Madam Speaker, return to written question 7-12(5), asked by Mr. Pudluk to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources concerning employment in NWT mines:

Turnover rates for aboriginal or northern employees at NWT mines:

Nanisivik: 1993 turnover rate for northerners (defined as a person born in the NWT, and spending 75 per cent of life in NWT) was 30 per cent. Note: Turnover rates have been declining considerably over the last three years and are much less than the period between 1978 and 1990.

Polaris: The turnover rate for aboriginal employees in 1993 was 20 per cent. Due to base metals prices and economic conditions, three positions that were vacated by aboriginal employees during 1993 have not been filled.

Con: 100 per cent of employees are northerners, 1993 turnover rate was 10.5 per cent.

Lupin: 1993 turnover rate for full-time employees (meaning full benefits) from Cambridge Bay and Coppermine, 21 per cent. Note: The 21 per cent figure is influenced by the high turnover rate in entry level positions. The entry level positions tend to be in the mill, or as "buckers" (processing samples) where conditions are noisy, dusty and closely supervised. Some people are not prepared for this type of work. There is a very low turnover rate among the northerners who successfully worked their way up. There are aboriginal employees working at Lupin who were there when the mine opened and have moved up to the top level of miner positions.

Giant: no response yet.

Treminco: no response.