Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past weekend, I had the privilege of making a trip to Inuvik and to the Delta; I drove on the Dempster Highway to Fort McPherson and then, on the ice road up the river to the Tl'oondih Healing Camp. This is a camp that is owned and operated by the Gwich'in. At that camp, the first group of counsellors just graduated and enjoyed a meal with visitors from the various communities. I was very pleased to see the response and support that the Gwich'in provides to this camp. I am very proud to see the people who have just completed their four-week training program and see how pleased and proud they were to graduate from this course.

Also, in the community, I enjoyed a lot of good hospitality, a lot of good food, and lots and lots of tea. I even participated in their local curling bonspiel. Today, I would like to thank everyone in McPherson and Inuvik for their hospitality. Also, because this is our last day before our Easter break, I would like to wish my colleagues here a happy Easter, and also everyone else across the Northwest Territories. Happy Easter.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to encourage the government to continue to develop and complete the agricultural policy that they are working on. The other day I asked the status of it and I do want to indicate to the Minister the need for such a policy, particularly in my community. We all know that south of the lake we have a lot of nice, warm weather, we also have good areas for soil and things grow very, very well.

At this time, I want to commend an elder in our community, Mr. Harry Sudom, who works very hard during the summer months...

---Applause

...and grows a lot of potatoes, enough to probably provide the town. But with the absence of an agricultural policy, it doesn't allow people to be able to set up a good farm to provide potatoes to the whole north. If we can encourage individuals to set up something which would provide potatoes to the north, we will be doing away with importing a product that we can provide in the north. So I would like to take the time to encourage the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism to continue working on his agricultural policy and complete it as soon as his department can do this, because it would address an economic opportunity that we are all looking to provide to northerners.

At this time, I would also like to wish all of my colleagues a happy Easter and I hope they have a safe trip as they go home for Easter. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to rise to speak about a matter that was raised by my colleagues in the House yesterday, by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South and the honourable Member for North Slave.

It is with regard to a matter of discussion now here in the city of Yellowknife that was raised by the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital board. I wanted to make a couple of comments because it is important that all Members of this Assembly and people of the north recognize the importance of contributions of people, whether they are aboriginal people or non-aboriginal people.

I recall at one time a debate occurring in our Assembly about a change of name for our Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The kind of debate that occurred at that particular time was such that everyone came to the conclusion that Members couldn't agree with the name because the question was what name would we give it. Would we give it a Gwich'in name? Would we give it a name from the Slavey community? Would it be the Inuit community? Would it be a non-aboriginal name? The fact is, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to say this: I do not have a problem with the name of Stanton, mainly because my view is that we have to recognize people for what they have contributed to the north. In our community, we have a health centre by the name of William Firth Health Centre, and he is a descendant of a Scotsman and a Gwich'in. The fact is that what we were doing was recognizing his contribution to the health services in our community.

I wanted to say that I hope, Mr. Speaker, that we take the advice of the honourable Member for North Slave and recognize that what we should be focusing on clearly are the services and the programs which are being delivered to our people. I agree with the honourable Member because I don't want the issue of names to confuse the responsibility that we have of delivering programs and services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on March 28th regarding a policy for Ministers awarding sole-source contracts in areas outside of their ministerial mandates or responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, there is no policy which permits Ministers to award contracts or authorize expenditures in areas outside their ministerial mandates or responsibilities. All government expenditures authorized by a Minister, including by means of sole-source contracts, are governed by the Northwest Territories Financial Administration Act and government contract regulations. Further direction is provided in the Financial Management Board's financial administration manual. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on March 27th regarding the status of recommendations for fire management review.

The recommendations in the report on the review of the Government of the Northwest Territories forest fire management program and policy were reviewed by a steering committee chaired by the deputy minister of Renewable Resources and consisting of the secretary to the Financial Management Board and the deputy ministers of Public Works and Services and Economic Development and Tourism.

Two of 33 recommendations were not accepted by the steering committee. One recommendation and portions of four other recommendations were not commented on by the steering committee because they referred to the proposed aircraft maintenance facility, which was outside the terms of reference for the review.

In February 1994, the Financial Management Board accepted the steering committee's assessment of the report's recommendations. A copy of the steering committee's assessment has been provided to the honourable Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Whitford.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ballantyne.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my executive assistant for six years, John Stephenson, who shared with me the ups and downs of politics. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just this morning, I was asked whether I am biased in favour of, or a spokesman for, the Union of Northern Workers since I have recognized their representative from time to time in our House. Just to establish that I represent everyone equally and not one organization, today I have decided I will not recognize that representative. Thank you.

---Laughter

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lewis.

Point Of Order

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that according to our rules you are only allowed to recognize someone. You are not allowed to stand and not recognize someone.

I would like to remind Mr. Patterson that I believe this is the second time. I ruled you out of order the first time. I have done it and you are still out of order, so I want to

remind you. Item 5, recognition of visitors to the gallery. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not too often that I have an opportunity to introduce someone from my constituency. I am fortunate that I have two mothers in this world, and I want to introduce you to my mother, Doris Itsi, who brought me into this world.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a very important person in one of our Member's lives, and that is Geraldine, Richard Nerysoo's wife.

---Applause