Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in May of 1983 the Government of the Northwest Territories issued a paper titled "Design for Devolution," to promote public discussion on proposed new local government legislation to replace the municipal ordinance.

In 1987, after broad public consultation and the drafting of new legislation, this Legislative Assembly gave consideration to a number of community government bills, including the:

- Settlements Act;

- Hamlets Act;

- Charter Communities Act;

- Cities, Towns and Villages Act;

- Local Authorities Elections Act; and,

- Property Assessment and Taxation Act.

Royal Assent was given these new acts in late 1987 and the legislation came into force January 1, 1988.

This new legislation has served well both this government and all levels of community government for over seven years, Mr. Speaker. Three charter communities now exist and others are actively considering this level of incorporation, which attests to the success of the Charter Communities Act. This act addresses the circumstances of municipal authorities governing in a cooperative association with local band councils in accordance with a community-developed charter.

As with any municipal legislation, Mr. Speaker, changes are necessary to keep it current with new developing circumstances. Since our government's municipal legislation was first introduced, a number of amendments have been presented and approved by this Assembly. The need for legislative amendments has accelerated in recent years. Concerns have been raised by individual municipal councils, senior administrative officers and the Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities. The department has also identified a number of needed changes to conclusively address issues affecting community governments.

Mr. Speaker, the observations and concerns raised by the users of our legislation are a clear indication of the need to carry out a broad legislative review of all necessary changes.

I am, therefore, pleased to announce that a review committee will be appointed to undertake a review of necessary amendments to the:

- Cities, Towns and Villages Act;

- Hamlets Act;

- Charter Communities Act;

- Settlements Act;

- Local Authorities Elections Act; and,

- Property Assessment and Taxation Act.

The review committee will consist of representatives from:

- the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs;

- the Department of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs;

- the Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities; and,

- the Association of Municipal Administrators of the Northwest Territories.

The associations will be asked to submit names from their respective membership for appointment to the review committee. Mr. Speaker, the committee will have a balance of those who monitor and maintain the legislation and those who would be most affected by any changes.

The focus of the review will be to identify those areas of the legislation which currently cause the most concern to users, consider the options for change and make recommendations. The committee will recommend wording changes to eliminate or reduce interpretive difficulties and consider options to allow community governments greater flexibility in decision-making.

As well, Mr. Speaker, the review committee will be directed to consider the benefits of separate acts or the amalgamation into a single government act of the:

- Cities, Towns and Villages Act;

- Hamlets Act;

- Charter Communities Act; and,

- Settlements Act.

The review committee, in making its recommendation will take into consideration the historical significance behind the establishment of the legislation as it exists today.

The review committee, in addition to meeting as a working group, will be expected to seek the input of municipal councils and receive and consider written submissions. Every effort will be made to hear or receive comment from concerned councils, individuals, groups and associations.

The review committee terms of reference are being prepared and I expect that the committee will hold its first meeting in late June or early July. It is anticipated that the review committee will submit their recommendations to the Minister by the end of 1995, allowing new or amended legislation to be submitted to this House for consideration in 1996.

Mr. Speaker, the establishment of the review committee clearly demonstrates the continued commitment of this government to the development of government at the community level. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the important role of interpreters. Mr. Speaker, in the past, the issue of interpreters has been raised in the House. The funding cuts to the interpreter program has caused a strong response, and justifiably so. I would like to continue to stress to this House the vital role interpreting plays today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to put this into perspective for those who use English as their first language. This language is straightforward but, at the same time, this language can be very confusing, especially for translating. In addition, Mr. Speaker, aboriginal languages are based on experience of situations and description of traditional lifestyles. When one translates English into their respective aboriginal language, you simply cannot translate word for word. Interpreting involves translating English into situations and concepts and/or describing a particular word.

For example, for the statement "computer-generated" in my language, which is South Slavey, a computer would be described something like a machine that types words or letters. Another example used extensively is the word "government." In my language, you would say a body in charge of the land. Interpreting effectively is a constant learning process. Simultaneous translation is not only difficult but can be very stressful at times, stressful because of technical difficulties, speed-readers, and the use of phrases unheard of in any aboriginal language.

Experiencing difficulty on a daily basis is common for interpreters. For example, when some of my colleagues in this House use poems or acronyms and so forth, the interpreters have difficulty dealing with that. In addition, Mr. Speaker, these people realize the importance of their jobs and, more importantly, they are there as representatives of their people.

Mr. Speaker, the activity that takes place in this House every day has a significant impact on the people in the north. At one time, the aboriginal people of the north were without input into their future. However, Mr. Speaker, since interpreters have been used, people have been made aware of issues and activities that affect them. As a result, concerns were raised, issues addressed and solutions generated.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question, interpreters have contributed to the effectiveness of this government and I would like to take this time to acknowledge and recognize the essential role of interpreters in our society today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want, Mr. Speaker, to make Members aware that tomorrow, April 28th, is the National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on the Job. This year across Canada, workers and their families, as well as representatives of government, agencies and corporations, will join to remember those workers who were injured or killed in the performance of their duties.

In the Northwest Territories last year, 15 workers died while on the job. A total of 11 of those 15 were harvesters, one was a mechanic, one was a dental assistant, one was a construction worker, and one was a miner. It is clear that there are occupational hazards associated with virtually every field of endeavour and we must do all we can to eliminate or minimize those hazards.

Mr. Speaker, work-related injuries and fatalities are occurrences which can be prevented. As legislators, we, in this House, must do all we can to ensure we have occupational health and safety systems that protect the lives and well-being of working people. As elected representatives of our various constituencies, we know the devastating effects that serious injuries and deaths have on the closely-knit communities of the north and recognize the need to create an environment which emphasizes workplace safety to prevent the upheavals which occur in families and communities when workers are injured and cannot continue to be breadwinners.

Mr. Speaker, as the Member who is elected by the Premier to be responsible for the Department of Safety and Public Services, I want to assure Members of this House and the general public that I and my staff are doing all we can with available resources to ensure the regulatory systems concerned with occupational health and safety that we administer are as up to date and reasonable as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that, as Members, we should remember individuals who have been killed and injured on the job and the effects on their families, friends and communities.

We should also remember that the day of mourning is an opportunity for all of us to renew our commitment to regulate workplace safety fairly and to ensure that workers and employers...

Speaker's Ruling

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Mr. Nerysoo, with regard to your statement, under Rule 36(4), a Minister may make a statement in accordance with Rule 36(1) but the statement must not relate to his or her responsibility as a Minister. Under the item Members' statements, a Member may make a statement on any other matter so I would like to say, Mr. Nerysoo, that your statement is out of order. Mr. Minister, I don't know whether this is a Minister's statement or a Member's statement. Mr. Nerysoo.

Point Of Order

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I could ask on a point of order that, at some time, you review the matter of how Ministers can make statements so you can clearly articulate those guidelines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Nerysoo, the rules are quite clear with regard to Members' statements and also with regard to Ministers' statements. The statement that you are making is more within your responsibility as a Minister and that's the point that I'm making right now. Mr. Nerysoo, yes, I will clarify that, but until I do, you can continue your statement under Members' statements.

Mr. Speaker, you've made a ruling on it already, so I'll sit down.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later today I will be introducing a motion seeking support for the western constitutional process. The western constitutional process is headed up by a committee called the Constitutional Development Steering Committee. This committee has been working for several years and a few months ago submitted a workplan and a budget for the 1995-96 fiscal year to enable the western process to continue its consultative and development work. It now needs approval and support from both the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada to continue this work. We all know that for division to happen, we need the full support of this Assembly; and, as such, for the western process to continue, we need support of this Assembly.

The process, as it exists, has been supported and endorsed by the participants at the first western constitutional conference which was held in February. When I introduce the motion today, I would appreciate the support of all Members in this House. Mahsi.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about a very serious problem. It's a problem that is happening here in Yellowknife and in the communities all over the Northwest Territories. It's the alarming increase of drug use in our schools. I've talked to the RCMP, I've talked to educators, and I've talked to concerned parents about this issue. Last night there was an excellent meeting at St. Patrick's school, where the principal and teachers held an awareness seminar with parents and discussed some of the realities of this increase of drug use in our schools here in Yellowknife.

The feeling with the police and with educators is that over the last two years the use of drugs in our schools, in our post-elementary schools, has increased at a dramatic rate. The opinion of the police is that the drug elements in our communities are better organized now than they've ever been. They are targeting at-risk kids. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the police are telling me is that trends that we see in southern Canada are slowly coming north. They're using soft drugs to hook kids and getting them onto harder drugs. What's happening in southern Canada, then, is the kids turn to B&Es and robberies. The average cost to feed a drug addict's habit is estimated at $88,000 to $100,000 a year, in B&Es and in robberies. Young females in southern Canada sell their bodies for drugs. The police see the beginning of that trend here in the Northwest Territories.

The drug elements are more sophisticated and I think that we, as a society, have to become more sophisticated. Communities like Yellowknife and Iqaluit don't stand on their own; they're feeder communities to the smaller communities, so the problems that you see here are problems that are spreading throughout all our communities in the Northwest Territories.

Parents and educators need help. This is not just a police problem or just a school problem or a government problem, this is a community problem. Everybody in the community must be aware of the problem and must be involved in the solution. I say to people that if you see any drug activity, report it to the police. A lot of people don't and the police are very frustrated because they're not getting enough assistance from the community at large. Parents should get more involved in their schools. If you want to do something about this problem, parents have to get involved. Parents should write to their school boards, to their MLAs, to their aldermen. If your kids are experimenting with drugs, talk about it. I think too many people are ashamed of it. Drug use is happening in every family, in the best of families, and unless people acknowledge that it's happening and seek counselling, we're never going to get a solution to this problem.

What I would like to conclude with, Mr. Speaker, is that all of us have a part to play in the fight against drug use, especially among our young people. It's a community problem. The government and the police have a very strong role to play in providing support mechanisms and providing coordination, and we do need a coordinated approach. I want to really emphasize, Mr. Speaker, that at the end of the day, this increasing problem in our schools, if we don't deal with it now the problem five years from now is going to be very difficult to control. All of us have a responsibility to do what we can do to control the increasing use of drugs in our schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, also known as Admiral, the Honourable Brian Tobin, has recently announced last week the northern turbot quotas for NAFO sub-area O in Davis Strait off the east coast of Baffin Island totalling 5,500 tons, and has requested proposals from Canadian companies wishing to use foreign vessels for this fishery in 1995, under stringent landing requirements in Canadian ports.

I wish to announce that, once again, hunters' and trappers' associations from Baffin communities are submitting proposals that would employ Inuit from these communities. The HTAs from Lake Harbour, Iqaluit, Broughton Island, Clyde River and Pond Inlet, along with Avataq Fisheries, are urging support for their applications on two grounds: firstly, the Nunavut final land claims agreement, article 15.11 states that an Inuit economy is based in part on marine resources is both viable and desirable and; secondly, several of the criteria and operating guidelines developed for sub-area O allocations in 1995 by DFO should in fairness and justice, work in favour of Inuit-owned applicants from Baffin. One of the criteria states that evaluation of each application will be based on adjacency to the resource.

Mr. Speaker, these turbot are in waters adjacent to Baffin Island and are not, incidentally, in waters which were part of the recent dispute with the European union over turbot quotas.

Another criteria states that special consideration will be given to proposals involving affirmative action for native participation in the fishery. These applications have my full support.

I rise today to encourage other MLAs, our MP for Nunatsiaq, and the Ministers of Economic Development and Tourism and Renewable Resources of our government to use their good offices to ensure that this year the allocations of turbot quota in area O are consistent with and respectful of provisions of the Inuit land claim; furthermore, that the allocations given preference to those applicants who are most adjacent to the resource: residents of Baffin Island.

I would just like a few moments to conclude my statement with unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Iqaluit is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Mr. Speaker, there are not a lot of opportunities to create jobs or to create wealth in our remote Baffin communities. This opportunity for Inuit enterprises from Baffin to benefit from marine resources in their waters is an opportunity provided to Inuit by the Creator; an opportunity encouraged and entrenched by the Inuit land claim. Last year, unfortunately, Baffin applicants ended up with only 10 per cent of the new available quota. I fervently hope that this year Mr. Tobin will be fair and respectful to Inuit applicants for harvesting rights in their own waters. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has come to my attention that in 1994, housing retrofit contracts for Pond Inlet were awarded to a company named D and B Construction, and have since been given to Kheraj Enterprises Limited from Resolute Bay. I was informed that the owner of D and B was pressured into subcontracting his contracts to Kheraj Enterprises Limited. Chris Lupiano, an official from the Housing Corporation in Yellowknife, met with Aziz in Resolute to discuss the whole issue. One D and B official was contacted on the same day by both the official of the Housing Corporation and Kheraj Enterprises persuading him to subcontract the whole retrofit work to Kheraj Enterprises.

My question would be why the retrofit was not retendered if it wasn't going to be done by the contractor who was given the contract to do it. There are two contractors capable of doing the work presently in Pond Inlet at this moment.

On the other matter, I would like to know what is happening with our review of Kheraj Enterprises Limited local status for Pond Inlet. DPW personnel in Pond Inlet recently observed for themselves that all of Kheraj Enterprises Limited houses and mobile equipment are boarded up; and, though the Kheraj operation in Pond Inlet was set to be seasonal, the local contractors are operating 365 days of the year and maintaining two maintenance garages.

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

The Member for Amittuq is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Allooloo. Conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The two companies that are maintaining maintenance garages and mechanics for their equipment are operating 365 days a year. How can this company be given local status when it operates seasonally? I will state again, Quilaut Construction is forced to compete on the same footing, and they have time and time

again demonstrated their commitment to this community by hiring a record number of local people, which no outside contractors can ever come close to matching.

At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I'll be asking the government those kinds of questions. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to be sounding just like my colleague pretty soon.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, Fort Smith hosted the Northwest Territories Juno Award recipient, Susan Aglukark. Susan sang for the students last Thursday afternoon. The two schools, Joseph Burr Tyrrell and PWK, were entertained by Susan. There were a total of 600 to 700 students that she entertained.

Joseph Burr Tyrrell and PWK, opposed to setting a fee for this concert, decided to request contributions towards a food bank which I believe was set for a very good cause and I would like to commend them for such an initiative. In the evening, Susan sang at the McDougal Centre and certainly sang for a full house.

I want to take the time, Mr. Speaker, to thank Pat Burke for all his work. I commend him for taking on the task and coordinating such an initiative which was enjoyed by all of Fort Smith residents. I also want to take the time to thank Social Services for their funding contribution from the youth fund to be able to allow these students to listen to Susan singing. We all know Susan Aglukark is a role model for the youth of the Northwest Territories and, as previously stated, an excellent ambassador for the Northwest Territories. Fort Smith was very proud to host Susan Aglukark, and welcomes her to come back to our community as soon as she can. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Whitford.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Dent on April 26th regarding the status of air medevac standards.

I would like to provide clarification on air medevac standards in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Health and Social Services is developing two types of air standards. One deals with the training and qualification of escorts such as nurses and others who accompany medevacs. These standards were developed and agreed to by all the health boards. The second one deals with the kinds of aircraft and equipment required for medevacs.

The review process for developing standards for aircraft and equipment will proceed during the first week of May 1995. As per my earlier commitment in the House, I will send these draft standards to Members as soon as they are available. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Ben McDonald of the Union of Northern Workers. Stand up.

---Laughter

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up to my Member's statement, in my discussions with Staff Sergeant Dave Grundy, he said in the last 11 or 12 days, he's had 13 different sets of parents with their kids in to speak to him, worried about the fact that their kids are doing drugs. As I said, this is definitely not just a government problem, but I wonder if the Minister could outline any steps the Department of Education is taking to try to deal with this problem in schools here in Yellowknife and across the territories.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

No, Mr. Speaker, I can advise the honourable Member that we don't have any steps. We work with the boards and the boards are the ones that develop the basis and the rules with which we deal with students.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. I understand the role of the boards, Mr. Speaker, but I think the Department of Education, as it does in other aspects of education, has a certain leadership role that it can play. I think that the Department of Education should at least demonstrate some concern about this issue. I would ask the Minister if he would look at ways that the department can support the boards in trying to deal with this very serious issue.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, if the boards ask us to get involved, we will, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the responsibility of the boards and we will allow them to be the leaders in this area. If they want our support, we will be prepared to help them.

Thank you. Mr. Ballantyne.

Well, I'm surprised to hear that the Minister is not prepared to take a leadership role in this area. I don't think the question that I posed to the Minister is an onerous one, and it is not one, I don't think, that would cause the Minister and his staff a lot of trouble to deal with. What I said is, there is obviously a serious problem in our schools with drugs and I think the Minister of Education and the Department of Education has a role to play in trying to deal with this problem. I'll ask the Minister if he could correspond with the boards and offer the support of the department in trying to deal with this serious problem.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, we are already doing that. The fact is, we've been working with the boards, developing the process by which we are trying to address the whole issue of delivering services which includes the RCMP, social workers, the Department of Education and the boards. The key is we've said the boards must be the leaders in bringing forward a resolution to the concern. We are already working with the boards on this particular issue and a number of other service issues. We are prepared to work with them. It is our view that we support the boards, but it is the boards that should be the leaders in this area. We are concerned about it as well. Some of us here are parents and we take this issue very seriously.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary to the Minister. Could the Minister make available to this House for the June session, a report on the problem of drug use in schools across the Northwest Territories to this Legislative Assembly? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

I'm not sure what report the honourable Member would want, but I can advise the honourable Member that we've already provided documentation of the process we're trying to use to work on some of the solutions. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake has even taken the time to read the documentation and provide us with advice on some of the issues and probably some solutions. He's already involved and other Members have already received the report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to pose a question to the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education is well aware of the South Slave Divisional Board of Education being in a fairly significant deficit situation.

To the degree that I commend them for attempting to address their debt and different people in the community for taking different initiatives to address some of this debt, it is my understanding the initial debt was incurred because of the amount of funding that was given to the boards, particularly for retirement funding. It appears that there was a shortfall in that particular area.

However, the in excess of a million dollars deficit is quite significant for the communities in the South Slave to be able to address this particular area without having it be a detriment to many of the programs delivered in the schools.

This ratio of funding is being reconsidered, from one to 19, to one to 21; and, the high school, from a one to 16 ratio, to a one to 19 ratio. So, you're having some areas that could possibly impact program delivery.

I would like to know whether or not the Minister's department is going to make every effort in order to assist the South Slave Divisional Board of Education in addressing the deficit situation they are now in.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just advise the honourable Member that we have been working with the South Slave Divisional Board of Education.

Just to advise the Member, the retirement funding is not an issue. We have accepted total responsibility for paying those funds out and it's not a liability that is laid within the budget of the South Slave Divisional Board of Education. We work around that.

There are some other factors, unfortunately, that the honourable Member is aware of and one is that people were carrying on expenditures for the last few years with no authority and really with no accountability, including a recruitment of additional staff that was above and beyond the formula and the dollars that were assigned.

Just to indicate to the honourable Member, we have been meeting with Dr. Walter Curtis and Mrs. Ruth Bowden on a number of occasions. We have tried to work the issue out.

Just to advise the honourable Member, the strategy for reducing the deficit is over a three-year period; however, despite that, there will be significant consequences to the program delivery. But my honourable colleague and I know, at least from our discussions with the South Slave Divisional Board of Education and discussions in this House, that this issue is a long-standing issue. The sad part is that some of the previous leadership did not want to deal with it appropriately and the unfortunate thing is that it is now laid in the hands of the new leadership.

So we are trying to work with them, but I can't in any way suggest to the honourable Member that the issue is going to be easily resolved. But we will consider the concerns the honourable Member has raised.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Dent.

The Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, no, the Power Corporation has not secured the Sanikiluaq power station. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, the negotiations have been going on over a period of time; however, there is a very large gap between what the Power Corporation feels is a viable amount that would allow the takeover of the power plant and the price that the government feels that they should be reimbursed for their investment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, the Power Corporation is still interested in taking over the facility and operating it, owning it and maintaining it. However, the issue is price of assets, and it's still in the interests of the Power Corporation to proceed. However, like I said earlier, there is a wide gap between what the Power Corporation feels is an adequate purchase price and what the government feels is an adequate purchase price. The intent of the Power Corporation is to continue to pursue the takeover of the Sanikiluaq plant. However, until there can be some reconciliation on the margins, the Power Corporation will continue to pursue this; at the same time, I would assume that it is still the responsibility of the Department of Public Works and Services to make sure the power plant continues to operate. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, the Power Corporation operates as a company and as a business and has its mandate. They, as a corporation that has to be primarily interested in the ratepayer and what the ratepayer can absorb, make an offer accordingly.

The Power Corporation is also regulated under the Public Utilities Board, which sets some standards on acquisitions and how much can be absorbed over a capital purchase, whether it's new plants or new acquisitions.

So the Power Corporation is operating under its mandate, and I presume that the Department of Public Works and Services, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, is operating on the basis of the investment that they have put into the Sanikiluaq plant. The matter is in a negotiating process at any time and the interest is there; however, the gap at this point in time appears too wide and it would appear negotiations have to continue so both parties can be treated fairly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ballantyne.

Mr. Speaker, I'll use another approach with the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, it was my understanding that the Minister of Education has a responsibility to provide information to this House about the boards. We have no other way of getting it in this House. My question, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister is will the Minister be prepared to write a letter to each of the boards and ask them about the magnitude of the drug problem in their areas and ask for their suggestions on how the government could help, and table those responses here in this House in June? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We'll certainly write the letters. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education with respect to the comments he made in reply to my question on the deficit of the South Slave Divisional Board. The Minister made some reference with regard to comments such as people were carrying on expenditures with no authority or no accountability. The South Slave Divisional Board, I knew at the time, was going into serious debt and at the time had written the Minister many

letters, and I appreciate that he had attempted to address these taking into account the legislation that he's working under.

Mr. Speaker, we all now know that as a result of this debt, significant implications on programs are going to have to be adhered to. As I stated earlier, two of my schools, PWK and JBT, are going to be encountering a five PY reduction for the next year. This will be significant for the students. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not, because of this the poor leadership in the past that has created such a debt, his department is going to address the lack of accountability and authority that was used by expending these funds. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have dealt with the responsibility we have dealing with the whole matter of administration and management. My belief is that the selection of Dr. Curtis is intended to alleviate some of the serious management concerns that arose some time ago and were, in fact, articulated by the department to the South Slave Divisional Board of Education.

I want to advise the honourable Member that some other boards have been in situations where they have had deficits and there was no attempt on the part of the government to bail them out. In other words, I recall the Dogrib Divisional Board of Education and their society being in over a $1 million deficit and they had to find a way to resolve that particular issue. There are others, as well, that are in deficits; I believe there might be two others, and both of those are being asked to do the same thing that the South Slave Divisional Board of Education is being asked to do.

As difficult as it might seem, I think we have to be prepared to recognize that, unfortunately, the results of bad management are such that the consequences aren't necessarily felt by those who created the deficit but are, in fact, having to live with it. That's a very difficult position to put people in but it's nonetheless something we have to address.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that the government did not look at bail-outs of other divisional boards as they went into debt. I don't think the South Slave Divisional Board is asking for a particular bail-out. I know in parts of their funding I don't think there is an equitable allocation of funds. I could go into the specific programs, but I won't. However, as difficult as it seems -- as the Minister stated that bad management created a debt -- at the time the debt was created I also, as a Member, expressed to the Minister my concern and because of the way the legislation is created the Minister's hands were tied and he could not specifically address the point of bad management.

Since then, we have a new divisional board and I'm wondering whether or not the Minister can find a way within his department, through legislation, to be able to assist the South Slave Divisional Board with their deficit situation. Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise the honourable Member that we have been attempting to work with the South Slave Divisional Board, even advising them on the number of options that might be considered.

The other issue is that in some of the formulas, some of the statistical information that was coming in from the South Slave Divisional Board of Education was not accurate. The fact is that on one issue, bussing, for instance, because there was no attempt on the part of the administration to work with the department, we got inaccurate information. As a result of the willingness of the present board and Dr. Walter Curtis to work with the department, we found that the numbers are such that the formula for bussing goes up now as a result of the information that has come back to us. That's the kind of information that, as we work together, maybe will resolve those based only on the formula as it is right now.

The other thing is that wherever cuts are being made there have to be cuts made with consideration for the programs for which we are delivering, also recognizing the responsibility we have for our staff in the region. I know that it's much easier to cut quickly. We have to do those things but, at the same time, we should be cognizant of our responsibility to deliver programs. We'll work with the divisional board.

My view is that the more accurate information we get and the better working relationship we develop, I think we'll be able to bring the board and the region through this difficult financial situation and we'll be able to provide additional support. In some cases it might be financial and in others it might be just management. We will work with them to resolve some of these issues. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier, since I know the Minister of Housing is not here today. The Premier has, in fact, on a number of occasions, gone up to Pond Inlet to discuss contracts; local contractors as opposed to outside contractors. Does the Premier know or is she aware that the retrofit job of the Pond Inlet Housing Association is being subcontracted to a Resolute Bay firm? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the situation and I do have some information from the department. However, given the comments in the Member's statement, I would have to further investigate the issue that has been put forward to us and I will report to the Member later today if I can get further information to look into that matter a little more intensively. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for her very appropriate answer. Maybe while she's looking into the answers, she could also look into why, if the job was to be subcontracted to another company, it wasn't tendered all over again if the main contractor who was given the job was not able to do it. Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, yes, that will be amongst the issues looked into. I will talk to the Member further to get as much detail so we can effectively deal with the matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. I was pleased to note the Minister listened attentively to my statement on turbot applications from the Baffin for area O in the coming year. Will the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism support Baffin applicants for turbot in area O for the coming year? Thank you.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did listen attentively, didn't I? Of course. The quotas are the responsibility of my colleague, Mr. Arngna'naaq, and I understand Mr. Arngna'naaq has had some discussions with Mr. Tobin as it relates to the quotas. I'm in discussions right now with the Baffin Regional Hunters' and Trappers' Association, with Mr. Jerry Ell. I've committed and will commit to him that I will write to Mr. Tobin and make sure that the people of Baffin Island are treated equitably in the distribution of this quota. I hope to be able to accomplish that very shortly.

I'm trying to arrange a meeting with Mr. Tobin on another issue, relating to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, et cetera, and I'm hoping to meet with him in the next two to three weeks. Should I be fortunate enough to arrange a meeting, I will address this issue at that time and, as well, I will correspond with him forthwith. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Government Leader, in the small communities are government employees still able to purchase the houses they are living in?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the two lines of offers that had gone out to employees for purchase of the accommodation in which they live have expired. At the moment, we're doing a review on how we're going to deal with new offers. I hope that when we conclude the session, I'll be able to establish some time line for the matter, to chart a course of action. I know that all across the Northwest Territories there are a number of people who missed the window of opportunity and we're going to address that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm starting to lose my voice too, I think, like my colleague who is sitting too close to me.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I was wondering about the firearm control legislation. Starting January 1st, owners will have to have a firearm licence to replace FACs. Point seven indicates that the chief firearms officer will be in Yellowknife. Are there going to be any firearms officers in the different regions or is that going to be the only one? Thank you.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize, I didn't indicate which Minister I was asking the question of. Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. If there's only going to be one officer in Yellowknife, is there going to be somebody to talk to native people who don't speak English, in case they have questions about applying for firearm acquisition certificates? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If a person is applying for a firearms licence where they can present it to the RCMP, that person has to be only in his community; or, if he happens to be living in another community, does he have to go back to his community to honour that application? There are about four or five pages you have to fill out and get a money order and also a photo. Does a person have to be in his community to turn that application in to the RCMP? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Justice. I intended to ask this question during consideration of the main estimates yesterday, but we were so eager to pass the Minister's budget I forewent my opportunity. What I would like to ask the Minister today has to do with the appointment of the community justices of the peace. How does the Minister, who I believe makes these appointments, obtain advice from communities about JP candidates in a particular community? Thank you.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.