Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, workplace accidents can be devastating. Not only is an employee affected - family, friends and fellow workers all share in the consequences.

Accidents can be prevented. However, it takes commitment, training and a strong sense of responsibility from both the employer, and the employees, to make a difference. I am very pleased to report that the people at the NWT Power Corporation have demonstrated they can make the difference.

On June 30, 1999, the corporation's 295 employees achieved a record of six months - over 400,000 hours - with no time-loss accidents. I am pleased to report that as of today, that record is now almost seven months. This is a very good turnaround from only five years ago, when there were 18 time-loss accidents during the year. Last year, there were only five.

The commitment of the board of directors to make safety the top priority and to put the resources behind their decision has been a major factor. I compliment them, the management and the safety managers of the NWT Power Corporation in the NWT and Nunavut for the excellent job they have done.

I know this Assembly will join me in congratulating the front-line workers, the line crews, the electricians, mechanics and other tradespeople who perform their duties safely every day.

Mr. Speaker, we are joined here today by members of the joint occupational health and safety committee in the gallery who I will introduce at the appropriate time.

Finally, I look forward to January 1st of next year when I am confident we stand a very good chance of achieving a full year - almost one million hours - of zero lost time at the NWT Power Corporation. Thank you.

--Applause

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we know most communities in the smaller ridings are classified as GTA communities. Mr. Speaker, a large part of the reason why GTA communities are such is because they do not have population or economic base to maintain, operate and manage municipal services on their own. However, whether or not it is suitable, this government must continue to maintain and operate the capital infrastructure in a lot of our communities but also the community has to retain certain hardships to maintain those programs. Mr. Speaker, it was recently brought to my attention that some appraisals of properties in the Mackenzie Delta communities have skyrocketed in regards to value. For an example, Mr. Speaker, the property that was originally appraised at $3,000 has now been appraised at $13,000. Although it might not look like much of an increase for some people, it is a major problem. It is a major problem for the people who do not have work, who are unemployed, who are trying to continue to maintain properties that have been in their families for hundreds of years and also who have lived in these communities for hundreds of years.

Mr. Speaker, the new appraisals are not realistic but such cause severe hardship on the people that call those communities their home. The hazards, to think about all the people such as our senior citizens, people who are on income support and those people who want to continue to maintain homes and property in their home communities. The appraisal system, which we adopted from the south, it belongs in the south. Our government is here to help the people who we represent and not drive them into hardship. Mr. Speaker, we need a northern solution to deal with northern issues. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister responsible for property increases and how the property appraisal system has been established and exactly what he can do about helping poor or small communities. Thank you.

--Applause

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last time that we gathered here in this House was some time ago now. Since then has probably been the longest period of time that I have spent in my riding on a continuous basis since

coming here four years ago. There is a lot to be said for staying home and spending time with the people who elected you to represent them. It has been a great break but not in the sense of it not being busy because it has been very busy. Besides dealing with many issues and concerns and working on various ongoing initiatives, I have been able to visit with constituents and participate in community activities, activities such as Heritage and Canada Day festivities, celebrating the tenth anniversary of Woodland Manor, our seniors' care facility, congratulating NTCL with past and present employees at the reunion to commemorate their 65th anniversary, offering best wishes to Arlene Johns and Romeo Gonzales when friends, family and colleagues gathered to honour them for over 30 years of teaching in the North, attending the graduation of 27 fine young people from Diamond Jenness Secondary School, joining with Premier Antoine, Minister Miltenberger and Commissioner Marion in the opening ceremonies of the 1999 Territorial Track and Field Meet with almost 1,000 athletes, coaches and volunteers in attendance.

The Minister of Education was down to tour our facilities and meet with citizens concerned about education, as he said he would be. The Cabinet convened a meeting in Hay River in conjunction with their presentations at the Community Leadership Conference. The Government Operations Committee met in Hay River for the public hearing on Bill 15. This is just to name just a few of the activities so far this summer, and the remainder promises to be just as busy as I host a barbecue in honour of our seniors in recognition of the International Year of Older Persons with the help of the Commissioner Dan Marion on August 2nd. On August 11th, together with the Career Development Centre in Hay River, I will host the Ready for School Barbecue for students going out to post-secondary education.

The only problem with being home for so long is that it is hard to come back but once again, on Saturday afternoon, I made the trek back. We have had many visitors in Hay River over the summer, but we would always like lots more. If any of you are thinking of driving down, I would just like to tell you that Mr. Rabesca's road construction is not any obstacle and is proving to be very scriptural and, in fact, the crooked paths are being made straight. Mr. Gargan's bison, however, are still hogging the road with their usual stubbornness and disregard for humans trying to take advantage of that new speed limit on the highway. But when you are going by, when you are going through Enterprise, take note of Mr. Steen's beautiful new weigh scale which was just being paved when I came by. As I said, we are never too busy in Hay River for visitors. The golf course is green, the beaches are sandy, and the fish are biting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause