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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the First Canadian Indigenous Arts Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share with Members information on how the community empowerment initiative is progressing. First Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Members that community empowerment continues to focus on community development.

Most importantly, community empowerment involves the participation of community councils, aboriginal organizations, local boards and agencies, government departments, community residents, and organizations, all working together towards a common community vision and goals. By working cooperatively, community organizations can build a strong foundation for their community. They can build community consensus and make decisions together on priorities for their community. Our job in government is to work with communities and support them to empower themselves. (Translation ends) As a result, communities will be more self-reliant and independent. They will have control and will be empowered to make their own decisions. That, Mr. Speaker, is the objective of community empowerment.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has been working closely with communities and other government departments, by providing tools, training and support so that community governments have what they need to grow, develop and empower themselves. We are helping communities develop community plans, assess local capacity and identify any training that is required. We are helping communities link their assessment results to community-based plans, training and development.

(Translation) Last November, I distributed to all MLAs a summary report on the many empowerment activities that are underway in each of the communities. I would like to share with you a few examples of the successes communities have achieved so far:

-Thirty-two communities have developed community plans. This includes a clear vision of how they would like their community to be in the future and goals and strategies to guide their development from where they are now to where they would like to be.

-Twenty-two more communities are considering starting a community-based planning process.

-Twenty-six communities are completing human resource assessments. These detailed assessments help communities identify the skills they need in order to take on more responsibility, and also identify the type of training that is available and how to access it.

-Thirty communities have participated in senior administrative officer training. This training is provided by MACA through a partnership with the NWT Association of Municipal Administrators and provides SAOs with training that is needed so that they can handle more administrative responsibilities as their communities develop.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the first visioning exercise that was directed by myself and the mayor of Arviat for the Keewatin region was recently completed in Arviat, with over 400 community residents participating. This, Mr. Speaker, is an excellent example of how working cooperatively can produce results in the communities. The hamlet of Arviat now has a vision to the year 2002 and can begin building the foundation for their community. I would like to congratulate the community of Arviat on this excellent achievement.. (Translation ends) In the west, several communities have completed similar exercises. What is so exciting about this work is that it brings the community together - not just the elected officials, boards and agencies but also the elders, the youth and the grassroots people.

Mr. Speaker, there is tremendous positive human potential in all of our communities. Our job is to help communities tap into their own potential and support their growth and development.

Mr. Speaker, the community empowerment initiative complements the creation of both new territories. It builds a solid foundation for stronger, healthier communities, while respecting and actively supporting aboriginal values of working together to achieve consensus, sharing of resources, self-sufficiency, independence and greater community control and decision making.

We need strong community governments in order to have a strong territory. The strength of community governments will be essential for a successful Nunavut government. In the Western Territory, community empowerment focuses on developing capacity, creating vision and building strength by bringing all groups together at the local level, which will help prepare community residents to take on more responsibility including negotiated self-government agreements.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Members for their support for the community empowerment initiative. We need to keep working together so that the communities we represent can continue to grow and develop and achieve their potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi ,Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the implementation of the government's Yellowknife office plan.

As Members may know, there is currently a surplus of over 100,000 square feet of office space on the Yellowknife private real estate market. As well, the government has approximately 76,000 square feet of surplus space in its own inventory of owned and leased buildings, which results from our efforts over the past three years to develop a more effective and efficient government structure.

With the pending creation of two new territories on April 1, 1999, this government surplus is expected to increase to about 125,000 square feet by 1999, as departments further consolidate their staff in shared space, and reconfigure themselves to reflect the needs of the new western territory.

Taking those factors into account, Public Works and Services, in cooperation with all government departments, has developed a plan designed to satisfy the government's need for office space in Yellowknife up to the year 2002 through a combination of short, medium and long-term leases.

At the same time the plan is designed to minimize any significant impacts on the Yellowknife real estate market and economy.

The principles on which the plan is based include:

- reducing the government's ownership of office space in Yellowknife;

- ensuring effective management of the lease inventory to avoid excess costs;

- maximizing private sector involvement in the provision of GNWT office space in Yellowknife; and

- doing everything possible to protect the viability of the Yellowknife real estate market, and hence, reduce any serious impacts of the city's economy.

As a result, we were able to develop a plan to reduce our office space inventory from 441,000 square feet to 351,000 square feet.

Mr. Speaker, by the year 2002 the government will:

- sell a variety of government buildings through a public and open process, starting with the Tapwe Building currently occupied by a variety of government funded advocacy organizations. The organizations will be provided with alternate office accommodation;

- sell the regional offices of RWED which are located on the Great Slave Lake waterfront;

- sell the Laing Building with the proviso that it cannot be leased back to government as office space. This will allow for the alternate use of a major facility in the downtown core and remove 60,000 square feet of office space from the Yellowknife market;

- lease from the private sector, through a competitive process, a replacement office space for the 36,000 square feet of government office space lost through the sale of the Laing Building;

- bring together staff of each department so that they occupy adjacent leased space; and

- finally, the government will gradually reduce space as needs decline over a period of six years, by not renewing selected leases when they expire.

Mr. Speaker, this plan will initially result in increased costs for tenant improvements. However, this initial investment will be paid back in reduced costs over a six-year period. I am pleased to be able to present this office plan, as we believe it is a sound business decision that balances the operational needs of the government, while maintaining a viable commercial real estate market in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Diavik Diamond Mines and Dogrib Treaty 11 Council for the announcement that was made on Tuesday, February 3, 1998. I feel this cooperation agreement should demonstrate to other companies that if you talk to the aboriginal groups at the start of a venture and show they are an important part of the overall venture, success can and will be achievable.

It is important in this day and age that companies wanting to venture onto the traditional lands, must respect and cooperate with the aboriginal groups, to ensure a promising future and a healthy working relationship between all parties involved. It would be nice to see this government and the communities working in the same manner as the aboriginal groups and industry. With that I am sure that a long and healthy working relationship will grow from this cooperation agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement do we have any nays?

Nay.

Sorry, Mr. Krutko. You do not have unanimous consent to conclude your statement. Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, the hamlet of Broughton Island has stressed to me the need for a large hamlet office. I have been to Broughton Island many times and I agree. The staff of the hamlet office are very hard working and need more space to accommodate additional staff and an increased workload.

Importantly, the office has been showing its age. Operating and maintenance costs are increasing each year. For example, the roof also leaks. It has been leaking for the last couple years but there has not been any money to fix it. This needs to be repaired as soon as possible. The leaks present a danger to the staff and their computers. These substandard conditions are unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.

The community of Broughton Island has grown since the hamlet office was first completed 18 years ago. The office was originally designed for a smaller staff. Now there is a lot more staff than offices. Many of the staff have to share already overcrowded offices.

The hamlet office provides not only general administration for the community, but houses the lands office, employment assistance office, a finance officer to name a few services and staff. With community empowerment devolving additional responsibilities each year, more positions are expected to be relocated to the hamlet office. The hamlet office in Broughton Island needs more office space and their roof fixed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Mr. Enuaraq. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ningark

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the honourable Minister for MACA, Ms. Thompson, talks about the community empowerment progress, I have listened with interest and I would like to commend the department and the Minister for a job well done in the area of planning.

By the same token, Mr. Speaker, I represent three communities, two with less than 1,000 people and one with less than 1,500. I think there is a requirement for training at the community level in the smaller communities across the territories. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, this government used to have a program in the area of certification for the senior administrative officer that would allow every community to have a certified administrative staff. By the same token, that would also maximize the local hiring. Secondly, when the community is getting into community empowerment, we want to make sure the community is ready in the area of policing and peace keeping.

In some small communities there are times when the RCMP are required to go to other communities, or to escort a person out of the community and that left the by-law officer in control of the community. When the by-law officer is not confident or qualified in that area, we could have a consequence whereby that person maybe subject to questioning by the court of this jurisdiction.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister of MACA what type of training there is for the community to ensure that we have qualified people working for the municipalities in the smaller communities. Thank you.

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