Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Crime Stoppers Association is an incorporated non-profit society with registered charitable status. The association is run by a board of unpaid volunteered directors to assist law enforcement, in particular, the RCMP in the Northwest Territories, to protect and prevent crime.

One of the principle methods of doing so is to publicly solicit and reward anonymous tips, which lead to the arrests of offenders, and often, the recovery of property and seizure of contraband.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police provide the services of members to act in an advisory capacity, Crimestoppers solicits it's funding from private individuals, businesses and service organizations, without whose support the program would not be possible. Presently the Northwest Territories Crimestoppers Association has active programs in Iqaluit and Yellowknife and would welcome the participation of other communities in the Territories.

It has recently posted a substantial reward of $10,000 for information regarding the disappearance of Charlene Catholique. On July of 1990, Charlene Catholique, then 15 years old and a resident of Lutselk'e arrived in Yellowknife to attend the Dene Assembly in Dettah. While she was in Yellowknife, she travelled to Fort Rae to visit with friends. Charlene was reported missing having last been seen in Fort Rae on or around July 22, 1990. She has not been located to date, and the police feel the clues which will identify the person or persons responsible for Charlene's disappearance will be found in the community of Fort Rae.

The police are grateful for the cooperation and care exhibited by the people of Fort Rae to date, but are hopeful the sizable Crimestoppers reward will spur someone on to reveal some clue previously omitted. Due to the efforts of R.C.M.P. Staff Sergeant, Vern White, who has recently been transferred to another jurisdiction, and the volunteer members of the Board of Directors, the N.W.T. Crimestoppers Association has just been awarded an award for most improved Crimestoppers unit in North America, for 1995. This is indeed a notable accomplishment. 1996 promises to be as successful as 1995, as of June of this year, there were 117 anonymous tips and 9 reward payments totalling $3,825, leading to 22 arrests, recovery of $16,375 in property and the seizure of $85,520 in drugs. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that all members will join me in congratulating the Northwest Territories Crimestoppers Association and thanking them for their contribution. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Ministers' Statement, Member's Statement, Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to outline a problem that I see becoming larger and more serious. My constituency in the Community of Pangnirtung are worried about the future of their airstrip, and the air service. Mr. Speaker, anyone who has travelled to Pangnirtung knows that the airstrip is now in the middle of the town, right beside the main school. This town is growing, Mr. Speaker. It is the second largest town in the Baffin region. There are rules that 740 type aircraft may no longer be able to serve the town because of this airstrip and it's location. This is a growing town and great potential for business development. It is the centre for major arts and crafts business. A major tourism destination because it is the entrance to Auyuittuq National Park. It is also the centre of growing commercial fisheries in the Baffin region.

All of these positive elements in the community depend on the air services. The future economic growth of this community is closely tied to the airstrip. To relocate the airstrip is a major project in my community. In Pangnirtung with it's narrow land space and high cliffs, it will be a great challenge, but the work must begin now, the planning of location, the planning of facilities and, of course, the planning of the funds necessary for such a project. It might be easy for some people to say wait for Nunavut, they can pay for that, but, Mr. Speaker we all know that these projects take a long time and we must start now. I will be working closely with the people of Pangnirtung and the Minister of Transportation in an effort to get this project started to the community to continue to grow. Thank you.

(Native Language speaker)

I thought it was today, that we had Slavey translation but perhaps maybe there was not so, I just wanted to recognize the member for the Western Arctic, our MP Miss Ethel Blondin-Andrew, welcome to the Assembly.

Member's Statement, Mr. Picco.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate a constituent and long time family friend, Nunia Qanatsiaq, for her recent Minister's Literacy Award. Nunia is a single mom who began teaching as a classroom assistant in Hall Beach, during the mid '80s. She began taking Eastern Arctic Teaching Education Courses at Retap in 1989. She began working full time in the school, raising her two children, Jonah and Daryl. Nunia completed her Teaching Certificate and recently graduated with her Bachelor of Education from McGill University in Montreal. Nunia was the editor of the Arctic College student newspaper while attending the campus in Iqaluit and was involved with many after-school curricular activities. This mother is now helping to develop Inuktitut resource material while teaching at the college in Iqaluit. She also finds time to visit my wife and I on a regular basis to give lessons in Scrabble, which Nunia and my wife usually win.

I have known Nunia since she was 14 years old. I would like to congratulate this dedicated educator, mother and friend, for her work promoting Inuktitut literacy and her drive and determination through very trying times to complete her Bachelor of Education degree and the recent winning of the Minister's Literacy Award. I look forward to presenting the award in person to Nunia at the end of the month in Iqaluit when I return at the end of the session and standing committee meetings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Members' statements, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is regarding my favourite topic, this government's budget reduction program.

Mr. Speaker, this past Thanksgiving weekend provided me with the opportunity to do some visiting in the Yellowknife area. Almost every person that I spoke to had serious reservations with this government's slash and burn approach to the territorial budget. Mr. Speaker, I was saddened by the contrast of people trying to celebrate Thanksgiving while they wrestle with despair and low morale created by being, or knowing, a government employee who wondered if they were getting a pink slip or a pay cheque for Christmas.

Mr. Speaker, I was beginning to feel like a lone wolf regarding my recent statements in this House relating to job losses and reductions to this government's programs and services.

As we all know, misery loves company. So I decided to contact some Northerners from both the East and the Western Arctic. I talked to Aboriginal, and non-Aboriginal people, employees of this government, whose names I cannot mention, and some who were unemployed. Mr. Speaker, during my conversation, I asked each person's view of this government's cutback policy. A summary of their views, is that most Northerners realize that there must be cuts, as a result of the questionable spending of previous governments.

But the question that surfaced, was, what are these cuts, and what are the costs of these cuts? Mr. Speaker, the business people I spoke to said although they originally agreed to the cost cutting exercise at first, they no longer could support this policy. The general consensus was that these cuts are out of control, and this government is acting more like a bank as opposed to a government concerned about it's people.

Mr. Speaker, generally people do not understand this governments paranoia with carrying a larger and extended debt, as long as it is consistently and responsibly reduced, within a reasonable time frame. If our circumstances, of course were different, it would be easier to tolerate these serious cuts. However, given the fact that very few jobs have been created, and in fact to date that we do not even have a job strategy in place. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Member for Kivalliviq is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement, are there any nays? We have no nays. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. However, given the fact that there have been very few jobs created and in fact that we do not even have, to date, a job strategy in place. We have to consider all that facts. In most communities we have the highest unemployment rates in Canada, we also have the lowest number of high school graduates, we have the highest birth rates in the country and live in one of the harshest climates in the world.

He should also remind the federal Minister of Finance that the NWT cannot withstand these cuts as we are not equivalent to provinces like Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Mr. Speaker, I close with these words, that were spoken to me this weekend by a constituent of mine.

The Premier and his Cabinet do not seem to be listening to the concerns of the public, they have written their own agenda and they are racing ahead at all costs. We did not vote these people in to hurt us, we voted them in to help us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien. Members' statements, Mr. Barnabas.

(through a translator) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (end translator.) ..especially in the north. Housing is critical to survive even in the '90s. There are still very long winters and the wind still blows. Our people have all learned to make their own homes to survive in conditions that no-one else on earth can still believe. Now we have benefitted from modern houses designed in the south, mostly built by southerners and until three years ago, often badly designed and badly built.

The member for the High Arctic is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? We have no nays, You have unanimous consent Mr. Barnabas.

The Government of Canada must maintain the relatively good conditions we have come to expect in the NWT and extend our standards to the reservations in the south. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to raise this issue and I will be asking questions to the Minister in question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Members' statements, Mr. Krutko.

The member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Just to remind the members about ties in this Chamber. I am just looking at the rules. Again, if members feel offended by the way members dress in here, then it can be brought up, if you have an open shirt on, then you should have something that goes with it, either a beaded tie or, I do feel that we take offence to it.

Members' Statement, Mr. Ootes

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Members' statements, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the government's new protected area strategy.

All northerners recognize that we live in a unique part of the world. While many see the arctic as barren and empty, we, who live here, know that appearances can be deceiving. The land has been a fruitful source of life for northern peoples for centuries. Those of us who have lived here for any length of time still recognize the bounty of flora and fauna in the north.

We also recognize that there is great wealth beneath the surface of the land. Most of those who have come to this north over the last 70 years have come either directly or indirectly because of gold, lead, zinc, uranium, oil, gas and now, diamonds that lie beneath the arctic.

Balancing the fragile surface environment with the economic needs and resources below it is an ongoing responsibility. We need both but one must not be allowed to destroy or preclude the other. I appreciate what the government is trying to do with its protected area strategy, we do need to protect our land and our environment to ensure that it is viable for millennia to come. Those who have lived here for generations have much to teach us about, and respect for, the land. But we must also have respect for those interests of those who have invested much time, money and effort into finding and developing the riches that lie beneath the surface.

That is why I am concerned that the government does not appear to have properly allowed for consultation with the mining industry regarding this strategy. I am not saying that we should not protect areas, but I am saying it is wrong to proceed with an initiative such as this without extensive consultation with all stakeholders, not just the federal government, Aboriginal organizations and environmental organizations. The mining industry, as well, should be included as a key participant in the development and implementation of this initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.