Thank you, Mr. Evaloarjuk. Good afternoon. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the release of the Play Safe - Play Smart Children's Colouring Book, designed to encourage children in our northern communities to play safely around municipal service vehicles or equipment.

This colouring book is a powerful tool to raise awareness among young children about the dangers of playing on or near community vehicles and equipment. It will also encourage parents to participate and work with their children to reinforce the important safety messages contained in the colouring book.

Mr. Speaker, the main character of the Play Safe - Play Smart Colouring Book is Granny Safety, who delivers many safety messages to young readers. The character of a wise, older woman and mother was used to promote to children the importance of respecting their elders and listening to their words of wisdom.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Johnny Oyakyoak family in Cambridge Bay, who lost their precious son last year in an unfortunate accident involving a water truck. The Oyakyoak family agreed to dedicate the Play Safe - Play Smart Colouring Book to the memory of their son, Jacob, who is featured on the back cover, in the hopes that his spirit will live on and prevent other children in the north from suffering similar tragedies.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this resource and will be providing copies to each of my colleagues later today. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will be working with the NWT Association of Municipalities to distribute the colouring books to community councils and schools for distribution locally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At each Summer and Winter Olympics the International Olympic Committee sponsors a youth camp for people between 15 and 20 years of age.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to inform the Members that Ms. Shannon Swartzentruber from Fort Simpson has been selected by the Canadian Olympic Association to be one of seven representatives from Canada to attend the youth camp.

Shannon was chosen from 162 applicants from across Canada, including eight who applied from the Northwest Territories.

This is a prestigious honour for this young woman who demonstrates so well the balance of education, athletic ability, volunteer experience and cross cultural sensitivity, which are the requirements for this program.

While at the camp, Shannon will participate in a variety of activities including;

- the opening ceremonies for the 1998 Winter Olympics,

- a tour of the Canadian Olympic village,

- a two day home stay program with a family from Nagano, and

- a cultural exchange program with participants representing other Olympic Nations.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Members to join me in congratulating Shannon Swartzentruber. She is a very special young woman and we wish her well as she represents our nation and the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many times in this House grand pronouncements are made and symbolic statements are issued, and then forgotten.

For example, Mr. Speaker, certain days or weeks during a sitting, Members will wear ribbons for AIDS awareness, poppies for Remembrance Day, and most recently lapel pins for FAS/FAE awareness. Usually Members will do a statement or questions during this time, but nothing seems to happen.

During FAS/FAE week most Members did ask questions and statements were made, and it would seem all was forgotten. Mr. Speaker, the Baffin fetal alcohol network is a non-profit volunteer organization working to promote greater awareness and understanding of the issue.

Currently they need money to create a series of public service announcements aimed at educating the public. Pauktuutit the Inuit women's organization has had some publications and translations done but more is needed. The Baffin FAS group thinks that approximately $5,000 is needed for that work.

What is the point of identifying the problem if we do not have the professionals, the specialists, in place to do the work. Does the department have a strategy or plan to address these issues or again it is up to the health boards with their shrinking budgets again to identify the issue and prioritize it?

We all know groups and boards have to do more with less, but when you do more with less you get less done. Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will be addressing these concerns to the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to say hello to my wife and my children at this time. My youngest child is five years old today. It is his birthday.

Mr. Speaker, last week or this week, I have heard questions being raised in this House and I am very sensitive to the questions that have been raised in this House, questions about the lack of housing in the communities especially for government employees. I have talked with the mayors in the Baffin region communities and they have expressed to me that there is lack of housing for staff, especially relayed to me by the divisional board of education in the Baffin region.

I have heard the same employees talk about it too as well from the Department of Health or the regional health boards, lack of housing. The divisional boards of education from the regions have been requesting to meet with us as a caucus especially to deal with the inadequate housing for their staff.

I have a feeling that the government does not really recognize the lack of housing that is being faced by those boards. They have heard from the Baffin region side, but I think this problem exists throughout the territories.

Yesterday I heard through the radio as well about this issue, about the Kitikmeot region having problems. Mr. Speaker, will we be able to hear from the health boards and the education boards and when we meet with the NWTTA we will probably hear from them again saying that they have inadequate housing for their staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Members' statements. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 6th and 7th of this year, I had the pleasure of meeting in Winnipeg with the Deputy Premier of Manitoba, the Honourable James Downey, who is also the Minister of Trade. Also present at this meeting was the Honourable Len Derkach, the Minister of Rural Development and a number of deputy ministers. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this meeting was to discuss and promote increased trade between Manitoba, my constituency and the region in general. Also discussed was a possibility of a winter road between Arviat and Churchill and possible power grid options.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Manitoba trade delegation will be travelling to Arviat and Baker Lake on the 16th and 17th of February to discuss and promote business between the two regions. Mr. Speaker, a delegation of approximately 35 people, or guests rather, are expected to include the Premier, Honourable Gary Filmon; the Deputy Premier, Len Derkach, the Honourable Darren Praznik, Minister of Health, the Honourable Glen Findlay, Minister of Highways and Transportation and the Honourable David Newman, Minister of Northern Affairs and Energy.

Mr. Speaker, we welcome this delegation and see this as a first step in better relations between the two regions. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien, Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our elders, as my honourable colleague, Mr. Ng, announced in this House regarding the progress on plans for the International Year of Older Persons. Throughout our land we have many individuals who have contributed greatly to the formation of this country and for their respective regions. In my region we have had many great elders, Chief Jimmy Bruno, Chief Arrowmaker, Chief Mowhi and many others who have seen the future and realized the need for change.

All regions across our country have community members who have passed on or are in their later years who contribute to the betterment of the community and the country at large. These residents are a great resource for us all and should be recognized for their contributions. I believe this will be a very worthwhile event and I hope the International Year of Older Persons will be promoted and recognized by our regions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I wish to once again visit the issue of value added industry and the diamond mining companies. Even though, Mr. Speaker, I note that BHP has exceeded their northern hiring and purchasing quotas as outlined in their socio-economic agreement, I cannot help but feel they are not willing to walk that extra mile with northerners. The north needs to diversify. If we continue to rely on a resource-based economy, our own economy will also continue to be subject to market fluctuations in the resource sector. The recent layoffs at the local gold mines are a prime example. What the diamond mining companies have to realize is that we are fighting for jobs for all northerners. We are fighting to stabilize the economy of our city, impacted by government cutbacks and mine layoffs.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the honourable Ministers Todd and Kakfwi are doing everything they can to lobby the federal government and the diamond companies to ensure that as much value-added industry as possible stays in the Northwest Territories. My honourable colleague, Mr. Todd, has gone even further, by stating that the GNWT would initiate a tax regime that could choke a mule if the Northwest Territories does not get a reasonable share of the secondary diamond mining spin-offs required. I am opposed to the introduction of a tax. I would much prefer, Mr. Speaker, to see jobs created and have the employees paying taxes to the government. We need one or the other. Taxes from the diamond producers or jobs for northerners.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the diamond mining industry does not like the thought of any more taxes, and most certainly, not the kind that would choke a mule. I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if the diamond mines would consider selling to the Government of the Northwest Territories or a similar organization, a Crown corporation, some of the run of mine product so that Crown corporation could in turn sell those run of mine product to employers who would bring that industry to the Northwest Territories so that we could get a start on a diamond cutting and polishing industry and the related industries that that would create. Mr. Speaker, we have to look at the innovative solutions to ensure that as much of the secondary diamond mining industry stays in the Northwest Territories for the benefit of all northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

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