Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. Good morning. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to Mr. O'Brien's question yesterday on the Keewatin resupply proposal and hydrographic survey, I would like to provide some additional information. I am pleased to provide my colleagues from the Kivallivik region with an update on the initiative to provide hydrographic charts in the approaches to the communities of Arviat, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet and Baker Lake. The existing navigation charts for these communities were completed almost 50 years ago. Experienced navigators consider these charts to be inadequate to support safe and effective navigation to Keewatin communities by efficient, deep draft vessels.

Recognizing the need to find the most cost effective means of resupplying Keewatin communities and to support resource development in the region, the Government of the Northwest Territories has worked with the Canadian Hydrographic Service and the Canadian Coast Guard to rechart the Keewatin coastline over the past several years. In 1995 modern accurate charts were completed for the deep draft approaches to Rankin Inlet.

I have been advised by the Minister of Transportation that his officials were presented with the new preliminary charts for approaches to the communities of Arviat, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet and Baker Lake. These comprehensive and very accurate new charts have confirmed the presence of viable deep draft shipping corridors. These corridors offer a safe route for larger vessels to visit Keewatin communities in the future. I was informed that next summer the final surveys will be completed of the approaches to Coral Harbour and of a new intercommunity shipping corridor along the west coast of Hudson Bay.

Mr. Speaker, we and our federal partners have finally removed all doubt of the availability of safe deep draft passages to these Keewatin communities, and I look forward to testing the competitiveness of the shipping community in utilizing this new information to provide the people of the Keewatin region with the most cost effective, efficient and safe shipping in the future.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Arlooktoo. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. 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 of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Your motion is carried. Bill 1 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by my honourable colleague from Tu Nedhe that Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 2 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by my honourable Member for Tu Nedhe that Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Aivilik that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Elections Act be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Bill 4 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by my honourable Member for Tu Nedhe that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Bill 6 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake is seeking consent to deal with Bill 1. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Dent, you have consent.

Thank you. Can we have some order in the House please. Mr. Dent, your motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 1 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek consent to proceed with the second reading of Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act.

Thank you. The Member for Keewatin Central is seeking consent to deal with Bill 2. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Todd, you have consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe that Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Public Utilities Act to authorize the Public Utilities Board to establish joint divisions with a public utilities board of another province or territory, where a public utility conducts business in both jurisdictions. The bill provides that a joint division has the jurisdiction, powers and duties of the board and that a decision or act of a joint division is a decision or act of the board.

Thank you.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 2 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek consent to proceed with the second reading of Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act. Thank you.

The Member for Keewatin Central is seeking consent to deal with Bill 3 today. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Todd, you have consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe that Bill 3, an Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Financial Administration Act to provide that the Commissioner or the board of a public agency may, with the approval of the Financial Management Board and on behalf of the government or the public agency, make a guarantee if the specified limit is not exceeded.

Thank you.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 3 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to wave rule 69(2) and have Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act ordered into the committee of the whole for today.

The Member for Keewatin Central is seeking unanimous to wave rule 69(2) to have Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act ordered into the committee of the whole for today. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Todd, you have unanimous consent. Second reading of bills. Mr. Ng.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to proceed with second reading of Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Elections Act. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member for Kitikmeot is seeking consent to deal with this bill for today. Do we have nays? There are no nays. Mr. Ng, you have consent.

Thank you, honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Elections Act be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Elections Act to standardize references relating to the residence of electors, to clarify that a person who resides outside of the Northwest Territories may not vote at an election, to provide that the territories may make agreements with other jurisdictions respecting the conduct of elections, and to make a number of other minor changes to the Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Your motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 4 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Mr. Ng.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 69(2) and have Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Elections Act ordered into the committee of the whole today. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member for Kitikmeot is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 69(2) to deal with Bill 4. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Ng, you have unanimous consent. Bill 4 will be referred to committee of the whole today. Second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek consent to proceed second reading of Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Member for Keewatin Central is seeking unanimous consent to deal with Bill 6 for today. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Todd, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Income Tax Act to provide that when the Minister of National Revenue remits tax, interests and penalties to an individual taxpayer, he or she may, in some circumstances, also remit the Northwest Territories portion of the tax, interest and penalties. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Your motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Bill 6 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to a committee. Second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters, consideration of Mid-Term Review; Tabled Document 1-13(5); Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Financial Administration Act and Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Elections Act. With Mr. Steen in the Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for recognizing me right away. I am going to be talking in Inuktitut. (Translation) Mr. Chairman, I will want to ask the Minister this question with regard to Health and Social Services, the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services regarding the people who are going to Iqaluit for medical reasons or to Montreal. They used to be able to have escorts and they would be escorted by their relatives when they went away to the medical centres. After the policies and guidelines have changed in Health and Social Services, in particular in the Inuit communities and perhaps in the western Arctic as well; the policies are very awkward, mainly because of the reasons of the hospital patients who are near death, sometimes are not escorted by their relatives, as long as the relatives do not pay their own way. I will be asking Minister Kelvin Ng a question. Can he put forward a policy that will be understandable for Nunavut people as well as the western Arctic? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the medical travel component of the budgets for medical patients was transferred to the boards and by the same token they had the flexibility to design policies around medical travel. Generally speaking, Mr. Chairman, we undertook when we first initiated some of our health and social service reforms, we

undertook to basically eliminate the funding for escorts unless they were escorts for minors, of course, who are not of legal age to make decisions about their own treatment. We have given some flexibility to the boards, but our priority has been on funding medical travel for the patients so they can obtain the treatment they require, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask another question to the same Minister with regard to escorts. If a spouse were to die and the body was to be shipped back to the community, who would be responsible to pay for the freight of the body to be shipped back to the community? Would the office of Health and Social Services be responsible to pay for the freight of the body to be shipped back to the community? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in those unfortunate circumstances where somebody was to pass away outside of their home community, while they were out for medical treatment, yes, the Department of Health and Social Services would pay for having the remains sent back to the community where they originated. Mr. Chairman, thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another question to the same Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. For the last 30 or 40 years, Inuit in the communities have gone to Montreal, Toronto as well as Quebec for medical reasons. A lot of Inuit have passed away while they were in these cities. I wonder if the Department of Health and Social Services might be able to be in a position of support in having these bodies shipped back to their original communities, these remains from the cities I have mentioned? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This government did not assume responsibilities for Health and Social Services until 1988 with the health transfer agreement from the federal government. I cannot speak on past individuals that may have been deceased outside their home communities, 30 or 40 years ago. It was a different government's responsibility in respect to the medical services for those individuals. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for your answer, Mr. Minister. My last question will be with regard to the Baffin House in Montreal. This Baffin House is used by a lot of people from the Baffin region. My question is, who would be responsible for managing it? Would it be the Baffin Health Board or would it be run by your department here in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board have responsibility for Baffin House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we provide right now a lot of the support mechanisms, cross board wise throughout the territories, provide some of the planning in support of the boards as well and would undertake a lot of the initiatives of support issues that boards themselves could not undertake. If there are specific examples, that is particularly in the area of recent initiative, I think, is the human resource requirements. We are trying to staff up some of the position vacancies, particularly in the human resources support area, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I can say generally that they are. We have to recognize there are different priorities placed on different initiatives. We have a limited amount of human resources as well within the department, and right now the focus has been on trying to finalize some of the relationships in respect to boards and delivery of services and ourselves as a ministry function, preparing for division and the establishment of two departments. Quite frankly, trying to establish the monitoring,

evaluation facets of the department with respect to the board because of recent developments, as a result of some of the decisions of boards that have caused some concern amongst some of the constituents. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it would lay with the Department of Health and Social Services in a ministry function, I think. That is what we have had to do quite frankly as I indicated in my opening comments is try to maintain first of all that there is some stability in the system in respect to funding for Health and Social Services boards in the area of treatment first with the programs that we had given that we had to undergo some changes in that scheme of things. But as we did that and tried to identify and having, after stabilizing that the funding and certainty out there and the treatment programs, tried to look at areas for reinvestment towards preventative programs that will show some long term improvements towards improving social conditions throughout the Northwest Territories; we cannot do this in isolation of other social envelope partners, as we know. That is why there is the social envelope within this government where we have to include the planning of the Department Education, Culture and Employment; the Department of Justice and the Housing Corporation in respect to their programs as well that lead to the overall improvements of social conditions in general, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Obviously, I take my role quite seriously in that I know there are people departments as the Member suggests and any decisions that are made on our programs impact people no matter which spectrum of category they may be whether they are low income, high income or middle income; no matter what ethnic origin they have. I think in trying to address the issue about direct liaison with the issue of how you recognize the compassion and the needs at a local level. I think in devolving the program delivery responsibilities to the regional level where you have a community representation on those regional boards, direct input from the community on how the programs are structured and delivered, and you have a point of contact in the community from the public at large directly to the board of management. That makes an impact on the programs and how receptive and flexible those programs are in recognizing the needs of the constituents that they serve. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I believe we have some direct involvement in all of those initiatives that the Member speaks of. I cannot speak directly on exactly what depth of involvement we have right now because of the fact that I do not have that information here. But I can assure you that we are certainly aware and if not directly involved in those or coordinating those initiatives. Mr. Chairman, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I can confirm. There is certainly a will to maintain a specialist pool in the north. We have worked hard to develop in conjunction with the boards and supporting them and funding them, developing specialist services to be as close to home as possible no matter what community they may be in. I just wanted to correct the Member. The specialist services in the Baffin and Keewatin are not supplied through Yellowknife. A majority of bills come from other jurisdictions for the Keewatin and Baffin, but certainly for the Kitikmeot, my area and the western Arctic as the Member refers to, a lot of the clientele coming from those areas went to Yellowknife for some of the specialist services that are available here. It is our intent to try to maintain, as I indicated, specialists services in the north, and we would not try to jeopardize that because of the fact, it would make sense to try to retain that service as close to home as possible. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe that was probably the alcohol and drug reform that took place early in the mandate. We have gone from a core funding to a per diem situation with a lot of the alcohol and drug treatment centres. We have moved the dollars for the alcohol and drug residential treatment and for the community programs to their regional level where treatment centres have worked on some strategies to expand some of the services they have available including looking at some other areas besides strictly alcohol and drug treatment in order to attract and broaden some of the services for constituents. Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the area of financing and other operations, on the capital end of things, we are still responsible for that, setting standards as I had indicated, some of the population health issues of broader programs, whether it is undertaking studies and collection of information for analysis and trends on a territorial basis so we can give guidance and advise on programming and those types of areas, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Chairman, as I indicated in my opening remarks. I believe that those strategic planning initiatives are critical to us as a government and to use as a department as we move toward reforming some of our programs. We are doing a bunch of initiatives that, although we thought were going on the right track, we were not sure of that. Everybody can second guess whether or not you are going in the right direction. I think it is safe to say, as I indicated that the department itself has undergone, over the past five or six years, a strategic planning process that had never been concluded. I felt we had to get this done in a timely fashion because of division impending on us, because of the reforms that were undertaken and because of the great demands for replacement facilities, as I had indicated in Inuvik and Iqaluit that this necessitated knowing exactly what an integrated system would look like and how those facilities would fit into an integrated system both east and west, Mr. Chairman. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services how his department recruits nurses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Right now the regional Health and Social Services Boards has the responsibility for staffing, including nurses. Right now, as I have indicated in comments to other Members, we recognize there is a problem. There has historically been a problem in fully staffing the nursing compliment throughout the Northwest Territories, and we have initiated a human resource recruitment and retention plan that we are going to be actively pursuing over the next few months to try to remedy the problem of health care professionals throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If a community has a problem with their nurse, how do they remove the nurse or the person? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess a lot would have to do with what the complaints would be. If it is an issue of competency, then the nurses' association has a disciplinary review measure in place to review complaints if it is from a practitioning level. Basically, I guess, it is the regional Health and Social Services Board that deals with the nursing complement in their service area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With the cutback last year, what were the effects on emergency medevacs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there were no impacts on the medical evacuations that were required. If individuals required to be flown out, they continued to be transported to the location where they needed medical treatment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With the Baffin Regional Health Board transferring to Quebec from Montreal, will there be a lot of effects on specialists or services? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board is contemplating shifting their focus of service from Montreal to Ottawa. Obviously, if that were to take place, there is a significant impact. It is from one provincial jurisdiction to another. There are requirements for new boarding facilities, for new liaison, contacts for new interpretation services, new transportation links and those types of things. There would be serious impact. That is why we have asked the Baffin board to undertake a cost benefit analysis and to have those issues resolved before we approve the final transfer of services. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With the doctors visiting smaller communities, does the health board save money? How does the health board save money by sending doctors to smaller communities? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would say, yes, they would and if you had a certain number of people who did not have to be sent out immediately, but they had needs that had to be looked at by a physician instead of by a nurse practitioner, then you could wait until the physician did their regular visit. By that time, there would be a significant number of people in the community who could be seen by the physician who would be visiting and as a result you could save all those travel costs. You would have had to fly those individuals out versus flying a physician in and his support staff into the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Recently, I made a statement on cancer. I would like to know what kind of cancers are most affecting the northerners, lung cancer, breast cancer? If you could answer me that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.