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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday we heard from Members of this House who attended a meeting with the NWT Health Care Association to discuss health care in the Northwest Territories. I also attended that meeting and it affirmed some of the concerns I have had for quite some time. Mr. Speaker, regarding health care in our communities, I hear our government telling us that all is adequate. Yet I see health board leaders resigning or being removed. I see doctors leaving, adding to the unfilled positions already in the territories. The political leaders, particularly in the Keewatin, and the NWT Medical Health Care Association saying health care is in a crisis. Yet the government says all is well. Who do I believe? One thing for sure is, Mr. Speaker, you cannot have smoke without fire.

The remuneration and benefits paid to health care workers, as we are told, are not good enough to attract quality health care professionals. Why should a nurse move to the Northwest Territories when they can make the same amount of money in southern Canada where they do not have to pay outrageous rents as they do in some of our communities? Also, they are the front line workers who are subject to the abuse when the breakdown of the system comes to where it is at.

Mr. Speaker, what do we do? We have to start by solving a shortage of health care professionals that we have in the Northwest Territories before we build additional hospitals or health care centres. We have to invest in recruitment, ongoing training and professional development for the health care workers. We have to recreate public confidence. I like the idea of accrediting all hospitals and health care centres and I understand the Minister is working towards that. I think more importantly, we have to instill territorial-wide health care standards so anywhere in the Northwest Territories, people know what the rules are and what is covered.

We have to face the fact that new hospitals and health care centres as proposed through the P3 initiative without the adequate and qualified staff to operate them are nothing more than monuments to satisfy our political egos. Remember a new hospital serves no purpose if there are no qualified health care professionals to run it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to speak to the issue of questioning in this House. As Ordinary MLAs, it is our job to provide a counter to the Cabinet and to support the government in its job as it directs government business. Politicians quickly think twice when a tough issue presents itself. For example, abortion or capital punishment. The same sex benefits vote caused such a situation in this Assembly earlier. We are elected to take a stand. The public does not want Members to back away from something because it is a controversial. In this House we have seen that with questions on the Keewatin health care, the Aurora Fund or the Lahm Ridge tower issues.

The whole idea of a Legislative Assembly or democracy is the right of free speech and the ability as an elected Member to ask questions. Many times questions have been answered in committee, but those meetings are not open to the public and thus it is accepted that a question put to the government on a particular topic may be to allow the public the opportunity to hear the answer for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I have been criticized in the past by some of my colleagues for asking too many questions. I have been told that the things I have said outside this House could be construed as libellous. Mr. Speaker, I have been told that things published in the paper, although not directly attributed to me, could have been slanderous. I have been told that certain Internet forum writers could be me and the statements made by those writing might be a case of defamation.

Mr. Speaker, for the past couple of months, I have questioned many of the things I might have said. Mr. Speaker, I have thought twice about asking certain questions in this House because it might upset or cause me problems. Mr. Speaker, in speaking to one of my colleagues and my friends back home, they informed me that I was experiencing a case of libel chill. Mr. Speaker, it could prove fatal. Mr. Speaker, I have tried to be honest in my questions. I have tried to offer constructive criticism and will continue to raise questions and represent my community to the best of my abilities. Mr. Speaker, libel chill may be fatal, but not representing my constituents or the people of the Northwest Territories by asking questions and helping keep government accountable is also fatal. That, Mr. Speaker, is not acceptable. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a Member's statement. In my constituency of Arctic Bay, there should be a community hall. There is a community hall that was built in 1985. It also is a place where the school children gather. We have never had a community centre in Arctic Bay. We did have one but it was closed down because it was never renovated. The population of Arctic Bay is getting larger and the community centre is not large enough to accommodate them. I want to let the Ministers know that we would like to have a community hall in Arctic Bay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the recruitment and retention of medical staff in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about the state of the medical services in the NWT and the fact that we had met with the NWT Medical Association who had indicated that our greatest resource is our staff. Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time the medical association has brought this up. They had sent us a lengthy document last year in which they indicated how difficult it was to recruit and retain doctors.

Also, the nursing association recently sent us a letter and they attached a survey they had done with their nurses. In it they indicate that nurses are dedicated professionals who try to do a good job and are committed to their work and patients. The cost of living, the isolation, the long working hours, the stress and the housing situation are the main reasons why nurses refuse to relocate in the north. Experienced nurses choose to stay in the south where they are able to live a normal life. Better pay and benefits would go a long way to getting better nurses who want to stay and be part of the community. Nurses need to be kept up to date to be marketable or just to be competent at their present workplace. Providing ongoing educational opportunities and a proper orientation would go a long way in retaining nurses.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is very important as these professionals are indicating that we need to be able to recruit and retain staff. Changing medical staff means inconsistent medical services. This affects the general public's confidence in our health system. Mr. Speaker, later today, I will be asking the appropriate Minister questions in this area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Groenewegen, the honourable Member for Hay River, on February 4, 1998.

The agreement to the Lahm Ridge Tower lease extension was not conditional upon the sale of the building to the new owners. The lease extension negotiations were concluded in August, 1997. Thank you.

Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to recognize Michael Miltenberger. Thank you.

--Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Stephen Mapsalak, mayor of Repulse Bay; Paul Sammurtok, SAO of Chesterfield Inlet; and Sheldon Dorey, SAO of Repulse Bay. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be speaking in my language. (Translation) Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. My question is directed to my good friend the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. She made a Member's statement and I appreciate her saying that there will be community empowerment. I would also like to thank her for having planned and trained the communities in regard to community empowerment. I would like to ask a question to her about certification programs for SAOs that the SAOs will be able to work in the communities with a certification, especially in the smaller communities. I want to ask the Minister if the senior administrator certification is going to continue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for asking the question. The SAOs and the hamlet councils are training at this time. I think there are about 12 or 14 who are almost finished with their training in the Baffin region. They are from various communities. I just recently went over there to give them their certificates. They have ongoing training as well to get their certification from Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, supplementary to the same Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in regard to community empowerment, it is in regard to training as well. I think the by-law officers should have to take some ongoing training because the job they do is very important especially in communities where there are no RCMP or when the community police have to go out of town, they take over the job of the RCMP. Are the by-law officers trained as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the smaller communities we have a lack of RCMP constables and the by-law officers have a hard job in the community doing the job of the RCMP. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs works with the RCMP to train the by-law officers in each community. They train them to do some jobs that the RCMP officers do. I am not quite sure how many there are right now taking the training, but they do take training. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary in the area of Community Empowerment Program progress, Mr. Speaker, the honourable Minister talks about the community having the ability to operate within the empowerment program. I believe and I think all of us believe that having support from a region in the area of administration to ensure that there is a monitoring program, to ensure that communities comply with the administration requirement, will we, even after we have the empowerment, have the help from the region at the community level? Thank you.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we will. We are assisting all of the communities. We are doing monitoring. We have community empowerment regional staff that are available any time to visit the communities and to assist these communities who need them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Under Members' statements, I made a Member's statement about the hamlet offices that have a lack of space as far as office space is concerned. The roof of the hamlet office at the present time which is occupied is leaking and I would like to ask the honourable Minister Manitok Thompson, whether her department would have some funding to repair this office that is in much need of repairing? This is the hamlet office of Broughton Island. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the hamlets are taking on more and more responsibilities, their offices are established along with the responsibilities that are given. For example, if the housing association has an office and the hamlet takes it over, the housing association can continue to do their work in their present office space. The concern from Broughton Island has been brought to the attention of my officials. The people who work under the community empowerment in Iqaluit will be informed of this problem. We work together on these types of issues to come up with answers to these types of issues. We will be working closely together with the community empowerment group or team. I will consult with my officials as well in Iqaluit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of MACA on her statement today. She was talking about community empowerment progress. I would like to ask the Minister if the hamlets are trying to take over the education boards and the health boards? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The answer is no. What we are trying to do as I have said, is that we are trying to do this in a team approach consensus style of communication between all departments, between all agencies in the community. The health boards will always be health boards if they want to be that way and education boards will be that way too. We are just trying to communicate with them at the same level, bring them to the same table and discuss issues with them, so we can find out the priorities of the communities and for the people that we care about in those communities. These different agencies have to start coming together and discussing the priorities of the community that they belong to. The education and health boards are agencies that we should be communicating with and working with. That is my approach with community empowerment. We are not trying to make them into a subcommittee. We are trying to work with them in this consensus style of community empowerment priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question is, what role will the hamlets have to these boards? Thank you.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Each agency will have different roles. We recognize that. The boards have a role of educating the children, staffing the schools and also making sure that the education is ongoing. The hamlet has a different role. What we are trying to do is that the hamlets are trying to speak with these education boards and are working with them. That is the role of the hamlet. Sort of like a coordinating role trying to get all parties from the same community to work together and speak with each other, so we can ask each other what the priorities are for education facilities or programs, so that we can help each other out. The same people sometimes are on the same boards so the role of the hamlets...

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. You have answered the question. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services, and it is in the area of recruiting and retaining medical staff. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I had mentioned the fact that the Northwest Territories Registered Nurses Association had sent the MLAs copies of a letter that was sent to the Minister. In this letter, the NWTRNA indicates that they are currently participating in a steering group to develop a retention and recruitment plan for physicians, nurses and social workers. Could the Minister indicate whether he and his staff are involved on the steering group?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is actively involved with that group as well as the professional associations, the medical association that we have on behalf of the physicians, the registered nurses' association on behalf of the nursing profession and the NWT Health Care Association. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister explain how and when this steering group got started and particularly if it was before the Keewatin health issue arose?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it began, I believe, in 1996 as a broader human resource planning group which kicked out under way. Some of the things that were to be discussed is the preferred model of primary care delivery because a lot of our communities do not have physicians. A lot of communities are being serviced by nurse practitioners. There were some discussions about what roles those two groups would play. The aspect of the social workers not being represented by an organization or association was another issue. Things progressed but not at a rapid pace. What happened in 1997, as you know, there were some issues brought forward in respect to physician shortages throughout the territories, I believe raised by the Medical Association which flagged the issue of the need to maybe have some concentration on that area. It became apparent that some of the nursing positions are becoming vacant and not being filled on a permanent basis, but more on a contractual basis, so that again, brought up the need of that issue. There were different components that became accelerated as a result of circumstances that caused us to deal with the situation in a more timely fashion. I believe a lot of that took place, the actual acceleration of some of the work of these on a specific nursing position and social worker planning part, sometime late 1997 or early fall of 1997, around that time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister is in a position to do so, would he elaborate on some of the aspects in this plan?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we know, the plan is almost finalized and ready for review. Obviously, there is some pay and benefit issues that might be a part of it. I am not at liberty to discuss that right now. I think some of the broader aspects of it are some of the professional development and professional support that the associations are requesting and specifically, the development of a potential pool of resources to be available in a central location to be able to provide relief when individuals are required to go out for training, for professional development, for holidays or in the circumstances where maybe a community is overwhelmed because of an outbreak of a certain condition that cause their staff to be working long and stressful hours. It is the development of some resources to support those types of needs is one big aspect of that in respect to professional development and ongoing needs. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister indicate approximately when the retention and recruitment plan for physicians, nurses and social workers will be out for the MLAs to have a look at?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am hoping by the middle or late next week that I will have an opportunity to review the plan. Depending on the financial aspect of it, if there are some certain requirements that have to be put forward and requested from the Financial Management Board, I would have to go through the Financial Management Board at some time to get approval on the financial aspects of that. Following that, then I would be prepared to table that in this Assembly. I am hoping by the week of the 16th, sometime during that week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng. A year ago, the health boards took over responsibilities for their staff for the recruitment and paying of them. At the same time, their wages along with all government employees at that time were rolled back in an effort to help out the deficit reduction plan. My question to the Minister is, did the department have any consideration at that time that the potential of cut backs would have the detrimental affect that it has had on the recruitment of staff and retention of staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we were aware that the nursing profession was under stress in respect to recruitment efforts of other jurisdictions, in respect to recruitment from Health and Welfare Canada who still provide the health care delivery for aboriginal peoples on reserves and who offered quite lucrative housing and vacation travel packages for their employees, Mr. Speaker. That was an ongoing concern and an ongoing impediment to some of the recruitment of nurses in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. You mentioned that you were aware of the some of the problems and potentials with this rollback. Did you advise the boards or what action did you take? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the boards are aware as the boards were at that time and continue to be doing the hiring for the nurses within their service area. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister says that he was aware of it. Does the Minister not have some and the department have some responsibility if they can see that there are potential problems, rather than just being aware of it? Is there not any action that they should be taking to ensure that

the departments or the health boards do something about it to alleviate it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this problem is not unique to the Northwest Territories. It is a national problem. As the nurses' association have brought up to me and confirmed at a meeting prior to Christmas, there are a lot of international demands, particularly from the United States on the nursing profession in Canada and they are offering some very lucrative packages to recruit nurses to the United States. Couple that with the fact that a lot of the Canadian jurisdictions have gone to nurse practitioner models in a lot of their community health centres, the demand for those types of individuals is very high and it is not something that could have been resolved overnight. We have to look at it from a longer term perspective, of trying to develop, first of all, a northern workforce if at all possible. I know that is not an overnight solution, but it is a long-term solution that is sustainable for us. That is where we have been trying to focus some of our efforts, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

The Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the question is clear to me, but to try to answer it, I think the question is who prepared the Yellowknife office plan? The Department of Public Works and Services deputy minister along with the North Slave regional superintendent, Mr. Vince Dixon, are the ones who were playing the key role in preparation of the Yellowknife office plan. They have consulted with the deputy ministers of all the government departments who rely on Public Works and Services to plan and administer their office space requirements here in Yellowknife. This plan was initiated in January, 1997. There was a rationale plan that was agreed upon in July, 1997. In August, the Cabinet reviewed the proposal and approved the proposal in principle, some work was done on it and this January, 1998, the Cabinet formally approved the plan. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the plan developed there were different options that were developed. Yes, there were different documents that came around and the deputy minister of Public Works and Services, along with his colleagues the other deputy ministers, were privy to these documents and for their own internal discussions. Thank you.