Mr. Speaker, this government has an economic vision. We see a prosperous, diverse economy built on the strengths of our people and the wise use and conscientious protection of our natural resources, one which attracts investment and provides communities and individuals with opportunities to be productive and self-reliant.

Developing a sustainable economy that provides employment and income opportunities for northerners is a key priority of this government. This is a significant challenge and there is no easy answer or one simple solution to meet the increasing demands of job creation. The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED), tasked with addressing this challenge, has developed new strategies and approaches, which are seeing positive results.

Mr. Speaker, over this past year, the department has developed several fundamental principles which have been applied in finding new, cost effective alternatives for job creation. Briefly, these principles are as follows:

-The NWT's rich natural resources must be managed responsibly, particularly since they are the basis of our economy. Economic activity in natural resource areas must ensure northern benefits and must consider environmental stewardship.

-The government is not the engine of economic growth. Business and community development drive economic growth and are the lifeblood of job creation in a sustainable economy.

-New partnerships must be formed at every regional level to provide cost-shared sources for programs and services that maximize capital formation, job creation, labour force development and economic growth.

-Regional and community based organizations must have more say and control over their own development to ensure local involvement in finding solutions.

These principles have been applied and have resulted in fundamental changes to program delivery and how results are achieved. All the department's program and Northern Employment Strategy budgets have been allocated on a regional basis and regional superintendents are now responsible for making decisions on where to place investments for best results.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to point out that the department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development would not have been able to fund $34 million in projects on its own. Only through our new approach, which allows for increased access to flexible debt financing programs and cost sharing with regional partnerships, have we been able to achieve this volume. The impact on the economy of these investments has been significant. RWED superintendents and partners have been aggressive in supporting new businesses and community economic development, resulting in the creation of 376 full-time and 948 part-time jobs. In today's difficult economic climate many existing businesses and community development organizations require assistance to expand or maintain employment. Assistance was provided, with the result of 459 full-time and 554 part-time jobs maintained. A full-time job is calculated to be a minimum of 40 weeks of employment and a part-time job to be a minimum of ten work weeks of employment. The total work weeks of employment created and maintained as a result of projects was 48,434 which is the equivalent of 1,210 full-time jobs.

RWED's contribution costs per full-time work week of employment were $196, which clearly indicates a good return on investment in providing opportunities for northerners. Mr. Speaker, these results are very positive and clearly show that RWED is headed in the right direction in meeting this government's priorities. The bottom line is that we are devolving the money and authority to the regions and providing flexibility within each region to invest in its priorities. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank colleagues and staff for their support in assisting RWED to achieve such positive results. Their hard work and efforts are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week saw a meeting of the joint territorial/federal task force on value-added diamond industries here in Yellowknife. It was obvious to me, Mr. Speaker from reports on the meeting, that by sending only one of the three deputy ministers that are on the task force, that the federal government might not consider this process to be as high a priority as we do.

I wonder how much federal development money would be available to create value-added diamond industries if this diamond find was in Ontario or Quebec where nearly 200 of our federal representatives originate from, as opposed to our two Members of Parliament from the Northwest Territories. What Canada has to realize is that the more economically self-sufficient the north is, the less we have to rely on the resources of Ottawa and the rest of the country. I hope the diamond companies do not think that we are overstepping our bounds and dabbling in issues that no government has the right to be involved in a free-market economy. I heard, Mr. George Burne, the manager of the newly established De Beers presence in Canada, tell us this weekend that we should concentrate on diamond mining and leave everything else up to the professionals. Mr. Speaker, we are far too accustomed to the paternalistic attitude of Ottawa when it comes to charting our own course and being involved in where we want to take our northern economy.

Mr. Speaker, I have seen no quantifiable reports, studies or any other evidence that would convince me that value-added diamond industries would not flourish if located in the Northwest Territories. I see no major or insurmountable hurdles at the territorial, municipal or federal level that cannot be worked out in conjunction with the diamond producers and marketers. Mr. Speaker, the western NWT is fighting for our economic future. We have boomed and busted several times. The economy must diversify and expand.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as the MLA for Hay River, I would like to thank Mr. Burne of De Beers for attending the NWT Chamber of Commerce meetings and banquet this weekend, the NWT Chamber for holding their meetings in Hay River and I would also like to thank the Honourable John Todd for taking the time to come to Hay River, being the keynote speaker for the banquet and also squeezing in several meetings with a number of my constituents and taking Hay River hospitality like a good sport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise again to speak about the plight of income support workers in my constituency and the problems they encounter in trying to do their jobs on a minimum budget.

The community of Tsiigehtchic receives approximately $4,000 to administer the Income Support Program. They are unhappy about the work that has to be done to carry out these responsibilities and the amount of money that this government provides. At this point, Mr. Speaker, the communities of Tsiigehtchic and Aklavik are considering withdrawing from administering the Income Support Program for the department. This is to be expected, Mr. Speaker, with the method the department uses to calculate the Formula Financing Program. There are certain things that have to be looked at in regard to the background materials and the notes. The case numbers are based on how many times the income support worker sees a client. However, Mr. Speaker, it does not mention the number of clients that see the income worker who are rejected or do not receive income support, also the amount of time it takes for the income support worker to spend to evaluate the client or clients who have been rejected. Working on each case load, I know of income support workers who have to take their work home and spend many hours after work to conclude the reports. Mr. Speaker, taking into account all these problem areas, the income support workers are working at below minimum wage. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister at the appropriate time, would he reconsider looking at the way this program is being evaluated? Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an Assembly, we have achieved some significant progress in regard to balancing the budget and achieving a small surplus this year. I think we should all be very proud of that achievement. We cannot loose track of the fact, in the enthusiasm of the moment, that there are significant problems still before us, financial and social. Mr. Speaker, we have an accumulated debt of about $40 million. There are a lot of forced growth issues we have yet to address in the social envelope. For example, we are short 4,000 housing units. We have not addressed the needs of education for a number of years where they have had no increases to their budget in spite of an increased population. We have pay equity before us with a price tag of anywhere from $40 to $200 or $250 million. We have a P3 proposal that has a lot of potential providing it is done right with the proper check and balances. If we do not have the proper checks and balances, an amortization schedule and it is not coordinated properly by the government, then we have the potential, almost overnight, to put ourselves back in the same financial situation we have just spent two years digging ourselves out of. While we should be very proud of our achievements, we cannot loose track of the fact we have a lot of work to do. We are not out of the fiscal woods yet, and that we have to stay the course in a lot of ways as we plan for the future. Time is running short but we cannot afford to stray. We have to keep an eye on the fact that we are now fiscally solvent for the time being We want to stay that way and build on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a busy time of year for Yellowknife, with worthy events nearly

every weekend. Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending a reception for some pretty amazing young ladies. Twenty-four from Yellowknife's two high schools are involved in a national pilot program where they learn the construction trade. It is fairly intense, four afternoons a week and one and a half hours at a time for the next two years. At least some of these girls will likely graduate to a construction site one day, and we, as a society, will be all the better for it. I would like to salute them for breaking into what has traditionally been a male domain.

Another event I would like to mention is the Ball in the Mall, which is coming up this Saturday night . It is the second time the Yellowknife Association for Community Living has organized this major fundraiser benefiting the Abe Miller Centre. Many of you are probably familiar with the centre. It has been offering programs for people with intellectual disabilities for the past 20 years. The association's work is no longer limited to Yellowknife. Over the past few years, its programming has been expanded to several communities, including Rae-Edzo and Rankin Inlet. Programs are currently being developed for Inuvik. The Ball in the Mall is a fundraiser that raises more than money. It promotes community awareness and the acceptance of adults with a mental handicap into the community at large. I am pleased to say I will be attending the ball, and I would encourage all of you to support such a worthy cause.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I was able to travel home and touch base with constituents and my family. Mr. Speaker, I spoke to many people and held a constituency meeting while I was at home for the weekend. A number of issues came forward. There is a continuing concern with the education that is provided to the students and children of the Northwest Territories. There is concern in my community with the self-government process and what is happening. How will the Beaufort Delta self-government work and tie into the whole constitutional effort that we are going through as the Government of the Northwest Territories? Mr. Speaker, an issue that came forward as well is the ongoing concern with government and how it does its business. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier in one of my other Member's statements, sometimes we need to nip things in the bud. They are like weeds because if they start growing, they will continue to grow. The concern out there, no matter how much information we put forward, the seed has been planted. It is a hard one to turn around. I would urge this government

and all Members of this Assembly that we need to start doing some weeding. We need to get the Weedex out and clean up our image and show the people of the territories that we truly represent the people and their interests in the Northwest Territories as we know it. It is time to put action our words. It is time to move forward. It is time to be responsible. Thank you.

--Applause