Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Your motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

--- Carried

Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you have unanimous consent. Committee Report 3-13(3) will be put into Committee of the Whole for today. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Enuaraq.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide the general comments from the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the review of the 1996-97 main estimates.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs' work is intended to support a complement of efforts of Ministers. The approach taken by the social envelope Ministers was consistent with the consensus-style government we have and the efforts of Caucus Members to work together to address the difficult financial situation we are in. Although the process of reviewing business plans is new, standing committee Members feel the meetings were very productive. The business plan review process has been very successful, with most departments, as an avenue to exchange ideas and identify areas where the Assembly needs to focus extra attention and resources. The process provides a forum where the departmental expertise and the Members' background and community knowledge can be mutually respected and shared.

Across the government, all departments and committees are trying to find ways to deal with the difficult financial situation. The social program departments account for almost 60 per cent of the government's budgets, with the largest expenditures being in the areas of Education and Health and Social Services. While the standing committee Members are committed to dealing with the deficit as quickly a possible, they recognize the drastic impact on NWT residents which would result if all of the cuts to the social programs were to take place in a single year.

Therefore, the standing committee supports spreading the social program reductions over a two-year period. This provides time for changes to social programs to take place in a planned way, with the help of new approaches and transitional programming.

As a Caucus, Members of the Legislative Assembly set priorities to guide their work. Among these priorities were community wellness and empowerment of the communities. During discussions of each department's business plans, the standing committee looked for reductions and program innovations that are consistent with these priorities.

The standing committee wants the government to take swift and clear action to implement a community wellness strategy, consolidate community resources and empower communities to make decisions and develop programs which will have a positive impact on community residents.

The initial plans the government provided for developing the community wellness framework are very encouraging. The standing committee believes that this is the key to dealing with the range of social programs impacting northerners. The standing committee looks forward to the plans being provided on June 1, 1996 and intends to play an active role in ensuring that the framework becomes a reality.

In the community wellness strategy and as part of many of the initiatives the departments proposed, the standing committee expects there will be pilot projects required in different program areas such as income reform, community wellness centres and community justice. While Members recognize that different communities are at differing stages of readiness to take on programs, the social envelope should ensure that there is a fair and equitable sharing of pilot project opportunities between all communities.

In most regions, there are a number of boards and departments delivering services in the social program area. Many of these boards and departments have their own administrative staff, performing similar tasks. There is a strong potential to reduce resources or free up valuable funding for front-line programs and staff. This would require boards and departments to work cooperatively in identifying potential for economies of scale by combining resources. The standing committee hopes to see this area addressed as departments and regions identify new ways of doing business.

The largest board structures supported by the government are in health and education. The standing committee thinks that the board members are best placed to determine the needs of the communities in the region. The boards are also the most appropriate I level to determine program modifications or changes which will meet these needs while addressing financial realities. The standing committee has encouraged the departments to provide general direction that allows boards and other regional management to determine what will work for the region or community.

It is the standing committee's opinion that gone is the day when this government can afford to wait for communities to come forward and ask to participate in the delivery of a service or program. The government must aggressively pursue opportunities to empower communities and have control of program delivery at the community level. At the same time, we must make sure communities are ready and able to assume these responsibilities. A number of the new initiatives in the social envelope are directed at supporting communities to take over more programs. The government must work with communities to prepare them to ensure community-driven programs are successfully implemented.

Administrative And Other Issues

The standing committee recognizes that the 1996-97 business plans process took place under severe time constraints -- am I saying that correctly -- these timing problems were the result of the date of the territorial election in relation to the government's fiscal year. The standing committee knows departments worked long hours to provide the business plans and appreciates the efforts of the many staff involved. However, in the future when the process returns to a normal budget cycle, the standing committee would like to have documents provided farther in advance. Receiving material just prior to meetings does not allow Members to adequately review the work prepared by departments.

The standing committee has noted that some of the social programs departments, such as Health and Social Services, offer scholarships. These scholarships encourage northerners to pursue post-secondary schooling. The standing committee would like to see some consistency in the eligibility criteria for these scholarships. For example, government-funded scholarships should be aimed at northerners; possibly with a minimum five-year residency. One of the conditions of the scholarship should be a return to the North to work applying the knowledge. If the person did not return, the scholarship should be considered a loan and fully repayable.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the general comments from the Standing Committee on Social Programs. The standing committee will have more detailed comments on each department in the social envelope during the review of the main estimates in Committee of the Whole.

Motion To Receive And Move Committee Report 4-13(3) To Committee Of The Whole, Carried

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs. Therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Natilikmiot, that the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates, be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole.

Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. Your motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

--- Carried

Mr. Enuaraq.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and have Committee Report 4-13(3) of the Standing Committee on Social Programs moved into Committee of the Whole for today.

Thank you. The Member for Baffin Central is seeking unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Enuaraq, you have unanimous consent. Committee Report 4-13(3) will be put into Committee of the Whole for today.

Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Mr. Arlooktoo, your point of privilege.

Point Of Privilege

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express both my unhappiness and disappointment regarding an article which has been published in the Friday, May 3rd, edition of Nunatsiaq News in which the director of business development for NTI, Tagak Curley, is reported to have attributed to me statements which were never made and others which have been distorted beyond recognition.

If the comments do accurately reflect what Mr. Curley has said, I must regrettably conclude that he has done a disservice to me and he has mislead the people of the Nunavut region at a time when we can't afford to be divided.

At no time have I suggested that I am under pressure from anyone to delay the implementation of article 24 of the Nunavut final agreement. Further, I have never suggested to anyone that there are Cabinet Ministers who opposed the implementation of article 24. To imply that this is the case, does nothing to advance the resolution of the issue, which troubles me greatly, as a considerable amount of work has been dedicated to deciding on how we can proceed, so we not only ensure continued compliance with article 24, but do so in a way which advances the principles contemplated by article 24.

The one point that Mr. Curley and I do agree upon, is that there is a great need for certainty regarding the implementation of article 24. A good place to start would be for Mr. Curley to listen closely in the future so that when he chooses to speak for me, which I would prefer that he not do, he can do so with a modest degree of accuracy.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Arlooktoo. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents.

In accordance with section 164(2) of the Elections Act, I wish to table Tabled Document 30-13(3), the report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada in French, English and syllabics, titled: "Looking to the Future" which covers the administration of the Northwest Territories general election of October 16, 1995, as well as the administration of the Kitikmeot 1993 and Aivilik 1995 by-elections.

Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table Tabled Document 31-13(3), results of a survey which was conducted in March of this year. This random survey was done in my constituency of Yellowknife South. The survey was in response to my need to understand how my constituents felt about the current deficit and their feelings on budget reductions. I hope my fellow Members will take the time to review this survey, as I feel it is representative of a comparable cross-section of people in my riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Henry. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 11, Appropriation Act, 1996-97; Committee Report 1-13(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; Committee Report 2-13(3), Standing Committee on Infrastructure Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; Committee Report 3-13(3), Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; Committee Report 4-13(3), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates, with Mr. Ningark in the chair.

Thank you. Committee of the Whole will come to order. For consideration in Committee of the Whole, we have Bill 11, Appropriation Act, 1996-97; Committee Report 1-13(3); Committee Report 2-13(3); Committee Report 3-13(3); and, Committee Report 4-13(3). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. We have a motion to report progress and the motion is not debatable. All those in favour, please signify. Thank you. Opposed? The motion is carried.

--- Carried

I will now rise and report progress to the Speaker. Thank you.

The committee will come back to order. We are on item 21, report of Committee of the Whole. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.