Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members' statements. Thank you. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is on adult education. During this session we have heard about the new Northern Employment Strategy and the Standing Committee on Government Operations are going to table a report on Affirmative Action and Human Resource Management. Both stress the need to increase employment opportunities for northerners.

For me, there is one critical element in making this happen - education. In ten to 20 years our children will be the professionals and business people in the north. A strong school system is important to make this happen. We can see results already from grade extensions. There are more graduates and more students staying in school, but this is only half of the equation.

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken on this many times. In the short term, we need to support the adults who did not have the same access to education as children today currently have. I believe you are never too old to learn. Aurora and Arctic College are full of mature students. Some of them are changing careers, some of them may finally enter the workforce because of this.

Mr. Speaker, there are many people capable and who need the helping hand of adult basic education. While there is a cost, there is a greater cost to them if they stay on income support for life and that cost is also reflected in government spending. There is an interest out there. We have to make sure that people can get the education they need to grow and learn and we make sure that they do not lose their interest while they are waiting to get into classes.

In many areas we have talked about spending a bit more now to have savings later. Nowhere is there a better example of this than in the area of adult education. Mr. Speaker, the Finance Minister recently indicated that we are going to be spending $16 million to help people gain employment through the Northern Employment Strategy. I am glad to see that Cabinet has been listening to my many statements on adult education and that $2 million of that Northern Employment Strategy will be for adult education. I can only say, Mr. Speaker, bravo.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Returns to oral questions. Item 5. At

this time, I would like to recognize up in the public gallery the students from Tree of Peace adult education class.

-- Applause

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

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a question to the Minister of Economic Development. In Hall Beach, the community that I represent, I am sorry you were not able to hear me. I would like to ask the Minister of Economic Development in the community of Hall Beach there was an economic development officer and he has just taken on another job and left the community. The community misses him and is asking whether they are going to be getting another economic development officer. That is my question to the Minister. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. Mr. Kakfwi. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. (Translation ends) Mr. Picco.

Thank you. The honourable Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has not formally been publicly released. Actually, I am in the process of getting conveyance letters drafted for my signature today. However, I can say that informally, through the NWT Health Care Association, that board chairs and CEOs have had an opportunity to receive an advance copy of the report, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I noticed the media are already reporting the contents of said report before I or I am sure some of the other Members in this House to have had a chance look at it. That is disappointing. Following up on the Med-Emerg report, that has not been officially released publicly but there seems to be in wide circulation especially in the media, I would like to ask some questions.

Mr. Speaker, one of the prime reasons for having the Med-Emerg report is to look at health care for now, right now in the present in the Northwest Territories and later on in the year 2000 and beyond and the facilitation for new hospital facilities. Can the Minister update this House on where we are right now with the new major health facility which is in Inuvik and in the Baffin region and also an indication that there may be other facilities looked at? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The report recommends in respect to both the Inuvik and Iqaluit hospitals that there be replacement project for those two aging facilities. It also recommends, particularly in the Keewatin and Kitikmeot regions, that there be some form of enhanced health care facilities because of the fact that those are the only two regions in the territories that do not have that type of facility available. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand as a report it publicly now in the media that the Med-Emerg consultants have recommended that the GNWT set up a committee to figure out how to spread new hospital construction money between Cambridge Bay, Rankin, Inuvik, and the Baffin region. It is going to be called the capital coordinating committee and that is there a recommendation. I wonder when Mr. Ng will be getting back to this House and to the people of the Northwest Territories on the recommendations made by Med-Emerg and has he accepted those recommendations or is the department still reviewing them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as all Members can appreciate, there is a considerable amount of recommendations in that report. I can say, for certain, we have not accepted all of the recommendations, but a majority of them are sound. In respect to the issue about the capital coordinating committee, that is one of the recommendations for facilitating the construction for bringing on line the capital needs in the Northwest Territories. I have not formalized any position on that yet. I have to still, as I indicated yesterday in response to the honourable Member for Inuvik, still seek some resolution with the board chairs on a framework for continuing on in trying to coordinate bringing those capital projects on line, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that, as reported now in the media, and in my conversations with some of the birth rate corporations in my region are willing to come in with financing to help in the construction of the replacement of the much needed Baffin hospital that was built in 1962. As we have brought up over the past year and a half, with the federal agreement that was in place in 1988.

My question to the Minister is, is he looking at the accessing of these outside financing to help in these difficult fiscal times of this government so that these projects could go on time and on schedule before the year 1999 or 2000? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is important to clarify, first of all, to the honourable Member that the media does not have a copy of the Med-Emerg report. As I indicated, we have passed on advanced copies to the chairs and the CEOs of the health care association of boards throughout the territories. They have had some discussions with it.

The media report that the honourable Member refers to is the fact that myself and the Deputy Minister were up in Iqaluit speaking to the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board on some of the contents of the report and the discussion on the framework for some of the consultations. The media were present and that may be where some of the comments were coming from. As well, the Deputy Minister did have an interview with a member of the media while we were in Iqaluit. I just wanted to clarify that is the case in respect to the media reporting of this issue.

In respect to the issue of outside financing sources. Yes, I have said right from the start. In following questions from the honourable Member from Inuvik and from Iqaluit that we have to look at some creative financing options to try to bring these projects on line because of the fact that this government has some financial restrictions and constraints in the budgets that we have brought forward. We have to look at all avenues that are out there to hopefully be successful in bringing these initiatives on line, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.