This is page numbers 299 - 332 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

Topics

Members Present

Honourable Jim Antoine, Honourable Goo Arlooktoo, Mr. Barnabas, Honourable Charles Dent, Mr. Enuaraq, Mr. Erasmus, Mr. Evaloarjuk, Honourable Sam Gargan, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Henry, Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Miltenberger, Honourable Don Morin, Honourable Kelvin Ng, Mr. Ningark, Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Ootes, Mr. Picco, Mr. Rabesca, Mr. Roland, Mr. Steen, Honourable Manitok Thompson, Honourable John Todd.

Oh, God, may your spirit and guidance be in us as we work for the benefit of all our people, for peace and justice in our land and for the constant recognition of the dignity and aspirations of those whom we serve. Amen.

Item 1: Prayer
Item 1: Prayer

Page 299

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Todd.

Minister's Statement 21-13(5): Pay Equity
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

Page 299

John Todd Keewatin Central

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have an emergency statement to make.

Mr. Speaker, the Union of Northern Workers and the government have had mediated talks for the past few months in regard to pay equity. Unfortunately, the mediator has decided to end the talks with the common consent of all parties.

Mr. Speaker, while this news is disappointing and the differences between the two parties remain substantial, I would hope that it provides an opportunity for reflection and realism as we embark on collective bargaining negotiations, scheduled from February 2nd through February 6th. In these negotiations, a wide variety of issues will be addressed, including pay equity, both from a retroactive and a prospective approach with the implementation of a new job evaluation system.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in last week's budget speech, this government, with the help and support of our residents, has been able to achieve a balanced budget and lay the groundwork for economic progress and growth. This is a major accomplishment for which we should all be proud, but even though our future is bright, our fiscal situation is still fragile.

Mr. Speaker, this government believes firmly and unequivocally in the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. I have expressed this position on behalf of the government on many occasions. The issue of pay equity has been with us for ten years and the residents of the Northwest Territories have a reasonable expectation that we will come to a successful resolution.

In our view this can be done through negotiations. As Minister of Finance, I have continually stated our commitment to a negotiated settlement that is fair to all concerned, that is affordable and that creates for the future a new job evaluation system which is bias free.

I call upon the UNW to join with me in a common endeavour to protect jobs, ensure service levels are not further reduced and commit ourselves to respond to the concerns and needs of the people of the north. As you all are aware, we in the north live in an environment whose priorities are unique. In this context and in our choices, both government and employees must be realistic and responsible. Thank you.

Minister's Statement 21-13(5): Pay Equity
Item 2: Ministers' Statements

Page 299

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past two years, there have been many questions raised in this House on breast cancer. Today I would like to provide an overview of the extensive work we are doing to address this problem.

In addition to the funding already in place, Cabinet recently approved a Strategic Investment Fund for boards. This funding could be used to implement critical public health programs, including breast cancer screening. Successful screening is based on regular breast self-examination, annual clinical examination and screening mammography for key age groups. Information and teaching on breast self-examination and clinical breast examination is part of the well-women

health programming across the north. A module dealing with this has been part of the Advanced Nursing Skills Program for the past decade.

In 1995, the Department of Health and Social Services issued a set of interim guidelines to help health boards and medical clinics to focus screening services. The guidelines identify ways to improve access for women in the key risk group - ages 50 to 65 for which mammography screening is shown to have the greatest benefit. During the past year, the NWT Working Group on Breast Cancer reviewed and revised these guidelines. The department distributed these guidelines to all boards in December, 1997. Each board will identify issues, related costs and specific actions that need to be examined to ensure that all NWT residents have access to quality breast cancer screening services. The department will provide support to each board in their efforts to establish a cancer screening service best suited to its geographic and cultural situation.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

Mr. Speaker, last September I represented this government at a conference of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for Consumer Affairs. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has the following consumer affairs responsibilities: consumer protection, lottery licensing, real estate licensing and business licensing.

Mr. Speaker, I am quite concerned about the many problems facing northern consumers. Mail and telemarketing fraud is increasing and finding its way into our homes. These crimes are targeted to our elders and many others who do not understand the wording of contracts. In the north, we have always prided ourselves on friendliness and openness. Sadly, our friendliness can be abused and replaced with the experience of being cheated, which is the business of some of these telemarketers.

In 1994, our government signed an agreement on internal trade with other jurisdictions. Many initiatives resulted from this agreement, one of which was the creation of a National Consumer Measures Committee, which oversees the development and implementation of programs in various consumer related areas. The Government of the Northwest Territories is a member of this committee and we continue to contribute and work with our partners in areas of consumer protection. Mr. Speaker through the sharing of resources we have developed the CANSHARE system. This is a computer data base that allows tracking of telemarketing complaints between jurisdictions. It also provides a way to quickly notify jurisdictions of problem areas by issuing consumer alerts to consumer protection agencies across Canada. This is a significant advantage for a small jurisdiction like ours. We simply would never have sufficient resources to track down and identify all of the scam artists who are operating in the NWT because most of them operate from southern provinces. With CANSHARE we will be able to access and use the data bases of other provinces to help track and identify these illegal operators. As a result, we will provide better consumer protection advice to northerners.

Mr. Speaker, we have also been collaborating with our federal and provincial partners in drafting a Joint Enforcement Agreement which allows jurisdictions to share information and resources while enforcing our consumer protection laws. I cannot stress the fact that the best line of defence against mail and telemarketing fraud is public awareness. Media campaigns dealing with loan brokers and telemarketers, along with a consumer handbook, are new initiatives underway in our fight against consumer fraud.

We are partners in a National Consumer Awareness Campaign. Closer to home, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is developing new partnerships with other territorial agencies and organizations to combat these activities.

Today I am pleased to announce that such a partnership has been established. My department, along with members of the RCMP, the NWT Association of Municipalities, the Yellowknife Seniors Association, the NWT Seniors Association and the NWT Chamber of Commerce have formed a task force to develop and implement a Consumer Scam Awareness Campaign. Through this partnership, we hope to protect the interests of all our northern consumers. I look forward to providing more details on this awareness campaign in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling a document entitled the Tuk/Inuvik Highway Study, which was jointly sponsored by the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and the Town of Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, both of

these municipal organizations have put a considerable amount of time and effort in producing this report. Funding to cover costs of retaining an engineering firm to undertake the study was obtained from the Department of Transportation and the municipalities concerned.

Mr. Speaker, in summary this document is a feasibility study on the costs of constructing a service road between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk rather than a full scale all-weather highway. It is hoped the service road would be up-graded to all-weather highway status at a later time.

In the opinion of the engineering firm, Ferguson Simek Clark, who were retained to undertake the study; it would be possible to construct an all-weather service road from Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik for approximately one quarter of the cost identified by previous studies. As an example, the GNWT Department of Transportation estimated it would cost in the nature of $160 million to construct an all-weather highway between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Comparably, the Tuk/Inuvik Highway Committee Study estimates the cost of constructing an all-weather service road at approximately $40 million. The major cost factor difference between the two quotes to complete this project is the route proposed and the class of highway to be constructed. Mr. Speaker, the study has the backing of the well known and highly qualified engineering firm, Ferguson Simek Clark, whose engineers took the trouble to actually view first hand the route and the potential quarry sites along the route.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the efforts of members of the Tuk/Inuvik Highway Committee who worked hard to bring this report forward with the hope this government will consider funding this project in the near future. In particular, I wish to recognize the deputy mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. William Nasogaluak, and the Major of Inuvik, Mr. George Roach, past town counsellor, Mr. Eddy Kolousok. These people co-chaired the Tuk/Inuvik Highway Committee and were instrumental in pursuing the completion of this study. The Mayor of Tuk, Eddy Dillon, and hamlet counsellors, Russell Newmark and Mervin Gruben, and Inuvik town councillor, Vivian Hunter, were also members of this committee, and I would like to recognize their efforts as well. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude this statement.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

The Member for Nunakput is seeking unanimous consent to complete his statement. Are there any nays? Mr. Steen, you have unanimous consent.

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, my honourable colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I should mention here that both the Premier, the Honourable Don Morin, and the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Jim Antoine, were presented with copies of this report during their recent visit to Tuktoyaktuk in November of this past year. I believe both Mr. Morin and Mr. Antoine were impressed with the professionalism of the report and the determination of the people involved to see the project through.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize my honourable colleague from Inuvik, Mr. Roland, for his support on this project. I hope the rest of my honourable colleagues in this House will indicate their support for the funding of this most worthwhile project which, in effect, would serve as the missing link connecting the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Speaker, we believe the completion of the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean would benefit all residents of the NWT and Canada as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the Christmas holidays, I had the opportunity to tour the Kugaardjuq School. I had the opportunity to have a discussion with the principal at that school, and he indicated to me, and I was there when I say the interior of the building had a serious need for space. There is already over-crowding, within the Kugaardjuq School in Pelly Bay. We do not have the proper space facilities to do many programs in the community that are delivered within the policy of this government. They are using the shop for Agetamik programs. They are using the kitchen for the library, on top of that the senior one class is having their regular classes in the ecology centre in that community. Normally, it should be done in the school. We are expecting 25 more kindergarteners to be recruited this coming year. On top of that, there may be other preschoolers that may need a space in the classroom. I think we have a serious problem, and this serious problem, Mr. Speaker, deserves serious consideration by this government. At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of Education a question. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board on the completion of the traditional knowledge book, Gwich'in Words About the Land. Mr. Speaker, for aboriginal people the importance of our land does not mean the ground that supports our feet. Our land includes all beings and elements. The Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board encompassed these aspects in its comprehensive project on a traditional knowledge of 22 wildlife and fish species used by the Gwich'in people. With the commitment of the elders and the board, it took two years compile and finish this project. Their dedication reaffirms the importance of the collection and use of traditional knowledge of renewable resources management. Robert Charlie, chair of the board, has provided copies of the book for the Government Leader, the Speaker, the Minister of

Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and other Ministers. If any Member would like a copy of the book, please contact myself or the board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to congratulate the Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board and the elders of the Mackenzie Delta area on successful production of their traditional knowledge book. The board has

shown that it can be done in the area of collection and use of traditional knowledge. The Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board was recently selected as a successful example of how traditional knowledge can be used in renewable resources management at an international workshop on traditional knowledge in Spain. This government has had several problems and concerns from the public on traditional knowledge. I would like to recommend that the Minister of Renewable Resources and Economic Development, which is the lead agency for the collection and use of traditional knowledge in the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, ensures that the government continue to provide support and finances to these groups and organizations that can actively collect and use the traditional knowledge of our elders. In concluding by reading a quote from a Gwich'in elder, "Passing our knowledge about the land and animals to our children is the best gift that we can have given to them." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to send my condolences to the Qarpik family in Pangnirtung. Leelee, the son of Joanasie and Ida Qarpik, died tragically last Friday, as a result of a skidooing accident in Pangnirtung. Mr. Speaker, the municipality of Pangnirtung is a small close knit community. Leelee Qarpik will be missed. Again, I would like to send my prayers and condolences to the Qarpik family. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. Members' statements, Mr. Ootes.

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week we had occasion to have a number of banking officials and high power business people in the Legislative Assembly for the Budget Address. The MLAs were informed that after the Finance Minister's address we would have a break in order to meet and socialize with these bankers and business people, who would likely be involved in the Public/Private Partnership detailed in the budget. The MLAs and those in the gallery would enjoy this opportunity to speak with the power brokers.

Imagine the surprise of the MLAs and ordinary folk in the gallery when we left for the Great Hall with no one in sight from the banking community, the business community or the Finance Minister himself. Several MLAs and members of the public determined that there was a private meeting in the upstairs meeting room. When we attempted to join the meeting, we were advised that it was private. My way was blocked by the Minister's staff and one of his hired consultants. So we were left to socialize amongst ourselves in the Great Hall. Strange things are done in the land of the midnight sun, Mr. Speaker. I never did get a chance to meet these so-called bankers, and a leading local banker is quite furious because he was not even made aware of this meeting, and yet he is one of the ones, or his bank, who will ultimately have to deal with this issue. To me, the emotional debate in the House following the public/private reception was symbolism at its finest. You see, we extra-ordinary Members on this side of the House are partners in consensus government. We were not given access to those who are going to be players in the $200 million Public/Private Partnership, and that was what the great shrimp and kool aid debate was all about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Members' statements. Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, the history of the north is filled with people working together and helping others in times of need. In fact, much of our culture is based on our sense of community and on our reliance on each other in order to survive. I believe that as a community, Yellowknife must now, more than ever, embrace the rich northern tradition of relying on each other. Yellowknife has taken its fair share of hard knocks in the past few months. The decrease in gold prices has hit the city hard, as it has resulted in layoffs at Giant Mine and Con Mine, and it is having an economic impact on individuals and businesses with ties to the mining industry. Mr. Speaker, the recent layoffs at local mines represent more than just a job loss for individual families. There is also a loss to our community, as a whole, as these workers and their families are valuable not only for their economic contributions, but also for their contributions to the quality of life in our community.

Therefore, I believe that it is vital we do all we can to help keep these skilled workers and their families in the north. Mr. Speaker, as a Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, I have asked Mayor Dave Lovell and city council to give serious consideration to the proposal put forward by some of the mine employees who live on mine property to ensure they can keep their homes. I have also spoken and written to the Honourable Manitok Thompson asking that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs cooperate with the city in this process. Mr. Speaker, I have also written to Yellowknife bank

managers to ask them to take into account the circumstances faced by these laid off workers. I have urged them to consider each individual situation and to exercise as much flexibility as possible. As well, Mr. Speaker, I pledge to do whatever I can, as a community resident, as well as in my position as the Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, to help support and keep these skilled workers and their families in our community and plan for brighter days ahead. I urge every other resident of Yellowknife to also help in any way they can. Mr. Speaker, while there is nothing we can do as a community to make the price of gold rise - although I must say, that the news this morning was positive - we can look to and get ready for future opportunities in the resource development sector. Mr. Speaker, by pulling together, we can help these individuals and make a difference in our community and in doing so, prove yet again that when the going gets tough, northerners stick together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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