Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, April 1, 1999, will see a dramatic change to the political landscape of the Northwest Territories as one territory divides into two. As a result, the legislative, executive, judicial, administrative and intergovernmental processes and structures which have evolved over the years will be fundamentally and permanently altered.

Last week, the Honourable John Todd tabled the draft Transition Action Plan for the creation of two new territories. Although this document deals largely with the transition to a new government in Nunavut, it also for the first time quantifies some of the transition costs affecting the Western Territory. A supplementary report focusing specifically on western costs will be completed in November.

In the interim, there are many issues which need to be dealt with to coordinate the planning prior to April 1, 1999, to ensure that a strong and stable western government is maintained and that plans are in place for the next western territorial election scheduled for the fall of 1999.

Later today, I will table an action plan for the transition to a new Western Territory. The plan, which has been prepared in consultation with the Members of the Western Caucus, outlines some of the steps necessary to successfully launch the new Western Territory. This documents deals with a number of specific issues with respect to the establishment of the new Western Territory.

1. Transition Period

One of the most important considerations for the people of the Western Territory leading to the territorial election in the fall of 1999 is a seamless transition period which will ensure that services continue uninterrupted, the fiscal resources of the government are managed in a prudent manner and that long- term planning necessary to ensure the high quality of services continues.

To accomplish this, the action plan lays out the schedules for business planning by departments, budget consideration by the western Members of the Legislative Assembly and a decrease in the number of Cabinet Ministers from eight to six for the period from April to November, 1999.

The action plan also calls on the federal government to pass an amendment to the Northwest Territories Act to reduce the minimum number of Members of the Legislative Assembly from 15 to 14.

2. Service Levels

The Nunavut Political Accord, signed by the Government of Canada, Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut and our government in 1993, clearly stated that the Government of Canada would ensure that levels of service would not decline as a result of the creation of Nunavut. It is the view of this government and the Western Caucus that this obligates the federal government to pay the reasonable incremental and transitional costs for division that affect both east and west.

As the Honourable John Todd stated in the House last week, this government does not have the mandate to pay for the transition costs related to division and, more importantly, it simply does not have the financial resources to do so without jeopardizing program service to all our residents. This we will not do.

With that in mind, Members of the Western Caucus are committed to supporting the Minister of Finance and the northern representatives in the negotiation of the new formula financing negotiations for the Western Territory and Nunavut. The Western Caucus is taking an active part in ensuring the concerns of the residents of the west are considered in these discussions through the continued good work of the western coalition.

Western Members are also committed to supporting this government's position with respect to the transitional costs for division as outlined by Minister Todd last week in this House.

The people of the Western Territory and Nunavut have a long shared history together and will continue to have many similar political and economic interests after division. Given that there will likely be a need for shared services between west and east after division, it is important to state that we are open and committed to working with the office of the Interim Commissioner on these issues.

3. Political Representation As the constitutional working group works on a made in the north solution to the future constitutional and political arrangements for the west, it is critical that we ensure that the level of political representation of western interests is not eroded in the meantime.

The action plan sets out timetables for the federal government to appoint a senator resident in the west, a commissioner resident in the west and Western Territory representatives to national boards and agencies. Furthermore, we will be initiating a strategy to ensure that the Western Territory continues to be represented at intergovernmental meetings, beginning with Premier Morin hosting the next Western Premiers' Conference in Yellowknife during the summer of 1998.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in dealing with an issue as complex as the creation of two new territories is ensuring that all stakeholders have the necessary information to make sound and timely decisions. As a result, we are committed to providing information, position papers and background research to all stakeholders and the public on a timely basis.

The time for action is now, and the Members of the Western Caucus are prepared to meet the challenges before it. As such, the action plan that I will be tabling today should not be interpreted as a comprehensive blueprint but as the key actions required to ensure the establishment of a strong and stable Western Territory.

It is important to point out that this plan is not intended to replace ongoing ministerial accountability or the authority of the Legislative Assembly.

Together with the Transition Action Plan tabled by Minister Todd last week and the supplementary Transition Action Plan for the west that will be completed next month. This action plan sets out our commitment to ensure that both new territories are treated in a fair and equitable manner.

In the west, the plan is intended to complement the important work being done on structural and governance issues by the Constitutional Working Group, the western coalition and the Aboriginal Summit. We are working from a strong starting position. We have a government which has developed a unique northern character over several decades. We now have the opportunity to develop it further to better suit the residents of the new Western Territory as we move into the next millennium.

The creation of two new territories has been discussed for many years, but many complex issues need to be resolved to ensure a successful transition to two new territories. We hope that this document provides another important step towards this goal.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the future looks good for the western Northwest Territories. Clearly, division does present challenges. However, there are many strengths on which western residents can draw and opportunities on the horizon. The west is rich in natural resources, and there is great potential for jobs for current and future generations. We have infrastructure, programs and services for our people already in place. Western leaders are in a position to continue to develop that system further to carry us forward for generations to come.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, western MLAs clearly have an obligation and responsibility to make sure pieces are in place for the western public government after division. The Minister for western transition has outlined the process western Members have agreed to. On the request of the public, the constitutional process is moving along at a slower pace to allow for greater community consultation. In the meantime, we will be taking all the steps necessary to make sure services and programs for the public are unaffected on April 1, 1999, and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, the western government is in good shape. Our government structures already exist and are functioning. Our programs and services are already highly decentralized. In the west, we are also active at the financial tables dealing with formula financing and the division of assets and liabilities. Even in Yellowknife, there is an opportunity of shared services which will help mitigate the impact of division upon the capital.

Division is an opportunity. Good things are ahead for the west. We just have to make sure we are ready to take advantage of them. The document that will be tabled later today is only an update in the efforts to let people of the west know what work is currently under way. It is part of the many steps that we will have to take in the coming months and part of the ongoing communication that is going to be essential for the people of the west.

The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that most people in the west should not notice the impact of division on their daily lives. Levels of programs and services should not be effected. It is critical that the federal government needs to fulfil its obligation in the creation of two new territories, and it is up to us to get the pieces in place for division. The nuts and bolts issues are critical for success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to once again address the subject of the need for legislation to cover the profession of architecture in the Northwest Territories. About $150 million is spent in the north every year on the design and construction of buildings. Yet the Government of the Northwest Territories does not have any act in place to legislate the practice of architecture. Legislation would ensure that those individuals undertaking the design of buildings covered under the act are qualified to do so. Right now any person can provide building design services with no assurance to the public that he/she has the experience, training or skills in this highly technical area. A year and a half ago in this House, I asked the Minister of Justice about drafting legislation that would govern the practice of architects in the north. I was told at the time, there were no plans to draft such an act. Based on that response, the Northwest Territories Architectural Society has drafted an act and has circulated it to the allied professionals, the Northwest Territories Construction Association and the Committee of Canadian Architectural Councils for comments. The comments have been received and incorporated into the proposed act.

The Northwest Territories Society is now ready to submit the package to the Department of Public Works and Services, I believe, for final review and forwarding to the Department of Justice. Now it is up to this government to see that this act is introduced into this House for passage. Mr. Wayne Guy, the president of the Northwest Territories Architectural Society, has written to the MLAs to support this position. Northerners depend upon us to take this initiative. It has taken the Northwest Territories Architectural Society more than ten years and three governments to get to this stage of legislative development.

If the territories split prior to the passage of an architects act, both territories will be without legislation to regulate the practice of architecture. This will be detrimental to the north, especially in light of the building boom that is expected in the new territory. Architects are the only profession in the Northwest Territories dealing with health and safety not governed by an act. A new building code is scheduled to be introduced in the year 2001, putting greater responsibility into the hands of architects. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Without an architects act, the Northwest Territories will not have any architects designated as design professionals qualified to make crucial decisions on the implementation of the national building code. In short, the Northwest Territories Architectural Society has done all it can. Having an act, Mr. Speaker, is a matter of interest to public safety. Every province in this country already has such legislation. The north requires an act. Without one the public is at risk of injury. It is incumbent upon this government to ensure the health and safety of the public is maintained. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to start off by sending greetings to my wife and children and family back home in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to return home for the weekend and spend Thanksgiving with my children and my family. I am thankful for that, and I recognize many Members from the east were not able to do that and wish they were able to do so, but not saying that they will be able to return home for their weekend coming up. Mr. Speaker, the opportunity I received going home for the weekend was to hold a meeting. At this meeting I was able to speak to a number of people from the community and the concerns raised during the Thanksgiving weekend was not many to be thankful for. There was a lot of concern about what is to come up and what is happening in the communities. Government employees are just hanging onto their jobs. They are looking for other jobs even though we try to send a positive message. That is why we need to, as Members of this Assembly start to send a positive message of what we are going to do, what we can do and not what we cannot do. Mr. Speaker, I will be in the next number of days asking questions to this government on what we are doing on issues that can put people to work and take them off of income support. I am thankful for the opportunity to represent the people of Inuvik in this setting. I would be even more thankful when I can start telling them positive news that there are jobs coming down the road. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.