Good afternoon. I would like to thank the Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark for serving in my place during my absence. I understand you are pretty happy to see me back.

--Applause

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the Council of Ministers of Transportation meeting in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be leaving the House later today and will be absent for the remainder of the week to attend the Fisheries Ministers meeting in Victoria, British Columbia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform this House that I have received the Report on Crime and Corrections in the Northwest Territories, prepared by Management and Policy International. I will be referring to this document as the Evans Report, after its lead writer, John Evans. I will be tabling the Evans Report later today.

My colleague, the Honourable Kelvin Ng, commissioned the Evans Report in September 1997 when he was the Minister of Justice and Health and Social Services. I am indebted to my colleague for his dedication and foresight in recognizing the challenges facing the Northwest Territories in the areas of crime and corrections and for commissioning this report. I am also indebted to all MLAs whose questions and concerns both inside and outside this House have, in no small part, contributed to the debate concerning crime and corrections in the Northwest Territories.

The terms of reference for the Evans Report called for an examination of four sets of issues:

­ First, to provide a statistical description of crime and criminal justice in the Northwest Territories;

­ Second, to provide an independent review of corrections in the Northwest Territories;

­ Third, to examine community tolerance of crime and community willingness to take on more of the challenges in justice and corrections;

Finally, the report was to provide recommendations on how corrections might be organized and delivered, now and following the creation of two territories in 1999

Mr. Speaker, the Evans Report does not paint a rosy picture of crime and corrections in the Northwest Territories. In a realistic and straightforward fashion, the Evans Report chronicles the challenges of both the unacceptably high crime rate and how the corrections and community justice systems are coping with this situation. The Evans Report notes that the Northwest Territories has the highest rate of violent crime of all provinces and territories in Canada. This includes a rate of sexual assault which is eight times the national average. By a wide margin, the NWT has the highest incarceration rate in Canada. The Evans Report notes that if the NWT population grows in the way it is expected to we can expect substantial increases in the number of young offenders admitted in the next ten years, especially in Nunavut.

The Evans Report concluded that the NWT faces a serious overcrowding problem, this is more than just a matter of too many prison inmates. Rather, it is a major challenge with respect to risk management, security, programming, planning, capital shortfall and resourcing issues. The Evans Report concluded, and I quote: "The correctional institutions in the NWT are at a crisis in their ability to deliver correctional programming to inmates. This crisis is due in part to the current overcrowding, which has taken resources from programming to deal with the increased number of inmates." The Evans Report is both realistic and timely. I believe that we have to respond to the challenges presented by this report and action must be taken on the recommendations made. Mr Speaker, the time to take action is now. To this end, as Minister of Justice I have, submitted a comprehensive plan for community justice and corrections I am pleased to announce to this House that the Financial Management Board has approved funding and will seek the necessary supplementary funding from this House to breathe life into the plan. I will be seeking the support from this House and indeed all MLAs for the implementation of this plan.

The comprehensive plan outlines a two-part approach to addressing the challenges outlined in the Evans Report. The plan focuses on community justice and corrections. As I noted in my Minister's statement concerning the Rankin Justice Retreat, it is imperative that all communities be involved in the justice system to a much greater degree than they are now.

Funding for more on the land camps will be increased so that all regions can provide offenders with traditional programming based on community values.

Expansion of wilderness camps is necessary to alleviate overcrowding in our institutions. Community justice committees play a vital role in the criminal justice system. These committees are made up of concerned community members. The department will be revising the funding formula to allocate additional funding for the hiring of coordinators, and for additional crime prevention activities such as on the land programs. The additional funds will also allow committees to enhance the honoraria of the justice committee members.

I propose to overhaul community corrections. The NWT is the only jurisdiction in Canada without a dedicated probation service in its communities. This service is currently being provided by social workers. They have enough to do already without this extra burden. A stand-alone probation service will allow social workers to concentrate on the needs of victims. This is only right.

Once an effective community corrections option is in place, it is likely that more community sentences will be used for offenders who now go into custody and there will be more after-jail support to help avoid more criminal behaviour. In the east and west, a minimum of 35 positions are required to operate community corrections in both jurisdictions. While the positions slated for the east must, at this stage, be in recommendation form, it is my hope and strong recommendation that the new government of Nunavut will look closely at this option, and follow through with it.

Mr. Speaker, I have not forgotten about victims of crime in this context. While we hope that all the initiatives targeted at reducing the re-offending rate of offenders will result in fewer victims of crime, victims of crime require special attention that the Evans Report was not mandated to comment on. To this end, I have asked my officials to continue working with the Department of Health and Social Services to rationalize their respective roles in order to maximize the delivery of victims services.

The plan calls for improvements to the Yellowknife Correctional Centre which are, Mr. Speaker, long overdue. Severe overcrowding in aging arid substandard facilities and the lack of offender programs do not prepare offenders for release. Mr. Speaker, we have to face the facts that the Yellowknife Correctional Centre is, to put it mildly, a substandard institution which requires upgrading. While the present building has a capacity of 132 inmates, it is consistently housing 200 inmates. What was to be program space is used to bunk inmates in virtually the entire building.

An expert recently interviewed on CBC Radio stated that good programming in correctional institutions can eliminate up to 50 percent of the recidivism. That is the rate at which offenders re-offend and continue to commit crimes after being released from jail. The comprehensive plan calls for adding modules to the existing YCC building with an eye to having the new construction allow for delivery of specific programs to target recidivism. It is also important that program space be provided for higher security inmates. This would allow more offenders to be kept in the north.

The Evans Report identified a need for the department to develop programs for varying types of offenders in our facilities and develop programs for each individual inmate. Mr. Speaker, I will be seeking funding for the development of a Corrections Rehabilitations Programs and Information Database so that the individual programming needs of inmates can be determined. Once needs have been assessed, aboriginal healing and pretreatment, family violence, sex offender and other programs will assist in the rehabilitation of inmates instead of simply warehousing them, which is, in reality, what we do today.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, this bold and timely response to the Evans Report has as its goal an integrated corrections system that provides appropriate community and facility programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to provide Members with an update on the Public Private Partnership or P3 projects that are underway to develop and construct health and social services facilities. For some time, a number of health and social services boards have been actively involved in the assessment and documentation of the health care needs of the people in their respective service areas in anticipation of major capital projects being initiated.

As Members know, on March 31, 1998, the Chairman of the Financial Management Board announced that 12 projects had been selected to pilot a new way of undertaking capital projects, the Public Private Partnership or P3 model. Five of those 12 projects are aimed at providing health and social services facilities. As Members are well aware, governments the world over are searching for new ways to live within their means while maintaining services for the public. Public Private Partnerships are a new way for governments to obtain and utilize infrastructure to meet the demands of their growing populations.

By partnering with the private sector, governments can better focus on the quality of their programs and services and put the responsibility for the infrastructure, whether it be a hospital or a student residence on the private partner.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has developed and is nurturing a strong commitment to the P3 process. Multi-sectoral committees and P3 implementation teams have been established to monitor all GNWT P3 projects. Workshops have been held in various communities to educate the potential stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services' five P3 projects include the following;

•two hospitals, one each in Iqaluit and Inuvik;

• two regional health complexes, one in the Keewatin and one in the Kitikmeot; and finally

•one health centre in Arviat.

Functional programs that outline the health care needs of people in the service area and describe a facility that meets these needs, have been completed for all five of the health and social service pilot projects.

Each of the functional programs envisions a better future by including telehealth and telemedicine as part of the infrastructure requirement. Two of the projects, the Inuvik hospital and the Arviat health centre, have finalized their functional programs with the department and are ready for ministerial approval. The functional program for the Kitikmeot regional health complex has received conditional approval. The remaining two projects, the Baffin hospital and the Keewatin regional health complex have functional programs still under review.

In four of the projects, some technical aspects of project development work are in progress. These include topographical survey, geo-technical report, legal and environmental assessment and furniture, fixture and equipment planning. In Arviat, this work is complete. Once the functional programs are approved, the responsible P3 implementation team will invite bidders to submit proposals for the next stage of work.

For the Inuvik hospital project, the P3 project team are preparing to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to parties interested in forming a P3 partnership to design, construct, own, operate and finance the facility. Once I approve the functional program for the Arviat health centre, the P3 implementation team will issue a request for proposal (RRP) for the design, build, operate and finance of the project. For the remaining three Nunavut projects, a request for proposal for the preliminary design work will be issued upon approval of their functional programs.

In May 1997, a proposal was forwarded by the three Nunavut birthright development corporations and the three eastern health and social services boards for the development of the health and social services facilities in Nunavut. The initiative was pursued with the GNWT throughout the summer and fall of 1997 and a memorandum of agreement was signed between the boards, development corporations, myself as Minister of Health and Social Services and the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, we believe that with the infrastructure provided by these five projects, both new territories will be better positioned to deliver much needed health and social services to their citizens. Leasing arrangements for all projects will have to be approved by the Government of the Northwest Territories' Financial Management Board. For the four Nunavut facilities, the critically important final approval for entering into long-term operating leases prior to March 31, 1999 is totally dependent on acceptance by the Nunavut Interim Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. The time for Ministers' statements is over. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive rule 34(6) so that all Ministers' statements filed with the Clerk can be delivered today.

Thank you. The Member for Aivilik is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 34(6). Do we have any nays?

Nay.

Sorry there is no unanimous consent. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House of the successful meeting of the Baffin Leaders Summit, held July 1998. I am very proud of the Baffin region organizations as they are able to work well with one another and with very little conflict. Hamlets and other groups and organizations in the Baffin including corporations and the Members of the Legislative Assembly, are also respectful of one another and must be commended for that.

However, we are seeing a trend where these representative bodies in Nunavut are covering the exact same items at every annual assembly. For example, all the bodies have one sort of social programs or another, perhaps this is due to a lack of communication amongst these bodies. I would strongly suggest that they follow certain channels to avoid overlapping on issues. Nunavut Tunngavik has delegated a committee to deal with certain issues. Issues dealing with social concerns and programs, healing, should be directed to that committee. Similarly the Baffin leaders should appoint a steering committee that would delegate certain issues of general concern.

Will we allow this situation to continue in the same way? Where can we make changes for improvement? If we can obtain some funding prior to April 1999, we would like to reassess the mandate of the Baffin leaders and see if they need to be assigned differently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make public what I told my wife at the beginning of my term of the 13th Assembly. To make sure she agrees, I talked to her over the phone last night and she agreed. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and the public I will not be seeking re-election in the up coming elections. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. 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 to conclude your statement.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, many times in the House we often criticize this government by giving

credit where credit is due. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the government and also the Nunavut construction company for the many projects that are being carried out in my riding over the past number of months. Mr. Speaker, it has been stated by a number of business people that in Arviat, for example, this is probably the busiest year in ten years for construction. Mr. Speaker, this is certainly welcome news in the community where we have most of the time, between 75 and 80 percent of unemployment. Thank you.

Thank you. 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.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First I would like to state that it is my eldest son, Robert's, birthday today. I would like to wish him a happy birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to speak about decentralized government in Nunavut being developed. We can really see it because of the buildings that are being built to house the office for decentralization of some services from the departments. We were told that when we were having a meeting in July, at the Baffin Leader's Meeting, when the decentralization is in the process that it would help the local people from the communities. The buildings would be built to house the new services being transferred to the communities. Local people can acquire some jobs from the decentralization process. In smaller communities, they have always been sidetracked by other communities that are in larger communities acquiring some contracts. I think it is possible to transfer some of the offices to even smaller communities. When we can discuss the possibility of transferring some of these offices to smaller communities, I think it is possible to open up some offices to smaller communities, departmental offices. I will be speaking to this later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Members' statements. Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituents of Coral Harbour, Chesterfield Inlet and Repulse Bay and all of Keewatin residents, I would just like to make an announcement. I had also talked about this last spring in Inuktitut on the radio. After I made a trip to China. I reported on all the issues we were dealing with over there. Just recently, there was a press release and announcement on sealskins being harvested in Baffin Island. I feel that this is a very important issue for all Nunavut region. There will be a meeting in Iqaluit regarding this issue with the Chinese businessmen, so I just wanted to notify the people of their area. I think they would be very interested in this upcoming meeting in Iqaluit. I want the people of the Keewatin to be aware of this meeting. I am sure it will affect the people of the Keewatin region as well as Kitikmeot. I would like the people of Keewatin to try to check into this meeting, so they can attend some meetings if they are interested in the sealing industry. People should make themselves involved with this very important initiative and I just wanted my constituents to be aware of this . Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak about two important conferences occurring in Iqaluit this week. One is dealing with suicide prevention measures and counselling training. This workshop builds on previous conferences with many people participating from across Nunavut. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish the conference organizers and participants much success with this important topic. The second conference has brought approximately 400 delegates from all across Nunavut, Nunavik and the south for a Bible related meeting. Many Iqaluit residents have opened their homes to help billet the large gathering. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents who have helped house the approximately 400 people. I would also like to wish them well with their meeting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss Clyde River's accumulated debt. The community has been incurring a deficit since 1982. The debt currently stands at over $600,000. This debt is due to the hamlet delivering programs and services that are the responsibility of the territorial government. In many instances, where territorial staff or infrastructure was not available, the hamlet was

enlisted by the government to deliver those services.

As division fast approaches, the hamlet, myself and the future Nunavut government is concerned that this debt incurred by the current territorial government will remain unpaid. If this issue is not dealt with, it will be an issue that will be carried on past division. It is most likely that the hamlet, which has very limited resources of its own, or the new government will have to resolve this problem. Mr. Speaker, as the date for the formation of the two new territories becomes closer, this issue increases in magnitude. I strongly encourage the government to meet its financial responsibilities to the community of Clyde River prior to division. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have often heard comments that government moves slowly. If you tend to be like myself, I have been accused of being impatient. It seems to me that it moves a little slower sometimes. Last September, Mr. Krutko from Resource Management, Mr. Ootes, Mr. Erasmus, Mr. Dent and Mr. Todd and myself took a trip to what is now recognized as the diamond capital of the world, Antwerp, and we also visited London to get ourselves an education on what benefits the Northwest Territories could muster and obtain out of the new diamond industry that was starting in the Northwest Territories. It was not long, Mr. Speaker, before we all realized there was a dream to be had there. We had seen and heard from enough people that there were opportunities that could take place in the Northwest Territories by northerners, with some assistance, that we could be involved in a new industry that would start in the Northwest Territories. Today's announcement by Mr. Kakfwi is extremely good news for all the people of Canada, the Northwest Territories and, in particular, Yellowknife with the announcement that Sirius Diamonds will be setting up an operation here. It speaks well for this government and for the Members who encouraged this government along to create and work on this initiative when there were so many nay sayers. We had come back from London and Antwerp and we had been told by DIAND officials, we had heard from the industry, we had heard from numerous experts, you cannot do that in the north. It is always done in Antwerp.

Mr. Speaker, I think today is a great day for the Northwest Territories and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the president of Sirius Diamonds, Jim Ben-Oliel to the Northwest Territories and anticipate they will have much success here. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would just suggest to Antwerp, move over, there is a new kid on the block. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the opening of a new school in the community of Ndilo. Mr. Speaker, on August 31st approximately 25 students began attending a community school in Ndilo. The classes are from kindergarten to grade three. The Yellowknives Dene First Nations have been working on this project for years and the foundation for the school is tradition and culture, with learning taking place in the context of their culture, heritage and language. To this end, a Yellowknife Teacher Education Program graduate teaches the Weledeh dialect language classes. Along with the regular curriculum, the Yellowknives Dene plan to provide the students with opportunities to learn technological skills. This project is a partnership with the Yellowknife School District #1, which supplies supervisory services through a contract. As such, the teachers in Ndilo belong to the Yellowknife #1 bargaining unit. The school is staffed by experienced aboriginal teachers. I might add that they have quadrupled the number of aboriginal teachers in Yellowknife. The school is presently located in the Ndilo education centre with physical education classes held in the community recreation centre. Mr. Speaker, this is the first step in the long-term goal of creating a new facility which house a kindergarten to grade 12 school.

I congratulate the community and the department on this project. I congratulate the community of Ndilo, first for recognizing the problem that students were largely dropping out because of the lack of culture based schooling. Secondly, for their perseverance for seeing this project through. Finally, Mr. Speaker, but not lastly, I congratulate the Minister and his department for listening and responding to the community needs. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dent.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two gentlemen in the audience, both of whom are waiting patiently to meet with me. Mr. Jerry Ell is our able President of Qikiqtaaluk Corporation. Qikiqtaaluk Corporation is the birthright corporation of which four of us Baffin MLAs belong to. He is also a very active member of the homeless

shelter society in Iqaluit. Along with him is my friend Mr. Alaine Carriere. A successful business man, former constituent, living in Iqaluit now, very active in the chamber of commerce and various important fronts in the formation of Nunavut. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Jerry Ell, who is my cousin. I want people to understand that they will be holding a conference and an important meeting. I want people to know that they can talk to Jerry if they are interested. Thank you. (Translation ends)

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

Thank you. 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. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to recognize a friend of mine, former co-worker and sometimes sparing partner in the days when I worked in Tuktoyaktuk in 1990, the Mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, Eddie Dillon.

--Applause

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I received a letter dated September 18, 1998, from the chair person of the Gjoa Haven education council and signed also by the principal of Quqshuun Ilihakvik School. Mr. Speaker, the community of Gjoa Haven is concerned about the bad fumes coming out of the boiler system in that school. I have brought this matter up a few years ago. During the summer the school was shut down temporarily in the month of September alone, September 4th at 11:35 a.m.; September 10th at 11:42; September 10th at 1:00 p.m.; September 11th at 11:20 p.m.; September 14th at 9:14 a.m. and September 14th at 9:46 a.m. I think it deserves to get some serious attention from the Department of Public Works. I would like to ask the Premier of this government to direct his staff from Cambridge Bay regional office to once and for all find the cause of the bad fumes and deal with it as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be pleased to bring that up with the Minister and ask him to look into the issue and see if it can be rectified as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Steen.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not know the reasoning behind the 190 litres for people on the utilidor and also 90 litres a day for each person with a trucked service. It may have to do with the size of the lake with the utilidor attached to it and the size of the tank on the truck. I am committed to go to Tuktoyaktuk in the very near future right after this session to deal with the issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will be bringing staff over to deal with this.

Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Minister could update this House as to the status of the services that are being offered by the northern medical centre in Manitoba to the Keewatin. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that an interim agreement between the northern medical unit and the Keewatin regional health and social services board has been reached and that agreement runs effective of September of this year until March 31, 1999. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell the House exactly what are these services and the length of the contracts involved.

Thank you. Minister Ng. Two questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had indicated that the current interim agreement is from September of this year to March 31, 1999. Those services are for general practitioner services and for specialist services. At the same time, there are some ongoing negotiations that continue between the University of Manitoba, the GNWT and the Nunavut department of health along with the board in trying to reach a longer term contract of approximately three to five years. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Minister can update this House on the status of the senior positions that have been vacant for the last number of months with the Keewatin Health Board? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the position of executive director for the regional health and social services board has now been filled and an offer has been made. The individual is not on site yet so we continue to have an interim executive there from the department. It is also my understanding that some of the other senior positions within the regional health and social services board and in particular the director of corporate affairs, director of social programs, manager of human resources and the senior nursing officer positions have been filled to date. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

The Minister of Finance. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all let me clarify my honourable colleague it is this government that is doing the economic strategy and Mr. Bailey and Associates are the consultants we are using for one part of that study. The economic framework we outlined last year really was just explaining to northern peoples the impact of certain aspects of the economy. What we are doing here, is trying to put a coordinated approach and to build the case for a new fiscal relationship with the federal government that will allow a new Western Territory to generate more revenues as it relates to the non-renewable resource envelope. It is a significant initiative, Mr. Speaker, that requires a certain amount of substantiation that Mr. Bailey is working on that requires a certain amount of work Mr. Dent is working on that requires the involvement of Mr. Kakfwi and Mr. Antoine in all aspects of this important initiative we are doing. The difference here is that we are preparing the case for the discussion with our federal counterparts for renewed and different fiscal relationship with the federal government. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am confident as I said in this House on a number of occasions by questions asked by Mr. Ootes and Mrs Groenewegen, the strategy we are putting into place is both short and long-term. It is fundamentally necessary to do it. I am going to say again the long term revenue projections for the west flatten out into the year 2000. You simply have to find a new fiscal relationship with the federal government to ensure you are going to get the additional revenues necessary to deliver the

kinds of services and economic activity that your constituents expect. That is what this initiative is all about.

Perhaps I should have called it an investment north strategy. We just happen to use the word economic strategy. That is what we are endeavouring to do here. All aspects of the territory west and east will be covered in this initiative. Hopefully, it will be a blue print that both this government can proceed with into March 31st, that the western government can proceed with until October 31, 1999 and the new governments can see the benefit after that. I am telling you now as the Finance Minister, you simply need a new fiscal relationship. You need to spend some time in determining where you are going to get new revenues. If you are going to maintain the level of services that our constituents have become accustom to. That to some extent is what the strategy is all about.

At the same time there is clearly a need to re-examine the programs we are currently doing. I think self re-examination is a good thing. The primary focus for me, as Finance Minister, is to prepare the case for the discussions that will be undertaken with our federal counterparts the need to get into the revenue window to continue to increase the levels of service our constituents have come to expect from us. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do recognize my honourable colleague's frustration as he has expressed it many times in this House. I do appreciate it and I am trying to explain to the best of my ability what we are trying to do here. I am sure there are all kinds of reports out there, the scone report, this report, that report, et cetera the previous governments have put forward. I do not see what we are doing here in that light. I see it as an over all initiative, to build the case for a new relationship with a federal government because you simply must have it.

You simply need to find a way in the long run to find new revenues to maintain and increase the level of services to your constituents. Thank is what this is all about. I do not have today the cost of previous governments' expenditures in economic strategies. I do not have that. I am sure the previous governments as other governments have done these kinds of things. What I am trying to do is to put together a blue print, a road to new revenues. To build the case, to defend and to discuss with Mr. Martin the Finance Minister and Ms. Stewart the Minister of Indian Affairs the fundamental need for a new fiscal relationship with the territories so that we can get into the revenue window as they say and do something constructive about it.

If I may Mr. Speaker, I want to remind everybody 75 percent of the monies we spend come from the federal government. Seventy five percent, we need to find a way in which to be less dependent. That is what this is all about. Nothing more, nothing less. Now I cannot answer my colleague's question today about how much money has been spent by previous governments on previous economic strategies. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

The question has already been asked and answered. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said yesterday in the Legislative Assembly what the new vision for the Western Territory is for a strong central government and a government that works in partnership with aboriginal governments. Also, the Member is well aware we are presently at different negotiation tables and we are negotiating. We know for sure that we have to have a government that represents all people in the Northwest Territories in setting standards and enforcement, accounting

and making sure that citizens have the ability to move freely throughout the Northwest Territories. As well making sure that our citizens whether they are aboriginal or non-aboriginal all continue to enjoy the same level of services we have today.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is absolutely correct. In order for northern residents to continue to enjoy the levels of services and programs we have today the central government has to be able to tax people and redistribute wealth. We cannot move ahead with blinders on. We have seen the experience of southern Canada. All you have to do to see what happens in southern Canada is walk into one reserve that has oil and one that does not. You will see clearly what the problem is with that system. We believe strongly that there should be a strong central government that has the ability to redistribute wealth throughout the regions in the Northwest Territories and the communities, so all of our residents enjoy the same level of services we have today. That does not say that aboriginal governments do not have the right to tax as well. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we speak today our staff are working on a communication strategy and as well, as part of that strategy we believe that we should be out in basically the majority of the communities in

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