Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Good morning. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ministers have a number of important statements ready for delivery. I would like to request the indulgence of the House to seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 34(6), which specifies a 20 minute time limit for ministers' statements. Thank you.

The ministers have not made their statements to suggest that they are going to be exceeding the 20 minutes. So, would you allow the process to proceed and if you require more time, request unanimous consent. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Sunday, December 1st is World Aids Day. An international event to expand and strengthen the world wide effort to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS. This year the theme is One World, One Hope. People from all countries hope for a cure, a vaccine, an end to discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and an end to denial. As you are aware the Department of Health and Social Services recently released four documents which make up the HIV/AIDS framework for the Northwest Territories. These resources are new tools that communities and governments can use to deal with HIV/AIDS as the development community wellness plans.

Communities, regions and organizations can use these documents to develop their strategies to focus on: stopping the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases through education and prevention; providing information about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, testing to those who want it and counselling and treatment services to northerners living with HIV and AIDS; and providing community-based care and support for HIV-infected people and their families, caregivers and friends.

As part of the implementation plan for the HIV/AIDS framework, next week the department, in partnership with Health Canada and the Canadian Association for Community Care, will hold a two-day train-the-trainer workshop for home care coordinators and home support workers. The workshop will enhance the skills of home care workers and prepare them for caring for HIV-infected northerners in their homes.

Mr. Speaker, we know some northerners take risks with their health. As individuals, families, communities and governments, we all have a role to play in solving the problems we face. We can share information, ideas and experiences to develop our plans to address community problems. We can help ourselves.

World AIDS Day gives us the chance to talk and learn about HIV infection and ways to prevent it, such as practising safer sex, show compassion and understanding for people living with HIV and AIDS, and remember those northerners who have already died from AIDS-related illnesses. Mr. Speaker, the red ribbon we wear is a symbol of our hope, our compassion and our support as we raise awareness about this devastating disease. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been widely recognized for some time that the NWT legislation governing family law requires updating and reform. Family law and its renewal touches on the lives of everyone in the Northwest Territories.

For this reason, we involved and consulted with a broad spectrum of interest groups. We also spent considerable time researching customary family law as it applies to our northern aboriginal population. This process led to passing and implementing the Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act and resulting in the four bills I will introduce later today.

These bills I will introduce are the Child and Family Services Act, the Adoption Act, the Children's Law Act, and the Family Law Act.

The Child and Family Services Act provides a northern solution that allows communities to become responsible for child welfare issues at the local level. It builds on the desire to promote healthy communities that deal with child welfare matters according to community standards. Many aboriginal children were adopted under previous legislation and this made access to their records difficult. They are now seeking information about their birth parents and extended family. The Adoption Act proposes a more open process to facilitate searches and reunions when adopted children become adults.

The issues covered in the proposed Children's Law Act include the legal status of children, the establishment of parentage, custody of and access to children, guardianship of the estates of children, and child support. When parliament amends the Divorce Act to provide guidelines for child support, I will begin the process to change our legislation to harmonize the two schemes.

The main issues covered in the proposed Family Law Act are domestic contracts, spousal support, division of family property, and possession of the family home.

The proposed Children's Law Act and Family Law Act will modernize family legislation in the Northwest Territories and replace the following existing legislation: the Domestic Relations Act, Maintenance Act, Minors Act, Matrimonial Property Act, Extra-Territorial Custody Orders Enforcement Act, and parts of the Child Welfare Act dealing with the status of children and paternity.

In future, other legislation that relates to family law issues will be amended accordingly. Mr. Speaker, this is a comprehensive package of family law legislation. I look forward to these bills going before the Standing Committee on Social Programs and I am confident that this process will generate useful public consultation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently amended terms and conditions of employment require the government to shut down its operations over the Christmas period in order to provide a block of five mandatory days of leave without pay for employees in non-continuous operations. I am announcing today that most government operations and services will be shut down from December 23, 1996 through January 1, 1997.

Employees have received payroll stuffers and electronic mail messages informing them of the mandatory days off, as well as, the effect this will have on their pay cheques.

Specific departments that will be shut down over the Christmas period are Northwest Territories Housing Corporation; Education, Culture and Employment; Finance; Safety and Public Services; Legislative Assembly; RWED; and Executive.

Offices in the Departments of Transportation; Justice; MACA; Public Works and Services; and, Health and Social Services will be closed but certain facilities and services will continue to function.

For instance, motor vehicle offices in Yellowknife and Iqaluit will be closed but their contract offices in other communities will remain open. Airport, highway and ferry services will also remain available. Correctional facilities and services will operate over Christmas. Public Works and Services will continue to provide building security and maintenance for government buildings.

As well, the Emergency Measures Organization, Fire Marshall and office of Municipal and Community Affairs will maintain their emergency phone numbers during the shutdown period. Health centres will remain open and health and social services will be advising clients and residents of the levels of service available in each community.

The government will be informing the public and clients of the shutdown period and the services available over that period through means such as posters, announcements, correspondence or advertisements in all communities. In addition, the Office of the Press Secretary will be issuing a news release advising of the Christmas shutdown period. Thank you.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples released its report on Thursday, November 21, 1996. The report is contained in six volumes and runs to almost 4000 pages. We should take pride in the fact that Mr. George Erasmus, a prominent Dene leader most of us have had the honour of working with over the years, co-chaired the Royal Commission. On behalf of the GNWT, I would like to congratulate him for his hard work over the past five years in producing this watershed report.

The report contains a chapter on the north which will be of particular interest to people in the Northwest Territories. The Royal Commission's findings draw a strong connection between the northern economy, education and training and institutional development in the north. These are connections we are familiar with in processes such as division, western constitutional development and aboriginal self-government.

The recommendations in the report are aimed at creating a new relationship between Canadians and Aboriginal Peoples. I will not try to summarize their recommendations, Mr. Speaker. The Royal Commission itself produced a summary which is 100 pages long.

Mr. Speaker, governments and Canadians have not had a chance to properly digest a report of this magnitude in the week or so since it was released. The Government of the Northwest Territories is now engaged in reviewing the report and considering the numerous and wide-ranging recommendations.

I want to stress that the Royal Commission report touches on all aspects of government operations and will engage the attention of all departments and agencies, not just the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. We will need to take a coordinated approach within the Government of the Northwest Territories to review this important report so that, early in the new year, we will be in a position to respond to these Royal Commission recommendations that are relevant to the Northwest Territories.

One of the primary objectives of the Commissioners was to ensure that the report not disappear from view a few weeks or months after it was released. However, some people in the media have already suggested that the report will be shelved with most of the recommendations never implemented.

We must be prepared to immediately encourage a follow-up process with federal/provincial/territorial and Aboriginal governments so that the massive achievement of the Royal Commission is not ignored or wasted.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we talked about and debated the direct link between education and job opportunities. However, the net result of discussions was that we had to do more. Government cannot create all the employment opportunities but it can provide the stimulus for

economic growth by the usage of tax credits, providing cost-effective re-training for the new reality of the 90s and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, it is easy for us to sit here and pontificate but we all know it is harder to actually make change. We need a process to discuss possible alternatives to downsizing. I know that we will be meeting as a Nunavut Caucus to talk about job-sharing, flexible hours of work et cetera in Iqaluit in the coming months, but we have to do something now that will carry on in the whole Northwest Territories before and during the run up to 1999. Mr. Speaker, this is not a grand standing ploy but an honest attempt to seek other solutions to impending job losses and hopefully find a workable solution.

As the MLA representing the largest community and the largest public service outside Yellowknife, I make this offer sincerely and with expediency. I do not want to see my family, friends, neighbours and constituents laid off. There will have to be lay-offs but these could be minimized with discussions, as I have outlined, with our NWTTA and UNW partners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

(Translator) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to inform the members that I will be absent from this House this weekend and I will be back on Tuesday. I will be attending the meeting of Nunasi Corporation. Thank you.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translator) Thank you, Mr. Speaker and good morning to my colleagues. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about a wharf in Clyde River. In the past years, we have lost our two large boats and also we have lost more than our boats, because we do not have a proper wharf. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation about this. This question will be directed to the Minister of Transportation, if that is correct? Thank you.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my reply to the Opening Address, after nearly 25 years of lobbying this government, the Hamlet of Rae-Edzo has taken it upon itself to investigate ways of constructing an airport for the community of Rae-Edzo. To date the Hamlet has contracted a specialist to develop a geotech study to review alternative sites as well as to develop a socio-economic study to determine the benefits that could be achieved with an airport in the community.

To me, these are positive moves that will hopefully provide us with a badly needed facility. For years, this government has taken the position that Rae-Edzo does not need an airport because of the highway linkage. However, this does not really hold water as, traditionally, Rae-Edzo has been, and still is, the hub of the region for considerable trade taking place between all communities within the region. The Hamlet is now in the process of finding partners that understand our position or are willing to work with us to provide this very important life-line. I hope this government will find a way that they can assist the community with this worthwhile venture.

I would also like to say that, again, after many years of discussions between this government and the community of Rae-Edzo, I believe we are finally coming to agreement over the issue of an inadequate water and sewage system. I was, to say the least, sympathetic to my colleague's demonstration yesterday regarding the problems the city and he are having with the water and sewage system. It is important to realize that some of our infrastructures are aging and need repair and it should not be the community's full responsibility to repair our system. I would like to believe that the Department of MACA will be prepared to take some responsibility. I just hope the talks with the community will continue and we will have some solution to this problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This current government is being faced with many difficult decisions which will impact the people of the Northwest Territories for years to come. We are having to deal with such important issues as division, a new constitution, large-scale development and, less we forget, our deficit which is having a negative impact on many, many lives.

Mr. Speaker, the timing for us could not be worse. The task seems insurmountable. We are forced to resolve these issues for our residents and hopefully make the Northwest Territories a better place for all peoples. I am beginning to feel a sense of great distaste for some decisions that are being made. In a time when we should be unifying our people, we seem to be doing the opposite. We are degrading and dividing the people we are supposed to be representing.

This government has chosen to adopt a very paternalistic approach to aboriginal people which will only divide aboriginal and non-aboriginal. I draw attention to the socio-economic agreement this government has signed with BHP and the draft constitution as two examples of this approach. The socio-economic agreement contains clauses which require the company to hire certain percentages of aboriginals and northerners.

While I agree with the requirements to having a strong northern workforce, I have a question, Mr. Speaker -- what business is it of this government to require private companies to follow any form of affirmative action policy? Requirements such as this cannot help but degrade aboriginal people. We have aboriginal people who are more than capable of getting jobs on an equal footing to their fellow northerners. We have to stop telling aboriginal people by such statements, that they are not good enough. Is this what we are telling them when we protect jobs for them? You are not good enough to compete?

This can only cause racial disharmony and prejudice between the very people we are supposed to represent as a government. We have to have harmony among our people and we must do all we can to ensure that harmony in the future. We cannot afford to be prejudiced any longer and risk losing what we have gained.

The draft constitution has also raised feelings amongst our citizens of racial division. As a government, we cannot afford to sit back and allow our people to be divided along these lines. If we do, as a government, we will lose one of our responsibilities. One message that is coming back loud and clear is that this draft constitution does not give the people of the Northwest Territories an equal say. We are a government which is supposed to represent all its peoples. Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The member for Yellowknife South is seeking the unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are a government which is supposed to represent all its people and I say that the time has now come that we stand up and be a government for all. We have no business dictating government policies in the public sector any more than we have business endorsing a constitution which will forever divide people in the Northwest Territories. This, Mr. Speaker, is totally irresponsible of the government and I urge my fellow members to endorse only that which will provide equality for every citizen. We cannot afford racism to become another issue and, if we do, it will be far beyond any solution this government can find. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

The member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you have unanimous consent.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are faced with two difficult jobs which must be done at the same time and that must not be allowed to destroy each other. We are on a direct and rapidly moving journey to the division of the Northwest Territories into two territories. We are also, by our own legislation, bound to reduce this government's deficit so that these two territories will start with a balanced budget.

Mr. Speaker, either of these two jobs are very large and difficult to accomplish alone, to deal with both at the same time is more than doubly so. It is easy to believe that dividing something is to break it, to damage it and to make something worse. Our job, Mr. Speaker, is to show the people that we are creating new things that are, at least, as valuable as the ones they replace. We need to the wisdom of Solomon, who make experience in deciding about the division of assets, and we need the patience, the determination and open honesty to our aboriginal brothers if we are to complete both of these jobs successfully. I welcome the Premier's recognition of division as the number one priority for this government. We must ensure that the division process does not become a poor relative of the budget reduction process. We must make sure that the cutting of the budget is an open and fair process, clearly understood and accepted by the people of the Northwest Territories.

I see that we are counting the days of the division publicly. In the great hall outside of this chamber, this week, marks the beginning of the final journey to the destination. We are in a unique situation of being passengers and pilots at the same time. I would like to wish us all a safe and satisfying trip. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Members' statements. Members' statements - returns to oral questions. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return, asked by Mr. Rabesca on November 27, Snare Lake fuel costs. The cost of fuel is particularly high in Snare Lake because of the cost of the winter resupply. The winter road to Snare Lake is connected to the government's winter road system by 100 kilometre trail that is built by the private sector. The cost of transporting goods on this stretch road is added to the cost of all materials brought in over the trail. This means the costs of all goods in Snare Lakes, including petroleum products, was higher than the surrounding communities. Fuel

prices in the communities supplied by the government are subsidized in the amount of approximately 6.7 million. However, I agree there is a need to rationalize the price structure to eliminate some of the inconsistency in fuel prices between the communities. Mr. Arlooktoo has agreed to review the price structure in the spring of 1997 in conjunction with the privatization initiative, to see if there is a way to lessen the burden on the communities, such as Snare Lakes. Thank you.

Thank you. Returns to oral questions, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. On Wednesday, November 27, 1996, the member for Natilikmiot asked me about the grounding, this summer, of the M.V. Hanseatic in the Simpson strait off King William island and Gjoa Haven. The member was correct that the jurisdiction over marine affairs belongs entirely to the federal government and does not involve the territorial Department of Transportation. Regardless of the legal jurisdiction, the incident took place in northern waters and northerners have every interest in knowing what happened. The Hanseatic went aground on the Simpson strait on August 29th and was caught there until the Canadian coast guard pulled her off on September 5th. Fortunately no serious consequences came of the grounding. No passengers or crew were injured and there was no loss of fuel or any other type of contaminants. It is still too soon to answer the member's question on the cause of the accident.

There are no fewer than four investigations in progress today. Transport Canada is investigating to determine, first of all, whether the accident involved any regulatory violations or infractions, and secondly, if there were any violations, whether prosecution is warranted. Transport Canada should finish this investigation early in the new year. The Canadian Transport Accidents Investigation Safety Board is examining the accident to identify the conditions and circumstances that led to it. Due to the nature of its investigation, the Transportation Safety Board typically does not come out with its final report and recommendations until a year or more after the event. The Hanseatic is registered in the Bahamas and therefore the Commonwealth of Bahamas is conducting its own investigation into the incident. The Federal Republic of Germany is also investigating the incident because the Hanseatic is owned by a German company and officers in charge of the ship, as well as, most of the passengers were German. I do not know when the findings from these investigations will be available, Mr. Speaker.

We will probably find the report from the Transportation Safety Board the most informative and we will simply have to wait for it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Returns to oral questions, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a further return to Question 24-13(4) asked by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South. I can inform the Members of this House that no lay-offs related to the 1997-98 budget will occur until after the main estimates are approved by this Assembly, this winter. It is important to note, however, that some employees may receive notice of lay-off prior to the approval of the budget. The provisions of the collective agreement entitle employees to a 90 day lay-off notice and these notices will have to be sent out over the next several months to ensure that all aspects of the budget can be implemented on April 1, 1997.

Final decision to implement specific measures are, of course, dependent on the decision of the Assembly with respect to the 1997-98 main estimates that will be considered during the winter session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the comments made by my colleague earlier today, and the need to extend an olive branch to my colleagues in the union organization, I would like to recognize Ms. Pat Thomas, President of the NWTTA and Ms. Jackie Simpson who is the President of the UNW. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

(Translator) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my spouse and a resident of our community who is here to attend a meeting with the Aboriginal Headstart Program for Nunavut. I would like to recognize the two ladies up in the gallery. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Oral questions, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Premier that was two questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as an official government response to the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples, Mr. Antoine is coordinating a response for Cabinet to consider and hopefully we will be able to consider that in the very near future. As far the Tl'oondih Healing centre issue, that is a health issue which Mr. Ng is working on. Myself, Mr. Todd and Mr. Ng have met with Mr. Krutko and representatives of the healing camp in his area. My understanding is that they are working on that issue with the people from that area right now. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, Mr. Speaker, the questions on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Report and, as I said previously, the government, through Mr. Antoine, who is responsible for aboriginal affairs, is coordinating a response for Cabinet from all the departments to see how we can respond to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Report. So, we are working on that and I do not have answers of detailed dollars it would cost or anything for the member today.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I previously said, we, as a government, are coordinating a response to this report. Once Mr. Antoine has finished coordinating that response and brought it to Cabinet then we will develop a strategy on how we will approach the federal government, as well as, other jurisdictions in this country. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As members are fully aware, we agreed on a process to follow on decisions and directions that this government would be taking, along with members and having open dialogue with members of the Legislative Assembly. We agreed on this process last fall. We as a government are very committed to the process. Cabinet has approved a work plan for amalgamation of those three departments. I have sent that work plan to the Government Operations Committee. Government Operations will, I am sure, have a lot of good suggestions and advice on the amalgamation of those three departments to Cabinet, as well as, other people in the Northwest Territories.

So, once my minister responsible for that amalgamation, Mr. Goo Arlooktoo meets with Governments Ops, we also fully plan on sharing the amalgamation paper with all the stakeholders in the Northwest Territories. That would be municipalities, communities, unions and every other stakeholder that is interested. I am sure that we will get good advice back from those people. Then we will be tabling it in the House in January as we have already committed to do and then look forward to open debate and more advice, again, from members, from the House and then we will continue to proceed. Thank you.

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

Mr. Morin.

I thank the member for asking me to take that under advisement. I will take that under advisement. Thank you.

Oral question supplement, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the member if I frustrate him. But if you ask clearer questions, then you get clearer answers. I advise the member to do that in the future. I would not want to supersede or go against what all the members of this Legislative Assembly agreed to, a process. I am fully committed to the process and, as I said earlier, we do have a work plan now of how to carry amalgamation. That has been approved by Cabinet. I have sent it to Government Ops and Government Ops will make recommendations to the government, as well as, all the stakeholders will get it and they will make recommendations as well and it will also be tabled in the Legislative Assembly in January. I will make sure that all members of the Legislative Assembly get a copy as well. Then they can raise concerns or give us advise to assist in the amalgamation of these three departments. Thank you.

Oral question, final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Hear! Hear!

-- Applause

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is news to me that Public Works would have all this work done by January 1st, 1997. I do not think so. Let me state once again, Mr. Speaker, that we have worked on the work plan. We have talked to members about that already and that is a plan of how you can amalgamate. That does not mean the details are thrashed out. Cabinet has approved that. We have sent it to Government Operations, and we are looking forward to the Government Operations making recommendations, and the minister will meet with Government Operations. We are committed to consultation with the stake-holders. We will then table that document in the House in January, we will move on to get the job done with all that good advice and recommendations everybody has. That is the process that all members of this Legislative Assembly agreed to, I am not going to stand here and say that I am going to pre-empt that process. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Renewable Resources. We know that we are representing our constituents, and when we speak for the constituents, we do not like to answer "no". They would like to get a wildlife officer in their community. The wildlife officer for Igloolik is responsible for Hall Beach, but it takes a long time for this person to go to Hall Beach. They were wondering if they would be able to get a wildlife officer for Hall Beach?

The minister responsible for Resource, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my member's statement, I asked about the job-sharing and flexible hours of work et cetera to help minimize the job losses that we foresee coming up in the new realm of 98 million dollars, Mr. Todd talked about yesterday, being slashed.

My question is for the Premier, who has the responsibility for personnel. Has the Premier looked at these alternate solutions to job losses? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that in the very near future, there is going to be a major conference going on in the member's riding on this whole issue. We are very committed to this conference, as a matter of fact, it is in the tune of 100,000 dollars we have committed.

I listened with great interest to the member's statement, I believe that Mr. Todd will have to take those issues up with the union and our employees. They may be acceptable to them, then again they may not, I do not know that. But it is something worth exploring. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my member's statement, that conference has been initiated by NIC and it's main focus will be on the workplace that we will find ourselves in after the vision in 1999. Thus my earlier question, if the Premier was looking at this, so I guess, he is not. So my supplementary question then, to the Premier is, when will he be looking at it for the GNWT of 1996-97-98 and the first 3 months of 1999? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding from information that I got from my colleague in charge of FMBS that we have been looking into this, and that is one of the main reasons that we contributed so heavily in the $100,000 range, to this conference. I know the conference is sponsored by NTI, and I know also that it is for the Nunavut government, what they were looking at for the Nunavut government after April 1, 1999. But recommendations are recommendations, maybe we can adapt some of those recommendations and use them before then, in this case. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to be adversarial to the Premier, and in my member's statement I tried to say that I was asking in sincerity. If FMBS is looking at it and he just found out it is, is it possible then, to get a copy of the working document that FMBS must be working from? Or, as the Premier is the minister responsible for personnel, I find it very surprising that he is not aware of any kind of discussion. So, maybe, my supplementary question to the Premier is, when will he make available the working document that this government is preparing to use next month in Iqaluit for the NIC conference?

Thank you. Mr. Picco, I must rule your question out of order. Perhaps you might want to rephrase your question as to whether there is such a document, but you cannot ask for a Cabinet document.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is there a such a document, does he have said document?

You are welcome, Mr. Morin, but, I did not hear a response.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Well, it took three questions to get that out, maybe then, my final supplementary question to the

Premier would be, when will he begin discussions with our partners, the organized labour, the UNW and the NWTTA to talk about flexible job hours, job sharing, so we can minimize the job cuts. When will the Minister for Personnel begin these discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once we have gone through the process of this conference in Iqaluit, through NTI, get some ideas from that. Once we see that, then we will try to talk to the unions. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. Miltenberger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the honourable member is referring to social services staffing in the regional Fort Smith office, and that is what I will respond to. Lay-off notices have been given out to the four of the six employees that work in the regional office based in Fort Smith. The lay-off notices have been given to the administrative positions within that regional office as it stands now, in anticipation of establishment of delivery structures in the Deh

Cho, in the Dogrib Board and the South Slave and other Mackenzie areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the four positions, as it stands now, that have been given the lay-off notices are the regional superintendent's position, the manager of human resources position. Those two positions will not be required, as a result of some of the responsibilities being passed on, as I had indicated earlier, to some of the other restructuring within the Mackenzie Services Region, and the two positions of the Finance and Admin Officer, and the clerical position, those duties, we anticipate will be absorbed with the establishment of the structures in the other areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions, supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As indicated, there are some program positions, like the regional psychologist, the regional alcohol and drug, community and mental health specialist positions that will continue to be based in Fort Smith but will have more of a regional focus. I would see that they would be providing services to the other regions, the other areas I should say, in the region. The coordination would come through the boards of management that would undertake to work off those arrangements in these specific areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Roland.