Thank you, Madam Chair. I listened with great interest to the member and, I also know the process that mining companies go through to develop mines in the north. It has been a long, long time since a new mine had been developed in the Northwest Territories. The process is complicated, the process is not clear, the rules are not clear. It is a federal government responsibility for the license. What we do is we facilitate that, hopefully through the devolution of those powers from the federal government to the territorial government, and in partnership with our aboriginal partners in this venture, so we can clarify that for future developments.

We, as a government, took a very straightforward stand, that development in the north is going to benefit northerners. And I thank the member from Yellowknife Centre for his full support on that government stand. Because that is how we ended up with what we got through the socio-economic agreements, community benefit agreements, and environmental agreements that were signed. That is a learning process for the people of the Northwest Territories. It is also a frustrating process for the people, not only the mining companies, but the people themselves; whether they be chiefs or ministers in this government, it is a frustrating process. Hopefully we can clarify that and make it work better for all parties to be involved.

It would be nice if people who wanted to develop, whether it be an oil well in the Tuk area or a mine in Yellowknife, if they got off the plane and they had one-stop shopping, they knew where to go, all the claims were settled, and the aboriginal people had their issues addressed as well. But it is just not real today. It is not going to happen today. So we are going to have to continue down this road and learn as we go. And, I guess, the federal government will make up the rules as they go, as well. They are the ones who make the rules.

We will continue to try our best to assist the aboriginal partners as well as the mining companies to develop and create economic opportunity in the north. When we said we were going to focus our approach and focus our priorities, we said also that we did not forget the priorities that we have set. They are very fundamental to the decision-making of this government.

Community empowerment--we have had that debate. And I thank members for their support on that initiative. It is just as important as creating jobs in the mining industry. People have to take control of their own lives at the community level. They have to make their own decisions at the community level. So we are in full support of that and will continue moving down that road, and I will assure the member that community empowerment will not be put on the back burner, if he is worried about that. Thank you.

Madam Chair. Once again, as Mr. Ootes has mentioned, we run the risk of repeating comments and questions that were asked by your fellow MLA's. My comments reference similar statements that Mr. Ootes made, along with Mr. Picco, and so on.

My prime concern, when reviewing the sessional statement, refers to job creation. I note in the statement, I believe it states that there was great progress made regarding job creation. That may be true in the western arctic and it may be true, more in particular, to the BHP project, near Lac de Gras, but I can assure you that little or nothing has happened in my region, where we have the highest unemployment per capita in the country, at times running up to 75-80%.

We are, at this point, working our way into the second year, this thirteenth Assembly, but still, to my knowledge, there is no strategic job employment plan that has been finalized and presented. With reference to mining, it is true that there is some activity in my area, but we are certainly years away from the establishment of a mine. That will certainly bring us into the year 2000 or more. We cannot afford to wait for the mining industry to do what needs to be done right now, and that is to create more employment, or employment period, for the people of the Kivallivik, and of Nunavut, in general.

I would ask the Premier, what can he offer that will lend some comfort to the people of the Kivallivik? As I indicated, a mine is maybe in the near future, but we are still talking years away.

I will close off with this final comment. We have been concentrating this last year on taking jobs away and layoffs because of our budget situation. In Baker Lake alone, which used to be the regional centre for social services for the Keewatin, as of the last month or so, there are 4 PY's that are eliminated. It is no longer the regional centre. Those PY's are either gone, or have been located to Rankin. So, as you can see, the end result for my region, and the view does not look very good--once again I ask the Premier, what can you offer to provide a level of comfort to the people of the Kivallivik, and to Nunavut, in relation to job creation?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will not respond to the 4 PY's gone out of Baker Lake, because I do not know that issue, but as far as comfort to the people of Mr. O'Brien's riding, his riding is not that much different that many other ridings in the Northwest Territories. We do have generally across the Northwest Territories a high unemployment.

The bit of comfort I do have to offer people is that we have encouraged them to get educated, to get themselves trained, to make themselves ready for jobs. People may also have to make themselves ready to become a little bit more mobile throughout the Northwest Territories in order to get those jobs. By becoming mobile, there is work available in other parts of the Northwest Territories.

We as a government are very supportive of infrastructure programs, which I said previously, may help out in his riding a bit. Training initiatives that we are doing may help out a bit. With division happening with April 1, 1999, with a decentralized government, I understand that is what they are going to do, that may help out a bit.

But I have to make it clear to the member, the government can no longer be the engine of the economy. Economic development is not building a new building in my riding. I know some people think that the few jobs the government creates could be what is perceived as economic development, but it is not. That is government building infrastructure, and government can only afford to do that for so long. That will not continue to happen.

It is going to be up to the people to create jobs in the communities, to come up with ideas to move ahead, whether that be a tourism operation or whatever. People have to be encouraged to seek out assistance from this government, which is there to help them, to create jobs. But it is going to be the private sector that drives the economy, not the government. And people have to become mobile, and get themselves educated and go to work.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This all sounds fine, but unfortunately it does not really provide or increase the level of comfort for the people in the eastern arctic, or in particular, in the Kivallivik. You referred to putting the onus on the residents, and I can agree with you to a certain degree, but I think to a much greater extent, that the major portion of the responsibility should rest with this government, and in particular, with Cabinet. Further to that, I believe that the departments could be doing a lot more to encourage and to create employment in the smaller, off-road communities.

The initial part of my question was regarding the strategic job employment plan that we are awaiting, and I will ask the question again. When can we expect to get that? We certainly do not want to wait until 1999. Would the Premier please answer that question, as to when it will be completed, and when will we expect to receive it here in this House? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do not totally like to disagree with the member from across, but I will disagree on the issue that it is the major responsibility of government, and especially Cabinet, to create jobs in his riding. It is not. It is the major responsibility of his riding, the people in his riding, to create that economic activity. We can facilitate it. We can work with him to do it. But no one, and I would be speaking for nothing if I said, we are going to be everything to everybody, we are not, and it is simple as that. People in the communities who have ideas for economic development, bring them forward, and all ideas will be looked at, and all ideas will be evaluated and moved ahead on its merit.

As far as the job creation strategy, all the departments are working on job creation that are involved in it, and I will be happy, in the next session, to table the work that they are doing, and then we will compile it and put it together in 1 package, if that is what he wants, and we will do it. Thanks.

Certainly, Mr. Premier does nothing to increase, as I indicated earlier, the level of comfort when the Premier and the Cabinet are saying that they do not or should not accept the major responsibility for creating jobs in the communities. I find that somewhat unfortunate, I guess. It is my thought, and I believe most of the people in this room and in the communities, that they are counting on this government, and the Cabinet, to do just that. And I think, if you are saying that is not your major role, we would at least ask that the various departments facilitate the environment for these jobs to be created. I do not see that happening. All I see happening in my area is the loss of jobs. There has been nothing done to create jobs or to facilitate the environment for these jobs to be created. That is my main point, and my main concern. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not one to run around the country and tell people that the ship is sinking, I am the only one that can save them. That is how I look at the statement the member made. Because you have to be realistic in this world, Mr. O'Brien. Our communities have a high level of unemployment, not only your community, mine do too. It is up to the people in those communities to come up with some ideas on job creation, on how they can move ahead, and how they can get trained, and how they also can become mobile. It is up to us as a government to create the atmosphere for economic enhancement in our regions, and we are doing that. The doors are opened. But, I am not God, and neither is Cabinet the apostles. But let me assure you, that you, yourself have to take some ownership of this issue. If you are an elected official from your region, go in there and work with your people to create some work, give them some ideas possibly, if they do not have the ideas. But I will not be doing that. If they come up with the ideas, we will help them to develop them. We will help them to create that work. Thank you.

Mr. Premier, I certainly realize, more so than a lot of people around the table here that you are not God, with the eight apostles. If that were the case, we would be in serious trouble.

--Laughter.

We had come up with what we thought was some positive, constructive ideas, which would in the end, create some jobs. One for example was the construction or renovation of the Arviat Health Centre. Yourself and the rest of the Cabinet did not see fit to allow that to continue. Therefore, those jobs were lost. It is like beating a dead horse. It is very difficult. That is a prime example where yourself and your Cabinet could have assisted my community and the community of Baker Lake, to provide employment. The Arviat Health Centre. That is just one example. I wish that I had to opportunity to give you more examples, but unfortunately that is about all we had in the capital budget. At any rate, these are the smaller things that could happen, and that could be encouraged, and supported by yourself and your Cabinet, not only for my community, but for other communities. I am not saying, and I am not expecting that you, Mr. Premier, would have the answers to solve all the unemployment problems in my communities. I know you do not. All I am requesting is that you at least, along with your Cabinet, facilitate the environment to create some jobs, some employment, some opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With the greatest respect for the member, regarding the renovation of his health centre in Arviat. There was another need in another community with very high unemployment, and that needed a building, and it was a higher priority, and that is what ended up happening. We are committed to working with communities to create that atmosphere. But as I said previously to the member, government will no longer be the engine of the economy. The private sector is going to do that. What we have to do is work to facilitate, and work to encourage and develop an atmosphere for economic development. government spending, whether it be building a brand new health centre, or building a school, or whatever, is very short term stuff. We have to work on getting a long-term economy going in those communities. We look forward to working with the member and his communities on developing what they have in that region. So, I look forward to those ideas, Mr. O'Brien, and look forward to those ideas coming out of your community, on how to do that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final comment. I will hold you to those promises, Mr. Premier. I have been somewhat disillusioned and disappointed with the fact that one could come up with all the good ideas in the world, but if they are not getting the support of yourself and the Cabinet, there is not much you can do. So we will work toward providing you with the ideas in order so that we may create some more employment in my communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the statement of the Premier and the Finance Minister both emphasize the reduction of the deficit. On page seven of the statement of the Premier, "first we must focus on priorities, on division, improving economic conditions and addressing social problems." Mr. Chairman, those are the words of the people of Nunavut, 20 years ago, dreams and aspirations of the people of Nunavut, begun 20 years ago. Because they feel the governing body was too far removed from the Nunavut area, in this case, Yellowknife and Ottawa, they found themselves not being able to determine their future in the Nunavut area. People of Nunavut wanted to be able to determine their future destiny on economic conditions, social problems, et cetera. They want to be full partners with the private sector, in this case, mining, petroleum, and so on. People of Nunavut want to be able to manage renewable and non-renewable resources. They wanted to be able to have a say in the management of the environment of Nunavut. They want to be partners in mining, oil and gas, full partners, and they want to be able to take advantage of many of the opportunities that we have in the Nunavut area, that we have not been able to do, because the government, in this case, does not have the full jurisdiction over mining, oil and gas, and so forth.

I believe that the dreams and aspirations of the people of Nunavut rest on division. Division is imminent. We know it is going to happen. I would like to thank Mr. Kakfwi. When he was the Minister responsible for the creation of Nunavut, he was receptive, he was able to work with the people of Nunavut, like Mr. Antoine is. I would also like to thank the Premier for understanding the dreams and aspirations of the people of Nunavut, knowing that there is no way that we can stop the process. If we try to slow down the process, I think that it is going to harm the people of Nunavut. We have gone through phase one, phase two, this is phase three. I would urge all my colleagues to support the process.

We will be getting into discussion of Footprints 2. I think we have been talking about it the last few days here. I think we have some understanding. Although we may not be able to agree with all the content of the document, I think we are able to understand that there is no way that we can slow down this topic. And the people of the Nunavut depend on it. We know that in the Nunavut area in the eastern arctic, we have the highest suicide rate, we have the highest unemployment rate, we have the highest dropout rate. That is why, some twenty years ago, people in that area, people that were able to sense that we have the highest suicide rate, we have a very high unemployment rate, people were not happy with the western style of justice system, which does not take into account the traditional values of justice, they decided the only way we can help ourselves, is having to govern ourselves. We know the problem, we have the traditional knowledge, we have the capability and most of all, we have the willingness to look after our own future.

Mr. Chairman, on the reduction of the deficit, if we have let the deficit run out of control, I am sure we would have seen more people not able to take advantage of the social problems, creation of jobs, and so on. It is my philosophy, Mr. Chairman, that instead of letting the deficit go out of control, running towards the cliff, I think at some point in time, we have to apply pressure on the brakes. Perhaps some may get hurt, a few bruises here and there, but at least we will come out alive. People understand that from my area. People know what is going on here. People want to have a say in the process of what is happening. But their future, the future of their children and grandchildren is more important. It may be a little painful now, but at least we can recover in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.