Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to briefly speak in support of the principle of this bill. I believe that it was the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions that first recommended the logic of splitting the Arctic College in order to prepare for Nunavut. The government responded soon thereafter with its recommendation, which I believe was discussed with the reshaping northern government group, that the college should form itself into two parts.

Madam Speaker, I believe that training and preparation of Nunavut residents for jobs associated with the implementation of the land claim and the new Nunavut government is going to be a critical undertaking. I would even go so far as to say that Nunavut and the land claim will succeed as we succeed in training northern residents to take on these new jobs. I believe that, if we are forced to hire southern people to take on these new responsibilities, then much of the reasons for the land claim and the establishment of Nunavut will have been frustrated. So, Madam Speaker, I see this move proposed in this bill as a very helpful step towards focusing on those challenges of meeting the human resource requirements for the establishment of Nunavut and the successful implementation of the land claim. I am confident that we can do it.

I know there is perhaps some hesitation on the part of some Members about the changes that are proposed for the NWT Science Institute. I had the privilege of being a Minister responsible for the Science Institute for some four years and I know that other Members of this House, including the present Minister of Education and the Premier also had that role. I think, Madam Speaker, that we all wanted the Science Institute to succeed in its objects. There were some very capable people who were appointed to the board of the Science Institute and hired as staff for the Science Institute. In these comments, I do not, in any way, wish to take away from the contributions those people have made.

However, Madam Speaker, I think, if we reflect back on the work of the Science Institute over the years, the primary function of the Science Institute, which was to provide advice to this Legislature on matters of science and research and development in the Northwest Territories, actually was very rarely exercised. In my time in this Assembly, since 1979, I can only recall two occasions on which the Legislature actually petitioned the Science Institute to give advice.

One of those matters was the matter of uranium mining in the Northwest Territories. The Science Institute did provide us with some advice, but actually, it was the Assembly itself, in an epic eight-day session in Hay River, with many witnesses, that actually tackled the issue and determined the pros and cons of uranium mining. I think that we got help from the Science Institute, but I don't think they actually ended up giving us specific advice on that matter.

The other matter that I recall, in which there was a request made to the Science Institute, was the matter of finding more modern technology for tanning moose hides. There may have been other matters, Madam Speaker, but those are the only two that I can recall where the Science Institute was asked to pursue its objects of giving advice to the Legislative Assembly on science matters.

There were annual dinners and meetings with the MLAs and the Science Institute, of which useful exchanges took place over supper, but I feel that that primary function was never actually realized. That is not to say that the Science Institute didn't do a great deal of tremendous good work, but I think we have to be honest with ourselves and recognize that that science advisor function and that reporting relationship and exchange relationship with the Legislative Assembly never was actualized or realized.

There are good things the Science Institute did. We now have an excellent system for licensing, scientific research and for giving feedback to communities and MLAs about the nature of that scientific research. Initiatives like science fairs, support of the science fairs, science camps, promoting northern students involved in archaeology, all have been promoted very effectively by the Science Institute. But, in my view, those are more education-related activities or perhaps activities that are more related to the Department of Renewable Resources. I am not sure that those worthwhile activities, in themselves, any longer justify the Science Institute being a stand alone, quasi-independent body.

So, Madam Speaker, I think it is time, especially in these more difficult financial times, to look at rationalizing the science advisory function within a government department. I think this is the trend that we may learn is being pursued in other jurisdictions. I believe that Arctic College will still have the capacity to attract third-party funding and to provide independent advice to the government and to the Legislature on research and development matters.

So, Madam Speaker, in principle, I think it's the way to go. I just want to say in closing, Madam Speaker, that as far as the division of the college is concerned, my understanding is that the board of the Arctic College and the administration are planning on a July 1 target date for implementation of those changes. There have been financial arrangements made, offices leased and staff hired, based on that expectation. So, I think, if I may suggest, that it is urgent that the legislation be carefully considered by this House, but hopefully soon adopted by this Legislature, so the very challenging job of training our human resource requirements in Nunavut, in particular -- and I know there are corresponding needs in the west associated with land claims, and the constitutional and political evolution that will take place there -- may get up and running as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker, I have never spoken at such length...

---Laughter

...to the principle of a bill in my short time in this Legislature. I'm quite sure this is the longest speech I've ever made...

---Laughter

...on the principle of a bill. I thank the honourable Members for their indulgence in permitting this unusual behaviour on my part. Thank you.

---Laughter