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

Madam, Speaker, I would like to notify the House that the Honourable Silas Arngna'naaq will be leaving the House today after question period to attend the opening of the water treatment plant in Fort Providence. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am going to be making a statement today regarding the relationship between the Housing Corporation and the local housing associations. I have been asked to bring up this subject by people in my constituency. A lot of times it appears that the local housing associations are mouthpieces for the Housing Corporation in passing on information that is unpleasant or controversial. While most of the initiatives for change come from the Housing Corporation, the local housing associations often end up being blamed for controversial decisions such as rent increases and evictions. The local housing associations, at least in my constituency, are often torn between wanting to defend the local tenants and following the instructions of the Housing Association.

Madam Speaker, local housing associations need and want more real authority and powers to make decisions that affect their tenants, and not just to be the bearers of bad news for the Housing Corporation. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Hear, hear.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker.

Nay, nay.

You're wasting my valuable time here.

---Laughter

On Monday of this week, I attended a meeting of the Iqaluit Municipal Advisory Committee with Mr. Robin Beaumont, administrator. Madam Speaker, I can only describe the tone of the meeting as that of tension and extreme frustration.

Members of the Municipal Advisory Committee are feeling a growing sense of frustration. I heard the following comments from advisory committee Members at the meeting: "I am extremely tired of this committee;" "our hands are tied;" "I hate the word recommend;" and, "Between Robin Beaumont and the Minister, there are too many layers of people concerned with process and not common sense."

Madam Speaker, one of the main sources of frustration is land. On February 2, after hearing from a local Inuk who wanted one lot to build a house this summer and who was told that there were no lots presently available, the Municipal Advisory Committee recommended to Mr. Beaumont that, in the short-term, a minimum number of lots be identified for ballot draw by March 31. So, people who want to build houses this summer and become taxpayers can be given lots so they can go ahead.

Madam Speaker, nothing has happened to date. Although we know there are leases that have expired and lots that should be available -- and we know that there are lots which could be developed with minimal cost which are near to road services and on flat land -- because there is no lands officer in the town of Iqaluit and because there's been no apparent action from Municipal Affairs in Yellowknife, there are still no lots available for people who are waiting to meet sea-lift deadlines to make commitments to build houses and to become taxpayers.

Madam Speaker, the land issue must be addressed urgently, and the Municipal Advisory Committee has asked the Minister of Municipal Affairs to come to Iqaluit on an urgent basis to meet with them and deal with it. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to make a statement that has come to my attention, Madam Speaker, that weather reporting stations in the Baffin region will close April 1 to April 5. In fact, the contractors have been instructed by the federal government to cut off the power going to weather stations. This concerns me very much, Madam Speaker. Everyone knows the Baffin communities rely on airplanes for their food and transportation. The airplanes that are going into communities like Cape Dorset, Clyde River and Pond Inlet will not know how high they are flying, whether there are cross-winds, whether there is fog or any kind of information that is essential to the pilots.

Madam Speaker, if there is no reporting taking place, the pilots will not be knowledgable about the barometers, therefore, they will not know how high or how low they are flying. I am concerned about the safety of my constituents during that transition period. I will pursue this matter in question period. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you. The Speaker would like to recognize two respected elders from Hay River, Lionel Gagnon from Hay River and Mrs. Beatrice Morin, the mother of the Honourable Don Morin. Welcome to our Assembly.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today I wish to speak about some of the concerns I have with the way duties are split among the Members of Cabinet. Madam Speaker, we could all tell during the Cabinet review last December that the residents of the Northwest Territories are fortunate to have several natural born leaders serving as Cabinet Ministers.

My concern, Madam Speaker, is that we may be overworking some of these talented Ministers. I know from my own experience that some of these Ministers take longer to respond to concerns and questions from the ordinary MLAs simply because they have too much on their plate. This, of course, adds up to more work for the ordinary MLAs because they have to write follow-up letters and do extra lobbying that might not be required if the burden of duties were spread more evenly.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the reasons for the east/west split on Cabinet. However, Madam Speaker, I am concerned about some Ministers who do not appear to be doing their homework. I feel that this lack of preparedness on their part may be causing resentment among the more conscientious Cabinet Ministers who see their responsibilities increase, but not their compensation packages.

Madam Speaker, some Cabinet Ministers are so busy that it is very difficult for them to attend important events in the Northwest Territories. I know that I have invited Ministers to attend important events in my constituency and that some Ministers have had to back out due to prior commitments. I can imagine, Madam Speaker, that they have had to decline invitations to important events in their own constituencies, also.

Madam Speaker, the smaller communities in the Northwest Territories appreciate visits from government Ministers. These visits make them feel like they, as a community, are part of the process. The process of government, Madam Speaker, is seen by a lot of communities as a strange animal that will only occur in the larger centres of the Northwest Territories.

Madam Speaker, I urge the Members of Cabinet, who perhaps do not have a full load, to buckle up and help their busier colleagues so that these Ministers can respond...

Mr. Gargan, I cut your Member's statement off prior to you finishing. Member for Deh Cho.

Madam Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to continue my Member's statement.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and honourable Members. Madam Speaker, I urge the Members of Cabinet, who perhaps do not have a full load, to buckle up and help their busier colleagues so that these Ministers can respond better to the concerns of ordinary MLAs and their constituents. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause

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

North Slave?