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

Mr. Speaker, in less than seven months the new Nunavut territory will come into being. Over the first three years of its term this government has invested a huge effort in supporting the creation of Nunavut. Our commitment to a smooth transition will continue up to and after division. On April 1, 1999 a new Western Territory will also be created. Just as Nunavut residents are looking forward to taking greater control of their future, western residents are looking forward to defining a new future for the west. They are looking to us to provide leadership in shaping that future.

Mr. Speaker, it is now time to turn our attention to a new agenda for a new Western Territory. This is a huge responsibility. It is a responsibility that we as a Legislature share with all northerners. Our children and our grandchildren are depending on us to work together for a better future. Each of us must think about the kind of society we want to create, the society we want our children to inherit.

As we consider our future together, we can choose to put our own narrow self-interest first or we can choose respect, understanding and fairness. We can take control of our own future or we can continue to have others make decisions for us. We can choose to blame others for our condition or we can choose to take full responsibility for ourselves. We can choose to remain dependent or we can work together towards greater self-reliance. But make no mistake. We must all live with the consequences of those choices. The decisions we make today will shape the future of the west for generations to come. As we make these choices, we need to be guided by a vision for the future of the west, a vision that all northerners can share a vision that describes the society we want our children to inherit.

Mr Speaker, I believe this vision must include a system of government that respects the inherent right of aboriginal people to govern themselves while protecting the individual rights of all residents. What I am saying is that we as a public government must truly recognize the inherent right of aboriginal people. We cannot ask them to dilute it or water it down. Public and aboriginal governments must come to the table as equals. This government must be willing to share certain legislative authority and we must be willing to change the way we do business. Only then can aboriginal governments take their rightful place, and only then can we form lasting partnerships for the benefit of all residents. Our government must have credibility not only in the north, but in the rest of Canada. We need a strong central government that represents everyone who lives in the Northwest Territories. This government must be the voice of the territory in national affairs and in our dealings with the provinces

Mr. Speaker, our vision must include northern people taking greater control of their future and becoming more responsible for their own well-being. It must include modern health care, education, housing and social programs, which are provided by and for northerners. Mr. Speaker, our education, health and the social services systems have been set up on southern models. We now know that these systems, imported from outside, do not reflect northern or aboriginal traditions and values. They have not worked well. I say it is time for northerners to work together to redesign these programs. As we move ahead to the next century we will be in control and we will be responsible for the outcome. I know we can do better.

Mr. Speaker, our vision must include sustainable development of the north's economic potential in a way that benefits all northerners. This means greater aboriginal participation in the workforce and economy. We have always said that northern people must benefit from the development of our resources and our economy. The sad fact is that aboriginal people still do not have a strong voice in our economy. Aboriginal people consistently have higher unemployment rates and lower incomes. We must work in partnership with aboriginal governments to correct this. Our vision must include healthier, more self-reliant individuals, families and communities. Mr. Speaker, this starts by enabling people to take more control over their own lives. All residents need access to education, housing and quality health care the basic services that all Canadians expect. They need the jobs and opportunities that will allow them to support themselves and their families, because, Mr. Speaker, restoring the pride that comes with self-reliance is the key to healthier families and communities.

Our vision must include steadily decreasing dependence on federal transfer payments. We cannot say that we govern ourselves as long as we have to rely on Ottawa for 75 percent of our budget. We have to start producing our own wealth, paying for our own programs and paying for our own services. Public and aboriginal governments can do this with a fair share of the royalties and taxes from the resources that rightfully belong to northern people. Mr. Speaker, our vision must include a strong, unified territory, taking its place in the federation and contributing to the prosperity of Canada. When I say strong and unified, I mean all northerners, aboriginal governments and public government must work together for the best interests of all. If everybody thinks only of their own region, their own community, then we will be divided and weak and we will not be heard. We have a lot to offer and we must be willing to work in partnership to establish a strong presence in Canada, first we need to find ways to see clearly our common northern interests and speak with a strong, confident northern voice.

Our first order of business is getting governance right. This means moving forward on outstanding claims, implementing the inherent right to self-government and defining a new western constitution. In doing so, we must develop a new governing system that is based on true partnerships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people. The GNWT has long recognized aboriginal peoples' inherent right of self-government. We are committed to working with aboriginal nations and the federal government to ensure a fair implementation. We want to develop models of governance that recognize aboriginal rights and enable aboriginal peoples to take their rightful place in northern society a society that is founded on the principle of people working in partnership working together. Aboriginal governments come to the table as equal partners in a process where we all share an interest in the outcome. We all want to reach workable agreements that will respect the inherent right, honour all northerners' basic rights and support a Western Territory that we can all be proud of. Only by working together can we build respect for legitimate roles of aboriginal and public governments. Only by working together can we create a stable political environment that is essential to encourage investment in our economy. Only by working together can we make sure that all residents in all regions have access to affordable, quality programs.

Mr. Speaker, this is a critical issue for me. I do not want a future where there are rich regions and poor regions, where people are not free to move. I want my children to feel welcome to live and work anywhere in the north. I believe all northerners, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, want this as well. Mr. Speaker, the people and the land and its resources represent the economic potential of the north. Yet key decisions continue to be made by bureaucrats in Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, maybe in 1968 that was fine, but this is 1998 and I find it completely unacceptable. We are not children here in the north. If we are mature enough to manage our own health, education and social programs, surely we are mature enough to manage our own land and resources.

This is our second challenge: to gain control of our land and resources. When these decisions are made by northerners, we can protect our environment. We can make sure northerners get a fair share of the benefits. Our natural resources can also provide the dollars we need to invest in social programs and economic development.

Our third challenge, Mr. Speaker, is to restructure our fiscal relationship with Canada. As you know, we depend on the federal government for most of our budget. As we found early in the life of this assembly, we are very vulnerable to federal cuts. As things stand, we have very little ability to change this. We do not have a share of royalties from our own resources. Any increase in the tax revenues we raise ourselves is largely offset by a reduction in the transfer payment. We have to negotiate a new arrangement with the federal government so that we can become more self-sufficient and pay our way. We have never said we did not want to pay our way, we want to. Relying more on the money we raise ourselves would bring greater risk when the economy takes a downturn. It would also bring greater rewards in times of economic growth. In my view, we must do this if we are to gain greater control over our own future.

Mr. Speaker, our fourth challenge is to harness our economic potential. We know there is enormous potential in our minerals, oil and gas, tourism, forest resources and a range of small business and service sectors. We need to make sure northerners have the skills to take advantage of the opportunities. We need partnerships with Canada, provinces, industry and aboriginal development corporations. We need to create a stable political and regulatory environment to attract investment dollars. We must develop markets for our products and services, but the bottom line is; we must be in control of our resources.

Mr. Speaker, these are the four cornerstones of our agenda for the new west:

• Getting governance right;

• Taking control of our resources;

• Restructuring our fiscal relationship, and;

• Harnessing our economic potential.

We need to work on all these issues, but we cannot make progress alone. We can only advance this agenda in partnership with aboriginal governments and with Canada.

Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan - Gathering Strength states: "The government of Canada is committed to continuing its efforts to advance political and economic development in the northern territories."

With this commitment and the leadership of DIAND Minister Jane Stewart, I believe there has never been a better time to make real progress on this agenda.

We must seize the opportunities. At this critical time in our history, all northerners must share a vision and all northerners work together to realize it. Mr. Speaker, our children are counting on us to do the right thing. We must not let them down. Mahsi cho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Ministers' statements. Mr. Antoine

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to announce that our government has developed a broader approach to western governance that recognizes aboriginal people's inherent right to self-government and is based upon a vision of people and governments working together in partnership at the community, regional and territorial level.

Central to the government's new approach is a vision of society in the western NWT. Our vision is of a society that:• encourages people to work together in their communities;

• respects the inherent rights of aboriginal people;

• is fair to all people;

• supports the efficient delivery of services;

• brings decision making closer to the people;

• creates a stable economic and political environment; and

• supports a strong and unified territory within Canada.

Later today, I will table the document Key Features of western NWT Society that outlines the principle elements of our approach to western governance. I have directed my officials to review our current mandates and instructions for consistency with our vision. We will then proceed to discuss our new approach at the various negotiating tables. As well, the government plans to provide a public information package on the vision of society in the western NWT and hold discussions with western leaders and other stakeholders. Mr Speaker, I would like to tell my colleagues in this Assembly about the path Cabinet took that led us to this new vision.

The GNWT has long recognized aboriginal people's inherent right of self-government and we are committed to working with the aboriginal peoples of the western NWT to negotiate a fair implementation of their rights.

On August 1, 1995, the Government of Canada released its policy on the Inherent Right of Self-government. That policy expressed a preference that in the western NWT, the inherent right be implemented primarily, although not exclusively, through public government.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the members of the Inherent Right Working Group for the commitment and open-mindedness that enabled them to forge a set of common recommendations. The matters they dealt with were challenging, but they persevered and produced a common set of recommendations that each party felt met their most basic interests.

Mr. Speaker, that was an important message. The members of the Inherent Right Working Group demonstrated that people can work together to find common solutions to common problems. Mr. Speaker, the government has developed a broader approach which will recognize aboriginal governments and allow aboriginal peoples to develop a more flexible approach, a partnership approach, because when we reviewed our initial vision for governance in the western NWT against these developments, we knew it came up short. In developing our approach, the government has paid close attention to the recommendations of the Inherent Right Working Group on structures of government and extent of jurisdiction and we believe that our approach is compatible with those recommendations.

Mr Speaker, the GNWT understood that leaving things the way they were was not an option. This government recognizes and respects the legitimate roles of aboriginal and public governments. We are committed to recognizing the important role aboriginal governments will play in the new Western Territory. We are also committed to finding an approach to governance that supports people in our communities and regions working together, setting priorities and designing programs that meet their needs.

Mr. Speaker, our vision of a western NWT society will enable people and governments to work together to build a society we will be proud to pass on to our children. Mahsi Mr. Speaker, Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you honourable Minister. Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a Member's statement today on the announcement made yesterday by Mr. Picco, the press announcement on the sealing industry. Before I make any remarks about the announcement itself, I would like to spend a couple of minutes to speak on how important the sealing industry was and still is to my people the Inuit, not only economically but culturally. Also, it is an important source of meat in our diet. Seal pelts in the past, in the 50's, 60's and 70's were the bread and butter so to speak for the Inuit, Mr. Speaker.

Hunters and their families as I recall, were prosperous, relatively rich and we could afford the things in life in the 1970's. Sealing for most of the Nunavut coastal communities was important. It had this type of good economic effect for everyone. Comparable in importance to fishing in Newfoundland or maybe more. Our young Inuit men or boys' abilities were measured in such ways as when you got your first seal. It was the same for women or young girls on how well they could work on seal pelts. It was that important, Mr. Speaker.

Sealing and by-products, are part of the physique of the Inuit. I believe it is that important. This industry which fed us, made us rich, helped us to be able to achieve the good material things in life, which gave our people, both men and women a sense of purpose and means of prosperity was taken away very abruptly, Mr. Speaker. The market was killed, the rug was pulled from under us. Many families, including mine were left with trying to deal with a way of life that was gone.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Baffin South is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Arlooktoo, you have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the families including mine, were left with trying to deal with a way of life that was taken away so abruptly. Today as in the past couple of decades, we have seen the after affects of this way of life, of this prosperity taken away without any sort of plan or way of dealing with it. There were no government programs or counselling. As we see today when a mine shuts down for example, or we shut down certain operations of the government. All we had and all we do have today is welfare, social assistance, government handouts, that our formally prosperous hunters must take in order to feed their families. This is so sad, Mr. Speaker. There was some turn around or hope in the carving industry which flourished for a couple of decades, but is now in trouble. We are trying to deal with this issue. Still, there has never been anything that has replaced the sealing industry.

The subsistence lifestyle which many of our people try to lead today is very expensive. They have to buy snowmobiles, boats, rifles and gasoline. Not everybody can afford what we call the traditional lifestyle. There are attempts in things like education, the land claims settlement, regaining control of our resources and in control of government that will make the Inuit hunter's life better but those take a long time.

This brings me to the announcement yesterday which for us Inuit MLAs it basically came out as a surprise, and broad-sided us. The reason it was so important is that we suddenly had to ask ourselves was this our old friend the sealing industry, which made us prosper and had died. Was this old friend being resurrected? It certainly sounded like that. Are we in a position right now to tell our hunters that you can now brush off the rifles and the boats, and the women, you can dust off the ulus and the saviks and is there some hope. I certainly hope there is, but it bothers me in the way the announcement came about and how Inuit MLAs were left in the dark. The fact that this occurred this way, forced the Inuit MLAs yesterday for the very first time to sit together as a Caucus. Over the past three years we had issues where we thought we should as an Inuk race sit down together. There has always been somebody or a group of other people within the group that have said if you have something to say you can say it in front of Nunavut Caucus. You can say it in front of everybody. This was something that was so important that we thought that we should sit down and talk about it together. I wanted to express my feelings on that and hopefully we can get down to the bottom on what this announcement really meant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Members' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I am making a statement on behalf of the elders of the Keewatin region who have been offended by a television documentary that was made about Marble Island, which is located on the west coast of Hudson Bay, near Rankin Inlet.

Mr. Speaker, a great disservice has been dealt to our people and our elders because they were not consulted during the production of this documentary. As a result, the information on the Marble Island Story was incorrect and poorly researched. "Oceans of Mystery" was aired on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, September 6, 1998. It outlined the mysterious disappearance of Captain James Knight and his two ships, the Discovery and the Albany, while in search for the Northwest Passage over 275 years ago.

The remains of the two sunken ships as well as a foundation for a sod house were discovered on Marble Island. Almost 300 years later, we have found the remains of Captain Knight's expedition, but there is much speculation about how Captain Knight and his 40 crewmen died. Mr. Speaker, a documentary on the rich history of our north is both welcomed and encouraged. However, I was deeply disappointed and angered at the conclusions that were drawn by the producers of "Oceans of Mystery".

Based completely on speculation, it was decided by the producers of this show that the demise of the Knight Expedition was a direct result of the Inuit that lived in the area of Marble Island. It was suggested by the narrator of "Oceans of Mystery", that the Inuit killed the remaining crew from the Discovery and the Albany and then sank the ships by piercing their hulls and piling rocks on top of them. As if the Inuit had the time to do that. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Aivilik is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Ms. Thompson, you have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you colleagues. Mr. Speaker, there have always been theories about the demise of the Knight Expedition, but to publicly state that the death of the crew was at the hands of the Inuit is disturbing, and more importantly, completely incorrect. There is little evidence, and I stress, no concrete fact that supports such an accusation. Again, to conclude a documentary based on such speculation and theory without taking the time to truly investigate the Marble Island story by interviewing the elders of Rankin Inlet and other communities leads me to believe that the producers of "Oceans of Mystery" were only looking for a sensational ending to their show.

This documentary has delivered a severe blow to the Inuit and to our elders. In an interview by Louis Taparti of CBC radio, with the producer of "Oceans of Mystery", Mr. Taparti had this man finally admit, after being asked the same question three times, that elders were not interviewed about the Marble Island story. The producer said that he received his information from a person who was neither Inuk nor an elder. Rather than confirming this information, the makers of "Oceans of Mystery" used their conclusion to sensationalize their show at the expense of the Inuit who were trying to help the explorers at the time to survive.

Mr. Speaker, as Inuit, we have always kept our tradition and culture strong by listening to our elders. Oral history is important to our culture. If we wanted to learn about our past, our ancestors, or how to hunt or sew, we went to our elders for our answers. Any time we needed to know the facts about something, our elders, these libraries of knowledge, were there for us.

Mr. Speaker, had the producers taken the time to interview our elders, they would have found that there are no oral histories that support such a fabrication and would have saved us the insult and pain of these unfounded lies. Furthermore, it would have also maintained the investigative integrity of "Oceans of Mystery" as well as avoided great embarrassment for those who produced this show.

Mr. Speaker, this is just one more example of southerners not being familiar with our culture, and sadly taking advantage of a part of our history, or at other times, a situation or a natural resource, by manipulating it for their own personal gain and recognition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Madame Thompson. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Roland

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

The Member for Thebacha is seeking

unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Miltenberger, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you. To follow up with a statement of Mr. Gargan, when we started this Assembly to be more strict with the rules and procedures of the House, I would like to remind Members that a good number of Members who have made Members' statements have gone beyond the time allotted for Members' statements. Thank you. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise again to talk about the lack of highway patrols on Highway 3. A few months ago, Grand Chief Joe Rabesca and myself expressed our concern over the lack of highway patrols on the section of highway between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife. As a result of our lobbying, patrols were increased and I would even venture to say that the community of Rae-Edzo saw our first bootlegger charged and sentenced for the offence. This is not far enough, we still have bootleggers and drug trafficking to be dealt with. I believe this is a positive move, but just the first step. I know that more results like this can happen with the cooperation of everyone involved.

However, over the past few months there seems to be fewer or no patrols at all. I realize that many factors are to be considered; staff on vacations, reduction of staff and time restraints all contribute to fewer patrols. I believe highway patrols are very important and they should be increased to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents who travel our highway system. Without the use of cellular phones along the highway, it is very important that patrols are on duty. Their presence is noticed, people do slow down and are more careful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to raise the issue of nursing shortages. Mr. Speaker, this problem is occurring all over the NWT. The government and our health boards are having to rely on private southern nursing agencies to fill the vacant positions for the community-based nurses. Several of the nurses have said that the long hours, stress, low pay and no VTA's have affected the retention and new hiring of nurses. I met several of the nurses at the Baffin hospital earlier this spring when they were holding a public demonstration about some of these issues. Mr. Speaker, does the government have the solid plan to hire and retain nurses? Later today I will ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services questions on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mrs. Groenewegen.

The honourable Member for Hay River is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mrs. Groenewegen, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation's capital equipment campaign. Mr. Speaker, the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation is undertaking a major fund raising campaign to raise approximately $2 million to acquire important diagnostic equipment for the hospital. A key piece of diagnostic equipment required is a CT scanner. People of all ages from newborns to seniors benefit from CT scans. A CT scanner produces detailed images of the body and is used to detect disease and internal problems in the head, spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis, arms and legs. For example, it is essential in the diagnosis and follow-up of various forms of cancer, for determining the cause and extent of stroke and the extent of traumatic injuries.

Mr. Speaker, all people in the north who require a CT scan must now travel to hospitals in southern Canada. There is no CT scanner available in the NWT. In a typical year, the Stanton Regional hospital pays over $600,000 in transportation for emergency patients to receive CT scans in the south. Today, the north is experiencing a severe shortage of general practice physicians. The ability to attract and train physicians in the future will be greatly enhanced if a CT scanner can be purchased for the hospital. The Stanton Regional Hospital is, in fact, a territorial hospital as it serves the entire western Arctic and Kitikmeot regions. Patients from the communities travel to the hospital in Yellowknife for both inpatient health care, outpatient services and emergency care. The hospital also provides travelling clinics of doctors and nurses to all communities to provide a broad range of medical services. In a typical year, over 17,000 patients from communities outside of Yellowknife in the western Arctic and Kitikmeot region alone are seen by the medical staff at Stanton.

Mr. Speaker, the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation should be commended for embarking on this capital equipment campaign to raise $2 million, largely from businesses, organizations, individuals and various levels of government in the western Arctic and the Kitikmeot region. Mr. Speaker, I personally support this important initiative as a CT scanner will ensure that northerners will continue to receive a high standard of health care and not fall behind the level of diagnostic analysis and health services provided at hospitals in southern Canada. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Members' statement. Member for Kivallivik, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, approximately a year ago, my home community of Arviat suffered a terrible loss when a ten-year old boy fell off his bicycle and his injuries were not recognized as serious. This young boy was sent home and, unfortunately, the next day died of his injuries, which was a stomach rupture. Mr. Speaker, only a few weeks ago, our sister community of Baker Lake suffered a similar loss, when nine-month old Luke Tunguaq was taken to the nursing station on a number of occasions by his parents, but sent home because his sickness was not determined to be serious. Mr. Speaker, this young child died the next day by noon time. Mr. Speaker, the reason I mentioned the death of these two young children is to illustrate the critical need for the nursing stations in Nunavut, in the north, so they should hire the highest calibre of nursing staff available in the country. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe this is happening. Mr. Speaker, our remoteness, our harsh weather conditions and the fact that most communities have no hospitals, no doctors, this alone should dictate that the nursing centres should have the best staff available. Mr. Speaker, I realize that the Minister spoke of long-term solutions, but I believe that we need, also, some short-term solutions immediately. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Member for Iqaluit, the honourable Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are few families in Nunavut who have not been touched by suicide. This government has spent considerable sums of money trying to address the problem, and we had workshops, training courses, awareness weeks and continued ongoing programs and strategies. Yet, the problem continues. Mr. Speaker, suicide is a very sensitive and emotional topic, but we have to deal with the issue and we have to review the programs and support initiatives we also have in place to deal with the families and communities dealing with the subject. We have to talk, Mr. Speaker, openly and honestly about the problem. I had an opportunity to speak to a large gathering of young people earlier this summer in Iqaluit. I spoke about suicide and tried to convey the message that it is okay to ask for help, it is okay to seek counselling and support from our schools, friends, parents and peers. Mr. Speaker, we have to pay more than lip service to the problem. We have to continue to work together as communities and families. We have to address the causes and then help find a solution. My own family has felt the pain of this issue over the last while and, Mr. Speaker, we are still seeking answers to why it happened. Are our programs working? What can we do differently to help those in need? Mr. Speaker, to the families in Iqaluit, my family and I offer our condolences over the tragedy of this past weekend. Later today, I will address some questions on the issue to the appropriate Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Our condolences go to the family, as well. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq, Member for Baffin Central.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 22, 1998, in the Budget Address, the honourable Minister of Finance announced a new Northwest Territories Child Benefit that took the form of a tax-free payment provided to low-income families in the Northwest Territories. This benefit was in addition to the National Child Benefit Program that was unveiled by the Government of Canada in June 1998. The amount of money that the Northwest Territories Child Benefit Program supplies to each family is dependant upon the net income of the family. Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is very expensive in the Arctic, and varies from one community to the next. A net income of $42,000 in an isolated community does not have the same buying power that it would have in less isolated communities. The National Tax Benefit and the Northwest Territories Child Benefit are wonderful new ventures and I commend both governments for putting them into effect. However, Mr. Speaker, we can always strive to take something

that is good and make it better. As it stands, the Child Benefit packages given by both governments is not enough to cover the extra living expenses for families in remote communities. Mr. Speaker, we could make the Northwest Territories Child Benefit better if we factored in the different costs of living for the different communities. We already do this for government employees, why not for the Northwest Territories Child Benefit? Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. 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 Mr. Evaloarjuk on September 18th, regarding docking facilities in Hall Beach.

On Friday, September 18, 1998, I took as notice a question from the Member for Amittuq about the Department of Transportation's plan for a docking facility at Hall Beach. Under the Community Wharves Program, the department has, at this time, no plans for either the design or construction of any marine projects at the community of Hall Beach.

If the Member believes docking facilities are needed at Hall Beach that the Community Wharves Program should address, the best way to get a new project started would be for the community to make its requirements known to the department. Once the department has a request or proposal for a wharf or breakwater, it can schedule it into the capital planning process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize a resident of Hay River, my brother-in-law, Paul Harrington, and President of the South Slave Metis. Thank you.

--Applause

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

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly, Mr. Green. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

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

Thank you. It is an honour to have you here. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Steen.

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

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to recognize, on behalf of the Members of this Legislative Assembly, former MLA, Mr. Wah-Shee.

--Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the new western territories should work together in partnership. We have to negotiate with aboriginal governments to develop those partnerships. We, as a government, believe that is the best way we as a people in the western Arctic can achieve our greatest potential. We also believe you need a strong central government and by the support of the people and you get that by the support through negotiations. We have to vacate as a government certain legislative authority and certain authorities at community and regional levels. Ultimately, you have to have standards set throughout the Northwest Territories. Those would be minimum standards that all governments would have to meet.

For example, in the health care system you have five basic principles of the Health Care Act in Canada, no matter who you are, whether you are aboriginal or non-aboriginal governments, you have to meet those standards. Our job as a strong, central government, will also be to maintain that we do have a unified voice in the western territories. We have to supply the glue that holds the west together. The Dogrib people, for example, are negotiating their inherent right of self-government. The Delta area are negotiating for the Gwich'in, Inuvialuit and other people in that area for a partnership approach, government approach. Other peoples will be negotiating as well. We have to ensure that people in the Northwest Territories, the new Western Territory, will understand that what happens in Fort Smith affects what happens in Fort Rae and Tuktoyaktuk. You do need a strong central government that looks after and cares for all the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to consult with people and talk to people about our vision, our clear commitment to a partnership arrangement with aboriginal governments and the Northwest Territories government as well as the federal government. We will be developing a comprehensive communication strategy which will go to every northerner in the Northwest Territories and to every community and region. We will continue to be a party at negotiation tables as well, and we will be considering the work of the Constitutional Working Committee. We have instructed our staff already to put together a package, and that will be shared with all the Members of this Legislative Assembly, also

shared with all aboriginal leaders and all people in the Northwest Territories, with what we see is the best direction to go for the creation of the new Western Territory. Thank you.

Thank you. Second supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the key principles of moving ahead in the creation of a new western governance, a new Western Territory, very key, is it has to be affordable and workable. One of the bottom lines for this government is the federal government has the fiduciary responsibility for aboriginal people. They have the responsibility to pick up the costs of any self-government agreement. That is not this government's responsibility. That is the federal government's responsibility. For Members' information, we do have a disagreement with the federal government on this issue. It is to be negotiated, but Cabinet has taken the position that the federal government is responsible for 100 percent of the incremental and transitional costs of self-government agreements. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. The honourable Premier, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very important issue and I thank the Member for raising it. It is very important that we, as the government of the Northwest Territories, ensure the same level of programs and services that are delivered, will continually be delivered, no matter which way the negotiating table goes on self-government issues. For example, I will use the Dogrib table. It is very important that the people in the Dogrib region get the same levels of services they have today. The same quality of services and programs. That is to their interests, to our interests. I cannot give you today a time-frame of how long that will take to achieve, but I will commit to you today that our government will be there, willing to work with the Dogrib people as well as the federal government to get a finalization to that land claims process they are in and that self-government process they are in. We will be committed to working with them and we will also be committed to ensuring the same level of services is delivered in that region today, as well as the days yet to come. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Central, Mr. Ootes.

The honourable Minister, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was an agenda item on that federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Health meeting in Regina. BC basically updated all other jurisdictions on their tobacco prevention and education initiatives because they are quite aggressively pursuing some of the tobacco companies and awareness campaign against tobacco, particularly aimed at children. All jurisdictions were quite impressed quite frankly with what was provided by the ministry from BC and applauded them for their efforts. We gave directions to all of our senior officials, from all jurisdictions to work together to develop in conjunction with what BC was doing, a more aggressive plan, in trying to implement tobacco reduction measures and to bring that back to the Ministers of Health. Thank you.

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

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as all Members are aware, it is a particularly higher than national average problem in the Northwest Territories and does cost our system significantly. We are in the process in our 1999 Business Plan again, on one of the strategic directions, particularly in the area of health promotion, is one specific priority area is tobacco harm reduction and cessation programs. We plan to actively pursue a territorial strategy in that respect. Hopefully it can tie in with some of the national initiatives that are being pursued as well, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes I am aware of that program through Paututit, the Inuit Women's Association. Particularly it is from Health and Welfare Canada, as it relates to aboriginal programming. I think how some of the communities in the west can access that is obviously if they have not already and I will have to check into that, is through the NWT Women's Council which would run similar types of programs throughout the territories. Thank you.

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

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we certainly do recognize the substance abuse problems as well, but they are more indicative of other problems and symptoms of some of the problems that individuals have. We plan on addressing that in more of a global, mental health type of a situation in providing some resourcing there and in the area of child and youth reform in trying to provide additional supports in that area for people in the territories. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Health. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I drew attention to the death of two young children in my riding. Mr. Speaker, in one case, the attending nurse who was looking after one of the children, had only six months experience before being hired in my home community of Arviat. My question to the Minister is, is there a policy on hiring diploma nurses from the south? In other words, is there a formula where you would have an x-number of RNs as opposed to x-number of diploma nurses? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Ng, Minister of Health.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the NWT Registered Nurses Association has the licensing authority for nurses and provided that they are licensed with that accredited organization, then they could work in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying that his department has no control over the number of diploma

nurses hired from the south and that it is in the hands of the nursing association here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you. I will allow the Minister to answer the question now, but there is a request from a Member of the House to deal with an important matter. After the Minister has responded, we will take a 30-minute break. Once we resume, I will allow the honourable Member for Kivallivik to continue with his supplementaries. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The health boards have the responsibility for hiring their personnel. The point I am trying to make is if personnel, if their nurses in the situation have to be accredited by the Registered Nurses Association of the NWT, if they have that accreditation then they can work and practice in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We shall take a 30-minute recess.

--Break

Thank you. I would like to call the House back to order. When we took a recess about 30 minutes ago, Mr. O'Brien, the honourable Member for Kivalliviq was asking questions. The question was directed to Mr. Ng, Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. O'Brien, your second supplementary if you wish to continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, regarding health care/dental care in the Keewatin I would like to ask the Minister as to what is the status of the full-time dentists who have been promised for my community of Arviat and Baker Lake. It is my understanding that they are to be in place by the first of this month or rather, October 1st, can the Minister update me on the status of this situation?

Thank you, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that a dentist had been in the communities and have another trip planned. I do not have the specific dates with me, but I will get that information and provide it to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister saying that he cannot confirm whether or not these dates are firm, that there will be dentists in the communities on October 1st?

Thank you, Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had indicated that I know a dentist had gone into the communities in his constituency and there are plans for another visit into that community. I do not have the dates in front of me, but once I confirm what those are, the information I have been given, then I will provide it to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As per my Member's statement, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health, Mr. Ng. Can the Minister inform this House if we as a government have a plan to hire and retain our dedicated nursing staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in answers to questions from other honourable Members of this House, we do recognize there is an issue in recruitment and retention of nursing professional staff. We are in the process of working with our partners and our boards, on the short-term and identifying where the deficiencies are and how we can shore up those services so there is minimal impact to the communities. On a longer term, there is a recruitment and retention plan that has been finalized for Financial Management Board submission now to try to dedicate some resources for a medium to longer scale plan in trying to promote northerners to enter into that profession. We feel in the long term that is where the sustainability of the nursing profession can come from, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the Minister met with the NWT Association of Nurses recently to discuss the concerns of our nurses? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.