Good afternoon. Item 2, Minsters' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am pleased to inform the House that we have been successful in accessing federal government funding for a two-year search and rescue training program.

The National Search and Rescue Secretariat's new initiatives program will provide $165,500 in the current fiscal year and $189,000 in 1995-96 for training in ground and marine search and rescue and search management. (Translation ends)

Access to this program is generally restricted to federal government departments and our success in working with the RCMP "G" division proves our two governments can work cooperatively and collaboratively. I wish to recognize and offer appreciation to the RCMP for working on the training program with the department and sponsoring the program for funding.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Minister of Justice for his department's support in this endeavour. The success we have had in establishing this training initiative can be attributed to our interdepartmental cooperation and the community involvement ensured throughout the process.

The training provided under this program will be available to RCMP members as well as community search volunteers. Search management training for search coordinators will position us to mount well-organized, effective searches whenever a missing persons situation arises.

The department will work closely with the RCMP in planning and offering training opportunities under this initiative and community volunteers will be encouraged to take advantage of the events in their regions. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Member's statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I rise with a heavy heart to make this statement. Yesterday, a spokesperson for the Arctic Winter Games bid committee announced from Whitehorse that the city of Yellowknife will be awarded the 1998 Arctic Winter Games.

Apparently, there was supposed to be a bid process where the communities which were interested in hosting the Arctic Winter Games would prepare a bid, which would be properly evaluated and the best proposal would be accepted. To me, this is a fair process. However, I must contest and state that the whole bid process for selecting a location for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games was not fair. Apparently, the bid which was submitted by the bid committee in Inuvik, was not given a fair evaluation. I am led to believe that the decision to award the games to Yellowknife was already made before the process began.

Madam Speaker, if this was the case, then why didn't the international committee members make this known before proceeding with their charade? Madam Speaker, this government, the town of Inuvik, and the Delta-Beaufort communities were led down the garden path. I know that many of the Members of the Inuvik Arctic Winter Game bid committee now feel betrayed. I think that the international committee should have had the courage to define the minimum requirements and scope required to host the games before requesting bids. If the size of Inuvik was questionable, that should have been indicated at the outset of the process, before letting the people of the region think they had a chance in this bid.

The town of Inuvik prepared an excellent bid package and rolled out the red carpet when members of the international committee came to visit and investigate the town, look at the facilities, meet with the host committee and enjoy the hospitality shown by all residents of Inuvik and the region.

Madam Speaker, I request unanimous consent to continue with my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, my honourable colleagues and Madam Speaker. I have to admit that the town of Inuvik did a bang-up

job and I want to congratulate all the people on the bid committee, all the volunteers, all the residents of Inuvik, all the leaders and residents of the Delta and Beaufort communities, all the businesses and the Government of the Northwest Territories for their support.

Madam Speaker, if the intentions of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee were known before hand, then the Delta and Beaufort communities would probably have not put out the effort which they did. They probably would have done the same amount of work that the city of Yellowknife did to secure this bid. From the information which I have, approximately $70,000 cash and in-kind contributions were expended in preparing Inuvik's bid.

I would like to say that the direction and support which prompted the town of Inuvik to submit a bid came from all the communities in the region. It was several years ago that a motion was passed by the leaders of the Beaufort and Delta communities to prepare to host the 1998 Arctic Winter Games.

Madam Speaker, one had to experience the enthusiasm and support shown by the people of the Beaufort and Delta communities when they hosted the Arctic Winter Games International Committee during the bid days: the young children who sang and danced and paraded; all the school children and teachers; the elders who sang and danced; the Arctic sports athletes who demonstrated their skills; the cooks who prepared the feast; the residents of the long-term care ward of the Inuvik General Hospital; and, just about everyone in Inuvik showed their support. They all made us proud.

Madam Speaker, this government must take a very serious look at what happened during this whole process and, more importantly, must take a long, hard look at the future of the Arctic Winter Games. Not awarding these games to Inuvik means that no small or medium-sized community can ever hope to host future games.

Incidentally, if Inuvik was chosen as a site for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games, this would have been the first time that the games would have been held north of 60.

By the way, I wish to congratulate Yellowknife. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this morning I heard the announcement of Yellowknife as the site for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games. While I'm sure the city of Yellowknife will do a fine job of hosting the games, the selection of Yellowknife over Inuvik disturbed me.

Madam Speaker, no one can deny the tremendous effort put forth by the people of Inuvik in trying to prepare a viable bid for the games. They lobbied long and hard, showing great community enthusiasm. They came up with an innovative approach of a split week format which would allow the community to host, even though it doesn't have as many facilities as a larger centre. I'm sure there were many reasons for the decision, but it seems to demonstrate that only the largest northern communities can hold the games.

As I look down the road to Nunavut, this causes me concern. The people of Nunavut have always been proud participants in the games and we would want to take our turn hosting this event. However, the largest community in Nunavut is similar in size to Inuvik. If Inuvik couldn't host the games, is there any hope that Nunavut will be able to some day?

Madam Speaker, I would urge the government, through the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, to pursue this decision with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. If indeed community size was a major factor in Inuvik not being chosen, I would ask that the international committee review its policies and consider options which would allow smaller communities to host the games.

As Inuvik showed us, these communities are interested and excited about the chance to host the games; let us make sure they have that chance. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Today I rise to offer my thanks on behalf of my constituents on the Department of Transportation's work on the road into Jean Marie River over the past summer construction season. Madam Speaker, only the foreman and the heavy duty mechanic were from outside the community of Jean Marie River. All the rest of the people working on the project were residents of Jean Marie River.

Madam Speaker, the training of the heavy equipment operators involved in this project is being done by a couple of residents of this community. So as you see, Madam Speaker, this construction is not only providing economic opportunities for the residents of this community -- Jean Marie River -- it's also providing training with many results of employment on other projects in the area.

Seven kilometres of the 27 kilometres needed to connect Jean Marie River to the NWT highway systems were completed this past summer. Under the Department of Transportation's community access road program, the highway will be upgraded to a fair weather road over the course of the next four years.

I would like again to thank the Department of Transportation for its commitment to the community of Jean Marie River, and congratulations to the residents of Jean Marie in being involved in the construction, and for their hard work and dedication. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to express the concerns of the residents of Sanikiluaq. I have expressed this concern before. They had requested funding for a community hall. The present community hall is quite small and it was built in 1973, so it's pretty old now. It's getting too small for their population. The population of Sanikiluaq is around 500 now.

Madam Speaker, they have made an application for funding to the government and they have already made a commitment in the community to put aside funding for a community hall, and they would like to have this priority set for capital funding.

They are requesting funding on behalf of Sanikiluaq to get funding for a community hall. They had gotten an arena; now we're requesting that a funding priority is set for a community hall for Sanikiluaq. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin South. Or, Yellowknife South, I'm sorry, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, just about 30 years ago, the forerunner to today's Dene Nation, the Indian Brotherhood, was formed. The brotherhood was created to negotiate with the federal government the issue of land ownership and native self-government. Over the course of the next few years, position papers were developed, and in the early 1970s, a formal position paper was presented to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs; at that time, the Honourable Warren Allmand. Mr. Allmand agreed with most of the positions that the Dene Nation had taken, especially with regard to native self-government consideration. Mr. Allmand was switched to another portfolio in the next Cabinet shuffle, and the Dene Nation had to start all over again.

The process continued through the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, until finally the Dene Nation had signed an agreement with the federal government in April of 1990.

Madam Speaker, during the ratification vote held in Dettah during the Dene National Assembly in July of 1990, the Deh Cho delegates felt they had no option but to reject the proposed final agreement. The major reasons, Madam Speaker, that the Deh Cho delegates rejected the proposed agreement was the federal government's insistence to tie the final agreement to the extinguishment of treaties and aboriginal rights previously negotiated.

Madam Speaker, the elders and leaders from the Deh Cho felt that the right to self-government was not something that could be left at the table. It is the basis for the goals and aspirations of the Dene in the Deh Cho region. Naturally, Madam Speaker, this left the doors open for each of the regions in the western territories to negotiate their own separate, comprehensive land claim agreements; something that nobody objected to.

The political reality of 1990 meant that there was no hope of the Conservative government changing its position on the extinguishment of treaty rights as a precondition of negotiating land claim settlements. It was decided, Madam Speaker, to await the results of the next federal election before the Deh Cho entered into a land selection process. It must be remembered, Madam Speaker, that self-government is not up for negotiation, as it is already a right under Treaty 11 and has been recognized by the federal government by virtue of the negotiated agreements...

Mr. Gargan, your time has lapsed. Mr. Gargan.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue with his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, honourable Members. Treaties were agreements between two sovereign nations. Madam Speaker, yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the Liberals taking over the governing of Canada. The platform of the Liberals, as outlined in the red book, recognizes natives' inherent right to self-government. I can only hope that, when the Minister comes north to speak to this Assembly, he has positive news for the people of Deh Cho with regard to their right to self-government. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is in response to Mr. Ng's question on October 20, 1994 about the status of revisions to the GNWT long-term staff housing strategy. It appears that my use of the word "review" during the last session has created some misunderstanding. When I indicated on February 15th that I would like to get the input of each MLA as part of the review, I was referring to a review of the staff housing situation in each community. I did not intend that I would be reviewing the whole strategy.

As I previously indicated in letter to each MLA, once the current round of sales is complete, we need to determine if there are any surplus housing units in any community. If there are any surplus units, then I plan to meet with individual MLAs to discuss various options by which we can dispose of them.

I have also considered the special needs of some employees who were unable to take advantage of the current sales program because of circumstances beyond their control. With advice and input from individual MLAs, I reviewed each of these circumstances and, where appropriate, recommended to Cabinet that exceptions to the sales criteria be approved.

Madam Speaker, while I have no plans to sponsor any revisions to the strategy, I am willing to review concerns over the implementation and impact of the strategy. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, since the Arctic Winter Games began in 1970, their main objective was to involve as many athletes as possible in the games and in the trials leading to the selection of the Arctic Winter Games team. Most of this competition was in the spirit of friendliness, especially for those athletes who weren't considered elite athletes, who we feel are better able to find competitive opportunities in the south.

Given the department's close affiliation and support of Arctic Winter Games, I would like to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to advise me if this is still the philosophy behind the Arctic Winter Games.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am informed that is still the philosophy of the Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Does the Government of the Northwest Territories have any influence over the direction and current philosophy of the Arctic Winter Games?

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is the responsibility of the board of directors of the Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. It is my understanding that this government contributes financially towards the Arctic Winter Games. I would like to ask the Minister, how much money does the Government of the Northwest Territories contribute towards the Arctic Winter Games.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Madam Speaker, in 1994, for the Arctic Winter Games in Slave Lake, GNWT grants over two years were $497,000. The balance of the $1,249,683 expenditures for the 1994 games came from lottery revenues, which were $717,000, and registration fees and donations totalling $185,684. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. This government also spends money, through Sport North, I believe, on Arctic Winter Games trials. These are trials held in each region to select athletes for the final selection process. How much money does this government contribute to the Arctic Winter Games trials?

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For the 1994 budget for regional trials, the available dollars were $273,000 and the actuals in 1994 were $274,073. For territorial trials, the financing was $222,208; commercial, $42,613; charters, $336,113; and, accommodation, $26,568. For the games positioning and charters, $66,040 and $122,405 were spent. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs with regard to Arctic Winter Games. Support can be provided to international games through dollars, however, it can also come in the form of in-kind support, such as staff, facilities and equipment besides actual dollars. I would like to ask the Minister, in what other ways does the Government of the Northwest Territories support the Arctic Winter Games International Committee? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The in-kind services include providing office space and volunteer workers. I cannot list all of them, but I know that the in-kind services that were provided were $500,000 in 1990. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister indicated that she cannot list all the in-kind services. I would like to ask if she could provide that in-kind service information to the House, so we all know what type of services we provide. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would be more than happy to provide the information the Member is asking for.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in relation to the Arctic Winter Games process. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee has representatives from Alaska, Alberta, Greenland, the Yukon and the NWT. I would like to the Minister how the representatives from the Northwest Territories are chosen to sit on this committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe this government appoints the representatives on the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, what are the terms of the appointments for these members who are appointed by our government. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't have the terms of reference with me, but I will provide this House with the information. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would also like to ask the Minister, for these representatives, is she going to outline to us what relationship they have with the government in representing us on this committee.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Madam Speaker, the one representative does not have a relationship with this government and the other is an employee of the Department of MACA.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, of our representatives on the Arctic Winter Games International Committee, did they participate in the decision for the awarding of the 1998 Arctic Winter Games.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am informed by my department that the decision for them not to participate in the process for reviewing the bid to host the Arctic Winter Games for 1998 was made in Slave Lake last winter. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. The question I have is to the Minister of MACA. As we all are aware, Yellowknife was the successful bidder for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games. There is always speculation regarding why one community was chosen over another. Is the Minister aware of the reasons Yellowknife was selected over Inuvik?

Minister of MACA, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am sorry, I cannot respond to the question as yet because our representatives from the NWT for the Arctic Winter Games were not involved in the selection of the place for the Arctic Winter Games for 1998.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. She will probably find out that in the NWT, Inuvik is one of our largest centres. Although Inuvik is a lot smaller than the biggest community, they made their bid to the committee. Does the Minister support innovative approaches which will allow smaller communities to successfully bid for the Arctic Winter Games in the future?

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Member's concern is a concern of mine as well. The Arctic Winter Games committee that selected the community is not appropriate for me as well. They did not represent the wishes of the GNWT. We had already wanted to select Inuvik for the 1998 Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for the response she has made. What specific action will the Minister take to ensure that flexibility is built into the selection process allowing smaller communities to successfully bid on the games?

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is also a concern of mine. The Arctic Winter Games committee's decisions, in selecting the place, was not appropriate for me, but I would like Alberta, Yukon, NWT and Greenland Ministers to meet with me in this regard. It is not just my concern, but it is a concern of the NWT government as well. After meeting with those Ministers, if the concerns I raise are not met or we cannot come to an agreement on this matter, the direction of the games will have to be looked at. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Madam Speaker, qujannamiik. (Translation) When will you be getting in touch with the other Ministers?

How soon will you be meeting with the other Ministers? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister from the Yukon has been notified by telephone about my concern; the Honourable Bill Brewster. But apparently he was in the Baffin region at the time, and I spoke with the acting Minister, the Honourable Doug Phillips. I have talked to him about my concern with regard to the committee's selection.

I tried to contact the Alberta Minister yesterday but he was apparently at a meeting and he hasn't returned my call. I will try to get in touch with the other Minister and I would like to meet with them as soon as I can. But I will have to talk with the Alaskan and the Greenland Ministers as well. I am hoping I will meet with them on this matter over the coming winter months. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In some cases, it's hard to determine what the extra cost is on the business incentive policy because they are all northerners who have bid. The policy, when originally developed, was to encourage people to open offices in the Northwest Territories and to develop business in the Northwest Territories and to achieve the majority of that quite rapidly. Right now, the majority of our contracts do go to northerners and it is because the business incentive policy is in place. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Minister of Public Works, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. When there was no business incentive policy in place, the majority of the work, I believe, was going to southern contractors. We keep track of who gets the work, and the percentage of work now going to northern contracts is up in the 90 some per cent range. So that clearly indicates that the policy has worked to encourage a contract to go to a northerner. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Minister of Public Works, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. If the Member chooses to ask a written question, I'll respond to it in the time frame allotted by the rules. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier. I would like to ask, is the department considering amendments to the social assistance rates in the near future, because the last time these rates were looked at was over one year ago. Thank you.

Minister of Social Services, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, at the present time, no.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to ask then, recognizing that food costs have gone up in the communities -- they certainly haven't been lowered -- is she willing to take a look at these social assistance rates in the near future. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, certainly it's an ongoing issue on how we handle health and social service issues, the social service food basket as well as how we handle training and education training program funds. So I think it's all part of what we're trying to do in terms of addressing, in the most positive way that we can, the handling of allowances for people who can survive to take a productive role in society. As well, while we're doing that, certainly the cost of living is considered and we'll take another look at that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice. The Minister of Justice is aware of a recent Supreme Court decision, which says that a person can't be given a breathalyser unless they have time to talk to a lawyer. I just want to ask the Minister of Justice, what is the departmental response to that particular Supreme Court decision.

Thank you. Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary, Madam Speaker. In the Minister of Justice's discussions with the federal Minister, perhaps the Minister could outline to us some possible remedies to this situation that have been indicated to the federal Minister of Justice.

Thank you. Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary, Madam Speaker. That answer, Madam Speaker, is satisfactory. I just want to ask for the Minister's assurances that as soon as there are substantive discussions taking place and substantive options, he'll bring them to the attention of this House. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Health on a long outstanding issue. This is the issue of Metis health benefits. There has been considerable work done over the last few years in enumerating the Metis by the Metis Nation and trying to determine the numbers of people involved. The whole issue of Metis health benefits is trying to provide benefits to Metis people equal to those of Inuit and treaty people.

My question to the Minister of Health is, what is the status of the review on Metis health benefits.

Thank you. Minister of Health, Madam Premier.