Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide the Members with some information regarding documents that were recently tabled in this House. Some employees of the NWT Power Corporation had petitioned me to, apparently, request that their bargaining agent no longer be the Union of Northern Workers. I received further correspondence which suggests that this may not be what is

being requested but, rather, the employees would like the NWT Public Service Act to be amended to allow them to have the ability to select their bargaining agent. I am seeking clarification on this correspondence from the author and will provide the Members with further information when I receive it.

One statement that was made in the correspondence I received was that the Public Service Act violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it does not allow employees to select their bargaining agent. This is not an accurate statement. The Public Service Act sets out the bargaining units within the public service and the bargaining agents that represent employees in the collective bargaining process. There is a specific Supreme Court of Canada decision on this issue. This is known as the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada or PIPSC decision. This case is the authority on this matter. It clearly states that the NWT Public Service Act does not violate the freedom of association provisions contained in the Charter. This decision states that while the Charter guarantees freedom of association this does not extend to guaranteeing how bargaining agents are to be selected.

As I stated earlier, I will update the Members when I have clarification on this matter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member for Yellowknife South has, on several occasions, expressed his disappointment in this House that the Department of Transportation was not moving fast enough to increase the posted speed limits following the enactment of his private Member's bill to amend the Public Highways Act.

As the act stands amended, it is now within the discretion of the Minister of Transportation to set speed limits in excess of 90 kilometres per hour. As the Minister, Mr. Speaker, I do not take my new responsibilities lightly. There are already too many single vehicle accidents on our highways resulting in deaths and serious injuries. The cause of single-vehicle accidents is usually attributed to excessive speed. The Department has been rightly concerned about the message higher speed limits might send the public. Speed, after all, does kill.

This spring, once the snow was gone, the department has taken a careful look at the newly reconstructed and paved corridor from the Alberta border on Highway 1 to Edzo and Highway 3. The Department has recommended, and I agree, that the first 84 kilometres of Highway 1 from the Alberta border to Enterprise is not wide enough and has too many curves for a posted speed limit of 100 kilometres an hour. The speed limit on this section of Highway 1 will remain as it is at 90 kilometres an hour.

Mr. Speaker, the next 350 kilometres of Highways 1 and 3 have been built to a higher standard. The highway is wider, curves have been straightened out and sight distances improved. The department has recommended, and I agree, that the speed limit on the paved surface between Enterprise on Highway 1 and Edzo on Highway 3 should be raised to 100 kilometres an hour.

I have asked the department to put up the new speed signs as soon as possible. They will be changed over the next four to six weeks. Mr. Speaker, I would remind the public that the posted speed limits are maximums. Whatever the posted limit, the weather, traffic and road conditions are always changing and people must take care to drive accordingly. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to inform Members that the chair of the NWT Power Corporation will be resigning to take on a new and important role in southern Canada. I learned yesterday that Mr. Pierre Alvarez has accepted the position of president with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. As a result, he and his family will be relocating to Calgary in the near future. Mr. Alvarez was first appointed as a director and chair of the Power Corporation in 1995. Many Northerners also know Mr. Alvarez through his work over the years with various boards and agencies, through private business, through earlier roles with the Department of Executive and the Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources or in his capacity as a director of the NWT Scouts Council.

Probably one of his most significant lasting contributions to the corporation is the development of a strong senior management team. I should mention that shortly after appointing Mr. Alvarez as chair, I asked him to also take on the responsibilities of chief executive officer. This dual role meant considerable additional responsibility. His leadership and emphasis on staff development meant that soon he was able to remove himself from the day-to-day operation of the corporation. He took the same approach with the other senior management positions, promoting development of staff to take on more responsibility. As a result, today we have an experienced and competent senior management team. This means we can count on stability and strong leadership under even the most difficult challenges.

Finally, I would like to mention one of Mr. Alvarez's significant contributions during his career with the Government of the Northwest Territories. He was key in planning and preparing for this government's transition to two new territories. His leadership and direction helped to ensure that programs and services for residents continued uninterrupted during this time of historic change to the map of Canada. Mr. Alvarez should be proud of his lasting contributions to the North. I hope all Members join me in congratulating him and in wishing him and his family all the best as they begin their new life in Calgary. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from the House today to attend the Akaitcho Treaty 8 chiefs meeting in Rocher River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have made statements in this House about maintaining our highways in the Northwest Territories, and I have made reference to the calcium program. Mr. Speaker, I say this in regard to the possible savings, that this project will be not only beneficial to myself in my riding, but beneficial to the North as a whole in saving money in the long term for this government. The savings, Mr. Speaker, would be in the reduced cost of blading the highways and maintaining roads at the present time. It will also improve the costs that are associated with the purchase of gravel which is put on the road and most times is blown off the road because of it being loose. Any traffic going down the road will remove that gravel and it will be put the ditch. Also, there is a question of public safety. Mr. Speaker, I have made statements concerning the question of saving lives. The cost of accidents that occur on our highways because of the loose gravel is also going to be a savings to this government. The other question that I really never mentioned, but we have to take into consideration, is the wear and tear on people's vehicles, the cost of replacing windshields and tires and also damages to peoples' trailers, boats and snowmobiles that may be towed at the back of a vehicle.

The calcium road treatment, Mr. Speaker, has to be considered in regard to the savings to this government. It will reduce the cost of blading. It will reduce the cost of purchasing gravel. It will also reduce the incidents of accidents on our highways, and it will reduce the cost of wear and tear on vehicles. One thing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make Members aware of is, there are also the economic benefits that come with improving our highway systems in the Northwest Territories. That is, Mr. Speaker, it will increase the number of tourists because of the better road conditions and also improve the cost of moving goods and services to the clients and the residents of the Mackenzie Delta from the south.

Another thing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make Members aware, that only 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is presently being resurfaced or calcium is being applied to it. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to complete my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I was stating, Mr. Speaker, 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is presently being calciumed, but yet Mr. Speaker, 54 percent of the Liard Highway is calciumed, 100 percent of the Ingraham Trail past Prosperous Lake is presently calciumed. The Fort Resolution section of the highway from Hay River is 100 percent calciumed and the section to Fort Smith is 100 percent calciumed. Again, Mr. Speaker, 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is the least amount of calcium that is applied to our highway system in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I say this in regard to the possible savings to this government, in considering the pros and the cons, and how this might be one way that we can find money to put into education and other programs. It is a savings that we can bring from this government by making changes such as the calcium project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our territory is rich with renewable and non-renewable resources. In the South Slave region we have an abundance of harvestable natural resources including forests with rich stands of timber which, if managed properly, can provide sustainable economic activity indefinitely.

In order to benefit from this natural resource, however, it requires sensible and consistent management policies. Our forests are vulnerable to natural removal from such things as forest fire, insect infestation, aging and decay. We conserve and protect this resource from these natural causes of reduction as much as possible as part of the management process. However, we also need to balance the preservation of forests with the much needed economic value which we can derive from them through responsible and sustainable access by northern companies with track records of creating employment and economic wealth and spinoffs.

As a government we need policies which facilitate assisting companies in identifying, accessing and harvesting timber for economic purposes. Sometimes I question if that attitude of facilitating the industry is overshadowed by bureaucratic red tape and politics. If this is an industry which we truly want to continue to develop and realize benefits from, I question why so much confusion and delay still surrounds what should be a fairly straightforward process, of making application and being granted licences and permits in a timely manner. This is a matter which I have addressed in the House before. When concerns are taken to the deputy minister level and the Minister level, we have always received a very positive response, but the everyday working of the system for applying and being granted approvals seems to be wrought with hesitation, misinformation and contradiction.

The forest industry, like any other, is subject to regulations, reporting requirements, applicable fees and scrutiny. However, if operators cannot secure a reliable supply of inventory over a five-year period, they cannot get financing, plan for staff and equipment requirements, etcetera. The forest industry is a very important component of the economy of Hay River from operations in surrounding areas, and as such, I am interested in issues of access, fairness and process in dealing with the offices of this government which deal in these areas.

Later in question period I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Henry on April 26, 1999. The honourable Member asked whether the Workers' Compensation Act permits the Workers' Compensation Board to sue employees or employers. The WCB does have the ability to sue on behalf of injured workers in specific circumstances such as those relating to the use of operation of a motor vehicle or other mode of transportation as detailed in Section 12 of the Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Krutko on May 10, 1999, regarding designated aboriginal organizations.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, May 10, 1999, the Member for Mackenzie Delta asked me if the Business Incentive Policy classified the ownership of a business or company as aboriginal.

Both the Business Incentive Policy and the Department of Transportation's Negotiated Contracts Policy qualify the government's procurement policies pursuant to the Contract Regulations and the Financial Administration Act. The government's procurement policies apply throughout the territory for the general public considered as all bona fide northern residents. These public policies do not differentiate between the aboriginal or non-aboriginal status of an individual or a company.

The term designated aboriginal organization is used in land claim settlements in defining the relationship and obligations between a claimant group and government. The meaning and application of the term varies from one agreement to another. The Inuvialuit Final Agreement, for instance, does not use the term. At the present time, there are just three land claim settlements in place with several others at various stages of resolution. For public policy purposes, the term, designated aboriginal organization, does not have a uniform or consistent meaning across the territory.

The government's public procurement policies are one thing and its obligations arising from land claim settlements are quite another. These are different legal and policy contexts that may cause confusion if they are mixed and should be kept separate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is in response to an oral question asked by Mr. Ootes on May 12, 1999, regarding the report on the Economic Development Strategy.

Mr. Speaker, although the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development assumed the lead for the economic strategy in February of this year, the cost to produce Harnessing Our Economic Potential, a public policy discussion paper, was paid by the Department of the Executive. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Vital Manual from Fort Good Hope.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, over the past three years I have, along with some of my constituents, experienced the frustration that they have had in getting timely responses to applications for timber to harvest for the requirements of their business. My question is, when it

comes to forestry management, should we be assured that there is a reasonable balance between conservation and environmental concerns and the need to assist sawmill operators in identifying harvestable timber for the benefit of the economic activity created by this resource? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I like to think that all governments try to develop an acceptable balance between environmental concerns and business interests and the interests of industry. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the subject of conservation and the environment, could the Minister please describe what the policy of this government is with respect to high- grading stands of timber?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is the expectation of our government that timber licences or permits would be issued with very strict guidelines as to the method of harvesting the timber. That is agreed to before operations begin. High-grading, as it is called, is not an acceptable way of harvesting timber. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very glad to hear that. Could the Minister also please describe for our information what the purpose is at present for what are called heritage stands? Who puts these stands into reserve, and is there any way that they can be clearly identified for us? Is there a map identifying heritage stands? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, heritage stands, as I understand it, are simply sections of the forest that are off limits to any harvesting. They are set aside for ecological reasons. We believe that some mature stands of timber are essential to the well-being of some of our wildlife species, such as mink, woodland caribou, as well as other species, and they need mature timber stands in order to thrive and continue to be in a state of well-being. These heritage stands, as we call them, are being designated at this time by the department as areas that we would like to see protected. They will be going into overall management plans and other information bases that will lead to the establishment of harvesting policies and forest management plans. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister speaks of the strict guidelines governing things such as high grading and the off-limits nature of heritage stands, I was wondering if the Minister could tell us, please, what the process would be for lodging, who would you complain to if you felt these policies of the government, if there was any infraction of those? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the complaint should be made to the closest Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development offices, perhaps the office of the regional superintendent should be the place to lodge complaints or concerns regarding what may be perceived as unacceptable timber harvesting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. It is in regard to my opening statement. Mr. Speaker, I made reference to the savings in regard to the wear and tear of the roads in the Northwest Territories, especially it will mean a reduction of cost if we consider implementing calcium product on all our roads because there will be less blading to maintain the roads. The cost of gravel will come down because you need less usage of gravel, and also, the question about public safety. I would like to ask the Minister in regard to the percentages that I mentioned, that some 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is currently calciumed, yet 54 percent of the Liard Highway is calciumed and almost 100 percent of the road past Prelude Lake on the Ingraham Trail is calciumed. The same thing applies to Fort Resolution and Fort Smith. What is the department doing to improve those percentages so that we do consider the cost savings to this government by implementing the calcium project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member brought the same topic up a few days ago in the House and I responded at that time that the department was considering increasing the amount of calcium that would be applied to Highway 8, the Dempster. I have had meetings with the department since then, and what the department has agreed to do is, we are hoping to sit down with the stakeholders of the Mackenzie Delta area, in particular users of the Dempster, and possibly get some recommendations from them as to what they would think about the possibility of the department reducing some of our capital expenditures on some of our existing projects and, in return, we would increase the amount of calcium. We would have to get some input and guidance from the users as to exactly where they would like to see the calcium applied. Hopefully, after the department has had this meeting, we could then make a decision as to where we would consider increasing the amount of calcium on Highway 8. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for considering and approving the calcium budget, but I do not support the idea of taking away from capital projects to do this. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned that 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is presently calcium, yet we have 100 percent of a road to nowhere, which is the Prelude Lake portion from Prelude to the end of Tibbitt Lake, which basically does not serve anything. It is presently being 100 percent calciumed by this government. Will the Minister consider looking at some of those dollars coming out of that section of the road which basically is being calciumed at 100 percent, yet the Dempster is only being calciumed at 13 percent?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department will consider anything that will help to improve the safety on the highways. In the opinion of the department, if calcium is not necessary on Highway 4, well then we will reduce it on Highway 4 and apply it to Highway 8, but it would depend on the uses of the highway, on the amount of traffic as well as costs involved. I am sure it is much cheaper to apply calcium to Highway 4 than it is to Highway 8, taking into consideration the distance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the Minister or his department looked at the possibility of what the savings to this government will be by implementing a calcium project? He mentioned the costs of Highway 4 and the costs of Highway 8. The costs to maintain Highway 8 is definitely going to be a higher cost because of where it is located, just above the arctic circle and basically it is one of the most northern highways in North America. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we have to realize that the cost of maintaining this road and the cost of gravel is very high to maintain this road. If we could bring down the cost of the gravel by improving the maintenance of that road, which means less blading, gravel, and dollars to put into that road system, there will be a savings to this government. Has this department considered looking at the savings to this government by putting forth a calcium project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has indeed been considering savings. The department is hoping to be able to reinvest the savings back into more calcium because there is indeed a savings as far as maintenance is concerned, operations and maintenance costs come down, everything comes down. Again, as a matter of getting the calcium to the site. It is expensive to bring calcium all the way to the Beaufort. In particular, we do not have a calcium source any closer than the southern part of the territories. All these factors are taken into consideration. The department is definitely aware of the savings involved and are definitely aware the safety factors are improved, less dust conditions. We do take all of the factors into consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it possible for the Minister of Transportation and his department to table a report in this House to show us exactly the savings to this government so that we can see exactly where we can save money in regards to the expenditures of this government and also improving our transportation system in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the Department of Transportation, anything is possible.

--Applause

We will make an effort to table this information for the Members and we will specifically provide it to the Members if it will help the department to come up with more revenue to do the job, well, we will table anything. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there are negotiations to develop a new Collective agreement between the employees and the management of the Power Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, it is the Union of Northern Workers and in Nunavut it is the Nunavut Union of Northern Workers.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would say that we take the petition and correspondence that we have received from union members very seriously. We are trying to ascertain exactly what the wishes of the employees are, but it will take some time to respond appropriately to the request. The reason being if we were to make a change, a Labour Relations Board would have to be established in the Northwest Territories to handle certification issues within the public service.

That would require me to approach my colleague, the Minister of Justice, to examine exactly how our labour regulations should evolve, given self-government negotiations and the changing nature of the public service. I will commit to do that. It is something that we are looking at very seriously and in consultation with my Cabinet colleagues, we will examine just how we should respond. I should make it clear that this will not happen in time for the next sitting in July. I doubt that we could draft any legislation should Cabinet agree, in time for the July sitting. It will take quite some time as there are other implications we have to consider as it does not just affect one group of employees. If we make a change to the Public Service Act for them, we would have to then recognize that there may be requirements to change the Public Service Act for all representatives and there has to be a whole new system set up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I said in my last reply that I did take it as an indication that there was a considerable number of people who were interested in some kind of change. We are not absolutely certain if that

means a change from the UNW or the freedom to select their own representation, and we were seriously looking at trying to ascertain the proper response. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the MDAPP program was designed and one of the features of it was to try and have people who work in the North but live out of the North, to attract them to buy homes and move to the Northwest Territories. That was one of the features of it and there are programs available to residents of the Northwest Territories for repair of their homes. There are programs for seniors, programs for individuals who have their own homes here in the Northwest Territories, but they would have to meet different criteria for different programs that are out there. If the Member would share some of the specific concerns with him, I would gladly look at those for him. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of programs. For example, under EDAP, which is again another one to help northern residents purchase their own homes, there is significant amount of funding in that particular program. If the Member is speaking of seniors' repair programs, that program is a grant to seniors who own their own homes in the Northwest Territories and that is capped at $15,000 per household. There are a number of different areas that residents can access. If it is an improvement program, there are funds available, but I need to know some specifics to give the Member the right information as to the funding allocations for each program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we are aware, Members of this House just the other day, passed a motion for us to find funding for education and we are not sure where we are going to find that, if we are going to have to search from within other departments to come up with that as one Member suggested. That $4 million that was put into the MDAPP program was one-time monies that was out of a surplus that we had as a government in the previous year. As we know, this year we are eating up the rest of that surplus to continue with a balanced book at the end of this term. For more money to go into other programs it would be difficult. The programs we have existing, have existing funding put into it on a yearly basis. This program is going to be ending at the end of June. If this House feels that it should end sooner, I would gladly look at that request as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be for Mr. Kakfwi and it is in regard to the value-added industry in the diamond business. We were successful in getting the valuation plant for BHP established here in the North and, following that, we have been able to get the cutting plant established with a number of employees and all that is in the process of happening. Naturally, it is of interest for us to ensure that we pursue this whole area because it can lead to numerous jobs for Northerners. Could the Minister tell me how many applications have been approved by this government for assistance to establish cutting plants? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has approved two proposals for assistance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister tell us if the Department of Northern Affairs, Ms. Jane Stewart, the Minister, does that particular department provide any kind of funding or economic support for these value-added industries? Thank you.

No, Mr. Speaker, just a lot of moral support.

Thank you. Perhaps that is even too much because we do not receive moral support because they are not even supporting our desire to have value-added industries up here. I wonder if the Minister can tell us what the department, meaning Northern Affairs, is doing with respect to the issue of value-added industries in regard to the socio-economic document with regard to Diavik? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government does the layout in terms of conditions that must be met before a licence is issued. For instance, they asked that a socio-economic agreement be concluded with the Government of the Northwest Territories and BHP before a licence would be issued to BHP. What we are working on with the federal government, is how we can ensure that value-added activities are provided for by working with the federal government, our government and Diavik. In the case of this new mine, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the northern businesses, the aboriginal organizations here in the north, will be assured that Diavik will be providing for offsite valuation facility of the diamonds, as well as a portion of their production from diamonds to be accessible to northern businesses for cutting and polishing here in the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, in the access to for the value-added industries there has been a limitation set by BHP on the amount of rough that is accessible. Can the Minister tell us if that is under and has he discussed, or is it under negotiation that, that can be increased so we can continue to build upon our value-added industries? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we are having discussions with BHP about this issue. We are also trying to engage Diavik and the federal government to ensure that this is considered part of the terms and conditions for diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, to provide a fair portion of their production of the size and quality that is economically feasible to cut and polish here in the North, that these be provided for in a reasonable amount. These would be defined by discussions and negotiations with the respective companies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for MACA, Public Works and Services, Transportation. Mr. Speaker, not in relation to any specific contracts but in general, when a contract awarded was found to have been awarded with the assistance of a bribe to the employee that was awarded the contract. Would the continuance of that contract and the legitimacy of that contract in the case of a multi-year service contract be revisited by his departments? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Premier. It is in regard to a motion that was passed in this House, 18-13(7) in regard to support for Ms. Roberta Vaneltsi, which motion was passed in this House, Mr. Speaker. As the mover of the motion, seconded by the MLA for Hay River, that the Legislative Assembly support the efforts of Ms. Vaneltsi to secure meaningful visits and contacts with her children. Mr. Speaker, in the motion, it also directs the Premier, Executive Council, to strongly encourage and request the federal government to take all possible means to assist Ms. Vaneltsi. I would like to ask the Deputy Premier, what has the Cabinet done in regard to this motion to date?