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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today the flags in front of the Assembly are at half-mast in recognition of the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. Despite ongoing efforts by employers and employees to ensure safe workplaces, there are hundreds of people injured at work every year. In many years, we also lose territorial residents to workplace accidents. At noon today, the Northern Territories Federation of Labour held their annual ceremony to recognize those Northwest Territories workers who have died or been injured or disabled on the job. The ceremony was held at the Miners' Monument and was well attended.

Mr. Speaker, this day reminds us of the need to continue our efforts in the area of occupational health and safety and the important work that we are doing in prevention, with employers, employees and youth. I would ask each Member to take a moment to remember the employees who have been the victims of workplace accidents and disease and to remember the families who must also live with the result of these accidents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the establishment of a Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services. There has always been a high degree of public interest in health and social services issues in the Northwest Territories. This is understandable. All of us come into contact with the health and social services system at some point in our lives. The quality of health care and support services, especially at the community level, has a significant impact on individuals, families and communities.

There have been several reviews and studies of health and social services issues over the past several years. In 1992, the Legislative Assembly initiated the Special Committee on Health and Social Services. One of the primary recommendations from the special committee was for the GNWT to consolidate the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services. The main purpose of the consolidation was to improve services to clients by eliminating overlap and duplication, and by integrating program and service delivery. In June, 1994, the Departments of Social Services and Health were amalgamated. Over the next two years, regional health boards added social services functions to their mandates.

In 1995, the department undertook a comprehensive review of its programs and services with the Community Wellness Initiative. This initiative involved aboriginal organizations and over 50 non-governmental organizations and women's groups. The directions outlined in the Community Wellness Directions document provided a foundation for the integration of health and social services at the community and regional levels.

In 1996 and 1997, in response to continuing challenges within the system, the department consulted again with the public, boards, professional groups and non-governmental organizations. Health and social services boards also undertook extensive consultations in their respective communities. The department also commissioned the Med-Emerg Group to conduct a comprehensive review of the health and social services system. As a result of these consultations and the information gathered from the Med-Emerg report, the Department of Health and Social Services released "Shaping Our Future: A Strategic Plan for Health and Wellness" in June, 1998.

Mr. Speaker, as I have just outlined, the department has been under almost continuous review since its establishment in 1994. One might question why another review is needed at this time. I believe a Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services is needed, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I want to make sure that our health and social service system continues to offer high-quality services to people in all of our communities, not only today, but also in the future.

I am concerned about sustainability. Since assuming this portfolio, I have been briefed by my department on a number of key cost-drivers, which are escalating the costs of the system at an alarming rate. These cost-drivers threaten the future sustainability of our system, and we must address them. Some of these cost-drivers include:

- a severe shortage of nurses and social workers - particularly at the community level;

- increased national and international competition for physicians and nurses; - increased costs of operating the system;

- increased incidence of preventable illnesses and conditions; and

- growing public expectations for more services, better services, faster access and more choices.

I want to emphasize that this Minister's forum is not a fishing expedition to generate a wish list of new programs and services. In light of the government's fiscal situation, we cannot expect major increases in funding for health and social services in next year's budget. We all need to understand this at the outset. What we can do is share information with the public about the current state of our system, and discuss how we can sustain and improve the system in the future.

I will ask the Minister's forum to focus on the directions in the strategic plan related to sustaining and improving the system. These are: governance, human resources, financial sustainability and program and service delivery.

Mr. Speaker, health and social services are expensive, especially in the north and they cost more each year. We need a system we can continue to afford; one which makes use of our relatively small economies of scale. We need to maximize service levels and eliminate unnecessary administration and overhead. We also have to review program and service delivery. Many health and social problems, and costly demands on the system, could be avoided or greatly reduced. Mr. Speaker, it is often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The forum will provide information to the public on current health trends in the Northwest Territories, and, I hope, generate discussion on more effective ways to support healthy lifestyles, prevention and health promotion.

The Minister's forum will consult with the general public, boards, professional associations and non-governmental organizations. I will be calling for nominations of individuals with past experience in the health and social services system, either as a frontline worker, in a governance role, or as an advocate. The Minister's forum will represent a broad cross-section of the NWT population: north to south, east to west. Ideally, I would like to see a balance of both professionals and lay people on the forum.

I hope to appoint forum members within the next three weeks. Community consultations will be held as soon as possible. At least one community meeting will be held in every constituency across the Northwest Territories.

A Health and Social Services Conference will be held in the fall. Delegates from across the NWT will be invited to meet with forum members, representatives of the professional organizations and the boards, to hear the results of the community meetings and discuss the findings. Following the fall meeting, the forum will finalize its recommendations. Mr. Speaker, depending on the date of the next election, the results of the Minister's forum will either be tabled in this House or provided to the next Legislative Assembly. I hope that MLAs will be able to attend the meetings in their constituency and I look for their support in promoting the work of the forum. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide an update on the Municipal Finance Review. Members will recall that the discussion paper developed for this review were tabled in this Assembly last month. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is committed to continuing this review in partnership with the NWT Association of Municipalities. The annual general meeting of the NWT Association of Municipalities was held in Cambridge Bay last March. Delegates there supported continued efforts on this review. There has been much hard work put into this review over the past two years and everyone who has participated is to be commended on their efforts. This partnership has worked well to date and we plan to continue to work together through consultations on the proposals.

This government is committed to building stronger communities. One of the essentials for building stronger communities is that financial resources be made available to community governments. Communities have concerns about the fairness of our department's current funding. They want greater flexibility in how funds can be used as well as new financial arrangements with fewer controls. The proposals in the Municipal Finance Review discussion papers give us an opportunity to redesign the financial structure between the communities and MACA so that community governments can achieve greater authority, flexibility and accountability.

The same discussion papers tabled with the Assembly have now been distributed to community governments, aboriginal organizations, and other interested groups. Over the next four months the department, with the NWT Association of Municipalities, will consult these groups to seek their input on the proposals and to hear their comments. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to carry on the work of my predecessor in this important area and will seriously consider recommendations of the Municipal Finance Review Steering Committee, based on community consultations held this spring and summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ministers' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to discuss the Annual Fire Loss Report for the Northwest Territories for 1998. The north continues to experience significant losses as a result of fire. Tragically, in 1998, a five-year-old boy died in a fire. Last year, fire losses in the NWT were worth $14.5 million dollars. This was largely due to the loss of the Kilinik High School in Cambridge Bay. The fire losses in the Northwest Territories for 1998 are still high in comparison with the Canadian average.

Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Fire Marshal has been working with stakeholders to improve fire prevention and firefighting. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has developed a fire protection strategy that will give direction to the future of fire protection in the territories. The commitment of local communities to support the initiatives of the Fire Marshal is critical to the success of the strategy. Through this support, we will be able to limit the damage caused by fire or prevent fires from occurring. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that with the support of my colleagues and local governments, we will see fire protection in the Northwest Territories improve and reduce our losses due to fire. Mr. Speaker, later today at the appropriate time, I will table the Office of the Fire Marshal 1998 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Small and medium-sized businesses are one of the fastest-growing sectors in our economy. They bring investment and employment into our communities. Many small businesses also provide our youth with part-time employment and valuable job experience. The National Conference Board of Canada has recently chosen Javaroma, a coffee and snack-bar service, with the honour of being the NWT's top employer of youth. The awards are sponsored by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Forum of Labour Market Ministers. This is a significant achievement for Brendan and Adrian Bell, owners of Javaroma in Yellowknife. They are in Toronto this week to accept their award and to share some of the knowledge and experience they have acquired in their youth hiring program. Along with other winners they will also be taking part in a Winner's Circle forum, a panel discussion at the 10th annual Reaching for Success Conference. Their award also gives significant recognition to our youth.

Clearly our young people are interested, capable and committed to building their job skills when given the opportunity. Javaroma has provided such opportunity. They in turn are grateful for the support provided by the GNWT/ECE Working Together program; an initiative aimed at providing job opportunities for students and youth. We need more of these sorts of initiatives that encourage government and business to work together for the benefit of our young people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ms. Pat Thomas returning to the House today. Mr. Miltenberger can rest assured it means nothing to the questions that will be coming from this side of the House. Thank you.

Welcome to the Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was interested in the Minister's announcement today on the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services so I have several questions for the Minister in this regard. I wonder if the Minister could tell us, in light of the Minister's Forum on Education Report where there were difficulties now encountered to implement a number of the crucial recommendations, if the Minister could tell us is he restricting the forum, the panel that he will appoint, to making recommendations in the area that do not involve money expenditures? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The forum that I spoke about earlier in my statement is going to go out and look at the existing services and how we provide them. In the terms of reference that I will table later on there is no mention of how it is restricted, but it will be focused in how it goes about its work. I will be meeting with forum members that are selected before they go out on their community consultations. As I stated earlier to a number of questions in this House, this forum is going to be focused on how we can improve our system and looking at the existing sustainability concerns that I also raised. We need to make sure we can provide for services in the Northwest Territories that are sustainable. The message they will have with them when they go out to the communities and do their workshops will be focused as to what we can do within the existing confines we find ourselves in now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does that mean that the board will also look at the possibility of eliminating some programs if they are unaffordable for this government?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the forum members go out through the territories and hear the concern that there needs to be reprofiling of dollars in different program areas, that is something we will look at to see, if it means a reduction in service to what degree, that will all be looked at by the forum as they make their final report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Minister's statement he stated that currently there are nine health and social services boards in the NWT. In light of the recent announcement of Nunavut that they are looking at the elimination of health and social services boards, obviously for financial reasons, perhaps there are more reasons, but could the Minister tell us here in the territories will that also be under consideration, the possibility of the elimination of health boards?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would not want, before the forum even gets started, to establish that it would go out and start looking at reduction of services. Mr. Speaker, the Nunavut government has announced indeed that they are looking at consolidating their health boards, but as I stated in an interview with CBC, their situation is quite different from our situation. One of the things, as I stated in my statement, we will be looking at our governance structures and again, looking at affordability and sustainability of the systems we carry on with today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am somewhat concerned about the cost factor that this may take. We have done the Med-Emerg Report to the tune of $750,000 and jokingly referred to as a doorstop and several other reports that need to be, of course, taken into consideration. Could the Minister tell us if he has a budget allocation for the Minister's forum?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has not been a budget laid out, so to speak, but we definitely will come under the Med-Emerge Report that was done and I would like to notify the Member that, in fact, the Med-Emerge Report

was used in the strategic plan that was developed and put forward by the department, not as a doorstop. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is our intention wherever there is resource development to maximize the economic returns and benefits to our communities and our businesses. Where there are potential value-added activities, yes, as a government we try to maximize the realization of those. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Thank you Mr. Morin. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the department, and also through the Development Corporation, we had initiated discussions with Chief Don Balsillie in March to address the situation with the sawmill in Fort Resolution, Great Slave Forest Products, to see if there was some way in which we could work together to ensure the operation becomes increasingly efficient and viable under the present circumstances. One of the difficulties we are having is making sure the financial information we have is accurate and, once that is done, the Development Corporation president will work with Great Slave Lake Forest Products and the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and the community of Fort Resolution to take some action to ensure the operation in Fort Resolution can continue in some form or other that is acceptable to the Development Corporation and to the community as well. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Morin. I heard two questions, you used up your supplementary. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had a meeting this morning, myself, the Deputy Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the new president of the NWT Development Corporation. We know there is urgency to come up with a business plan for the NWT Development Corporation as well as a need to respond quickly to the business plan that was tabled by Mr. Morin the other day. I have asked them to work quickly to address that and come up with some plan with the community that would ensure the ongoing viability of the sawmill and to look at different options on how that could be done. It is clear to all of us that the level of funding that was available in previous years is simply no longer there. There is a real need on our part to make sure all subsidiaries are treated the same way, and given the same level of support. We will work to achieve that. There are concerns with the auditor general that need to be addressed. We will be looking at ways in which we can make sure the operation of the Development Corporation is done in a way that assures the public, this government and the communities that we are doing everything we can to operate in line with legislation, in line with

acceptable accounting practices and with sound business practices and policies in place.

An operational audit, as I said, was requested by the Financial Management Board in February and we are now looking at doing a full comprehensive audit, and are requesting that to be done on the NWT Development Corporation and each subsidiary, looking at the value-for-dollar component of it by asking the Auditor General of Canada to do a comprehensive audit of the Development Corporation. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, under the Expanded Down Payment Assistance Program, the Housing Corporation can end up with considerable equity in a home. I believe that could be as high as 70 percent of the cost of the home. My question is what measures are taken when assisting a potential home owner in ensuring they are investing in a sound structure that will meet the client's needs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the area of the Expanded Down Payment Assistance Plan, the Member is correct, it can range from as low as 5 percent to as high as 70 percent, but I believe it is a cap at 70 percent. I would have to get that information. As to the process, there is a lengthy process involved with the clients that would come forward in filling out their applications and understanding the process. We do give the Down Payment assistance to those that qualify and come through with an actual purchase, but the mortgage that is held, is held by the bank, so, under most approvals, the banks would have the first right for things that would happen if anything were to go wrong in the application for those that had received assistance. The Housing Corporation has, through the EDAP, found itself that this process has been quite successful and we have not had to deal with many individuals when it comes to their mortgages failing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was specifically looking for what kind of assistance the Corporation would provide to, for example, in the case of a first-time home buyer, where I am referring specifically to issues of structural integrity, those types of issues that the average person might not be aware of. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Minister responsible, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation will assist the individual who would come forward in going over the application, in reviewing the finances and collecting that information. The department itself, I am not aware that the department or the Corporation staff go out and actually inspect the buildings to be purchased. That is considered to be a process that the buyer should be going through, to be looking at the structural integrity of the building being purchased. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying that even giving the potential investment in equity which the Housing Corporation would hold in this property, by way of assistance, they would not have their staff inspect homes that they were approving for purchase? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to get more accurate information, I would not want to mislead the Member in giving her an inaccurate answer. I am aware that the staff of the Corporation would become involved, for example, if someone was putting in for a home improvement program, something of that nature where they would go in to look and assess what would need to be done to repair the house. As for purchasing a home, the first-time home owner, due diligence as it is called, the majority of that would be left up to the potential home owner or the buyer, but I will endeavour to get back to the Member to make sure I have not forgotten anything or to what degree the staff would become involved, besides looking at the financial areas. One of the concerns would be if, in fact, someone was purchasing a house that was very old and quite expensive, those things might trigger another process taking place, but for your average sale of a home, I am not too sure as to how deeply the staff would get involved. I will get that information and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the unfortunate event that a client does purchase a home and that deficiencies are overlooked by either an appraiser or by CMHC or by the failure of any staff from the Corporation to look at the house, if that were to be the case, is

there any further support that housing could then provide to that client if it becomes evident that there are serious structural deficiencies in a home that they have purchased and it, in fact, will not be meeting their needs and could put them under tremendous financial stress? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member brought up an important area as well when individuals would go through the Corporation and go to the banks for the other portion of their financing, CMHC would be involved, and they do also have a process of looking at the a type of building that a potential purchaser is looking at. I am aware that there are other programs that home owners can access through the Housing Corporation for looking at repairing of facilities. As I said earlier, one of the things I will do as well as adding to the information I have already committed to getting for the Member, is to see if, in fact, when a home owner has accessed the Housing Corporation programs, what degree of access can they get on other programs. I will look into that as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr Henry.

The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The majority of funding through the department is contributions to the health boards throughout the territory. If we are fortunate enough, we will be going through the budget this afternoon, and I would be able to provide that specific information to the Member at that time. Right now I cannot give the Member a specific amount unless I do a little bit of research here. But I know that a majority of our funding provided through appropriation of this in this House is contributions to the health boards throughout the territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Sorry, Mr. Henry. That is a new question. You were asking a question about the cost of health boards, now this is a new question altogether. Will you rephrase your question?

Again, Mr. Henry, I will rule that question out of order. Your original question was based on what is the cost of running health boards. This is a whole new area that you are venturing into so the question is out of order. Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are concerns by people about this proposed management plan. Some of it is around the issue of traditionally there has been absolutely no hunting or harvesting of wildlife allowed in the Thelon Game Sanctuary. Recently, I believe, the Wildlife Management Board for Nunavut has proposed a new management plan which would allow for aboriginal people to hunt for subsistence hunting in that area and that is contrary to what some people, business people and others, feel is acceptable for the area. This has led to the concerns being expressed. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the Member is correct in the assumption he is making that it is difficult to suggest that aboriginal people who have lived here for thousands of years should have their most basic rights, that is the right to harvest the wildlife over their traditional lands, curtailed unilaterally by any government. I believe that is what happened in the case of the Thelon Game Sanctuary and now that the Nunavut Wildlife Board jurisdiction is in place, they have moved, in their view, to reconcile that. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not certain I can confirm that, but I do know that in the case of the Inuit as well as the Dene, they have hunted and harvested wildlife here for thousands of years and have done so in a way that respected the wildlife, and there was some management regime in place to ensure that the wildlife was never over-harvested. I believe that the Nunavut Wildlife Board is moving to ensure that they manage with the harvesters, with public interest groups, and the private sector to manage that particular area in the interest of everyone. I believe that they put their management plan forward believing that is what they have done in the best way possible. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would take that question as notice I am no longer able to provide any more details to the Member on this plan. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Minister. Oral questions. Mr. Morin.

The Premier. Mr. Antoine.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Morin.

Mr. Premier.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some further questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services, regarding his statement today on the creation of the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services. In the report the Minister states some reasons for establishing a Minister's forum and one of which is the concern of sustainability. He outlines some of the cost-drivers that lead to the sustainability problem. He refers to a severe shortage of nurses and social workers, increased competition for physicians and nurses and increased costs of operating the system. Additionally he speaks about, that the forum will focus on directions of the strategic plan, such as governance, human resources, financial sustainability and program and service delivery. My question for the Minister is, has the Minister had his department prepare reports in each of these areas that I just referred to, such as, the cost-drivers and in the area of the focus, such as governance, human resources, financial sustainability and program and service delivery. Thank you.

The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in preparation for the Minister's forum, the department has on an ongoing basis, monitored the concerns that I raised in the cost-drivers area, as well as a number of other areas. Part of the process, when the forum members go into the communities, there will be one member of the staff that will go to provide information on the ongoing statistics as they are today in those areas of cost-drivers. There will be information provided and the department on an ongoing basis monitors the cost of delivery and services. The drivers that increase the burden on our budget for delivery of service. Information is available and will be used when the forum members go out to the communities. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that information, but that was not the area that I was concerned with. I am more concerned with, has the Minister had his department prepare briefing papers in each of those areas so that the Minister is fully aware of the concerns that are there. In other words, is the Minister satisfied that his officials have done adequate work and prepared enough reports to identify the problems facing the department?

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since taking over the responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Services, it has been very demanding on the time, both from a staff point of view and my own, to try and get up to speed on all of the areas and with all the changes that have happened since the 13th Assembly, as I stated in my Minister's statement, the number of areas that the department has dealt with in ongoing change. The department has provided me with what I believe is much-needed information and I feel that I have adequate information to deal with the concerns that were raised. For example, the department is always listening to the concerns that were raised. One of the big concerns that we have heard over a number of times is incidents in communities where nurses felt their ability to carry out their duties was affected severely. We have heard, in the Delta this year, the concerns that were there and the department feels we must address these as we are heading in the Northwest Territories as

we know it now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

There is certainly an understanding from my point that the Minister has a very difficult portfolio and one with a lot of challenges. There is no question about that, I think, by any of the Members here just to address his comments. But the area that I am concerned about is just the area the Minister referred to in his latter part of his comments. There has been identification of problems out there. What I am concerned about is, is the Minister creating this forum to rationalize the decisions that need to be made and in other words, is he asking the forum to make these decisions for him, rather than him sitting here saying yes, these are the problems and this is what we can do about it. We are going out to the public again, saying, okay, tell us what all the problems are, but how many of those do we already know about? Really, the decisions need to be made by Ministers. Thank you.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree that the Minister is the final point of the decision. But as we have heard in this House, since we have come together as the 13th Assembly, how we are being an open and transparent government and working with the people of the territories. No longer is there the day where, in this Assembly alone, decisions are made without the input of the people. Mr. Speaker, I agree fully once the decision is made, it will be made from my level. But at this point, I feel that it is necessary to go out to the public and in the areas that we have heard over a number of months to a year and the concerns of health and social services and the delivery of programs, that we inform the residents of this territory of the extreme pressures that we face and the staff face at their level. As well, the cost factors involved with delivery of services in the territories and help them understand as well as the department, to understand from a bottom-up approach where the concerns lie and where we can make adjustments within our system to better deliver the programs of health and social services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not think there has been a lack of consulting across the territory. We have had a number of areas where people have been consulted over the last several years. A strategic plan was developed from that. I do not disagree with the Minister that it is vitally important to consult people, but when we already know that we have problems, in certain areas, is the Minister not in agreement with me, that we should be making those decisions and implementing some changes? Thank you.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area as I feel it is my responsibility is, that the information that the department has and, has received and heard the concerns throughout the territory, is enough to cause me to say we need to go out there. There are other concerns I am sure that we have not heard and have not been brought up in this forum. For example, if we are going to implement the strategic plan as it comes through the previous reports, then we need to fully bring up to speed the people in the territories as to what that might take. As well, in the day that we are in, where we have, for example, block funded the health boards and they have the responsibility to carry out the duties that we once carried out from a central headquarters department, we have changed that structure significantly since the 13th Assembly has taken power and we want to ensure that with all the change that we are first and foremost looking at the services we provide to the people in the Territories.

As I said earlier, I believe that when it is time to make the decision, we want to make the appropriate decision and inform the people of the territories. We also want to inform them of the concerns and the cost-drivers that we face in making the decisions that we do today. I believe that once we have that information out there, people will see and understand probably a little more clearly, the pressures that we face as a department, as a government and especially those in the communities, the people who are front line, the nurses and the social service workers, when they go into their offices and request consideration for one of the programs or services that we deliver, they will be better able to understand the pressures that they are under to meet their needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have said that we believe the mine is still viable at least on the short-term and we would like to see the private sector along with our government and the federal government, look at ways in which

we could see the possible ongoing operation of Giant Mine. As a business, we have also said that the arsenic that is stored underground is a public concern. We have assured the public that there is no danger to the public whether the mine continues operating or is closed. What we have also indicated to the federal government is that we must work together to see what ways can be found to take the arsenic that is stored underground and remove it and ensure that it is turned into a product that is harmless or marketable for use in other places. Thank you.