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.