Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Good afternoon Members, orders of the day, Ministers' Statements, Mr. Dent.

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

Mahsi Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to inform the Assembly that a senior official of the Department of Transportation is receiving national recognition for his contribution to Canadian transportation.

Mr. Masood Hassan, Director of Transportation Planning in the Department of Transportation since 1991, is being presented with an award of service by the Transport Association of Canada at its annual conference this month. The Association gives this award each year to a few selected individuals who have made a long term contribution to the Association and to Canadian transportation.

The citation for the award states that Mr. Hassan is among a selected group of transportation professionals in Canada who have successfully contributed to all aspects of Canadian transportation, encompassing professional practice, teaching, research, and publications. Mr. Speaker, I ask members of the Assembly to join me in congratulating Mr. Hassan in this achievement.

Ministers' Statement, Mr. Todd

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate later time today I will table the annual report of the Workers Compensation Board for the period January 1 to December 31, 1995.

In 1995, 5,865 businesses registered with the W.C.B., of these more than 3,100 employed one or more workers, 3,600 claims for compensation were accepted, 64 percent from engine workers between 25 and 44 and more than half from Fort Smith region. In addition, 19 traditional harvesters or their dependants received benefits under government agreement initiated in 1994. The W.C.B. awarded the supplementary pension increase last year of 1.3 percent, equal to the increase in the C.P.I. It also recommended a $1,500 increase in the year's maximum insurable remuneration. YMEA announced an 8 percent reduction in the average assessment rate for 1996. Major time loss claims were reduced, there were fewer requests for review, and fewer appeals of decisions.

Employer assessments totalled $24.4 million last year and $13.3 million was realized from board investment. The W.C.B. paid out 3.2 million for workers injured in 1995, and $14.2 million for those injured in previous years. An additional $24.4 million was set aside to cover the future trust of any and all existing claims. Of the year ended in 1995, the W.C.B. was fully funded, it had maintained its capacity to reserve at the required level of $4.7 million, and added a surplus of $7.8 million to its operating reserve which now totals $13.9 million.

Well, there is no doubt, Mr. Speaker, that the Workers' Compensation Board has met its statutory responsibilities. The true measure of this organization however, is that it did it, did more than it was obligated to do. The Board took steps to improve both its fiscal responsibility and customer service. A new investment policy and governor's plan were developed as a result, W.C.B.'s asset mix was changed to put more emphasis on equity investments. International equities were added to the mix, and clear rules were established for rebalancing its portfolio. The safety initiative and rate reduction production was implemented to promote safety in the workplace, and make the collective liability system more equitable. Employer claims manager was introduced without employers taking an active role in managing their workers compensation claims. Industrial classifications were reviewed in 1995 and the number of sub-classes were reduced to provide greater stability for the investment rates, Mr. Speaker. An extensive policy review was undertaken, a new policy manual is now available for all stakeholders.

A program was developed to promote safety amongst the North's artists and carvers, and to increase their awareness of the coverage available from the W.C.B. A special needs audit was performed on pensioners with significant disabilities, approximately 50 employers in 12 communities participated in the board's on the job training program to return workers to the workplace, and over 2,000 unemployed workers took part in the safety training.

Mr. Speaker, in the coming years, the W.C.B. will meet its new responsibilities for occupational health and safety, it will continue to address the expansion of non-renewable resource industries and prepare for the vision and the growth of Nunavut. I would like to personally commend the board of directors and the staff of the W.C.B. for providing a strong foundation on which the NWT/WCB can address the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Ministers' statements. At this time I would like to recognize a group of grade 5 and 6 students from Weledeh Catholic School and their teacher, John Cain, welcome to the Assembly. Members' statement, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my honour and privilege today, as MLA from Tu Nedhe to recognize the well-known and well respected and well-loved of my home community of Fort Resolution, in announcing this year's literacy award winners the Honourable Mr. Dent, has already told you about Dorothy Beaulieu. A teacher who is helping to keep the Chipewyan language alive for both children and adults in Fort Resolution. And how her support of aboriginal language development makes her a valuable role model to others in the community. Dorothy, along with four others will be recognized in a brief ceremony, later this afternoon, in the Great Hall.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell you a little more about Dorothy, who is in the visitor's gallery today. And explain to you why she is a special and valued member of our community.

Dorothy has taught kindergarten and the Chipewyan language and culture program at Deninoo School, in Fort Resolution for the past 21 years and she started teaching at a very very young age. As the first teacher for young people entering school for the first time, Dorothy makes a point of greeting them personally and warmly as they enter her classroom. With that kind of welcome kindergarten or school is no longer a scary prospect but rather a place where the kids go to visit Auntie Dorothy. And after 21 years of teaching, you can imagine how many students were greeted by Auntie Dorothy and how many lives she has touched and changed.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be able to speak today about Auntie Dorothy and I will be very proud to present the literacy award to her later this afternoon.

On behalf of all of Fort Resolution, and the hundreds of people who she has taught and encouraged, I would like to thank her for her strength, her warmth and her caring.

Our community and the lives of our young people are richer because of her.

Mr. Speaker, everyone basically in Fort Resolution knows Dorothy Beaulieu as a kindergarten teacher. Everyone affectionately addresses her as Auntie Beaulieu, including myself. We do that with the greatest of respect because she has made many many changes and encouraged young people to continue their education and encouraged them through their first years in Deninoo School, including all four of my sons.

With that I would just like to add a special thanks to Auntie Dorothy.

Mahsi cho.

Thank you. Members' Statement, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would personally like to thank the Premier, first of all.

On August 1, last summer, that he was able to present a reward to my riding and I would like to thank him personally for what he has done to my riding. Thank you.

Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I advised the House that I would not be in Assembly yesterday due to the fact I would be in Iqaluit. Over the weekend members of Baffin Central and I attended a joint meeting of Isabella Bay Steering Committee and officials of NTI.

The Isabella Bay Steering Committee is a committee of Clyde River Hunters and Trappers Association of which I am a member.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the people of Clyde River and NTI and the protection of Isabella Bay area. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Ningark. Members' statement Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, early last spring, the honourable Jim Antoine, Minister of Transportation, agreed to strike a committee to review the Keewatin

resupply issue, which included the proposed Rankin Inlet tank farm.

Mr. Speaker, the committee consists of all members of Keewatin, a representative from the KIA, three MLAs from the area and a representative from the Infrastructure committee. The Minister of Transportation also asked if I would chair this committee and I agreed to do so.

Mr. Speaker, meetings were held in Arviat and Baker Lake and a third and possible final meeting will be hosted by the hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet early in November.

Mr. Speaker, this committee has retained the services of Mr. Peter Allen to act as independent consultant to review all information and data compiled in this issue, and also to verify and support all options that may be available to the committee. To date, the committee has been presented with five possible options relating to the best solutions for the Keewatin resupply issue. During the last meeting at Baker Lake, the committee, stakeholders and delegates were presented with the options, pros and cons, of each option as well as the capital funding required for each.

Mr. Speaker, the options were as follows:

Base Case, which is the status quo, Churchill.

Modified Status Quo, full hub,

Rankin Inlet, split hub.

Direct resupply, and

Mixed hub.

Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that a great deal of new information has come to light, during the review of the fuel resupply study and it is fair to state that things have changed since the original presentation was released by this government approximately a year ago.

Mr. Speaker, it is also fair to state that the recommendation that will be agreed to will be based on capital funding available and also which option will best serve all Keewatin communities in a fair and equitable manner.

Mr. Speaker, it is the committee's intent to have a formal report ready for this house with a feasible and equitable recommendation by year's end.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I would like to thank the members of the committee, stakeholders, and all of those who participated to date in this review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien. Members' statement, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays, you have unanimous consent, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Member's Statement, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to share some interesting statistics with my honourable colleagues today, I have here figures comparing the problems of Prince Edward Island with the Northwest Territories. I am providing this information because there is an important lesson to be learned from it. As the smallest province, PEI's population is closest to that of the Northwest Territories. Our population is 66,000 whereas PEI has 137,000, our government's budgets are similar. In 1996/97 PEI had an $800 million budget, and the Northwest Territories had a $1.2 billion budget. We expect to spend about 3 - 4 million in interest charges this year. Prince Edward Island's government had to allocate over $120 million to service their debt which has grown to almost $1 billion, that 120 million represents 15 percent of the total expenditures of the province's government and is the second largest item in the budget next to salaries of provincial government employees. In our case, Mr. Speaker, that percentage would represent over $180 million, we have already made substantial cuts in this years budget to stay as far away from that debt such as PEI has. You imagine what $180 million in cuts would mean in the Northwest Territories, it would mean cutting out 100 percent of our capital projects, or could it mean cutting the size of the public service in half. The fact, Mr. Speaker, is that we simply can't handle a debt load of that size. At least Prince Edward Island gets 60 percent of their revenues from sources they can control. In our case only about 20 percent of our revenue is from sources other than from the federal government. We have to learn from the mistakes of others, we do not dare let ourselves get into the situation similar to that of Prince Edward Island, we must balance our budget as soon as possible. Our plan as an Assembly upon approving this year's budget was that we would

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Members' Statement, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For many years my people have been going to hospital. For them a trip to hospital was not down the road. Many of them have travelled by ship, airplane and even railroad to get to a hospital in the south. Many of our relatives did not return from southern hospitals, even now, we are still locating the graves of our relatives.

Mr. Speaker, our people have very mixed feelings about hospitals over the years but we all agree that getting a hospital in our region was a vast improvement over ending up in Hamilton, Ontario. We still travel a long way to our hospital and it is still complicated. We recognize the reality that a hospital for each community is not possible. We also recognize that there is only one hospital in the Baffin region. Fifteen thousand people in an area of two thousand kilometres from end to end with some of the most difficult weather and flying conditions in the world.

Mr. Speaker, if we can only afford one hospital in these circumstances, then it must be the best possible. We have learned that our existing thirty-five year old hospital was planned for a replacement many years ago and that the Government of Canada has even been paying instalments towards this replacement. We learned yesterday that these instalments have been swallowed up by the GNWT's general operating fund and have been spent.

Shame.