Thank you. Good afternoon. I wish to inform the Assembly that I have received the following message from his Honour, Commissioner Norris: "I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1993-94, during the Fifth Session of the 12th Legislative Assembly. Yours truly, D. L. Norris." The letter is dated February 24, 1994.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this Monday, Metall Mining informed the GNWT that they will not be proceeding with the development of the Izok Lake project at this time. The company will be stopping the feasibility study, as well as the negotiations with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association on a benefit agreement and the environmental review process. Metall states that the current metal prices, primarily for zinc, are too low and the cost of transportation are too high for the deposit to be economic in the near future.

There appears to be little the government can do to deal with the economic factors that have stopped the project. Metal prices are set on the world market. The price of zinc is close to record lows with large stockpiles.

This delay is deeply disappointing given the large expenditure the company and its investors have made in the project. It is also disappointing given all the hard work the company and the Inuit had put into developing a benefit agreement. This agreement was near completion and would have guaranteed northerners badly needed jobs.

It is important to realize that all the work and effort has not been for nothing. The project can be revitalized when economic factors change. Although this is a setback to the mineral industry in the NWT, the mineral potential that Izok Lake represents remains. This deposit will be one day mined in a way that hopefully contributes to the north's development. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I believe that most of the Members of this Assembly are aware that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is taking part in the school achievement indicators program, a national assessment program coordinated by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Over the next few years, 13 year old and 16 year old students across the country will be assessed in the areas of mathematics, reading, writing and science. These subject areas are key to a student's success in a future that will be marked by complex information and technology.

Madam Speaker, one of the greatest benefits of participating in this program is that it improves the department's ability to monitor the success of school programs and to plan for improvements. Assessments will be done in each of the key subject areas in a regular cycle, allowing us to measure the improvements of students and the school system over time.

In December, we received the results of the first mathematics assessment. A group comprised of 13 year old and 16 year old students were tested on their understanding of mathematical content and on their problem-solving skills. The percentage of NWT students achieving at the highest levels was similar to the national results, while a smaller proportion achieved at the middle levels. However, more NWT students achieved at or below the lowest level than their counterparts across Canada.

Madam Speaker, needless to say, I do not find these results acceptable, nor does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The department has already developed an initiative to improve the performance of NWT students with the goal of having students achieve at or above the Canadian average by 1997, when the next national mathematics assessment is conducted. This initiative, called "Towards Excellence," focuses on improving students' numeracy and literacy skills and will become a key component of the department's educational quality indicators project.

The first part of the project will focus on improving mathematics skills in kindergarten to grade six, in order to lay a strong numeracy foundation for students. A similar plan of action for improving literacy will be developed along with the administration of the reading and writing assessment, which will be held in April of this year.

Some of the activities under this initiative will be new, while others will involve putting a renewed emphasis on activities and procedures that are already in place. For instance, department staff will review the results of the current mathematics assessment, as well as past assessments, information on student health and other pertinent documents. They will use this information to develop a profile of NWT students to identify areas for improvement. In addition, a new survey for teachers and students regarding the NWT math curriculum will be developed and administered.

Support for standards in mathematics will be strengthened by activities such as facilitating the use of the student evaluation handbook developed by the department and keeping current with developments across Canada and the world.

Teachers play a critical role in providing quality instruction in mathematics. To ensure that new teachers are well prepared to teach math, the department will work with Arctic College to provide support in the area of curriculum, effective teaching strategies and use of resources. Teachers already working in the school system will be offered opportunities for increased training in teaching mathematics and will be kept up to date on the use of technology and other resources in teaching math. The department intends to make use of distance education technologies already in place, such as Television Northern Canada and the north of 60 electronic bulletin board system to accomplish much of this work. In addition, a symposium for mathematics leaders from each board is scheduled for the fall of 1995.

Teachers who contribute significantly to the improvement of math instruction will be recognized and their methods shared with other teachers. With the participation of teachers, the department will assist schools and boards in the development of short and long-term goals and strategies to improve numeracy and literacy skills of students. With the help of our partners in education, the department also plans to establish in-school numeracy and literacy teacher councils for kindergarten to grade three and grades four to six.

Madam Speaker, in light of the results from the school achievement indicators program, I am asking my department and the divisional boards of education to place a renewed emphasis on the amount of classroom time spent on mathematics and language arts. Departmental guidelines specify that 18 per cent of the school day should be spent on math, while 21 per cent is spent on the language of instruction and nine per cent on another language. School programs and outcomes will be closely monitored to ensure these guidelines are followed.

Madam Speaker, NWT students must be prepared for the challenges of post-secondary education and training and for the work place of the future. It is only through a renewed emphasis on key subject areas such as mathematics, reading, writing and science that students will be prepared for the future. I am confident that my department's numeracy and literacy initiative will play an important role in improving students' skills in these important areas. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Much has been written, Madam Speaker, about the new economy. Mr. Martin, the federal Minister of Finance, referred to it in his budget speech a few days ago. A recent visitor to Yellowknife and Hay River, Mr. Mazankowski, the former federal Minister of Finance, also referred to the fact that we are living in changing times. We have to look at economics in a new way. Many economists today believe, Madam Speaker, that banks have an important role to play in the transition from an economy based on resources and manufacturing to one based on knowledge and information. It is not only because banks control capital, Madam Speaker, but they have an important role to play. They are a major part of our Canadian culture.

Unfortunately, despite this, banks in the Northwest Territories are, at best, an alien system that is very much on the periphery of many of the things that affect people's lives. We have been unsuccessful, in my opinion, in developing financial institutions, with which you can have a viable economy.

So if there is one thing we do need it is to address the very first recommendation that our Special Committee on Northern Economy made about four years ago, we have to come to terms with the banking problem. Our government has not responded to that in a way that is going to make much difference. Banking is not going to be part of people's lives and until you get personal economy and access to institutions which control, not just capital, but information, we are not going to get a very good economy.

Many of us last night, including Mr. Todd, went to visit with the directors of the Arctic Co-op. They have been pushing for some years to look at the Credit Union system. I urge the government to have another look at it to see if there is one way in which we could support that happening.

Hear, hear.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for High Arctic, Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to make a statement today regarding the hamlet of Resolute Bay and its deficit situation. I am informed that the hamlet of Resolute Bay and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are currently working on a debt-recovery budget. I want to address how this debt came into being and suggest that the Government of the Northwest Territories is partly to blame for the financial problems. Madam Speaker, the Department of Public Works and Services provides the repair and maintenance service for the hamlet. I will offer a few examples of irresponsible use of public funds by DPW in the course of carrying out their service for the hamlet.

About three years ago, the main water line froze up in Resolute Bay. DPW went ahead and did $238,000 worth of repairs. Equipment and parts were shipped from the south as priority freight, whereas it would not have made a difference to repair if they were on regular freight, although much cheaper. DPW wanted to charter a 748, which is a plane that can carry 52 passengers from Iqaluit to Resolute Bay to ship about 300 pounds of equipment and three people. The hamlet managed to talk them down to using a smaller plane for the 1,000 mile trip.

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to proceed with my statement.

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

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker and colleagues. The hamlet managed to talk them down to using a small plane for the 1,000 mile trip. However, if they had waited one more day, the equipment and personnel could have arrived on a scheduled flight at a fraction of the cost. The hamlet estimates that $30,000 to $50,000 was spent unnecessarily on the frozen water line affair.

Smaller projects, such as printing and cleaning buildings, are done in elaborate government fashion and billed to the hamlet at the highest rate possible, plus administration and GST charges. My point is that especially in times of financial restraint, the government must work more closely with the hamlet to keep costs down as much as possible. I will be pursuing this matter with the government during this session. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As we've all heard, Metall Canada has recently announced the indefinite postponement of plans to develop their lead/zinc/copper property at Izok Lake. Metall representatives cited low-base metal prices and high infrastructure costs as the main reason for the sudden decision. They also announced that, with the postponement of development, they were also withdrawing from the regional environmental review committee process and the Inuit impacts benefits agreement negotiations process with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.

The RERC and federal government officials have recently requested information from the company's feasibility study. According to News/North on February 21, project manager, Mr. Ken Hill responded to those requests, "whether the government gets a copy may depend on whether it, too, comes in as an investor." The IIBA had also developed a possible major obstacle in that KIA was attempting to negotiate an equity participation into the Izok Lake project which company negotiators were having difficulty in dealing with.

Other recent developments have had environmental groups, such as Ecology North and the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, become more visible and vocal in raising concerns respecting the proposed Izok Lake project. And, as many of us know, Metealesellshaft, the parent company of Metall Company Incorporated, is in financial difficulty. Madam Speaker, as Metall progressed towards finalizing the regulatory approval requirements, more and more attention has been focused on their efforts and progress. Even while all these concerns were developing around the financial viability of the Izok Lake project, company officials continued to maintain to KIA that everything was on course, with minor delays and setbacks.

In fact, as recently as last Wednesday, February 16, at the KIA annual general meeting, Metall spokesmen advised the delegates that the feasibility study would be completed by March, taken to the Metall board for approval by June, with the intent to begin construction of mine facilities in 1995.

Since the very start of discussions between Minnova, which is the company purchased by Metall Canada Incorporated and KIA, there have been doubts raised about the viability of the project. Since that time, all the other potential detriments to the viability of the project had surfaced, including the parent company's financial situation, increasing base metal prices, less regulated deposits in other countries owned by Metall and high infrastructure costs.

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Even with all these issues surfacing, the company negotiators continued to promote the idea of developing the project to KIA representatives. My question is, why? Did Metall officials not know of these issues? Unlikely. Did they choose not to acknowledge them or even try to neutralize them? Or, did the company want to continue promoting the project in order to generate interest, which may have drawn in other potential investors, such as the government? We will never know the answer. However, what I do know is that there are many disappointed groups and individuals in my constituency and the NWT as a result of the sudden decision to indefinitely shelve this project.

Metall has continuously stressed their excellent progress in negotiating the IIBA with KIA throughout the development of the project. It would have been appropriate for Metall representatives to have recognized and addressed outright the possible deterrents to the development of a mining operation at Izok Lake in order to minimize creating any false expectations, which is exactly what they did.

Madam Speaker, the indefinite suspension of developing the Izok Lake property, although a disappointment to all of us, is certainly not a catastrophe. The ore reserves are still there and continue to be one of the richest in North America. At some point in time in the future, it will become economical to develop these reserves. I certainly hope that the manner in which Metall handled the negotiations with KIA, by not advising them of potential problem areas in developing the project, is not indicative of the manner in which other mining companies will treat other native claimant groups in the future. Mahsi Cho.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I would like to speak about the current situation in Hall Beach. This is a community with a population of 526. These 526 people feel that they have been forgotten by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Shame, shame.

The people of Hall Beach are not untouched by the many economic and social problems that exist in our northern communities. They are problems that require immediate attention, but what makes this community stand out is its appalling lack of services which would otherwise enable the people to take advantage of opportunities, obtain information and cope with their problems. I must say, Madam Speaker, I cannot blame this community for feeling neglected by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

At the moment, they do not have a social worker, a renewable resource officer, an economic development officer, an outreach worker or an adult educator.

Shame, shame.

Although the economic development officer from Igloolik makes occasional visits, this is absolutely not acceptable for a community of this size. Also, Hall Beach does not have an arena and their community hall is badly in need of repair. This situation has gone on far too long already and it is time for the Government of the Northwest Territories to face immediate action to address these urgent needs.

I will be pursuing this matter vigorously during this session.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, yesterday in committee of the whole, I made some observations about the tobacco tax situation. The purpose of this Member's statement is to qualify my position on this issue. I am in full support of our government's raising of taxes on cigarettes to discourage the younger generation from smoking.

However, Madam Speaker, with this tobacco tax, the Northwest Territories will pay the highest price in Canada for cigarettes, and, unfortunately, not spend enough.

Even with the announced federal funding on anti-smoking education, if we are going to make this tax grab, we should be prepared to spend and access revenue realized on anti-smoking programs.

The federal government has announced an assault on Canada's social programs. At the very least, Madam Speaker, I can see old age pensions being frozen at their present levels for awhile. As with any government austerity programs, it is the poor and those on fixed incomes who suffer. Madam Speaker, I remain convinced that we should not charge seniors the extra tax that we are proposing to add to tobacco. The elders of these territories grew up in a different time, a time when smoking was considered a social necessity. We must remember, Madam Speaker, that most institutions up here, at the turn of the century, encouraged smoking. Tobacco was a cheap, light trade good, so, of course, Madam Speaker, the traders and the Hudson's Bay Company did everything they could to get our forefathers hooked on tobacco. Let us not penalize our older citizens, the majority of whom are on fixed incomes, by raising the tax on tobacco for them. Madam Speaker, we must remember that they are a product of a different time. I encourage the Minister of Finance to offer an exemption of this tobacco tax to our elders. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Normally, this would be a statement for Friday, but I am not going to be here tomorrow, so I will make this today.

Yesterday, in the mail, we received a copy of the Statistics Quarterly, a document from the Bureau of Statistics, and it reports as of December 1993. In a cursory review of some of the statistics, I find some very interesting facts and numbers. I would like to go through some of them.

I note that our population as of June 1991 is 57,650, and of this population, 33 per cent of our population is under 14. Another interesting note is that three per cent, or 1,605 people, are 65 years and over.

Continuing on in the document, I note that our school enrolment has gone up from 1992 to 1993-94 by some 630 students, and of these, 17 per cent are in senior high school. Compared to that, though, the graduates who are graduating from senior high school are only about ten per cent of our students that enter senior high. Another little fact here is that our student assistance for post-secondary education has gone up, but I note that the mix from 1991-92 to 1992-93 has changed, whereas, more people are now going to university than there are going to technical school.

Another interesting fact is that federal old age security statistics show that, as of June 1, 1993, there were 1,668 people age 65 and over that were receiving some sort of old age security, and I find that interesting because when we look at the population it shows that we only have 1,605 people that are 65 years and over. There is a difference of some 63 people. Another interesting note...

Mr. Koe, your time has lapsed for Members' statements.

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Mahsi. I note that in people sentenced to federal custody -- these are normally people sentenced to two years plus -- if you take an average of each two years, it shows that we have at least 40 to 60 people in our federal penitentiaries in any given year.

Another statistic I find interesting is our average personal incomes, and I note that the highest average incomes seem to be in the regional centres, but the highest average incomes are earned by people living in two, what I deemed, single resource communities. Nanisivik is the highest with an average income of $53,505, and in Norman Wells, where it is $40,168.

Another fact is the consumer price index, and I note that, from January to November of 1993, in all categories that the consumer price index is divided into, there have been increases across the north. More significantly, in Yellowknife, the highest increases occurred in the city of Yellowknife in all categories.

Finally, one that I find really interesting is the category on drivers' licenses, and this was the number of licenses issued in the Northwest Territories. In 1985-86, there were 25,057 licenses issued, but the next year, in 1986-87, there were only 14,054 licenses issued. Similarly, in 1989-90, there were 18,287 licenses issued, and in 1990-91, we dropped down to 13,465. I am sure there are good reasons for this, but I don't think we had an out-migration of people in the territories because I checked the statistics on migration and nobody seemed to have left the territories in those numbers.

The point I wish to make is that statistics are nice, it is a nice, fancy document that is printed, but I think when we print documents like this, there should be qualifications and some explanations of why some of these numbers are there and why there are some significant changes, because it raises a lot of questions, a lot of unnecessary questions, and it would probably prevent people like me from standing up and speaking about them. Mahsi.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Kivallivik, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ng on February 15, 1994, on fire fighting systems used in NWT communities. In response to the honourable Member's question and further discussions with the Member, I would like to offer the following response.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs does have standards for fire fighting systems and equipment. These standards are detailed in the department's capital program standards and criteria manual, copies of which have been provided to Members.

The department also provides unconditional funding for operations and maintenance costs related to the servicing of these systems as part of the hamlet funding formula. Individual communities, however, are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their fire systems and equipment. Since this funding is unconditional, communities may make their own decisions on how these funds are to be spent. The Minister does have the option of responding to special cases that may warrant extraordinary assistance.

The fire marshal's office has informed the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs that he has already directed his staff to evaluate existing fire alerting systems in all communities during 1994-95 community inspection visits. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am aware of the situation the honourable Member is raising. I sympathize with the Member and the people who are involved. I would like to say that the decision to change the classification for these units was not arbitrary, rather it was a change which was made in the categorization of these units by the city. Everywhere else in the Northwest Territories, the categorization of these units would have been multi-residential. In this case, the departmental staff made the mistake of classifying these units as multi-residential following what they normally do in other NWT communities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I should clarify that the process currently followed, at the present time, is the department makes assessments of properties in the city of Yellowknife, which are then forwarded to the city of Yellowknife offices. To my understanding, these are then checked over by the city and their officials. In fact, I believe they hire an independent person to review these assessments. That is the second stage where a mistake like this could have been caught. They are then forwarded on to the property owner. So there are three stages that this mistake could have been caught.

I should also clarify that the taxes paid for these units are made to the city, rather than the government. So I think this is an issue that should be raised between the property owner and the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't know whether there is redress with regard to this particular act, so I am not able to respond to that. But I would be willing to commit that the staff of the department will meet with the officials of the city and the Inukshuk Housing Cooperative and come to a resolution on this matter. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Premier of this government. A few years ago, the government had a decentralization project in every region, and one of those regions was the Kitikmeot region. When I talked to the people in the three communities I represent, mainly the hamlet councils, they were saying they were unfairly treated within the initiative of this government to transfer government services and programs to communities. I think Coppermine and Cambridge Bay were getting the most out of the program. I would like to ask the Premier if she can revisit and review the initiative that took place many years ago and get input from the hamlet councils of Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak to see what departmental programs the communities are interested in? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The honourable Member did pose part of that question to me two or three days ago. I am getting the information gathered to see how the decisions were made. As well, at the time some of the decentralization took place, there was some part of offices that were in Cambridge Bay that moved to Coppermine. I recall, that for some reason, because there were questions raised at that time by the eastern part of the Kitikmeot region, the whole phase of decentralization came to a halt. But, I will continue to try to fast-track the information and bring forward some areas that the communities have already identified that they are interested in, particularly in community transfers. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Residents of Coppermine raised the concern over the past couple of days while I was up there with regard to their airport upgrade project. They are concerned about the possibility of it being jeopardized because of the withdraw of Metall Canada from developing the Izok Lake

property. I would like to ask the Minister at this time if it is still one of the main priorities of his department to ensure that the airport upgrade project to upgrade the air service in Coppermine is going to be carried out.

Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, the honourable Member is correct, we are moving the $3.1 million out of Coppermine and into Gjoa Haven. I'm just kidding.

---Laughter

A little humour, Madam Speaker. I know it's lacking today.

---Laughter

Anyway, under the strategic transportation initiative which we negotiated with the federal government, it was very project-specific. In other words, the designation of the capital dollars is for specific projects. The Coppermine project will go ahead, as planned and on schedule. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

I would like to ask the honourable Minister, would he ensure that significant local benefits are derived as a result of carrying out this project in the community of Coppermine? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

No, Madam Speaker.

---Laughter

Yes, Madam Speaker. The Department of Economic Development has sent in a consultant to work with the community in an effort to try to put together some coalition of business and community interests to see if there's a possibility of either negotiating or partially negotiating to ensure that there's significant northern input into this $3 million plus expenditure in the expansion of the Coppermine airport. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5,oral questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Earlier today, I made a Member's statement with regard to one of my communities being neglected by the Government of the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Premier if there are guidelines regarding recreational facilities and community size and whether there are also guidelines for key government positions like renewable resources and social services, relative to the size of the community? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

On the first question, Madam Speaker, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs works under a set of guidelines on size and population of communities with regard to recreational facilities. With regard to the renewable resource positions being in specific communities, I don't believe there's an actual formula available. I'm aware that in some communities where there is a small population but a lot of activity, there is a renewable resource officer. Perhaps that can be directed at the Minister of Renewable Resources. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm not just asking about renewable resource positions, I'm asking about key government positions that communities have that are around the same size of Hall Beach, which has about 550 people. There seem to be inadequacies here. I am asking if the government has a formula to have a social worker in this community because of the resident size and the job that has to be done there. I want to know if that position is placed there because of demand? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, in the matter of resources to communities, I would assume that in Education there is a formula for teachers and service by MACA is provided according to a deal worked out with the community. It varies. I don't know that anything is exactly the same. I know that in MACA we calculate the amount of work, length of roads and type of services that are required. Then the hamlet is allowed a particular amount of dollars to facilitate that. I would say that in other areas it would be based on need and demand and also requests. I don't know, perhaps the community that the honourable Member is concerned about is a very independent community.

They have 500 people and perhaps they have survived without these resources. I don't think any of us here can say why, but what we could do is check on that community and assess the population and their needs to see where they are. I can't stand here and say if a position is not there or if it is vacant, hasn't been filled or if it has been moved somewhere else. We can do an assessment of the community and attempt to answer the questions on the basis of what has happened historically and what is planned for the community. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you. If there are guidelines with respect to recreational facilities relative to the size of the community, would the government be willing to table that and also any other formula they use to man posts, whether it is for the Executive, Social Services or Renewable Resources? If there is anything at all, would the government be willing to table that in the House? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, what I will attempt to do is speak to the honourable Member to see just exactly what are the areas he would like to provide documentation on. I'm sure that if we had all our policies relating to that, it's an awful lot of material to table. So, I will table what is requested from the Minister and talk to the Member to see exactly what is required at this time. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Transportation. Since the Minister is now on record saying that $3 million will be moved from Coppermine to Gjoa Haven, I would like to know what fiscal year he's going to do that in? Thank you.

---Laughter

Thank you. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Todd.

I guess that, Madam Speaker, is what you would call a "gotcha." I would think perhaps in the next election, we can give it serious consideration. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Madam Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. In November of last year, the Minister indicated they were negotiating with Evergreen Forestry in my constituency on a contract that they were working on. I would like to ask whether this contract is now in place, or is it now in front of the Cabinet? Has there been any decision made on that?

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, and it deals with the block funding agreement between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the city of Yellowknife. Yellowknife MLAs fully supported that agreement and acknowledge the efforts of the Finance Minister, Mr. Pollard, and the then Minister of MACA, Mr. Patterson, in closing this very progressive arrangement. It was understood that there were some extraordinary repair requirements that would be kept outside of that arrangement, and they included the central business district, the sewer and water system in the central business district, and also the School Draw area. There have been negotiations between the government and the city over the past couple of years, and my understanding is FMB has said they want to negotiate it on a year-by-year basis and not a long-term deal. I wonder if the Minister could enlighten me as to the progress of those negotiations.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Madam Speaker, I have not been briefed on this particular matter, so I will have to get back to the Member and take this question as notice. Thank you.,

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was going to direct my question to the Minister of Social Services, but Madam Speaker we never received any notice of her absence in the House so I will direct my question to the Government Leader. My question is with regard to fuel subsidy, Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Minister, first of all, that she did

respond but I didn't get the letter. I would like to ask the Minister, even though it says subsidies are given to people who turn 60 years of age, before they are eligible, is it 60 years of age during that year which makes them eligible, or is it on their birthday they receive five cords of wood in front of their door? I would like to know whether there is some flexibility so a person who is going to be 60 in December is eligible to get wood in the fall.

Thank you. Madam Premier did indicate to the House that the Minister of Social Services was going to be away for two days, attending the Pauktuutit annual general meeting. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, in my recollection and my understanding of when this was put in place, it was during the year that the person was going to be 60 so there was some flexibility. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kitikmeot, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Madam Premier. At one time, the Minister was promoting the sale of the Power Corporation to generate a one-time revenue. I and many others opposed such a move because of the possible potential detriment to some of our communities. I would like to ask the Minister at this time, is it still the intention of the government to privatize this Power Corporation or have they indefinitely put this plan on hold now? Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, it is the intention to bring forward the necessary information for discussion on the privatization of the Power Corporation. The proposal will be put forward, leading to discussion on the matter. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

I would like to ask the Minister when this proposal will be coming forward for discussion. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I am hoping that I will have a proposal ready before the end of this session to be tabled for discussion. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Item 6, written questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a written question to the Premier. There seems to be an inequity in the services available to NWT communities of the same size. Would the Premier provide this House with the following information for each community with a population of less than 550:

-the number and type of government positions; and,

-the number and type of recreational facilities (for example, community centres and arenas).

Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Tourism. The north has seen an upsurge of exploration activity as a result of increased interest in the mineral development. Can the Minister responsible for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism answer the following questions based on 1992 and 1993 activity:

1. How many dollars were spent on goods and services, wages and benefits by mineral exploration companies for work performed in the NWT?

2. How much of the total dollars spent is going to NWT businesses and individuals?

3. How much of the total dollars spent is going to aboriginal businesses and individuals?

Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, written questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a written question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. On Friday, February 11, the Minister of Renewable Resources gave

a Minister's statement which talked about his recent meetings with the European politicians, bureaucrats and non-government organizations. Can the Minister provide the following information for each meeting he attended on his trip, either in Europe or in Canada:

- the purpose of the meeting;

- the participants in the meeting;

- date of meeting;

- length of meeting; and

- whether the Minister stayed for the entire meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you. 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. The honourable Member for Keewatin Central, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table the following document. Tabled Document 26-12(5), the Report to the Legislative Assembly for 1993 on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (1990). Thank you.

Thank you. Item 12, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Yesterday, in my question I made reference to a letter that was sent to Members from the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, titled European Market for Wild Fur. I would like to table that as Tabled Document as 27-12(5). Thank you.

Thank you. Item 12, tabling of documents. Mr. Clerk.

Madam Speaker, in accordance with section 183(4) of the Elections Act, I wish to table Tabled Document 28-12(5), the candidates return respecting the election expenses and contributions for Mr. Keith Pederson, from the May 10, 1993 by-election in the electoral district of Kitikmeot.

Thank you. Item 12, tabling of documents. Item 13, notices of motion. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. The honourable Member for Hay River, Mr Pollard.

FOR FIRST READING OF BILLS

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, February 28, 1994, I shall move that Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1993-94, be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 14, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 15, motions. Motion 13-12(5), appointment of Member to the advisory committee on social housing. Mr. Lewis is not in the House. It will stay on the order paper. Item 15, motions. Item 16, first reading of bills. Item 17, second reading of bills. Item 18, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 1, Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95; Committee Report 2-12(5), Review of the 1994-95 Main Estimates; Minister's Statement 5-12(5), Session Business; Tabled Document 1-12(5), Towards an NWT Mineral Strategy; Tabled Document 2-12(5), Building and Learning Strategy; Tabled Document 3-12(5), Towards a Strategy to 2010: A Discussion Paper; and, Tabled Document 11-12(5), First Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner of the NWT for the Year 1992-93, with Mr. Ningark in the chair.

Thank you. The committee will now come to order. Yesterday, we were doing the consideration of the Department of Health. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Mr. Dent, are you suggesting that we continue with the Health review?