I wish to thank Elisha and Komo for performing the traditional Inuit spiritual song to open our session today. Elisha and Komo are from Iqaluit. I would also like to thank the Deputy Premier for making the arrangement. Thank you.

Orders of the day, Ministers' statements, Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from the House today to attend a funeral in Fort Simpson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Ministers' Statements, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' Statements, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker National Foster Family Week runs from October 20 to October 26.

In recognition of this week, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the people of the north would like to extend their gratitude to foster families.

Foster families care for children in need and contribute to protecting our children and our future.

Fostering is a challenging and demanding responsibility, and requires great courage and energy from those involved.

Communities and the child welfare system depend on foster families, whose services allow children to remain in their community when they cannot live with their own families.

It is also important that children be placed with foster families from the same cultural background wherever possible.

Although every community needs foster families, some communities do not have enough families willing to perform this important service. This means that some children will have to leave their own community to get the care they need, disrupting their school and support system.

I hope more families will join the fostering program so children in need can have a better chance at success as they will receive quality care in a stable environment until they can return to their family home.

Mr. Speaker, I call on the Members of this House to join with me in recognizing foster families for their efforts, diligence, and tireless caring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Ministers' statements, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Ministers' statements, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to provide the members with an update on Addiction Services Reform.

The Department of Health and Social Services has undertaken an extensive review of the way in which it administers Addictions Services.

While the Department has traditionally allocated large amounts of funding to address the problems of addiction, there have been varying perceptions as to the effectiveness of this program.

The reforms will address some historical funding equities, such as the over- and under-funding of community programs, and the lack of services for youth, while at the same time encouraging greater community ownership of community problem, and potential solutions.

I would like to provide Members with a brief summary of the steps the Department is taking.

The Department is reviewing the feasibility of formula funding Addictions Services to communities.

We will continue to move towards per diem treatment centre funding. There are alternative ways of doing this, which we will explore.

These are extremely complex issues and Department staff are presently reviewing the implications of moving control for Addictions Services to communities and regions.

In two years time we anticipate that treatment centres will be 100% funded on the basis of a fee-for-service.

This process will result in treatment centres being more responsive to people's needs and offering a broader range of services. As well, it will allow centres to explore other markets.

Mr. Speaker, the Department also recognizes the need for early intervention and is therefore committed to directing more funding to youth services.

Initiatives like youth treatment will be supported; however, to do this existing addictions funding will have to be re-profiled.

We must move to address addictions' issues when they first emerge, rather than waiting for them to escalate into full-blown treatment situations.

We will address the issue of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect and try to prevent these problems, rather than allocating our resources to deal with them when they have already occurred.

Mr. Speaker, the referral process is also being reviewed and a much less confusing system will be in place by the new year.

Community-based addictions projects standards and treatment centre standards will be in place for the new fiscal year.

These will provide long-needed guidelines for staff and the ability to monitor program effectiveness on an ongoing basis.

System reform should promote greater accountability for funding, improved after-care for clients, and a clear justification for why communities are funded at specific levels.

Mr. Speaker, many of the changes I have discussed have financial implications, however, it is very important to note that these changes will improve Addiction Services to those requiring treatment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Minister's Statements, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my culture when babies are constantly upset or ill we change their names. We change their names to give the babies a new life and a new more positive attitude. I am not suggesting that changing a name is always used when there is a problem. What I am saying is that in my culture we are used to changing names. We will often change a name to suit a new situation.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I stand today to recognize the name change of Coppermine to Kugluktuk, which in my language might mean that there is falls over there - water falls, and Lake Harbour to Kimmirut, and there might be a place there that looks like a hill according to the name change. While the former names have great historical value, they did not recognize the traditional names that have been used by the peoples of these areas.

Mr. Speaker, these name changes also recognize that communities are taking great pride in their traditions and culture. These names are not new. They have been used for generations by the people who live there. These names have more geographic meaning. They express a cultural and social meaning to the people.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and all the Members of this Assembly to join me in congratulating the people of Kugluktuk and Kimmirut for these historic name changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Ministers' statements. Members' statements, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Your time is up.

Member for Hay River is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays, Mrs. Groenewegen, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements, Mr. Steen.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the process of developing a constitution for the new Western Territory took a big step forward with the release of the Proposed Draft Constitution. We all know that this is not a perfect document. In fact, the final constitution of the Western Territory may very well be quite different, but it will serve as a starting point for public discussion.

The citizens of the Western Territory now have the opportunity to study the proposal, to look at some alternatives, and to make suggestions and criticisms if necessary. There are elements of this proposal that many will appreciate. On the other hand, there are many elements that many will find distasteful. While I hope the debate over the constitution will be civil, I do not expect it to be one-sided. I am quite prepared to listen to feedback from all residents of the western NWT even though I know much of the feedback will disagree with the proposal or will disagree with my thoughts and opinions on our future constitution.

Anyone who thinks this draft constitution is going to sail smoothly through the seas of public opinion is sorely mistaken. So, for any Member of this House to respond to criticism of the draft proposal with demeaning or disrespectful comments is completely unacceptable. I sincerely hope that every Honourable Member in this House can keep an open mind in preparation for the feedback that will come from the public regarding this draft proposal.

One of our Honourable colleagues from the east often tells us, and this House, about the need to have a thick skin. Well, he is right. We are not here to assume that the public will always agree with us or even that we will always agree with each other. We have to be adult enough to accept criticism, to treat it with respect and to use it as a base for debate and discussion that will lead to solutions that will benefit all northerners. To do otherwise is small minded and petty and I expect better from my Honourable colleagues in this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements, Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to try to understand some of my colleagues' concerns over Community Empowerment.

Over the past number of years, this Government, in one form or another, has supported the idea of government services, the best job of the people within the communities. It is the community organization and community leaders that have the best knowledge of the residents and how best to service them. This initiative has been called many different things over the past years.

The one window approach is one of the first recently with the previous government, it was called community transfers, and now it is called community empowerment. Each initiative has its own good points and bad points. But as a whole, communities have the benefit, benefit considerably from this type of devolution.

As this Government has evolved and has become more responsible for its finances, so have the communities. They understand what is required to take on more responsibility and if the community can demonstrate their expertise, knowledge and their willingness to take on extra duties, then we should be encouraging them, not chastising, this from some of my colleagues.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I encourage all communities to investigate areas that they feel comfortable in taking control. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members' Statements, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the House began sitting on October 2, we have had some, at times, heated debate from the capital expenditures to community empowerment. By questioning the government on these and other matters, members have shown the public that debate, requested by electorate, has occurred.

Appearing in News North, Nunatsiaq, The Hub, or the Inuvik Drum, makes my day. But, seriously, Mr. Speaker, when I review the Hansard each day, the questions put by the ordinary members are concise and, in most cases, suitable for all audiences.

Compare if you would, Mr. Speaker, debates with some of these same members with the 9th, 10th or 11th Assembly and you will see some of the same issues debated again and, surprisingly enough, it depends upon which the side of the House you are sitting on when you made those statements for and against.

I have had calls from some Mayors in the West, asking why I am against community empowerment. Mr. Speaker, I have never said I was against community empowerment but I am against the current speed and process. As some members know, I was a member of the first Community Justice Committee, set up in the eastern arctic more than six years ago. That is community empowerment. I would like to see all contracts, leases and sole-source contracts published like other jurisdictions, like B.C., the amalgamation of DPW, Transportation, the Housing Corp. needs to be debated.

Today the feds do not fund or build social housing units. But with a federal election coming next spring, they might begin to fund and build social housing. But, we will not have a dedicated department, because it has been amalgamated. Mr. Speaker, all these areas have been talked about over the past couple of weeks.

The role of the ordinary Member is to provide the check and balance needed, making sense of this Government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of attending Kitikmeot Inuit Association in Gjoa Haven on October 15 and 16. Many issues were brought forth to the Assembly. Many very important issues, one issue that struck me in one presentation from the group was the young people attending Kitikmeot Inuit Association, I would like to thank Kitikmeot Inuit Association for inviting the youth from Kitikmeot region, allowing the youth to make a presentation. Mr. Speaker, there is a willingness among the young people of Kitikmeot, and the elders from Kitikmeot, to work together. There is a willingness of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association to listen to the young people of Kitikmeot Region.

Mr. Speaker, many important issues coming from the young people were brought to our attention. I have the opportunity and am privileged to have listened to some of the very important comments from the young people. Some of the issues that were brought up were teen pregnancy, suicide among teens, the young people wanting to have more youth representation on boards, which sometimes we seem to overlook. Young people want to have more insight in the communities across the NWT, and young people were speaking from the Kitikmeot Region.

Young people wanting to have more follow-up when a young person, or young people, attend meetings, or board meetings, they wanted to have more follow up. I think sometimes I tend to forget what we hear from the young people because we are not paying attention to our future.

Mr. Speaker, young people want to have more drop-in centres in their communities. More importantly they want to have resources from the Government, from the community government, from the regional government, from their Aboriginal organizations, which we do not seem to be doing. Since we always talk about young people being our future, Mr. Speaker, this is the time that we do something about our future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Members' Statements, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Members' Statements. Members' Statements, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is on a Mining Institute and I listened with pleasure to the statement that the Minister made earlier concerning the training initiatives in the mining industry; however, I think that we have to do a bit more than has been done so far.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we need a concerted effort to take advantage of all these job positions. We need technicians, we need to be able to put a couple of years towards a degree or college diploma. I still think that Yellowknife is the best place to put this. People from the smaller communities could come here. We know that there are two mines right here in Yellowknife and other outlying mines in the neighbourhood where people could do their practicums, and I think that it could be quite well done.

We know that within these last impact benefit agreements there has been a precedent set. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Statement.

The Member from Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays. There are no nays. You have unanimous consent, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated I believe that this government has helped to set a precedent, as impact benefit agreements with the mining industry that wishes to open new mines, and that is so that the people of the outlying communities will be guaranteed jobs in those new mines; however, guaranteeing jobs in the mines is not going to help people if they are not trained in that area. We need meaningful training to take advantage, Mr. Speaker.

That training, without training, even with training, we cannot possibly fill all the jobs from the people in the communities, the smaller communities. There is not enough people that are interested to work in the mines. So, we are going to have to train other people, as well. That includes the larger centres: Yellowknife, Hay River, Rankin Inlet, if they want, whatever.

As I was saying there are a lot of jobs out there and I am not just talking about pre-employment, I am talking about training people in prospecting, millwork, mine safety, mechanics, electrical, miners, trammers, hoistmen, surveyors, engineers, truck drivers, mill operators, mechanical engineering technologists and technicians, welding engineers and technologists, industrial maintenance mechanics and other mechanical and welding skills, millwright mechanics, heavy duty equipment mechanics. All these are areas that require training, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate what the Minister of Education is attempting to do with his very, very, limited budget, but that is not enough, Mr. Speaker. We have to take the bull by the horns, we have to put some real money into training and it is the rest of us here, that have to agree, that the Minister can have this money so that he can put some real training in place. Possibly to start a mining institute, if not a mining institute, at least, a large branch of the college that could look specifically into this area.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that as soon as the college institutes some types of new training, everybody takes it, simply because they do not want to go south for their training. If we start this, I am sure the place will be full of people learning to take advantage of the jobs in the mining industry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Members' Statement, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Members' Statements. Members' Statements. Returns to Oral Questions, Mr. Todd.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Erasmus on October 8th, with respect to claims rejected by the WCB.

I apologize, this is a fairly lengthy reply, Mr. Speaker. The number of claims denied, or rejected by the WCB in 1995 was 124. With regard to the appeal process there are two levels of appeal. The first level is the Review Committee which carries out documentary reviews of claims and revenue decisions. The Review Committee usually holds it's review within 35 working days of receiving the request for review.

The Appeals Tribunal is the final level of appeal. It consists of a member of the board of directors as chairperson, it has two members represent the workers' and two members representative of employers. The Tribunal sits in hearing panels of three, comprising of the chairperson, or acting chairperson, and one member from each representative worker/employer group. The Appeals Tribunal can only hear appeals of decisions reached by the Review Committee. It holds oral hearings or documentary hearings.

Delays can occur from either the Tribunal or the appellant; for example, the Tribunal may require additional information, or the appellant, may not be ready to proceed. On average the last 30 completed cases have taken 188 calendar days each, from the date the appeal was received, or reactivated, to the date the decision was reached. There are no time limitations in which the appellant must file a review of an appeal.

At the end of 1996 the Appeal Tribunal had 21 appeals to be heard. Whether or not an injured worker would receive some allowance from the Workers' Compensation Board while their appeal is in the process would depend on the issue being appealed if the claim had been denied then no benefits would be paid to the appellant while going through the appeal process.

If it was determined by either the Review Committee or the Appeal Tribunal that the claim should have been accepted then it is possible that benefits would be issued retroactively. In the event that an injured worker was receiving a pension, but was appealing the percentage of their pension award, or another issue on the claim then they would continue to receive the monthly pension while going through the appeal process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Returns to Oral Questions. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a Return to Oral Question for Mr. Antoine, Minister of Transportation, on the Broughton Island Airstrip. On Monday, October 15, 1996 the Member from Baffin Central asked him about the condition of the Broughton Island Airport and the Department of Transportation's expenditures on its repair and maintenance.

The Member was correct in pointing out some of the physical deficiencies in the runway and lighting system at the Broughton Island Airport. I am pleased to report that this year, 1996, was the first of a four year program of extensive reconstruction at the airport. The project has been staged over several years to extend maximum opportunities for local involvement and employment.

This is the first year of the project involving crushing a 20,000 cubic metre supply of gravel for the job and relocating the access road to meet Transport Canada's zoning regulations. The Department has entered into a $380,000, two year, full authority, contribution agreement with the Hamlet for road construction.

Next year, 1997/98, the Department plans to begin runway reconstruction. Again, the purpose is to bring the airport up to meet Transport Canada standards and involves adding pre-threshold landing areas and widening of the runway. The Department has not yet completed the final design work, but an estimate of the project expenditures over two years is approximately $1.5 million.

The Member mentioned in his question that the airport is very close to the ocean and exposed to wind and spray. Indeed, the reconstruction plans call for the placing of armour rock on the apron embankments as protection from the waves in stormy weather.

The existing runway lighting is twenty years old and due for replacement. Once the earthwork at the airport is finished, the Department has scheduled the installation of new runway lighting in 1999/2000 at an estimated cost of $580,000.

From start to finish, the reconstruction of the Broughton Island Airport will cost roughly $2 million and bring the airport fully in line with Transport Canada's airport safety standards.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Returns to Oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have three returns to Oral questions asked by Mr. Krutko.

On October 4: with respect to the status of negotiations with the Tl'oondih Healing Society. The total cost of southern referrals to addictions treatment facilities in the 1995/96 fiscal year was $879,046. However, referrals to southern Canadian addictions treatment centres are not a regular practice, and only occur when appropriate northern programs are not available.

Non-medical southern referrals have been dramatically reduced. We are currently making changes to the medical referral system, including a policy change which will restrict southern travel to those cases that cannot be accommodated in northern facilities.

Return to Oral question asked by Mr. Krutko on October 8: with respect to methods to achieve community wellness. A commitment to community wellness means that communities will play a greater role in determining their own priorities for their healing and wellness programs.

In the area of addictions, the government is moving away from providing core funding to facilities and phasing in a per diem system. Once this is fully in place, communities will have the resources and will be able to determine where they purchase treatment for their residents.

Therefore, the government cannot ensure that any program, including the Tl'oondih Healing Camp, will receive funding over the long term. This will be determined by the communities they serve.

Mr. Speaker, a final return to oral question asked by Mr. Erasmus on October 16, 1996, in respect to policy - placement of aboriginal children with aboriginal foster parent families. I can advise that, as of September 30 of this year, there were 76 aboriginal children in foster care in Yellowknife. Fifteen of those children were placed in available aboriginal foster homes. As there were only five aboriginal homes available, the remaining 61 were placed in non-aboriginal homes, each of which is committed to supporting the values of the child's natural family.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Return to Oral questions. Ms Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two returns. One was asked by Mr. O'Brien on October 15, 1996, on reductions to Emergency Measures funding.

Mr. Speaker, like any public funds, JEPP is subject to annual review by the House of Commons. Although I cannot guarantee for the Member that further cuts will not occur to JEPP, I can assure him that no such cuts are planned at this time, and there is no move to eliminate the program.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have another return to oral question, asked by Mr. Henry on October 10, 1996 on community empowerment.

Mr. Speaker, planning for community empowerment and transfer of authority for programs and services is proceeding, as I have outlined in this House.

These transfers will be achieved through Block Funding Agreements between our government and each individual community. These agreements will outline the results expected and the necessary reporting, monitoring and accountability requirements for the transfer programs and services.

Block Funding Agreements will also have a provision to permit changes to reflect any new or improved arrangements that become available as a result of the Municipal Financing Review.

Mr. Speaker, the Municipal Financing Review will deal with a number of broad and complex issues, such as taxation and revenue generation. These issues will require extensive consultation with communities, the NWT Association of Municipalities, the NWT Association of Municipal Administrators, and MLA's, and will take time. Therefore, we have set an outside date of April 1, 1998, for implementation of any new financial arrangements. It is possible we could complete consultations and make changes sooner, but this may be unlikely given the complexity of some of these issues.

The experience we gain with community empowerment transfers over the next year will, Mr. Speaker, assist the review of municipal financing. We will have first-hand knowledge of the kinds of accountability, monitoring, and flexibility communities and the GNWT both need.

Our review to streamline and improve municipal financing will proceed in parallel with Community Empowerment transfers. Community Empowerment Block Funding Agreements will be rolled into improved financing arrangements that are developed after full consultation with communities and MLA's.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms Thompson. Return to Oral questions, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Return to Oral questions. Item 5: Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two individuals in the Gallery. The first constituent, Mr. Larry Aknavagak, former Mayor of Cambridge Bay and the current Chairman of the Nunavut Impact Review Board. With him, is Mr. Bill Tillman, legal counsel for that same Board, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to recognize today Basil Boudreau who is a new Catholic priest in St. Patrick's parish here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Father Boudreau, as he comes from the island that I was born on, Cape Breton Island. Father, welcome to Yellowknife.

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome to the Gallery, a well-known journalist and investigative reporter for the Globe and Mail newspaper, Brian Lahgi.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Are there further recognitions? Item 6: Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process that was used for developing the paper that was tabled yesterday in this House was by the Constitutional Working Group that, I believe, reported to the CDSC. I sit on that as a western MLA, I do not sit there to represent this House, so I would not want to pre-empt any decisions that group as a whole would make, along with Mr. Steen and the western Members, so I cannot really answer that question, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Morin

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government has not had an opportunity as of yet to review the document that was tabled in the House. I do not think that I can respond to that question yet, thank you.

Oral questions, Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that there are some suggestions floating around throughout this process. Not one man one vote, but one person one vote, for sure. Because everyone has a vote, man or woman, so I am pretty sure, people are talking about one person, one vote. There are also people talking about whether or not the aboriginal groups, 5 out of 7, have to ratify that agreement, as well as, public plebiscite where it is 50% plus one and, all three, as well as, the majority of western members to support it, and then you need all three to move ahead. That is my understanding, some of the stuff that people are suggesting today. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, final supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there is a ratification for liquor plebiscites throughout the Northwest Territories, there is a process in place. It is my understanding it would be the Assembly's decision to the democratic process to bring in a legislation on the ratification of this issue that you are talking about, the constitution. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson. That was two questions, I believe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member remembers that in May, I tabled a document, finding the right balance options for changing land development practices to be used in the consultation process for this initiative on land reform. This summer the Cabinet approved the book to go into the communities, it is in the communities, and the headquarters staff have provided workshops with our regional staff on Land Reform Initiatives and regional staff have distributed the options paper to the community governments.

We are waiting to hear from the communities, what they would like us to do and I know in Nunavut that after the land claims, the Nunavut communities chose to only lease lands which was a decision to be in effect for 20 years, so we are in a consultation process right now, and, we are also doing community land administration programs.

As a matter of fact, a student from Aklavik, Sandy Stewart, was selected to be the first student to receive the Practicum Excellence Award last night in Rankin. We are consulting with the communities, I know in Nunavut what the Nunavut Land Claims has done to lease the lands for 20 years, but I do not know what the details are on owning the lands in this area, but we are waiting to hear from the communities what they want us to do in regard to their properties, in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions, supplementary. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand, banks are willing to loan money for the lease of these lots and other information that I have here is that land, only policy for western land claims settlement areas, will be reviewed in the near future. I will get the staff to look into the problem in the area of the member, and we will deal with the problem. Thank you.

Oral question, supplementary, final supplementary. Mr. Krutko.

Ms. Thompson.

What I can offer the member, there will be a new administration program being offered in Inuvik and I believe, that will be in January, if Fort McPherson wishes to take on land responsibilities, I would urge the member to encourage his community to send someone to this program, so that they will be able to inform at the local level on land issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, oral question. You have a point of order, Mr. Krutko, your point of order.

Mr. Krutko, you don't have a point of order, and the other thing is that with regard to the rules of Ministers, when a Minister is answering questions, the Minister may answer it, he may take it on notice, or else decline to answer, by saying nothing. Just to remind the Members, this is the Minister's prerogative, the way he answers any questions.

Oral questions, Mr. Roland.

Thank you. Who is that directed to? The Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions, Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Oral questions, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs. The Minister congratulated two communities today on a name change, and I would also do the same. My question to the Minister is could she describe the process used by a community to determine how to change a name. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have the details on the process, but it is started by the community. As I understand it, the change for Kugluktuk happened in January. I was just announcing it today, because the hamlet building had not been changed. The process takes quite a long time, it is initiated by the community. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister mentioned that she did not have the details available. Could I get those details at a later date? Thank you.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. We will give all the details and all the steps to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. You all heard in this House, I think it was last week, Mrs. Groenewegen made a statement, in relation to Northwestel and their atrocious service, in regards to people being put on hold for a long, long period of time. I have had several complaints as well, from people having to wait for about ten, fifteen, sometimes even twenty minutes. My question is, is there anything this government can do to influence Northwestel to improve their service?

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a major customer of Northwestel, I will have the Minister responsible get in touch with Northwestel to let them know about our dissatisfaction with the service to our Northwest Territories residents. Thank you.