Good Morning. Orders of the day. I am sorry, the chair does not recognize a quorum. The chair recognizes a quorum. Orders of the day, Minister's statement. Mr. Morin.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise members that the Honourable John Todd will be absent from the House today to attend a Ministers of Finance meeting in Ottawa.

As well, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Jim Antoine will also be absent from the House today to attend a funeral.

Thank you.

Thank you. Minister's statement, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Minister's statement, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Ministers' statements. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue. The Member for MacKenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Just to remind the members that to run the clock out before you ask for unanimous consent. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Member's statement, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Member's statement. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have an emergency announcement to make regarding the sealift to Grise Fiord. There is a problem right now.

I am asking for support because the Minister of Transportation is absent right now, perhaps the Premier can assist me in this emergency situation regarding the sealift to Grise Fiord. The ship is currently in Pond Inlet, right now, but due to ice they are unable to make it to Grise Fiord.

Now what is going to happen to the sealift that is due to Grise Fiord, because they are unable to make it to Grise Fiord right now. What is going to be happening now with the load destined for Grise Fiord?

Thank you. Member's statement, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since my statement in this House on Wednesday, October 2nd regarding this government's bleak financial state and a recovery plan, I have had many supportive calls from various residents in my constituency.

Mr. Speaker, my concern is over the path of our financial recovery and how it is working.

Mr. Speaker, we have listened attentively to debate in this House regarding the disappointment and frustration over capital projects being deleted such as the Arviat Health Centre and other much needed essential services and infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to reiterate my deep concern over this government's deficit recovery program. Members have had the past number of months to listen and review with constituents, the impact of these cuts and also of potential future cuts.

Mr. Speaker, for example, the department's restructuring of departments such as Renewable Resources and Social Services is having a drastic impact on the communities of Arviat and Baker Lake. There is a real concern that our communities may be stepping back in time only to remain there with the loss of these jobs. Even the promises associated with division in 1999 will be difficult to overcome the damage this government will inflict with this drastic budget cutting exercises.

Mr. Speaker, in recent national news it was stated that the lifestyles of senior citizens in Canada are bordering on poverty. But here in the NWT, we are increasing their rent in government run facilities, in some cases, taking away fuel subsidies that will directly affect NWT residents who most need it.

Mr. Speaker there is more recent national news that the federal government is not in the sorry financial state that it said it was. With this in mind, I would suggest that we may very well be on the wrong track, a very critical mistake we cannot afford to make.

Mr. Speaker, is it time to reconsider the Deficit Elimination Act? Is it time to dissolve the BIP and replace it with full contract authority agreements to the hamlets and towns with strict conditions to protect and assist local contractors and businesses?

Mr Speaker, before we inflict any more pain and despair on the people of the NWT, I would once again strongly recommend that it is time this government to rethink its agenda, cutting and slashing.

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

The Member for Kivallivik is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker before any more pain and despair on the people of the NWT, I once again strongly recommend that it is time for this government to re-think its agenda of cutting and slashing, in all areas, and focus on improving our health, education and housing programs before it is too late.

Mr. Speake,r I will close by saying that the people of the NWT deserve better and, if nothing else at least, for this government to take a second look to see if our cost-cutting agenda could do with some refocusing and fine tuning based on measurable criteria and public acceptance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien. Member's statement, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to address the issue of future job markets in the mining industry.

We have the responsibility to make sure northerners are ready and trained for jobs with the BHP mine and not give the company a choice to hire southern workers. Let's train northerners for those jobs. Rather than wanting hiring guarantees from industry, that we may not be able to live up to, we need to have northerners ready to take those jobs.

We can not afford to give BHP the choice. Let's ensure northerners take those jobs. Let us get trained, let us show BHP the merits of hiring northerners.

In this present job market, prospective employees cannot expect employers to come calling. Those looking for jobs have to become aggressive.

Governments should most definitely place strong demands on investors, such as BHP, to hire northerners. But governments should not stop there. They should be telling and assisting northerners to prepare for those jobs. Talk to the companies, find out what types of programs are needed and how the education system, in conjunction with the mining industry, respond to those needs.

Premier Morin has made comments on guaranteeing jobs to northerners but he must also recognize what the companies want for employee qualifications and assist prospective employees to present themselves accordingly. Employees must make the effort to get qualified if they want a job. Filling out an application is not enough.

Mr. Speaker prospective employees should keep going back, or phoning the personnel departments of these companies, thereby demonstrating that yes they want the jobs and are ready, willing and able to do their part.

Later this morning, I will be asking the Premier what his government is doing in this area, to ensure that we have a northern workforce available to take those jobs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Member's statement, Mr. Picco.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Recently the federal government announced more cuts and reductions to the CBC.

Mr. Speaker, the CBC radio and TV service is the only one available in many of our smaller communities. These services have help sustain and enrich the usage of native languages. Unlike southern jurisdictions where there are competing private radio and tv stations, thus any reduction to local programming by CBC would not be felt as hard. However in Nunavut and most of the western arctic, this is not the case. People rely on the CBC to provide the only outlet for local news, weather and native language programming.

Any reduction to these services would have a drastic effect on our people. The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, has struggled, for the past few years, on less and less funding. Reductions to CBC native programming would compound the problem.

Many times we have said that our situation in the north, is unique. In the case of radio and television services, it is and can be dramatically demonstrated. CBC radio is a lifeline for the residents of Nunavut. We do not have the luxury of competing private stations. This government has to realize this and take it in account.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister responsible and the Premier to lobby on behalf of the CBC Northern Service immediately and will question the Minister later today on this topic.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Member's statement, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not want to make statements on unhappy issues but we all know it is different in different situations and some have health problems.

First of all, during my members' statement yesterday, I indicated that 13 people passed away from my constituency since April of this year. I would like to make a correction of that number to 14. Andy Awa was a close relative of mine. He died of a heart attack. I would also like to extend my apologies and my condolences to the family of Andy Awa.

Now, I would like to clarify the circumstances of an accident on August 27th, concerning a two-year old child, which happened during a caribou hunting trip outside of Igloolik. The child burned by a heating stove and I feel that it is important to get the facts out in the open.

From the reports I received, those involved did everything they could to help this child receive medical aid, including the RCMP and the nurse. The staff at the medical centre and George Qulaut stayed up the whole night, keeping in contact with one another. Two other men who were able to reach the victim, Dominique Angutimarik and John Nattaaq, were in constant communication as well by CB radio.

However, the weather was out, making it impossible for the helicopter, which was already in Igloolik to fly out to the camp site. It was dark outside and when morning came, so did the fog. People question as to why the medevac did not deliver the victim immediately to the hospital in Iqaluit. The aircraft can only fuel up in Hall Beach and not in Igloolik, to return to Iqaluit. But even when the weather cleared up in Igloolik, the fog still remained in the other community.

While it is very sad for this to happen and we feel for the mother and the father, there is nothing more that could be done. There is no one to blame; all the people involved did what they could under the circumstances.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. Member's statement, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member's statement, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We heard that tomorrow is Teacher's Recognition Day. When I heard this, I would like to thank the Minister of Education. I have been a teacher before, I know we work many hours in the evenings and in the mornings and teaching Inuktitut you do not just work with Inuktitut and we also deal with illustrations including changing graphics depicting trees to other things that are more appropriate to our landscape in the east. For aboriginal people this has been a tremendous effort and I would like to recognize their achievements as teachers as well as the people that come to our communities who were not aboriginal but have come into help us educate our children and to look after them in the schools. I would like to extend my gratitude and to recognize them.

Young children, when they enter school, is a joyous occurrence. And it is interesting to see how they progress throughout the school year. As you notice their developments it is a very joyous thing to observe.

Also it has been very satisfying to be a teacher and to see the efforts that the parents put into working with their children.

At this time, I would ask for an extension of my Member's statement.

I want to apologize first of all. I guess we did not put the time on to see when your Member's statement would have been completed. But you could conclude your statement, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you all. Mr Speaker, as I was saying when teachers work closely with parents and when school is out for the season and summer break is upon us, it is interesting to listen to the parents expressing their gratitude over the local community radios and at this time I would like to thank the teachers coming on behalf of the parents who have worked hard to ensure our children get a proper education here in the NWT. We encourage children to stay in school and I would like to recognize the efforts of the teachers in the NWT. Thank you.

--- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Member's statement, Ms. Groenewegen.

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

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member's statement, Mr Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Member's statement, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Member's statement, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I spoke about diamond evaluating and sorting plant and the fact that we have all heard this government say they are going to be innovative and they are willing to spend money to create jobs. Mr. Speaker, today I am going to speak about the start-up of a mining institute in the North, which, of course, involves this government being innovative, creative and spending money. Mr. Speaker, every year the Northwest Territories loses at least 150 jobs in the mining industry to the south, simply because our people are untrained to take the jobs of people leaving, turnover. We also understand that there is going to be approximately 600 permanent jobs created at the BHP mine and I would like to know what good are those jobs to us, if we do not have trained people to step into them. What good are those jobs if they go to southerners or newcomers to the North. We need a commitment from this government to spend real money on training, real money, Mr. Speaker, not piece-meal. Recently the Royal Commission came here to town, they confirmed that Aboriginal people are the least educated and the least trained people in Canada. They confirmed that aboriginal people, because of this also have the worst employment record in Canada. The Royal Commission says we need to turn our liabilities into assets. This means training people on social assistance, putting them to work instead of draining our coffers. What this needs, the Royal Commission says is a massive infusion of money, federally, territorially and provincially to training. Of course, this does not only mean Aboriginal people, we have a lot of other people out there who need training. The Mining Institute, Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays?

There are no nays, Mr. Erasmus. You have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A mining institute will provide formal training to people to work in the mines up north, including BHP, including all the other mines around here, Giant, Con, the other established mines and we also know that there are at least four other mines that are on the verge of opening. They all require people to work there. Could also prepare people for mining technology at the Universities and Colleges in the south. I propose that we would take long term northerners first in the mining institute, others, of course, it would be open to as well. People in the communities could go to wherever the mining institute is established. Obviously my preference is Yellowknife, but it could be Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Resolution. Cost factor of course, would have to be looked at.

As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had indicated and we had heard many times this government is willing to be innovative, and ready to spend money for jobs and I challenge this government to be innovative and to spend money and to found a mining institute in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Member's statement, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you Mr. Ootes. Member's statements. Are there any further members' statements? Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors to the gallery. Oral questions. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, in view of my Member's statement today, will the premier agree that he will indeed take a second look at our cost cutting agenda? Mr. Speaker, before the Premier addresses my question, I would like to also point out this fact, my home town of Arviat, with an exploding population of approximately 90 babies a year being born, this government stopped building social houses and has constructed only seven new access houses this year. Mr. Speaker this tells me we are not on the right track. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. As the Member maybe aware with his background with the housing corporation that the federal government who has a responsibility, ultimate responsibility, for supplying Aboriginal people with proper housing units three years ago, cut to this government approximately $47,000,000, basically cut the rug from underneath our feet of supplying housing to northern people. Even though that the federal government had cut $47,000,000 from capital projects in the Northwest Territories, specifically housing. We as a government never cut, as a matter of fact, we increased the dollars that we put into construction of social housing in the Northwest Territories, and today we are still building the same amount of units that we built three years ago. Approximately 340-400 units a year. So, I think we are on the right track of putting that we can afford into the right programs. For the Member's information as well, we fully realize that for every ten houses to twelve houses we can only build one, but we just do not have the dollars to put any more money into the housing program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Oral question, supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker the Premier did not answer the jist of my question, and that was, will he agree to take a second look at the cost cutting measures that this government has put in place. Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I made very clear in my ministerial statement at the opening of this session, that we as a government are willing to relook and revisit the things that we put into place to make sure that we balance our budget before the next fiscal year. But also we agreed to do that with conjunction of the Members of this house, to talk about that in this house and to debate that issue, whether what we are doing is right or wrong. I believe what we are doing is right. If we do not get our financial house in order, we will never see our way out to doing the proper things for people of the Northwest Territories unless we end up with a balanced budget. If we continue to go and spend and administer the way we are doing when we first came to office, all we will be doing is talking about how we pay down the interest rates in the future. Thank you.

Oral question, supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Is that a yes or a no?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As members have heard in this house in the last few days, is that when we agree to things we should stay the course, when we agree to things, once we have come to agreement, we should move ahead and follow out the plan. So the member can take it as a yes or no, but what I am saying is that we have set the course and we will stay the course, until we balance our budget. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. The Minister of Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his lengthy question. I believe under a point of order that this question was posed two days ago to the Honourable Premier, and it was taken as notice at that time, and I will commit to getting back the

information to the honourable Member as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question, supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Point of order, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just elaborated that this item was taken as notice two days ago by the Honourable Premier in response to the same question from the honourable Member. So I ask that we follow the rules of this house, that I will report back accordingly to that notice of motion. Thank you.

Regarding your point of order, Mr. Ng. You do not have a point of order. The Premier has responded to the Member for MacKenzie Delta by saying that he will take it on notice. Mr. Minister, you did respond that it was taken by the Premier on notice, but you did not say that you were going to take it on notice either so, the question continues until you advise the house that you will take it. Oral questions, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice. Thank you.

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions, Mr. Steen.

The Minister of Justice, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the situation. The RCMP are currently doing a minimum standards review of their detachments throughout the Northwest Territories to see whether or not the safety of their members, in single member and dual member detachments, may be compromised by the fact that they may be under staffed. We do not have the final results of that review. But I would to advise the honourable Member and all Members of this House that the allocation of police members, of RCMP members to communities is strictly an operational priority of the RCMP and within their mandate because of the fact that they have to take into consideration their operational requirements, particularly as it pertains to safety. So I will further check into the matter on the status of what the policing of review is and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions supplementary. Mr. Steen.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will certainly convey that information to the RCMP and make sure that they involve the community and apprise them of developments as they come about, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our staff informed us that negotiations are still ongoing with BHP, as well as, aboriginal organizations, Aboriginal First Nations, are negotiating with BHP, Treaty 11, Treaty 8, the North and South Slave Metis, as well, the Kitikmeot Inuit peoples and those negotiations are proceeding. My understanding is that they are going to need the time right until Monday and we still have issues outstanding but those negotiations are ongoing.

I would just like to say for the Member's information here, that we have people from the Department of Justice and RWED involved in those negotiations as well as, people from my office. Some that have worked as long as twenty-four hours a day and some two days straight without even changing clothes. So they are working very hard on behalf of northerners to make sure that northerners' interests are protected. We feel confident that it should come out positive in the end. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Ootes, supplementary.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Also the Department of Education is involved in those negotiations and I apologize to them for forgetting to mention them.

The way we have approached these negotiations and always have and what we have always said, is that we are in partnership with the aboriginal groups of the Northwest Territories. We are there to assist them, as well, as much as we can. Both negotiations, as far as I understand, are moving ahead and hopefully by Monday we should be able to report more specifically on this issue.

Oral question, supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would never...I know how important this for Northerners to make sure that northerners do benefit from any development that happens within our country, so it is very important for all people of the Northwest Territories and it is setting new precedent for the Northwest Territories on how development will be happening.

As far as I understand from the information I have received from staff that the negotiations with the aboriginal organizations is moving ahead fairly well. I cannot stand here and talk for my chiefs because chiefs speak for themselves, so that is the perception of what the government sees. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from my region we have major concerns with the process for registering nurses in the NWT. The current registration process is guided by the 75 Nursing Profession Act that does not allow as much flexibility as the association in the regions would like.

My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is, can the Minister update this House on what measures his department is taking to rectify these concerns? Thank you.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speake,r I am not aware of these particular concerns at this time, I will check with the department and find out what they are and what progress is being made, if any, on this matter. Thank you.

Oral questions, Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, oral question, supplementary Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral question, supplementary. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, I wish to make an emergency statement and my question will be directed to the Premier since the Minister of Transportation is not here.

There is a serious emergency situation in Grise Fiord. The ice conditions are the worst in living memory. There is a stretch of 60 miles of heavy packed ice which has prevented the cargo ship, carrying goods for the hamlet, the Housing Association and the Co-op from reaching the community.

This ship is currently in Pond Inlet and will be returning to Montreal as it cannot even try to return to Resolute Bay because of the bad ice there as well.

The Canadian Coast Guard ice-breakers have tried to assist, travelling from the Kitikmeot but the ice is now so bad that they cannot help and will have to return to their base in BC via the Panama Canal.

The plan is to return the goods to Montreal and attempt the following:

1) Use food mail via aircraft for goods that qualify.

2) Ship other goods by truck to Yellowknife and fly it to Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord, items that will fit in the plane.

3) Store all other good until next year.

Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is whether this government would have any emergency resources to assist in flying in goods to Grise Fiord as the Co-op is the only store in town and their only source of food, clothing, and dry goods?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The role of transportation is to communicate with the Canadian Coast Guard. The Member has information that seems more information than I have on this issue in front of me today.

Let me assure the Member that I understand it is a serious issue and we as a government will do everything possible to make sure that our communities have adequate food levels and supplies in their communities to survive through the winter months.

We also have emergency measures that we can use and that is cost shared with the federal government.

So right now, people from the Department of Transportation as well people from Public Works as well as people from MACA are working on the issue to make sure that community is adequately supplied for the year to come. Thank you.

Next oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

No.

Oral question, Mr. Roland.