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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently in my home community of Rae-Edzo, we had a passing of a well liked, hard-working family man, Mr. John Mackenzie. This man was struck down in the prime of his life. He had a family to watch grow, a family who enjoyed his company and who had everything to look forward to. Unfortunately, like many others in the North, he had cancer. As many know, this is a terrible ordeal for families and friends and, in many cases, the comfort of others makes life seem better.

Today, I would like to thank the honourable Minister, Stephen Kakfwi, for caring about the needs of the family by attending the funeral and providing his condolences to the family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to use two seconds of my time to say you are looking rather nice today, with the fancy decoration around your neck.

--- Applause

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring Members of this House up to date on the applications made recently to the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans for the right to catch groundfish in all waters next to Baffin Island. Applications for licences to catch these fish, which are in our waters, were made by all Baffin communities, through the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Federation and, as well, the communities of Pangnirtung, Broughton Island and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans gave a total of 1,500 tonnes to Baffin Island applicants and gave the largest amount of the fish quota to the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board to distribute as they felt would be fair to the Baffin communities. I am pleased to report that the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board met recently and they agreed on a fair way of dividing up the quota throughout the region. I understand the board is willing to look at ways of developing opportunities for certain interested communities, where it is appropriate, to become more involved in the fishery now that we have been allocated about 1,500 tonnes throughout the Baffin region.

I believe it will be possible and desirable that plans be developed so that the most possible benefits can flow to our communities. For example, I am very pleased that my own community of Broughton Island is being assisted to consider no less than six possible opportunities which could result in employment and other spin-off benefits from the fisheries in that community. One of the most interesting ideas they have come up with is to use the excellent harbour in Broughton Island to establish a public cold storage facility. Using surplus buildings from a nearby DEW Line site, this storage space would be very handy for vessels fishing in the area.

Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent to continue with my statement.

The Member for Baffin Central is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They could unload the fish at Broughton Island for shipment to the fish plant in Pangnirtung or shipment south. There might also be the possibility of resupplying the fishing vessels when they come in to unload their product. This opportunity could create desperately-needed local jobs for the constituents of Broughton Island. I also know there are plans to pursue additional Atlantic groundfish quotas from the Canadian competitive quota in area OA north of Cape Dyer. These waters lie alongside my constituency. If we could get a quota from those waters given to us, it would present a splendid opportunity for my home community of Clyde River to become involved.

I am encouraged that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' officials have apparently been very encouraging about the idea of exploratory fishing being granted for these waters next to my riding.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to conclude by saying that I am very grateful that my constituents have the benefit of the full and active support of Baffin MLAs and the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Minister of Renewable Resources and Economic Development and Tourism, for these important initiatives to create jobs and economic opportunities for my constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. I would like to thank you for your kind words. I was a little worried about whether I was dressed all right. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past several weeks, I have been given unsolicited advice and supposed inside information on a range of different items. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the calls I receive from the different areas of the NWT but I want to say, for the record, that, unless the letters are signed and phone messages et cetera have a contact number of the person making said allegation or providing the unsolicited advice, there is little I can do with this information.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, we live in a democracy. Canada and the NWT are not communists, fascists, totalitarians or dictatorships. It is not a place where we partake in witch hunts or vendettas. I will act on information that is signed, but because we don't have an ombudsman's office or a similar mechanism and because we don't have party politics, it becomes very difficult in handling complaints.

For the record, I take this role as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the NWT very seriously. Integrity, Mr. Speaker, has to be first and foremost in our dealings within the role that we participate. I will continue to represent my constituents to the best of my ability and I appreciate any signed and, as aforementioned, personally identified messages received. I will act on them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to advise the House that I will be absent from the House tomorrow. I will be attending the high school graduation of the students of Baker Lake. Thank you.

Thank you. 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. Ootes on May 14th regarding rates of pay for student summer employment.

The GNWT is only able to institute a new student summer wage rate through the collective bargaining process with the union. As I mentioned the other day, we did, in fact, put forth a proposal for new student rates with the union in our most recent round of collective bargaining. However, agreement on this issue was not reached.

The GNWT does not have a specific student hiring program. Students access jobs through the casual employment program. Although there is no centralized database regarding the number of potential student job opportunities, the Personnel Secretariat has informed us that approximately 72 students have been hired in headquarters as of May 14, 1996. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Picco on March 27th, regarding the transfer of staff housing to the NWT Housing Corporation.

In June 1995, PW&S transferred the administration of the staff housing inventory, including lease administration for leased units and for unit allocations, to the Housing Corporation. On April 1, 1996, the NWT Housing Corporation assumed maintenance responsibilities which will be carried out in most cases by local housing organizations. In some communities, the maintenance function will be contracted out.

The Member is correct in saying that most LHOs will now manage these properties. However, the Financial Management Board Secretariat retains the policy and program approval responsibilities over the GNWT's staff housing program. In effect, the corporation and the LHOs are acting as a contractor to the FMBS, to deliver staff housing based upon FMBS's guidelines and policies. Therefore, the budget for this program will be kept separate from the social housing budget, and the by-laws and guidelines governing social housing program delivery will not apply to staff housing.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mrs. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Groenewegen on May 8, 1996, on the GNWT position on transfers of program and facilities to municipalities.

The Member is correct in her statement that, under the community transfer process, the government agreed to work with municipal councils, band councils, community corporations and Metis locals in whatever way the community decided it wanted to approach transfers.

Under the community empowerment initiative, we will be talking to communities about how they might decide the kind of governing structure which best suits their particular and unique needs.

The government prefers to deal with a single community governing or administrative organization which is accountable to all residents of the community. In Nunavut communities, this will, in all probability, be the municipal government.

In the West, community governance is a little more complicated. It is the community residents, not the central government, that must decide how the community can best be served. If it is a community's wish that the government enter into transfer arrangements directly with a community council, band council, community corporation or Metis local; the government will consider ways to do so. It will be the challenge of community residents and their governing organizations to develop community consensus on these matters. The government can then respond. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have another one.