Merci, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members are no doubt aware, this week we are celebrating Education Week in the Northwest Territories. The purpose of Education Week is to increase the public's understanding of the importance of education, and to highlight the work of education bodies and schools in providing high-quality education for NWT students. To stress the important link between the education system and the community, this year's theme is Education - A Community Partnership.

Today, I want to highlight a few of the many Education Week activities taking place across the Territories.

Moose Kerr School in Aklavik has a full schedule of events planned. Students have invited the community to a fish bake and will hold drum dance demonstrations throughout the week. One class has made placemats on the value of education, and donated them to a local cafe.

To help people in Inuvik understand the links between the community and the education system, activities have included a scavenger hunt that took participants to the offices of nine organizations which are partners in education.

There are many activities in the Sahtu region also, including a science fair at Chief T'Selihye School in Fort Good Hope, parent and child sessions at the Computer Club at Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita, a speech about the importance of staying in school by a representative of the Department of National Defence in Norman Wells, photo day for students and families at Colville Lake School, and a radio phone-in program on education partnerships in Deline.

The Chief Sunrise Education Centre on the Hay River Reserve and Joseph Burr Tyrrell School in Fort Smith are focusing on reading throughout this week. The principal of Deninoo School in Fort Resolution will give a public presentation on empowering the community in education.

Students in Arviat have a number of assignments planned that encourage them to think about things they learn at home and in the community.

Mr. Speaker, the whole community is a place of learning. People in the communities are the ones who should create a vision for learning and make decisions about it. Education Week is an excellent opportunity for people to learn more about education programs in their community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On August 8, 1996, the Premier and the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development announced a joint commitment to develop a Protected Areas Strategy for the NWT by the end of 1998.

The people of the north have expressed a need for a balance between conservation and development. Finding this balance is perhaps the most critical task facing the new Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. We need a strong economy to support and provide opportunities for all our people. However, we also need to identify and protect a range of representative and unique natural areas. Protecting these areas is important to maintaining biodiversity, and the rich natural and cultural values which contribute to our quality of life.

This government has accepted the challenge of leading the process of developing a Protected Areas Strategy. We will work cooperatively with the federal government, aboriginal organizations, land claimant boards, environmental representatives, the mineral, oil and gas sector as well as commercial fishing, tourism and forestry interests. Communities and the public will also have an important role to play.

Mr. Speaker, in an effort to begin to develop these partnerships, I have invited groups to a conference in Inuvik during the first week of March. The purpose of this conference is to establish a cooperative approach to developing a strategy. At this stage we need to hear from many different voices and we need to provide a forum for these voices to hear each other and to find common understanding. For the strategy to be successful in defining natural areas which northerners most value, people must work together.

The NWT is in a strong position. We have an advantage over every other jurisdiction in Canada, as most of the Northwest Territories remain undeveloped. We have the unique opportunity of combining scientific and traditional knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, the development of a Protected Areas Strategy will be a lasting contribution from this government to the people of the north and Canada. I look forward to a successful and productive conference in Inuvik. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to make a statement in response to the statement made by the Minister of Health yesterday, on Weedless Wednesday. Mr. Speaker, I think the statement made by the Minister is very good. It addresses the problems we have with our children picking up the habit of smoking. I do not condone this habit, and I encourage children in my area not to smoke when I see them doing it, particularly my own kids. Mr. Speaker, this is a very good thing that we encourage the children not to smoke, but like everything else, those of us that do it know better than anybody else the results of this habit, and how hard it is to break this habit.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Minister identified that it cost society a lot of money in social and health problems in relation to smoking. Today, at the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister of Finance to identify the benefits of smoking, because like everything else there are two sides to a coin. I will be asking him to identify the amount of money and the amount of revenue that is received in taxes from those who do have the habit. Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, he could address just what he is doing for the benefit of those who smoke, from this money that they get from us. I would also like to point out at this time that, like a Weedless Wednesday, perhaps there should be a Weedful Thursday. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to advise the House that I will not be in attendance in the House tomorrow. I will be leaving this evening to attend the 14th Canadian Presiding Officers Conference in Edmonton, Alberta on behalf of the Speaker, the Honourable Sam Gargan, who will stay here to fulfil his commitments in the Speaker's chair tomorrow. I have never been to a Presiding Officers Conference, but there will be business sessions. So, just so you do not think I am going there for a holiday, I will tell you what some of the business sessions are entitled, Management of Question Period, Relations between Speakers and Deputy Speakers, Development and Jurisdictions, on which I will be giving a report on the developments in our jurisdiction, Outreach Programs and Educational Initiatives by the House. There will be a round table on the outreach programs, and then I will be chairing a business session entitled, Designation of the Official Opposition and the presenter for that will be the Clerk from the Yukon. I am looking forward to this and will report back to the House, but that is the reason for my absence tomorrow. This is a close-by conference. I must say that there was one in Malaysia, Fredericton, New Brunswick and quite a number of locations. This is a much less exotic destination, but I am pleased to attend on behalf of the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is in regards to the whole idea of community empowerment and also the accountability of communities. Right now, I find in my constituency, a real problem, especially in the cuts that have been put forth in regards to reductions to the water and sewage program. In one case, in the case of Aklavik, they were cut by $70,000. In Fort McPherson by $75,000. Those incidents are affecting, not only the municipalities to deal with their deficits, but also to try and get out of them. It is also affecting my constituents in regards to delivery of these important services.

In the case of Arctic Red where you have 10 individuals living in a home, having water delivered twice a week is a little bit rash, considering all the water we have in the north. I think that these type of incidents should not have to occur, especially in this age, and also with the resources that we have. In some cases, it is not exactly perfect drinking water, but we have to live with it. I will be asking the Minister later regarding letters that have been sent to her on behalf of the Municipal Councils in Aklavik, McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic, in regards to this problem that has arisen through the cuts to that program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, in Fort Smith, there was a very informative community meeting held with people from a number of communities as well as four different jurisdictions: British Columbia, Alberta, the federal government, and, of course, the Northwest Territories. The issue had to deal with water and the fact that the western Arctic is the ultimate downstream jurisdiction, affected directly by the decisions of our neighbours in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. It was very clear that there was a significant impact by what is happening with the Bennett Dam. In addition, we found out there were record high snow falls and rainfalls last year.

To me, as an MLA, one of the biggest concerns was the very clear lack of coordination among the jurisdictions. When we got in that room for the meeting, it was the first time some of those officials had seen each other from the different jurisdictions or talked to each other, even though they are directly involved in the same kind of work in measuring and evaluating the same type of water systems. I am hoping that out of this meeting will come a method that we can have coordination of information so that there is warning of any changes to the river systems. I am hoping that the Minister for RWED will be able to work with his officials to push the other jurisdictions to develop a daily working relationship. In the long term, at the political level, we have to continue to pressure the British Columbia government to sign the MacKenzie River Basin Master Agreement. The GNWT has signed it, as has Alberta, and it needs B.C.'s signature so that we can move ahead on these critical issues related to water and the affect that they have throughout the land. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable colleagues, I rise today again on the issue of funding for four alcohol and drug treatment facilities, and I refer to the way this government operates. The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. I came here thinking of change, and although on the outside it seems we have made great strides in change, I have just come across some information that makes me feel like I have not been here for a year yet. It is like I have come back into the House for the first time to argue the same points. We have changed many of the departments. We have 10 departments, Mr. Speaker. Yet, we have the

equivalent of 17 or 18 D.M. level staff, deputy minister level staff. I would say for 10 departments and so many deputy ministers level personnel, are we really changing things, or are we covering them up? I could see a number of those positions being deleted, so to speak. Instead of helping a few, we would help many. I feel a few of those positions might fund Delta House. I would say, Mr. Speaker, as a government and as elected Members of this Assembly, we seriously have to take a look at what we are doing. Are we making change, or are we just changing the colour of the paper? I think we need to have a look at that. I am going to be questioning later on, hopefully I can get a few questions in, to a number of Ministers on the concern of financing of the drug and alcohol treatment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.