Good afternoon, Members. Order of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Premier will be absent from the House today to attend a meeting with the Treaty 8 Tribal Council in Edmonton. The Honourable Manitok Thompson will also be absent from the House today to attend a Pauktuutit meeting in Cambridge Bay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Hear! Hear!

Hear! Hear!

--- Applause

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

(Translation) Mahsi. I would like to say something today. I would like to point out the new Languages Commissioner for the Northwest Territories. She will be representing all languages; North Slavey, South Slavey, French and all the other official languages in the NWT. She is Judi Mary Tutcho. If there is anyone who has any concerns regarding the languages, they can speak to her. She is sitting in the audience today. Judi will be starting May 1, 1996. (Translation ends)

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today refers to the cuts to benefits for nonunionized employees. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue of concern for many GNWT employees, especially in Arviat and Baker Lake.

Last week, the government announced a new wage and benefits package for senior management and other nonunionized employees of this government. It also announced that it had presented a similar proposal to the negotiating team representing unionized employees. Mr. Speaker, the people of Arviat and Baker Lake recognize the need for government to become more efficient and to bring the amount of money we spend in line with the revenues that are available. More importantly, it is recognized that to accomplish this, government workers will have to take their share of the cuts. Although I do not personally agree with a number of the cuts, unfortunately, our poor financial situation is driving this agenda.

Mr. Speaker, the concern being expressed by my constituents and the issue I raise in this House today is the equity of these cuts to employees in the small communities. Unlike government employees in Yellowknife and other communities on the road system, the cost of living for people in smaller communities, especially Nunavut, is dramatically higher.

Mr. Speaker, the government has stated a new northern allowance introduced for non-unionized employees and being proposed for the unionized employees using Yellowknife as the base rate and is indexed to allow for the cost of living in all of the communities.

Mr. Speaker, I am not convinced at this time that the northern allowance rates set by the government adequately allow the cost of living in all of our communities.

Hear! Hear!

Later today, I will ask the Minister of Finance for further details on the northern allowance, so we can gain a clear picture of the entire issue.

Agreed.

Mr. Speaker, the work that employees of this government perform is very valuable, and during these times of fiscal restraint, there is increasing pressure on the employees to deliver services and programs, especially on the front line. Mr. Speaker, in my view, we have to pay our employees accordingly for the excellent work that they do. Thank you.

--- Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker and good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the new Commissioner of Official Languages. She is going to have a very big responsibility. Because it's my right to use my own language, I wanted to start off like that. (Translation ends)

Mr. Speaker, as you know, Pangnirtung Fisheries is the largest private employer in Pangnirtung. When the fishing season is open, welfare payouts are cut by as much as 70 per cent. Unfortunately, this hasn't been a good year for the fishery in Pangnirtung, due to very unusual weather. First, there was a lot of snow early in the season. This meant that the ice on Cumberland Sound did not thicken up as it usually does. Then, between February 17th and 19th, a very strong windstorm came up. The ice, which was only about nine inches thick, was torn apart by the very strong winds. Sixteen of my constituents were on the ice, fishing, when the storm came up. They lost a lot of fishing gear. Even people whose fishing shacks had been hauled up on the land had losses when their shacks blew away. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the ice has never stabilized since this storm.

There have been a series of smaller storms, which were just enough to keep the ice from freezing properly again.

The ice on Cumberland Sound is now very loose. The mix of tides and wind produces a rafting effect where two edges of ice come together. The end result, Mr. Speaker, is that with the season almost over, my constituents have only been able to catch about 40,000 pounds of fish this year...

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

Mahsi. Mr. Enuaraq is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ...compared to about 230,000 pounds in total this time last year. As well, many fishermen have lost critical gear which they will need to work again next year. I am working with Honourable Stephen Kakfwi and Pangnirtung Fisheries to see whether our government has a program which will assist these hardy fishermen to recover their equipment so they can work again and be self-sufficient next year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I said yesterday in the House that I would give some examples of the effect of having the settlement allowance and VTA combined into one allowance. I've also added in the housing allowance, a list of newly-announced reductions.

The first example, Mr. Speaker, is Pond Inlet; an employee with less than five years' service, with a wife and two children under the age of 12. This person's base salary is $30,000. With one VTA, current housing allowance and settlement allowance, this employee's gross income would be $49,615.28. Mr. Speaker, under the announced system, this employee's gross income would now be $41,951.50, or a decrease, Mr. Speaker, of 15.45 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, is this the fair reduction that this government has talked about?

My second example, Mr. Speaker, is an employee in Iqaluit like myself. This employee has a family of five and has worked for the government for five years. Under the current system, if my salary was $50,000, with two VTAs based on the advanced booking fare to Montreal, plus the current housing allowance and settlement allowance, my gross income would be as follows: $50,000 salary, $5,400 housing allowance, $4,484 for the settlement allowance, $11,058.52 for the two VTAs, for a total of $70,942.52. The new package proposed, Mr. Speaker, would see my total salary package shrink by 17 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, is this equity? Is this fair? I will be asking further questions today to the honourable Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. The hunters' and trappers' organization in Taloyoak firmly believes in wildlife conservation in and around Taloyoak as well as in the NWT. The organization is aware of the survey that indicates an increase in population of both caribou and muskoxen around Boothia Peninsula. The survey which was

...........

.., done in July 1995, also indicates an increase in muskoxen in Prince of Wales Island and in Somerset Island. The people in that area believe very strongly in conservation of wildlife. They have always been part of conservation. We have never taken anything more than what is required of any wildlife, any game, within our area.

Mr. Speaker, one of the ways to ensure healthy populations of both caribou and muskoxen is to harvest them. Later on, during the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the appropriate Minister some questions about muskoxen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. (Translation ends) Today I'd like to share some heartfelt advice I received from a long-term professional working as a government employee in my constituency. This person is originally from the South. Her concern about the recent cuts to wages and benefits is not for herself. She said, "we professionals can find work in other places, but many of the supporting staff depend on their jobs for food, shelter and clothing. There is already so much hurt and distress that people are trying to deal with, that the added stress of losing their livelihood of benefits adds to increased mental health problems." My constituent went on to point out that our small Communities are often already underserviced in these areas. She asked , how can the government expect our hard-pressed front-line staff in the community to deal with all the pressures of their jobs when they are overwhelmed with personal concerns or whether they will have jobs or more rent increases?

Many people are supporting large extended families and already have very little left over after recent increasing rents and decreasing wages will force those people to move into overcrowded conditions, she predicts. Mental and physical health is sure to suffer, my constituent says. It isn't the southern professionals who will be hurt, it is the aboriginal people, many of whom see their community jobs as a stepping stone to participate in the Nunavut government. My constituent tells me that they are now getting angry that no one seems to care about them. It also seems that in the midst of these pressures, now it will be almost impossible for these community workers ... Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for High Arctic is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Barnabas.

Qujannamiik. ...especially those with big families, to afford to take vacations. My constituent believes that the chance to travel beyond our isolated communities helps our children to start thinking about making lifestyle choices such as going on to school or working outside their home community. My constituent tells me that the front line workers see the recent changes as being targeted against workers in isolated communities with big families. On top of that, my constituent says the government wants to go ahead with all kinds of community initiatives. Communities want to do more, but it seems to my constituent that the government has just come along and banged each employee hard on the head and said, we're going to make this hard and hurtful for you, so when we give you something, you can then appreciate how good we are. With no wage increases in the last four years and huge housing increases, the government still seems to blame the government workers for their troubles.

We government workers care about one another. My constituent says that she would not leave because of money issues and most are not working just for the pay and benefits. But they are now feeling that their pride and self esteem has been taken away as well. That, she says, is unforgivable. I hope I make some sense, she told me. This is how my constituents are feeling these days, Mr. Speaker. I believe it is part of my job to convey their fears and confusion and anger to all Members of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Members of the 13th Assembly, we have all made a strong commitment to community wellness. On establishing our priorities, we stressed the importance of giving communities the tools to improve the quality of life for community residents. As a Member of the Social Programs committee, I have supported the initiatives of the government related to community wellness in the upcoming budget. Mr. Speaker, it is easy to discuss community wellness as a good idea. However, it becomes more difficult to make it work in practice. This was reflected in the reaction to the community action fund available to communities last year as part of the community wellness strategy.

In Yellowknife, the funding was given to the city. Criteria were established. Based on these criteria, funds were given to different groups for specific projects. While these projects were worthwhile and should have a positive impact for some residents, there have been concerns voiced about the use of the community action fund. Some groups were unhappy with the criteria that were used. Others felt that this was a piecemeal approach rather than a plan for addressing the broad social problems within the community.

The people in my riding are very interested in community wellness, the developing of a community justice plan and addressing issues of violence and addressing problems of substance abuse and helping families become healthier. Right now, there are many different agencies and organizations providing services in Yellowknife that relate to community wellness. Some of these groups provide similar or complementary services. They all have good ideas and suggestions for making community wellness a reality. The problem comes in trying to coordinate all these different ideas and agencies. I believe that government funding and support for community wellness is crucial in all our communities, large and small. When the government provides support to a community, it must ensure that community residents gain the maximum benefit from the limited resources that we have.

During question period, I will be asking the Minister responsible for coordinating the community wellness strategy how he plans to address the unique challenges of implementing community wellness in our larger centres. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Hi!

--- Laughter

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had the opportunity last evening to meet with a number of my constituents. I would like to thank those people who took the time to come out and express their concerns and give me some direction and, in some cases, suggestions of approaches that I should have taken. I will share with the Members of this House some of the issues brought forth. I have little doubt that there are many common threads which each of us hears from our respective constituents.

First, on fees and licences, there was not an objection as much as a concern expressed as to the speed at which some increases to fees and charges are being implemented by this government. Examples are the increase in the rent at the Aven Seniors' Centre and annual increases in licensing fees. Another item that was brought up was school taxes; questions were raised as to why Yellowknife is the only community in the NWT paying school taxes, representing approximately 30 per cent of the total cost. While I was not able to answer that question directly, I gave assurances to my constituents that I would address their concerns later.

On the question of MLA compensation, I gave my constituents assurances that we are in the process of reviewing MLAs' salaries and benefits and that this review will hopefully reflect the government's financial situation. With regard to representation, my comments in the House were noted by constituents regarding suggestions that we put the business incentive program on hold for a year as this would clearly be a cost-saving measure for this government when faced with the deficit proposed. On departmental consultations, it was understood that while deputy ministers meet on a regular basis, it was suggested that a stronger relationship be created between departments to discuss cost-saving measures, which some departments may be undertaking, and share these ideas with the others.

Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the ideas that came forth last night and I wish to, again, express my gratitude to those constituents who came out to the meeting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Henry on March 25, 1996, with respect to non-unionized reductions.

The reductions to wages and benefits announced on March 14, 1996, apply to managers and excluded employees with the Workers' Compensation Board. I am writing to the Ministers responsible for the other boards primarily funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories, including the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, on this issue suggesting that we take a consistent approach to wage and benefits reductions.

Thank you.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dent.

Welcome to the Assembly.

Item 5,

recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Groenewegen.

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't see him but I'm assured that Dave McCann is in the gallery. I'd like to recognize Dave McCann, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize some constituents of mine: Mr. Bert Dean and his son, Cody, who are in the gallery today. Thank you.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a statement made earlier this week by the Minister of Finance outlined significant changes to the salary and benefits package of the excluded GNWT employees. Amongst these changes was a 6.25 per cent cut in pay, the elimination of the current settlement allowance and a new northern allowance. In response to this, the Union of Northern Workers applied to act as the bargaining agent for these excluded employees. It is my understanding that under the Canada Labour Code, such a move freezes terms of employment until the application can be dealt with. Can the Minister identify when this application will be reviewed? Thank you.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to, first of all, correct my honourable colleague: it does not freeze the terms of the conditions of the wages and benefits for the non-unionized employees; and, secondly, we are taking an appropriate and expeditious course of action to determine whether or not these people would become part of the bargaining unit. Thank you.

Item 6, oral question. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. In Pond Inlet, there is a society called the Aulajut Society. It is a newly-formed organization that has requested funding from the department. To date, they have not received a response to their request. When can a response be expected from the Minister's department for the operation expenses of the Aulajut Society? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have to find out what the organization is involved in and what kind of proposal went forward to the department. At this time, I'm unaware of the proposal but I will check with my department to see what is before us and deal with the

matter as quickly as possible and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've already tabled some examples of the unfairness of the new allowance. Yesterday I asked the Minister how these northern allowances were calculated. Mr. Speaker, his answer was based on criteria set, escalator and the cost of living allowance. That was good to hear. However, Mr. Speaker, if that is the case, then what cost-of-living figures did the department use to base their decision on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This gives me an opportunity to clear up my response yesterday to the honourable Member. The northern allowance combines the resources of the former benefits, the vacation travel and the settlement allowance. A base rate of $1,760 was used in Yellowknife and a cost of living index was used to set the remaining rates for all employees in all the other northern communities. I'm prepared to provide my colleague with the details of the index either by tabling it in this House or providing them to him by letter form. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would really appreciate seeing that and look forward to it. Mr. Speaker, it would seem that this proposal was not well thought out. Will the Minister review the amounts based on the diversity factor of individual communities and, where there is inequity, change it either up or down?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The proposal was well thought out. We are -- and have indicated this many times in this House -- trying to deal with this thing in a caring and compassionate way. We recognize, and I certainly recognize after spending 30 years in Arctic communities, what the cost of living is to live in Pond Inlet, I've lived there; what the cost of living is to live in Cambridge Bay, I've lived there; and what the cost of living is to live in Rankin Inlet, I've lived there. This government is trying its best to, one, meet a deficit elimination strategy that this House is supposed to have supported; and, two, to ensure that we keep as many jobs as possible for the people who we all represent.

Every effort is being made by this Department of Finance in the overall deficit elimination strategy to ensure we meet these objectives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we all realize the financial situation in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, it would seem the further east, west, north or south of Yellowknife an employee lives, the more adversely they will be affected. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister keep this in mind when bargaining with our NWTTA and other groups next month, for fairness and equity?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to say once and for all, we are endeavouring to be fair and to be equitable. But nothing's equitable when you're trying to deal with a $150 million deficit. What's equitable if we end up with a $300 million deficit in 1999 as we divide the Territories? Everybody has to make concessions in this deficit elimination strategy. Yes, when we sit down with the union, as we will on April 9th, we will make a sincere effort to be equitable and fair to everybody across the Territories.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not saying that. I agree that we have to look at the deficit reductions. All I'm saying is that we should also build into that deficit reduction an availability of allowance. For example, if the reduction for an employee with a family of four in Iqaluit is nine per cent, 10 per cent or 12 per cent, and in Yellowknife is three per cent, then I don't see the fairness in that. That is what I'm trying to say here, Mr. Speaker. I understand the deficit problems just as much as anyone else and I'm trying to help it, but I think there should be some fairness in that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

I have told this House consistently that we're going to be fair. We are going to be fair. We're trying to be equitable in difficult times. Yes, we will take into consideration when we develop and have developed a cost of-living component to the new package. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier in my Member's statement that I was going to ask the appropriate Minister about the muskoxen in the Taloyoak area, my question is directed to the honourable Minster of Renewable Resources, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the Department of Renewable Resources. Last year, we were able to receive five muskoxen tags for Taloyoak. Taloyoak is now requesting five more. In my Member's statement, I indicated to this House that the population of muskoxen in and around Taloyoak has increased, according to the survey. Will the honourable Minister of this government give five more muskoxen tags to the Taloyoak Hunters' and Trappers' Association this year? Thank you.

Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. Although my colleague to my right, Mr. Steen, offered to me 5,000 muskoxen from the Sachs Harbour area, I'm not at liberty to request from that island. Mr. Speaker, since I received a letter from the hunters' and trappers' organization in Taloyoak that the July 1995 survey has in fact indicated that the population has increased on two of the islands; one on the Prince of Wales Island and the other on Somerset Island. In fact, with increases, there is a danger to the caribou population grazing in that area. One of the ways to ensure the conservation is to get an additional five tags for harvest, a limited number from that area. Will the honourable Minister get back to me as soon as possible about his decision on the quota? Thank you.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Enuaraq.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I am seeking unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Just to mention to the Members that it is quite unusual to seek unanimous consent while we are still in the middle of a process; in this case, oral questions. But if it is the will of the House, if we have unanimous consent, then you have it. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Enuaraq, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, my wife is gone...

--- Laughter

...from the gallery because our baby was impatient. But, Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to recognize and I am honoured to recognize my beautiful daughter, six years old, Pia Enuaraq. Thank you.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) I would like to recognize, from Pond Inlet, Mayor Paniloo Sangoya.

--- Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. We'll go back to oral questions with the clock still running. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the community wellness strategy and how it will be implemented in Yellowknife. There are a large number of agencies in Yellowknife that provide services related to community wellness. Does the Minister have a plan to determine how funds under the community wellness strategy will be allocated to those agencies?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wouldn't say that the funds would be allocated to the agencies. What I would envision is that the funding would be available to the agencies to allow them to provide the resources that they need to get together to collaborate, to work out the mechanism and their own plans on how they would see community programs being delivered within the community. Our department would provide the resources through funding sources or the resources from staff to assist the community municipal government and the community organizations to get together and try to reach agreement on that mechanism. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying that the city of Yellowknife will be distributing these funds to the agencies?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not saying that definitively, Mr. Speaker. As it stands now, an arrangement would have to be agreed upon and worked out. As I stated earlier, if we could get the groups together to discuss what they want to do and some of their initiatives, that could all fall out within the discussions that take place between the municipal government groups and other organizations that are involved in the delivery of health and social services within the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The last time funds were distributed in Yellowknife, criteria were developed by the city of Yellowknife. As I indicated earlier, there were several people who were displeased with those criteria and how the funding was allocated. So I would like to know if the government will be providing guidelines within which the funds will be distributed, when his ministry is assisting these agencies. Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the guidelines for the community action fund that is currently administered by the department, we have recognized that perhaps some of the guidelines were too general. We will, before we reinitiate the program, be looking at maybe being a bit more specific in some of the guidelines and some of the activities where groups can access the funding. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Deputy Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that the Premier has been intimately involved in and working on. As I told the House earlier, he is in Edmonton attending meetings. What I will do is pass along the question to the Premier and have him respond to the Member.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will pass on those additional questions along to the Premier. As I said, the Premier will be back tomorrow and hopefully he'll be able to answer the Member as soon as possible.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Kakfwi.