Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was just reminded by the honourable Member for Iqaluit that I would be remiss if I did not congratulate Richard Beck for winning the World Championship Dog Mushers Race in The Pas, Manitoba. He has won that title for the sixth time now and I would like to wish all the best to Mr. Beck. Thank you.

Thank you. Members' statements, Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to mention an event that will be taking place this March in Rae-Edzo. The event that I am referring to is the Parish Mission Spiritual Gathering, which will take place March 16 until March 30, 1997. This event will bring community members from across the region, as well as people from Yellowknife, Deline, Detah, to witness and participate in the celebration of the Easter season. This two week event will have a full schedule of activities for young and old. It will be a time of counselling, healing, and worship for anyone that wants to participate. Regular scheduled events will include: youth, ministry, health, at Elizabeth Mackenzie Elementary School, each morning during the first week, with a workshop and other gatherings taking place throughout the community for the rest of the day and evening of each day, along with home visits to every home in the community.

The second week is filled with spiritual celebration and counselling. On the close of the mission on Easter Sunday, there will be a feast, a drum dance, and festivities. Mr. Speaker, this gathering will be very special to many people. They will worship and heal as one community. For married couples that would like to renew their marriage vows, time has been set aside for couples to do so. This will, as with every gathering, bring people and families together for the common goal of worshipping our Lord on this special day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Rabesca. Members' statements, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was thinking today of a topic I have raised twice during the past weeks. One which allowed Members to want to contemplate or one which may have a devastating effect on the fiscal health of this government. Mr. Speaker, the recent ruling by the courts on the pay issue dispute between the UNW and the territorial government has been ongoing since the mid- 80s. It has now culminated in both the GNWT's arguments on the bias and the jurisdiction of the case being ruled against. Mr.

Speaker, we can continue to duck and dive, appeal or whatever legal route we take to put this off, but is it not about time someone took the bull by the horns and dealt with this situation we find ourselves in.

Mr. Speaker, this government has refused to comment on the issue. In my mind, that is not good government. Why does the government not sit down with our partner, the UNW, and try and reach a compromise or find some other alternative? Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day when this is finally settled, the tax payers of the Northwest Territories may be on the hook for several million dollars. Money we do not have. Mr. Speaker, by saying nothing, by using legal delaying tactics, we seem to be putting off onerous eventuality. That is not acceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Members' statements, Mrs Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. Item 4. Returns to oral questions, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral questions asked by Mr. Henry on January 22, 1997, on NWT infant mortality rates. Information on infant mortality is collected through vital statistics. The rates are compiled and analyzed on a yearly basis in the Northwest Territories before being provided at the national level. Infant mortality refers to all deaths under the age of one year. The denominator used to calculate the rate is a number of live births that occur in the year of reference. As registration of deaths have tended to be more accurate than birth registrations in the past, the under- reporting of births could account in part for the higher infant mortality rates.

Infant mortality has climbed sharply everywhere in Canada over the past three decades. NWT rates were three times that of the rest of Canada in 1971. By 1988, this gap had been narrowed to one and a half times. Since then, however, little progress has occurred in the NWT, while the rates continue to go down in the south. At 15.4 infant deaths per 1000 live births, the NWT infant mortality rate was two and a half times that of Canada as a whole at 6.3 per 1000 in 1994. The Childhood Fatalities Review Committee is mandated to review and report on all deaths of children age 16 and under. The review of 1996 deaths have already been initiated and a report from the committee is expected in April. Infant mortality is strongly linked to social economic status and poverty. High rates of infant deaths from infectious causes and from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome contribute to our poor statistics. The most important single contributor to high infant mortality in the Northwest Territories continues to be exposure to tobacco smoke during fetal growth and after birth. Other contributing factors include poor nutritional status of many mothers and overcrowding. Improving social economical conditions and ensuring a healthy living environment by providing better health education, developing parenting skills and early intervention programs are the means to improve infant mortality statistics. The Department of Health and Social Services has important roles to play in these areas. We have embarked on a reform of the health and social services system that aims to shift emphasis to prevention and early intervention. However, many necessary initiatives will have to originate from communities and individuals themselves if we want to improve outcomes in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great honour and pleasure to recognize our MP for Nunatsiaq, Mr. Jack Anawak.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize my wife, Louise, and my son, Lionel Evaloarjuk. Thank you.(Translation ends)

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Mr. George Kuksuk from Arviat. George is a contractor in the community. He is also a very busy constituent. He serves on the hamlet council, also a member of the Workers' Compensation Board, and a member

of the Caribou Management Board. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Evano Aggark, a well respected constituent and also the Government Liaison Officer for Arviat. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors to the gallery, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure today to recognize a person. Behind every successful politician, there is a capable executive assistant, and sitting next to Mr. Jack Anawak is Miss Catherine Parker from Ottawa, his executive assistant, and a great tour guide of Ottawa when you get a chance to go down. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions, Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi. It is regarding the general hunting licences that are issued to residents in the north. When you try to get a hunting licence, you have to wait awhile to get your licence in the communities. My question to the Minister is, what kind of regulations do you have in regards to the issuing of those licences? Thank you. (Translation ends)

The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while in Cambridge Bay this past weekend for the Nunavut Leaders' Summit, a statement was made about a GNWT senior managers meeting with Inuit employees and that they were not being treated very well in these discussions at that meeting. Mr. Speaker, if this allegation is correct, it is not acceptable. My question is for the Minister for DPW, whose department arranged the meeting, has he heard about these allegations and could he update the House on actually what happened? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Public Works and Services. Mr. Arlooktoo.