a result of fire suppression, it was a result of aircraft being used for these fires and people fighting during ordinary working hours, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Fires don't know the time, but that is when most of the fire operations occurred.

Thank you. The chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance or any Member of the Finance committee can reply. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Fire suppression is a big concern to the Standing Committee on Finance. Looking at the current year's expenditures of $25 million over the budgeted amount, it is quite a large amount. Perhaps it is what it cost to fight the fires because of the type of season we had. However, we have to find more efficient and effective ways of dealing with fire suppression in the north. By fire suppression, I take it that it includes firefighting, equipment and all the resources required to fight fires, including aircraft.

We have been told that the chairman of the Financial Management Board has asked the Minister responsible to develop a plan. That is what we're waiting for. What we are suggesting to the Minister in this report is that the department has to address a number of issues. We listed some of them in our report. We are aware that it is a problem.

We are aware that the government is developing a plan to address this problem and we are suggesting to them that included in looking at the problem and developing a plan, it is important to look at methods used to fight fires, the effectiveness of how they make decisions, the type of resources that are consumed and the involvement of the communities in planning and decision-making. These are the points we have raised, as well as the concern about how much of the expenditure stays in the north. We are all concerned about that.

Just to finish off, Mr. Chairman, the committee is very concerned about this and it is in the hands of the government to deal with it. Thank you.

Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Chairman, one of the concerns I have right now is even after the fire season is over -- or at least that is what the government says, they don't fight fires any more -- they allow the fires to burn until it gets cold and they burn themselves out. There have been concerns expressed by people who depend on caribou and other animals about the amount of fires. They have cause for concern about the migration of caribou too, the migration path.

The other concern is about whether these fires, because they are not fought, put the aboriginal people in the bad position of viewing the land as a burnt area that is no longer useful to them. I think that is not the case. I think even though the areas are burned, I think the government should develop a way to allow the burned out areas to reforest, through reforestation and planning. I don't think we should allow what is happening in the west, with the amount of fires that have occurred. It is being talked about. People and the media are concerned about the animals.

I haven't heard anything, absolutely nothing, from this government on their feelings about the amount of fires there were this summer, and whether consultations that are required will be taking place. I would like to ask the Minister of Renewable Resources if, in fact, we should be looking at addressing what happened this summer to avoid the same thing happening next summer.

Thank you. Any further general comments on the report, Committee Report 9-12(6)? Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Mr. Chairman, to answer the question the Member has asked about forest fires this past summer. Forest fires are an element of a cycle which the government is, at this point, studying in a number of areas. Forest fires are one of a number of environmental consequences of a dry season which occurs over perhaps a ten year cycle. This appears to be what we are facing at this point. At this point, not enough research has been done to say for certain that this is the case.

However, the Department of Renewable Resources usually comes out with a report on the previous summer's firefighting progress. I'm hoping that that report will be completed sometime in the new calendar year. I remain committed, as the Minister of Renewable Resources, to having consultations with each community. Department staff are going to be in each of the communities to discuss the forest fires.

The suggestions that are being made by Members, the public at large, fire crews, and the people in our department who specialize in firefighting are being looked at. We are trying to take a holistic look at forest fire management and how we, as a government, can reduce the amount of dollars that were spent on forest fires this past summer. Based on these meetings, the department will develop options for reducing the costs of managing forest fires and looking at alternatives for creating employment through such options. At this point, I'm not able to say for certain exactly where the funds were spent this past summer. I'm hoping that in the new year, we'll have numbers that are certain as to how and where these funds were spent.

The suggestion of the Members has been made by other parties when they make representation to the department regarding forest fires. I'm hoping that, as a department, we will be able to get to each and very person or group who has concerns about forest fires. I believe we should be consulting, especially with the elders, who have been around before the towns, communities and villages were formed, to give us an indication whether the cycle or point we're in at this present stage is something that has been occurring over the past number of decades. With that, I hope we will be able to get a full idea or a full picture and a very good general idea from the people in the Northwest Territories about how we should be fighting forest fires and how we should be reducing costs in forest fires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I should have provided a clearer direction earlier. In committee of the whole, when they review the committee's report, any Minister of this government is not compelled to answer questions. The appropriate time would be during question period. General comments. Mr. Gargan.