Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, later today I will table a copy of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development's Business Development Fund Annual Report for the 1995/96 fiscal year.

Members are provided on a regular basis with a list of contributions which my Department has approved to businesses in their constituency. In this report a summary and breakdown is provided of all the contributions approved in the preceding fiscal year.

I am pleased to make this information available to Members of the Assembly and to note some of the highlights of the report which are evidence, I believe, of our ongoing commitment to assist the private sector and to help business enterprise grow and prosper during these difficult times.

The Department approved 246 contributions during the 1995/96 fiscal year with funding averaging $12,456 per approval. Consistent with trends in other years, the Department made a greater number of contributions to level 3 communities as compared with those in levels 1 and 2. Evidence, Mr. Speaker, that funds are going to the most needy businesses - those who by virtue of their remote location share systemic constraints to growth.

In keeping with our efforts to promote opportunities with and for Aboriginal businesses, I am also pleased to note that contributions to Aboriginal businesses accounted for 78% of the total fund with the majority of these approvals toward business creation projects.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the spirit and enthusiasm of the Northwest Territories business community and extend to them our commitment for ongoing service and assistance. Through the efforts of the business community the economy of the Northwest Territories will continue to grow at a significant rate.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. October 21-15 this year is Small Business Week across Canada and as the Minister responsible, I wish to acknowledge this occasion, and salute the many entrepreneurs and small business people who make their living in this sector across the North.

As Minister of this Portfolio, I have the privilege to meet with many small business people on a regular basis and to learn first hand about their ideas, their challenges and their aspirations.

As a group, small business people tend to be tenacious in pursuit of their enterprise. This quality, I believe, is critical, given the current economic climate and the challenging environment we have here in the North. To prosper and survive in this environment, small business people must be resourceful, they must be visionary and they must live their business 24 hours a day.

Apart from the skills and determination which small business people require, they also need access to capital, information, and marketplaces. There are many agencies and financial institutions where small business people can acquire loans or contributions. Our own Business Development Fund provided some $3.1 million in contributions in 1995/96 alone to some 246 applicants, and the Business Credit Corporation provided $8.0 million in loans.

There are new efforts as well to establish improved ways of accessing capital. I am speaking here about our Government's efforts to work with the Federal Government to establish a New Immigrant Investor Fund which will provide new sources of offshore capital for investment into the Northwest Territories. This Government is acutely aware of the frustrations which small business people face in their efforts to acquire sources of capital and we are making efforts to improve this situation.

The key to business prosperity in the future will be information. As we enter the 21st century, a new age of business enterprise is emerging characterized by global markets, new technologies and a new and heightened competition. To remain competitive, the small business person in the North will require information. This information will be the currency of the future.

Recently I signed an agreement with Industry Canada to establish a new Canada/NWT Business Service Centre. This new centre, which is currently in operation on a trial basis, houses some very advanced computer equipment and will connect the North to a wide range of business oriented databases, both public and private. I invite Members of this Assembly to an open house scheduled for the 17th and 18th of this month to see this centre and to develop an appreciation of its capabilities so that you can better advise your constituents about the services which it has to offer. The centre I believe, will be a valuable aid to small business people who can call in on a 1-800 line and seek information about products, markets and Government services.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work that small business people do across the North. On behalf of the Government, I offer our recognition to this key group of Northerners who continue to contribute so much to our growing economy. I invite you to join me in extending our support on the occasion of this upcoming Small Business Week to this key sector in our economy.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, a new digital communications network will link all NWT communities to the information highway by March of 1998. In anticipation of this development, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has produced a new site on the World Wide Web.

The new website will provide one-window access by computer to the Department's programs and services for the public, as well as resources and courses for students in the school system and colleges. For example, the website will provide students with on-line access to the Encyclopedia Britannica. By the first semester of 1997, many secondary students will be able to take courses on-line.

The website will also provide a central location for teachers to share ideas and resources, including support material, course outlines and lesson plans.

Concerns have been raised for many years, Mr. Speaker, that students in remote locations may not be receiving the same standard of education as those in larger communities. The new communications network will ensure that all students have the same access to learning materials.

Mr. Speaker, the Department is working with Divisional Education Councils, the two Yellowknife Divisional Educational Authorities and the public colleges to make sure the web site can support distance learning, extension of high school grades, and provide better opportunities for students of all ages across the Territories.

To keep pace with advancing technology, the Department has committed $1.2 million this year to initiate the Information Networks Development Project. The project includes the design and delivery of programs and courses, setting up a central, computerized source of information, and enhancing the use of local computer networks among community educators.

We intend to assist educators, staff trainers, their clients and learners of all ages, in all communities, to develop and use the technology effectively. The Department is now evaluating proposals from Divisional Education Councils and the Colleges which address these areas.

The web site has been developed for the Department by a new Yellowknife company. The Department has also recently called for proposals from northern companies to produce web pages and computer graphics. None of these companies existed until the information highway came to the North. This shows that the information highway holds a lot of potential for jobs and other economic benefits in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I invite Members of the Assembly, and members of the media, to drop by and try out the website on the computers which Department staff have set up in the Legislative Library. Staff members will be available throughout the afternoon and after the session ends today to show you how the website works.

The Department's new web site will continue to expand as new resources are developed and added. I hope you will explore the site today, and return to it frequently in the coming months.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today the honourable Member from Nahendeh will be tabling a Draft Constitution Package on behalf of the Constitutional Working Group. Over the summer, Members of the Western Caucus of the Legislative Assembly have been working with the members of the Aboriginal Summit to prepare this package for consideration by the people of the western Northwest Territories. For the first time, Representatives, public and Aboriginal Governments came together, not to negotiate, but to work as partners towards a common goal. Although the Constitutional Working Group involved partnerships between two Governments, we also tried to involve those who represented other interests. We kept the Northwest Territories Association, the municipalities and the Status of Women and the Native Women's Association in touch with our work.

We move into the crucial consultation phase, where the Western Caucus has guaranteed a place at the table for these groups through the public Government side.

Mr. Speaker, when people see this package, they will have many questions. Why can we not keep what we have? Why do we need a partnership between public and Aboriginal self-government? Why are there guaranteed seats for Aboriginal Governments? Are Aboriginal people giving up their inherent rights to be part of this proposal? Why do some people get to vote for two representatives?

Mr. Speaker, members of the Western Caucus and the Working Group also had these questions. While we did not agree on everything, most of us agreed with the explanations put forward. We decided to give the package a chance. Hopefully over the next few months people across the Western Territory will also do that. They will raise questions and seek answers. Where they do not like the answers, we hope they will not walk away, but give constructive suggestions for how to make this package better.

The Working Group was operating under very tight time lines and focused energy on producing a concrete package. As a result, there are also questions which the Constitutional Working Group does not have answers for yet. For example, while most members have talked about the concept of "one person, one vote" in a ratification process, there are many ways that could be done. We will have to look at the details of this ratification process.

The members of the Western Caucus support a full consultation process to gather the response of our constituents for this draft package. We do not see the package as a final choice, but rather as a blue print which we can refine together. Learning from the comments and suggestions of the public...Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

Learning from the comments and suggestions of the public, we will continue to work in partnership with the members of the aboriginal summit towards a final constitution package which has the support of the residents of the New Western Territory.

It is now time for the people of the Western Territory to give us feedback and direction on the package being tabled today.

Mr. Speaker, there is much to talk about over the coming months. We all have a role to play and a contribution to make. We all want what is best for the Western Territory, for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. The members of Western Caucus urge all residents of the Western Territory to seize this historic opportunity. In the next eight months, lets continue that partnership which has been developed over the summer. Let us find a solution we can all live with as we shape a truly northern destiny. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to open my statement by complimenting members of the Constitutional Working Group for the time and effort they have devoted to drafting a Constitution Package. This committee was assigned a daunting task. They were asked to design a form of government that blends Aboriginal institutions with parliamentary democracy. They were given about four months to do it. Given the mandate, I believe their model takes important steps towards achieving the goals of combining public government and self government. Having said that, I also believe this package is going to cause much debate. I know many of my constituents will find the ideas in the document adventurous.

Mr. Speaker, the time to review this draft is restricted. I encourage citizens and groups of citizens to become involved in the dialogue. We need participation and we need consensus. The stakes are too high to allow the politicians sole ownership of the process. In the coming weeks and months, I am going to do everything in my power to ensure the voices from Yellowknife centre are not lost. I want my constituents to be heard and I want to make their opinions count as we finalize the package. Finally, I want to be sure everyone has a chance to vote on the final draft in a plebiscite.

Mr. Speaker, let me close by saying I am heading into this process with an open mind and open ears. I will be taking directions from my constituents. Thank you Mr. Speaker.