Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Roland.

The Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later on during this session, I plan to give a more detailed report to the House on the status of our activities with Plan 2000. But to summarize, we had an immensely good summer on the building of houses. We had built or repaired 600 additional units on top of what we normally would have done if it was not for Plan 2000. As far as agreements with banks go, the Housing Corporation's senior staff have visited and met with every single branch in the Northwest Territories and have met with all the bank managers, some of them more than once, to explain the details of the plan. Although I do not believe there are actual agreements in place, the banks are much more involved and knowledgable of the program and are therefore much more willing to provide mortgages, et cetera.

Supplementary questions. Mr. Roland.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we are at the stage where there are still many clients that wish to build their own homes and use our Plan 2000 programs that are seen by the banks as relatively low risk. As the Member knows, banks do have very stringent rules and, although they are in the business of lending money, they also look very carefully at the risk. Therefore, they take those precautions. That is where our program kicks in, where we do provide monies to assist home-owners, or home-owners to be, with their down payments.

If there are questions on the client's ability to pay back on the tax part, but in our view that those are good suitable clients, then we will in fact go to the bank with the client at times and try to help them out that way.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to my earlier statement on teenage pregnancies and family planning. I would like to ask the Minister what his department is doing in this regard? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are primarily supporting the boards in the development of awareness campaigns to deal with the issue. I think it is important to recognize the tremendous drain and pressure on our social programs as a result of escalating populations. I think we as leaders have to raise the profile of that issue and discussions at formal and informal meetings. I know that trustees at different boards have brought up the issue based on discussions with ourselves in trying to pass on the concern. I think the initiative has to come from the leadership throughout the territories in trying to instill in people the awareness of the issue and have it remain a priority item. I think it is also safe to say that in our strategic reinvestment initiative, which I have spoken about on a number of occasions, for the 1998/99 year, that public health issues will be one of the main priorities for reinvestment. I think issues surrounding public health, such as population growth, will be one of those issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the problem I see here is that we are looking at an ad hoc approach to the problem, by direction that the boards and trustees will hopefully find a way of coming up with a strategy. I do not think this is correct. I will ask the Minister, is he looking at some type of direction or government-wide initiative to help rebase money into budgets? Some direction from the department itself to actually facilitate the commercials, ads and awareness programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We would certainly be receptive to that, as I had indicated under the public health aspect of our strategic investment initiative. I think that is a particularly important initiative that we can take a look at as one of the focal points of the re-investment. I think it is safe to say we would have to also work with our partners and the education boards through the Department of

Education, Culture and Employment to co-ordinate efforts in respect to some of the programming that is available through the schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister be directing the boards as the top authority on health and social services in the territories to actually facilitate family planning and goals toward looking at issues of teenage pregnancy, for example? Will he be issuing that type of direction, or is he going to leave it up to the trustees?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am reluctant to issue directions. I think what I will say is we will certainly highlight the need to undertake these types of measures with our partners, the boards, in the delivery of the programs. I think it is safe to say they would recognize the same concerns in respect to the demands on the health care system as a result of the burgeoning population. As a result of that, it would also be in their best interest in the long run to undergo these same types of initiatives in raising the awareness of the issue of trying to curtail the high birth rates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Question period is over. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports on committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Arlooktoo.