I would like to bring the House to order. I would like to welcome you on this spring day -- at least in some parts of the Territories -- for the resumption of the Third Session. I would like to thank Roxanne Tucker for singing us the Lord's Prayer.

--- Applause

Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is our home. It's the place where we will build our future. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I want to talk about the steps the 1 3th Assembly is taking to secure the future of the Northwest Territories. Let me tell you, first of all, that our people want to build their own future. They are determined to make their own decisions and they want to set their own priorities. The message we got from the people during the election was loud and clear:

- the people want a government that is committed to the creation of two new territories;

- they want a government that respects and moves forward on aboriginal issues;

- they want a government that faces up to its fiscal situation; and,

- they want a government that has the same priorities they do.

Mr. Speaker, our people want a government that will help them build a solid foundation for the future. To make that happen, we developed what we call the Agenda for Change.

Since the election, the Members of the Assembly have been working together on managing change and creating opportunities. We have looked at the ways we can achieve self-sufficiency and self-determination, how we can secure northern control over northern resources and how we can establish a workable framework for community empowerment.

We have looked at where we are in Canada and how we can take our rightful place in Canada; a Canada that understands and recognizes the important role of our people, our land and our future. Mr. Speaker, if we are going to succeed, we need a change in direction. This means many of the old ways of doing things must be changed. But out of these changes we want to create new opportunities for the citizens of the Northwest Territories so they can take control over their own future.

Mr. Speaker, this is what the Agenda for Change is all about. It's about building a foundation for the future; a future where our children and grandchildren will have a better opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams.

The Agenda for Change is about changing the way government does business. It is about setting clear priorities and objectives. It is about getting things done. Mr. Speaker, the Agenda for Change is our public commitment to the people to secure the social, economic and political future of the Northwest Territories.

Our Vision For The Future

Mr. Speaker, the Members of the Assembly have looked over our situation; where we are and where we might be going. We've talked about what was right and what wasn't so good in the Northwest Territories.

We've taken a long, hard look at where we want to be. And we've made some decisions about where we want to take this government and the Northwest Territories, about what it's going to look like here in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the 13th Assembly's vision for the future is for a Northwest Territories with a secure financial future. It is for a Northwest Territories that will be more established as a viable political and economic unit in Canada.

We see healthier, better-educated and more self-reliant people who are able to enjoy a good quality of life. We see people with access to more of the jobs they want and need.

By setting out a clear direction, and sticking to it, we will be able to do it. By setting our priorities now and working hard to meet them, we will build a stronger Northwest Territories.

Making Our Vision A Reality

Mr. Speaker, the budget that the Minister of Finance will be bringing down later this week will provide the details of what we're going to do to put these strategies into place. Mr. Todd will outline how we're going to use the resources we do have to make our vision a reality.

But today I want to tell you about the priorities we have chosen and I am going to make a public commitment, on behalf of myself, the Cabinet and all the Members of the 13th Assembly, to get the job done.

Later on today, I will be tabling the Agenda for Change in the Assembly. This document, which we will call: "Building a Foundation for the Future: The Northwest Territories Agenda for Change" sets out our priorities in detail. The Agenda for Change explains each of the challenges we face, why we chose each of our priorities and what we want to see happen.

To make sure that the people hear about the Agenda for Change, we are going to circulate it widely to every community in the Northwest Territories. That's because we want everyone to know about our commitment to them; what we are going to do and why we are going to do it.

Mr. Speaker, later on this year we will issue a second report -- a report card -- to tell people what we've accomplished, so that they can hold us accountable. This will also give them a chance to tell us about any changes they might want us to make.

Right now, though, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say just a few more words about each of the 10 priorities we've set out for the 13th Assembly in the Agenda for Change.

Our Priorities

First of all, Mr. Speaker, we will secure our financial future. We know that fiscal limitations should not determine what our goals are, they should only affect the time it takes to do them.

Mr. Speaker, our projected deficit means tough decisions have to be made but we also understand that people must have time to adjust to the changes. So, to protect the delivery of essential programs and services for those most in need, we decided to balance the budget over a two-year period. While many budget changes will be made in 1996-97, others will wait until 1997-98.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say one more thing about the budget and it remains important to say: All the changes we make will be fair.

Second, Mr. Speaker, we will improve social conditions. Poor social conditions mean hardships for a lot of people in the Northwest Territories. These conditions also make solving our other problems harder.

Therefore, we're going to concentrate on community-based healing and treatment programs and we're going to help individuals participate in the workforce, rather than having them stay on social assistance.

Third, Mr. Speaker, we will improve economic conditions. The economy of the Northwest Territories is not growing fast enough to provide all the jobs our citizens need. Unemployment is already too high and it will get worse if we don't take action. Mr. Speaker, people need jobs and we want to do everything we can to make sure those jobs are there. There are many exciting economic opportunities in the Northwest Territories. We want the people here to be able to take advantage of them. We're going to adopt a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to economic development to help the economy provide new, sustainable business and employment opportunities for northerners.

We will empower communities, Mr. Speaker. Communities must have the authority to make decisions and manage their own affairs. Communities need to solve community-level social problems themselves. Community empowerment is a cornerstone of the Agenda for Change. People want community control. They want decisions made at the community level. They want to deliver programs and services according to local values and needs. The Agenda for Change recognizes this reality and will give community leaders the tools they need to do it.

Mr. Speaker, we will work towards community wellness. We know that healthy communities enhance the self-reliance of both the community as a whole and its individual members. And we know that the challenges facing the Northwest Territories won't be solved until communities are healthy enough to tackle these changes on their own.

Mr. Speaker, we will develop a more effective and efficient government structure. Government operations need to be streamlined. We want this government to get its house in order, to set a clear direction and to stick to its plan. Doing this will provide a better and more secure future for the Northwest Territories.

In my last sessional statement, I told you about a number of initiatives we were taking to make this happen and tomorrow the Minister of Finance will tell you more about them and some others. What I will say about this priority now is that all of our plans for reshaping the way the government works will contain one consistent theme: the need to change the way government does business.

Mr. Speaker, we will make Nunavut and the new Western Territory a reality. Everyone knows that on April 1, 1999, two new territories will be created and we want everyone, our citizens and the federal government, to know that we are sincere in our belief and serious in our intent that this will happen.

Mr. Speaker, we will take action on aboriginal issues. Making progress on aboriginal issues is a central concern for us because of who we are and where we live. We all know that completing claims and resolving other aboriginal issues will provide the stability necessary to move ahead and to secure the future for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, we have to move ahead and we must do it together in a way that recognizes the inherent right and which respects and honours existing treaties and claims processes. Aboriginal organizations must be our partners.

Enhanced aboriginal participation in government planning is going to be a big part of meeting all of our other priorities. With aboriginal participation in the planning and the decision making, we will succeed.

Mr. Speaker, we will take control of our own future. We need to take control of the province-like powers the federal government still exercises over us. Northern control will bring more balanced development and new revenue resources. It will increase the self-reliance of the Northwest Territories and facilitate job creation.

This land belongs to the people who live here and we need the tools to build our own future. It's time for us to control our own future; it's time for the federal government to let go.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we will be heard at the national level. Canadian financial and political developments have a real impact on the interests of the Northwest Territories, usually a lot more than any other jurisdiction. This means that our ability to represent our interests to the rest of Canada will have a big effect on our ability to achieve our other priorities.

We're going to take a more coordinated and focused approach to our relationships with Canada and the provinces and we're going to speak for ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, this might sound like an ambitious agenda -and it is -but if we work together, I know we can make it happen. Members of the Legislative Assembly want to work with people across the North to implement our plans and to make sure that the government works to the benefit of all the areas and all the people of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, with a shared vision and cooperation, we can reshape the way government works in the North. Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the Agenda for Change.

With the help and support of our citizens, we are confident that we can meet the challenges we face. Mahsi cho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be absent from the House today to attend matters related to the passing away of an elder in his constituency. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, May 2, 1996, I will deliver the Budget Address. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for DIAND for finally officially recognizing Iqaluit as the capital of Nunavut yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, I said in this House on March 28th, as one of the vocal critics of the deficit reduction plans announced by this government, that I would also have to give alternate suggestions to meet our fiscal challenges. Mr. Speaker, I said that when I returned to Iqaluit, I would hold a focus group to get ideas and solutions to help the GNWT with this very difficult deficit situation.

Mr. Speaker, the Iqaluit focus group was moderated by a well-known Iqaluit businessman Bob Hanson, representatives from the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce, the municipality of Iqaluit, elders, the president and Secretary/treasurer surer of NTI, the president of the Baffin Regional Inuit Association, as well as government employees and community residents who took part.

Mr. Speaker, the Iqaluit focus group had ideas on deficit reduction strategies. Some of these included basing the capital budget on community needs and not wants; standing orders for goods and services should be based regionally and not territorially; and, eliminate duplication of programs and

services delivered by individual GNWT departments. These are just some of the deficit reduction strategies. The focus group also came up with revenue-generation ideas. These included that the GNWT should introduce a revamped tax structure to lure new money and companies to the NWT; develop a stronger base of export for our renewable resources; investigate other have-not areas of the country to see how they have moved away from dependence on federal transfers.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is not unique in its current deficit situation. We could learn something from other jurisdictions. Mr. Speaker, I will table the complete report of the focus group meeting later today in this House. I have also given a copy to the Minister of Finance who has reviewed it.

Mr. Speaker, the knock on this government is that decisions are being made behind closed doors. Mr. Speaker, the government has to get out and talk to the people of the NWT and be transparent in its dealings. The focus group is one way of accomplishing this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mrs. Groenewegen.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All Members of this House have just spent the last four months wrestling with the huge deficit this government is facing. As we tried to find ways to reduce our spending, it became clear that we need to reduce our dependence on the federal government and people's dependence on social support programs. We must develop any economic opportunities we can to provide more employment for territorial residents. Before our economy can grow, we need to stabilize our economic climate.

One area which is contributing to uncertainty is unresolved aboriginal issues. For instance, we still have a number of unresolved land claims. As long as there are large areas of the North without claims settlements, it will be difficult to

encourage investors to see the NWT as a stable place to spend their money. It is time for the federal government to get serious about settling outstanding claims with northern aboriginal groups. The aboriginal groups have been making proposals for years, but seem to be hitting all kinds of roadblocks. For instance, the Treaty 8 people have been trying to negotiate a land and economic benefits agreement based on their treaty for the past several years. There has been one delay after another by the federal government. If the federal government is not willing to establish the reserves the Treaty 8 group wants, the Minister should say so.

As we have all heard before and heard again last week at the Aboriginal Summit, aboriginal groups have different ideas about land claims and self-government. The federal government needs to respond to these positions so that all territorial residents can move forward, particularly in the Western Arctic. For example, the position of the Deh Cho people is clear and has been publicly stated for years: They want their own territory. Again, if the federal government cannot or will not support this position, the Minister needs to say so. He also needs to say what kinds of proposals the federal government will consider. This is important not just to the Deh Cho people. The entire western constitutional process is being delayed while all of us wait for answers on the Deh Cho proposal.

The federal government has just announced what financial support it will provide for creating the two new territories. We need similar decisions from the federal government on land claims and self-government so we can get people working.

Mr. Erasmus, your time is up. Mr. Erasmus.

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

The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Conclude your statement, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Removing the uncertainty isn't just good for the aboriginal groups, it will also be good for Yellowknifers, good for all people of the Territories and good for Canada. As federal funding shrinks, we need the tools to develop our own economy. Some of those tools we can't get unless the federal government gets serious at the table with the aboriginal people of the North.

We want to be more self-sufficient and we want to stabilize our economic climate. If the federal government is serious about supporting us, they will do their part as well. Thank you.

--- Applause