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.

Mr. Speaker, one good hospital with good equipment, dedicated staff and enough room to ... (inaudible) ... and service is not too much to ask. Our region has one of the highest birth rates in the world and our mothers are obliged to travel to the hospital for a majority of their births.

The attitude of the government toward this new hospital project is not good enough. I will be working with my colleagues and the Minister responsible to ensure that this project is given the priority it deserves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Here, here.

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Members statement, Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague Mr. Jake Ootes has mentioned this topic previously, I feel however, that the number three highway is very important to the safety and the economic future of the North Slave and the Yellowknife residents. I have looked at the statistics for this road and have found that the ... (inaudible) ... the increase of accidents on the Highway No. 3 over the past few years.

This is a cause that is related to the additional amount of traffic, due in part to the increased amount of exploration involvement of mines.

What will it be like if when BHP and other potential mining groups start production at their sites? It seems to me the accidents on the roads will climb considerably. I know that this government insists that the road will be upgraded, starting in two years, but I believe that we must move this project ahead in order to protect our residents.

Tourists provide economic benefits to the region and also the rest of the western territory. This highway was ... (inaudible) ... into southern Canada as well as the rest of North America, it should be given the first priority. Please consider this as notice to the Minister that I will be asking questions on this very important issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Rabesca. Members statement, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to read a press release from Family Services in Yellowknife, entitled "Re-discovering Family Strengths" and it is in honour of National Family Week from October 7th to 13th, 1996.

"This week we celebrate National Family Week. We join with Family Services Canada and local family service agencies across Canada including our own NWT Family Services to re-discover family strengths and to reinforce family strengths for our own sakes, for the sake of our children and their children and beyond.

We seek to re-discover and celebrate the ways families support and help their members through life's many changes, through life's joys and sorrows.

We seek to rediscover the basics of what families are all about, caring, nurturing, supporting and developing the potential of all their members.

This rediscovery belongs to all of us. To the families themselves and the individuals who belong to them, to the institutions and agencies who serve them in health and education and all the other areas, to communities, to employers, to governments, to all of us working together.

In the words of poet, D.H. Lawrence, "I am part of the sun, as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth, my feet know perfectly and my blood is part of the sea. My soul knows that I am part of the human race, my soul is an organic part of the great human race, as my spirit is part of my nation. In my very own self I am part of my family."

So let us all together, during this National Family Week, and all year long rediscover and celebrate the strengths and achievements of our families. The strengths and achievements of your family and all families in your community.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Members' statement, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statement, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Ms. Groenewegen. Members' statement, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Members' statement, Mr. Krutko.

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

Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Because today, I have an interpreter, so I will be saying this in my own language.

When we were elected to be MLAs to be sitting in this House, we are here to represent all the community, all the people from the communities. So, when we are in the House here dealing with matters, it seems like we do things on our own in here, it seems like we do not involve the people. Right now we are assembling in the fall time, my wish was that I was out there hunting instead, but I think things like this, when we get together like this, we are suppose to be representing the peoples from the communities. There are a lot of important issues that we are dealing with and this will all involve the people from the communities, so I think they should be more involved. Now is the fall hunting season now and I am thinking about the gun regulations, the paper that the federal government had brought out. I often think about things like how these gun regulations affect people out there in the community. The people out in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, they are taking these gun laws to court because they do not agree with the laws. In our part of the country there are a lot of people who use, they use guns to go out hunting. Even the younger kids know how to handle guns, they are allowed to go out hunting, this is the way they are raised. Right now what we are hearing about what the government is saying there is a lack of funding for a lot of projects, so another way people can provide for themselves is to go out on the land and hunt for themselves, so I think the gun regulations, I think we really should support the people of the community on the gun regulations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Members' statements, are there any further Members' statements? Returns to oral questions, returns to oral questions, recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Louie Pilakapsi, Mr. Pilakapsi is the former president of the KIA, former mayor of the community of Rankin Inlet, has been an active spokesperson for Inuit in a claim and the drive towards Nunavut for the last 20 years, a man that I have a lot of respect for. Thank you.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Dorothy Beaulieu, a respected teacher from Fort Resolution who is here today to receive a literacy award, and I would just like to recognize Dorothy now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two of my constituency reps here this afternoon in the gallery. Their names are Coral McSweet and Louisa Smothnic. I think they are still in the gallery.

Thank you, welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko, welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize some visitors in the gallery from the Yellowknife North constituency, Mrs. Caroline Larocque, Miss Charlotte Woods and Beatrice Woods and I would like to add that I have known this family since I was a very young boy and I would like to welcome them to the gallery.

Thank you, welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize some constituents of Yellowknife South, Mabel Loutitt, Angus Christensen and Loli Willy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I would like to recognize a former constituent of Kugluktuk. Richard Hytuk is in the gallery. Thank you.

Thank you, welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister Responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The user pay/user say initiative was one of the new directions of Cabinet, earlier his year and the philosophy there is that, once we let managers manage and departments take care of their own utility costs, phone costs and other costs, that they will be able to manage their resources and money in a more cost effective way and therefore we expect that departments will be able to deliver their own services at a less cost than was done previously.

Thank you, oral questions supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, we do recognize that there may be problems in some areas where we are providing departments with a bit less money than we had spent previously, but that is part of the overall deficit reduction of programs that we have and yes, indeed, we will keep an eye on how the departments are doing and keep track of the progress and really it is too early to tell how the departments are doing, but we do expect them to live within the budgets that we give them.

Oral questions, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Yesterday the Minister of Health said that in reply to a question from Iqaluit MLA that the money for the Baffin and Inuvik hospitals will be found when construction begins. Construction is scheduled for 1999 and the year 2000. Where will we get this money?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The funding for those projects will have to come from a combination of federal funding contributions and from capital estimates that are approved through this Legislative Assembly, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions supplementary, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

I did not hear his reply, but my second question, can the Minister reply what happened to the eleven million dollars that the federal government gave us for the Inuvik and Baffin hospitals?

Mr. Ng, perhaps you could respond to his first question, clarify his first question, and then answer the second one.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, thank you. In response to the first question I indicated that the funding would have to come from a combination of contributions from the federal government for their cost sharing arrangement and secondly through appropriations approval through this Government of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, to finance the projects. In respect to the supplementary question, in response to that, on where are the payments from the federal government, the pre-payments that they have given to this government. As I have indicated in answering questions to other honourable Members, that money has gone into the general consolidated revenue fund of this government in the years that they were received, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. That was two questions. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those are specific detailed questions and I do not have that information here. I will commit to providing that information to the honourable Member.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister of Health, Kelvin Ng, said that the federal government had transferred eight million dollars, but the P.L. Escalator eleven million dollars to the territorial government for the Inuvik and Baffin hospitals, where is the money now?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not know why my answers are not coming through to the honourable Members. I have said that the money, the payments, that have been received on a yearly basis from the federal government have been put into the general consolidated revenue fund of the Government of the Northwest Territories on a yearly basis as they have been received. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, oral question supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The people of the Baffin have been waiting for a long time for their new hospital. When will it be built, now when the GNWT has no money?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated on numerous occasions, it will be built when the financing is secured from both the federal government and from our government, to allow projects in both Inuvik and Iqaluit to proceed in a timely fashion Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral question supplementary, Mr. Picco.

What year will the hospitals be built?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time we do not have a definitive date on when construction would start, or when construction would finish. It would depend on planning out the facilities and securing financing for those facilities Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will cancel my question.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Ootes.

The Minister of Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker if health boards and agencies put forth the request and justified the long term savings as a result of having this type of piece of equipment to provide services for constituents certainly it would be something I would take into consideration. Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I am trying to convey to the honourable Members is the fact that we put in our capital submissions on behalf of health boards and agencies to provide health care services throughout the Northwest Territories, so if there was a request that came forward, from that board requesting this type of equipment, and we felt that it was appropriate, then I would, as the Minister of Health, submit that on their behalf for financing, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly, I am not positive right now what information, what programs that are currently in place throughout the Northwest Territories, but certainly, I will check into that matter, and advise the Member accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Oral questions, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for the sale of staff housing. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise how many staff houses have been sold to date since the inception of this program? Thank you.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd. Mr. Todd, would you like to respond again because it is not in the Hansard, you responded too fast.

No, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Oral questions supplementary. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That eliminates my second question, I will go to my third. Can the Minister advise this House, what is the criteria for a staff person who wishes to be eligible for a housing unit?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They have to live in the house, I believe, at this time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. Speaker. I can assure you Mr. Todd, these are my questions. Can the Minister advise the House how many units are presently owned by staffers and how many are owned by private corporations or development corporations? Thank you.

I do not know if the Minister will have the details, but those types of questions could be in written format for the Minister's response but, Mr. Todd.