Thank you, Mr. Bell. Good afternoon, everyone. Before we begin today, I would like to welcome back Members from their summer vacation. I hope you have all had a good rest and that you are now prepared for a full three weeks of co-operative work.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome to this Legislative Assembly our new Sergeant-at-Arms, Ms. Nicole Latour-Theede, and to extend to her best wishes as she begins this new role.

-- Applause

I would also like to welcome the pages from Sir John Franklin School. Some of them are familiar to us because they were with us during the June session.

I wish to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories:

Dear Mr. Speaker:

I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of the Supplementary Appropriations Act No. 1, 2000-01 during the third Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

Yours truly,

Glenna F. Hansen

Commissioner

Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am pleased to announce that the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Union of Northern Workers reached a tentative collective agreement early Friday morning after 15 days of negotiations. Although this tentative agreement has yet to be ratified by the members of the Union of Northern Workers, the president of the union has indicated she will be recommending its acceptance.

The agreement enhances current wages and benefits and emphasizes the value the government places on our employees. The new agreement will provide increases of 3.8

percent effective April 1, 2000, and 2.5 percent effective April 1, 2001, to both rates of pay and the northern allowance component.

Other changes include a new parental leave provision available to both mothers and fathers, an improved dental plan and enhanced salary protection for employees who were affected by the 1998 change in pay plans.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the collective agreement is a good one. It provides reasonable increases to employees' wages and addresses many issues raised by the union. I am told that ratification by the employees could take four to six weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, colleagues, and welcome back. Mr. Speaker, high school students across the Northwest Territories had an opportunity this fall to access what is rapidly becoming one of the most popular methods of learning available. It is online learning. I am happy to report that high school students here have greeted the opportunity to learn on the internet with great enthusiasm.

Mr. Speaker, the online method of delivering high school courses was made possible last spring, when the Department of Education, Culture and Employment signed a memorandum of understanding with the Calgary Board of Education for the delivery of courses developed in accordance with the Alberta curriculum.

Students use a web-based computer program called WebCT, which stands for Web Curriculum Tools, to access courses through the Digital Communications Network. WebCT is the most popular method for delivering online courses in North America. Students who wish to enrol in the credit classes available through WebCT must first complete an introductory course entitled Information Highway 1090.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that more than 100 students from all across the Territory took the first step toward online learning for credit by completing the introduction to online learning course beginning in September.

The completion rate for Northwest Territories students was well above historical averages for traditional print-based distance education courses. Thirty-four of the students who completed the preparatory course are now enrolled in courses for credit. Students can choose to take one of five credit classes, or two three-credit classes from the 30 courses available online through WebCT. An additional 53 students are currently enrolled in the Information Highway 1090 class.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that WebCT technology has huge potential to increase the success rate of Northwest Territories students, because it allows them to learn online at their own pace and provides a greater number of courses of study from which to choose.

WebCT has also created a professional development opportunity for Northwest Territories teachers, because each school must have trained teacher facilitators in place to support students who are enrolled in credit courses.

Last summer, 15 Northwest Territories teachers took the facilitator training. Later this month, another 25 teachers will take the course as well. In addition to the successful delivery of curriculum courses developed in Alberta, I am pleased to report that Northern Studies 10, a curriculum developed in the Northwest Territories, will be available online in Northwest Territories schools in the WebCT format beginning next semester. This is the first of many courses we expect to have designed for online learning by Northwest Territories teachers.

Mr. Speaker, technology is changing the way we communicate. The delivery of a wide range of seniors' secondary courses to even the smallest schools through the Digital Communications Network means that students, regardless of where they go to school, will be ready to use new and changing technologies to their advantage once they graduate.

This, Mr. Speaker, puts us one step closer to our goal of healthy, educated, self-reliant Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today concerns Family Violence Awareness Week. Mr. Speaker, on February 11, 1994, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion which stated that this Legislature has adopted the principal of zero tolerance of violence against all people, and endorsed the goal of eliminating family violence by the year 2000. It is now the year 2000, and October 30th to November 5th has been declared Family Violence Awareness Week.

Mr. Speaker, have we achieved the goals set out in the declaration of family violence over six years ago? Unfortunately, the answer is no. In fact, Mr. Speaker, statistics from 1999 in the Northwest Territories paint a disturbing picture.

Four hundred and thirty six spousal assaults by a male spouse were reported to the RCMP. Two hundred and twenty one sexual assaults were reported to the police, and statistics show that generally only ten percent of sexual assault crimes are reported. There were 95 reported cases of sexual abuse of children and youth under the age of eighteen.

Mr. Speaker, although some progress has been made, we obviously have a long way to go. The question is, what can we do?

This Legislative Assembly must renew its commitment towards the elimination of family violence. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the Premier's move yesterday to reinforce that Minister Groenewegen has the mandate to lead this government in action. I believe our government must develop a concrete strategy for dealing with this problem.

We must find a way to increase funding, because that is necessary to help train counsellors, improve rehabilitation programs and to add to the amount of shelter space that is available. In fact, during one month alone last year, Mr. Speaker, 46 women and their children were turned away from Alison McAteer House in Yellowknife because the shelter was full.

This is not acceptable. Women and children in crisis need to know that a safe place will be available. Family violence is unacceptable, and we must work hard to break the silence and never let it remain hidden. As a society, we pay a huge price for family violence. We must break the tragic cycle so that our children will grow up in a peaceful society that allows them to reach their full potential.

Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we must all speak out and be dedicated in our efforts to raise awareness across the North of this terrible problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost four months since our last Session, although it does not seem like that long. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that it has been a very busy time for every one of you as it has been for me. I must say, Mr. Speaker, that it feels good to be back with you and all the Members on both sides of the House in this wonderful Chamber. Mr. Speaker, I thought that today I would use this opportunity to acknowledge a few events that have taken place in Hay River over the summer.

The Hay River Fire Department celebrated 50 years of service to the community and, Mr. Speaker, the residents, business people and administrators of our town are very proud of this group of volunteers. The Pentecostal Assembly celebrated their 50th anniversary of service to Hay River. Mr. Speaker, not only did they look after the spiritual needs of the residents, they were also very instrumental in providing the infrastructure and professionals to administer health and social needs of the community. Special recognition was given to Reverend Ken Gates as the man who made this all happen. Reverend Glen Wallington was named citizen of the year. Mr. Speaker, this man has been a tireless worker and fund-raiser for our youth and is primarily responsible for the establishment of the youth centre in Hay River.

I would like to acknowledge the opening of the West Channel Bridge. Mr. Speaker, I will speak in more detail on this very important piece of infrastructure later in this Session.

I would like to congratulate our newly elected town council: Mayor Duncan McNeill; re-elected councillors Vern Tordoff, Robert Bouchard and Dean McMeekin; and new councillors Diane Ehman, Glen Smart, Tom Hamilton, Peter and Mike Mahar. I look forward to working with all of them.

Mr. Speaker, last night I attended a very special ceremony in the council chamber in Hay River to mark the retirement of W. R. Red McBryan after 47 years of service to Hay River as a councillor, deputy mayor and mayor. I would like to thank the Honourable Roger Allen for coming to Hay River to acknowledge Red McBryan's accomplishments.

On a sadder note, Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the passing of several individuals. Firstly, Mr. Dennis Sconey, a well-known resident of Hay River and a very good friend of mine. We also lost Hazel Haight, who was very well known to anyone in politics as she served as our returning officer for 25 years. Also, Mr. Speaker, the victims of the terrible tragedy in Fort Good Hope. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and welcome Nicole Latour-Theede as the first female Sergeant-at-Arms for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the life and times of a former Member of this Legislature, Mr. Pete Fraser, who passed away just recently. Mr. Fraser was the honourable Member representing the constituency of Mackenzie Great Bear. To his family, Mr. Fraser was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and even great-grandfather. To his friends, he was a man of great character, a mentor, a source of inspiration and a respected elder. To the North, he was a trapper, a riverboat pilot and a builder of each and every community that he was a part of. In his many professional roles, he was a reliable administrator, a wise negotiator and an effective conciliator. To many in this Legislature, he was a visionary, a leader, a respected adversary and a colleague. He was a jigger, bridge player, country and western singer and a square dance caller. With everything he did, he was a joker.

As the MLA for Mackenzie Great Bear, Mr. Fraser represented the Sahtu, the same riding that I represent here today. Mr. Fraser had one great love outside of his family; that is he loved the North and the people and he loved working for the betterment of both. He did so with a dedication and commitment equalled only by his wit and ready humour. When Pete Fraser passed away on October 16th, he left behind a North that was a better place because of his life. We shall all hope to leave behind such a legacy. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. On behalf of the House, I would like to extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Fraser, a former Member and former Deputy Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to inform the Legislative Assembly of the incredible success of the 2000 Deh Cho Assembly. The Deh Cho Assembly this past year was designated as a tribute to elder and Chief Paul Wright. In the spirit of Chief Wright and on the recommendation of the elders, the Deh Cho Assembly appointed Grand Chief Michael Nadli to a second three-year term, an incredible expression of the confidence and respect that exists for both elders and Grand Chief Michael Nadli.

It was an honour and a privilege to the likes of: the Honourable Nick Sibbeston, Senator, who participated in and in fact won the first annual talent show with the Dene language translation of a traditional country and western song; the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Member of Parliament; the Honourable Jim Antoine, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs; the Honourable Joe Handley, Minister of Finance; Chief Bill Erasmus from the Dene Nation; and Bishop Croteau were all in attendance. I thank them for attending.

Mr. Speaker, the Assembly also approved in principle a framework agreement for the Deh Cho process. The Deh Cho process will result in an unprecedented self-government process for the region. The government structure will be a public government based on Dene values and principles. This is a process which should be promoted and encouraged by this Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Assembly also approved in principle interim protection measures to protect the lands and resources, which is something else we should be supporting. The Deh Cho region is one of a few where there is an aggressive and comprehensive approach to working together by all people. Deh Cho is led by the teachings of the elders and there is something there for all to learn about consensus making and grassroots government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to try to make the case for our competitive tax regime in the Northwest Territories and I hope the government is listening. I think if we look at the trend all around us, we see the feds reduced the amounts of capital gains tax eligible for personal tax. Alberta is reducing small business tax rates from six percent to three percent and another government committee in that province is looking at reducing large business rates from 15.5 percent to eight percent. Premier Klein, in talking about his plans for the province for the next five years, is talking about wanting to eliminate personal income tax by 2005. What a competitive advantage, Mr. Speaker.

Our government insists it recognizes the need to stay competitive, but does it? Are we aware of the implications to the Northwest Territories as provinces lower their tax rates? We risk losing long-time northern companies to the south, Mr. Speaker. In addition, it will become even more difficult to try to attract southern businesses North.

Mr. Speaker, our Finance Minister thinks we have a problem now with fly-in-fly-out workers. Well, they are going to continue to take northern jobs regardless of our protectionist strategies unless we lower our tax rates.

Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the old adage: "the best defence is a good offence." I submit to you that this government must go on the offensive and aggressively reduce the cost of living and doing business in the North. Mr. Speaker, sadly a sales tax like the hotel tax is not a solution to our competitive disadvantage. Mr. Speaker, it is the third period, we are down four nothing, our Premier has given the nod to our resident enforcer, Mr. Handley, to go out over the boards and start a fight. Mr. Speaker, we have to score some goals and win this game. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the issue of the most senior civil servant in the Northwest Territories government. At the same time as she is providing those services to the government, she is running the campaign -- as campaign chair -- for the Liberal Party. I have raised this issue as being inappropriate, as a conflict and a huge perception of conflict. It is an issue of serving two masters. Can it be done? It undermines the fundamental premise of a non-political civil service.

Mr. Speaker, on one hand the chief of staff says she is a deputy level appointment. On the other hand, the principal secretary says she is in effect the Premier's executive assistant.

There is confusion in terms of the definition. The categorizing of that position as being the same as an executive assistant is the same as saying a minnow and a great white shark are the same thing.

Mr. Speaker, I have taken the liberty of getting a legal opinion and that legal opinion says to me that the chief of staff's employment contract does not exempt her from the operation of Section 34 of the Public Service Act, because section 49(l)(k) allows only the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Minister to deal with these matters. Section 34(2) of the Public Service Act applies to the chief of staff if she is hired under an employment contract -- which we are told she is -- because she is then an employee within the meaning of the Public Service Act.

Mr. Speaker, Section 34(2) says the following:

"Subject to this section an employee may engage in political activity but shall not (b) during working hours engage in any political activity for and on behalf of a territorial, federal political party or candidate; (f) serve as an official agent for a candidate or as an executive officer of a territorial political party or a territorial riding association; or (g) potentially use, or attempt to use his or her position to effect the political activity of any other person."

So, Mr. Speaker. I think we have a problem here. The Cabinet has made a bad decision that, the way I read this, in effect contravenes its own legislation, either knowingly or unknowingly, because of poor advice. It is not a situation that can be ignored. It is not just a question of perception at this point.

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

Thank you. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a problem. I had heard that possibly the chief of staff is going to be taking a leave of absence which would be a way to possibly mitigate this. Given this legal opinion -- where Cabinet has apparently contravened its own legislation -- I think it is a situation that has far greater ramifications than that. I would hope that the government will look at this. I will be sharing this legal opinion with my colleagues. It is a problem, Mr. Speaker, an unacceptable problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity today to speak about a matter that has received a great deal of attention of late in the media and at the Yellowknife constituency meeting held last Tuesday. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is now public knowledge that the decision has been made by the Stanton Board to scrap altogether the proposal to amalgamate the surgical and paediatric wards into one.

Based on the number of phone calls I have received on this issue from my constituents -- which included patients, doctors and nurses -- I must say, Mr. Speaker, I am relieved by this decision. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we are all acutely aware that this does not solve the crisis caused by the lack of funding in our health care system in the long run. If anything, the latest controversy should ring a very loud bell for all of us that some decisive actions are required.

The situation at Stanton is not an isolated matter, Mr. Speaker. It is a matter that calls on us to examine our priorities for health care in our new Territory and how we are going to focus our resources and energies in the days and years to come.

I am particularly alarmed by the fact that, based on what I know, the Stanton Board may not be able to deal with the deficit situation without cutting staff or services available at the hospital, and the resources available now are already stretched to their limit. This will affect everyone in the North, Mr. Speaker, not just Yellowknifers. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, our population of 40,000 is only second to Nunavut in growth rate and the fastest growing segment of the population is our seniors, who will presumably require more services in health care.

In the broader sense of our wellness needs, Mr. Speaker, we also have a growing number of FAS-FAE children, one of the highest suicide rates in Canada and the highest drunk driving rates as well. The growth in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes in the Northwest Territories is alarming, just to provide a few examples.

At the same time, we are experiencing extreme shortages in nurses and doctors and a great deal of medivacs to the south and within the Territories. We are having to rely on expensive services from locum doctors and other traveling health care professionals. On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, we have nine health boards making decisions about how to provide care to 40,000 people. All of these thrown together, it becomes clear that at some point we have to take steps to rationalize the health care resources we have.

Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry. I seem to have forgotten the rules in my little recess we had during the summer. May I have unanimous consent to finish my statement, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. I just want to finish my statement by saying that, Mr. Speaker, I believe the time is now to act on this very important issue. I call on the Minister of Health and the government to come up with a plan to deal with the deficit problem of the Stanton Board that does not penalize the Stanton Regional Hospital from functioning as a territorial hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to send my condolences out to the communities that have lost loved ones, especially, Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to send my condolences out to the community of Fort Good Hope, to the families and community members for their loss with the incident that happened in Fort Good Hope. With that, my thoughts and prayers are with you. God be with you. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The sympathies of the House are extended to the families who lost their loved ones at Fort Good Hope. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on this first day of our Session to acknowledge the first Family Violence Awareness Week, October 30 to November 5, 2000, and speak in support of the activities and efforts of a number of organizations, including the Native Women's Association of the Northwest Territories, the Status of Women Council, family support centre Safe Home Network, the YWCA, the Alison McAteer House, and various government departments in raising awareness in dealing with this very significant issue in our society.

I compliment the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services for the resource package that she provided to communities in support of Family Violence Awareness Week.

The Assembly's vision document, Mr. Speaker, Towards a Better Tomorrow, states as one of our priorities safety, security and respect for all citizens with a focus on women, children, elders and persons with disabilities. In 1994, this Assembly passed a declaration on family violence, which made a commitment to zero tolerance and violence against women and children, and elimination of family violence by the year 2000. Mr. Speaker, clearly, we are failing.

Among some of the statistics that have been presented, I would add that in the years April of 1999 through March of 2000, some 296 women and 334 children used family violence shelters in the Northwest Territories. We need more positive results, Mr. Speaker.

Last month, the Caucus of this Assembly received presentations from Ms. Vi Beck, the president of the Status of Women Council, and Suzette Montreuil of Alternatives North, which focused on poverty, violence against women, and human rights. Ms. Beck noted that the Northwest Territories Family Violence program -- which funds five shelters and violence programs -- is extremely important but also extremely under-resourced.

The government must make a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to eliminate family violence and undertake to develop the strategies and provide resources for this. This government and we as MLAs need to demonstrate our leadership and commit to leadership in-action, so the public will know that there are those who support victims of violence and that there is help available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last night in the town of Inuvik, a swearing-in ceremony was held for the new mayor and council, as well as for the new district education authority board members.

Mr. Speaker, these are changing times in the community of Inuvik and the region. After years of economic decline in our communities in the region, we are starting to see a turn-around with all of the interest in natural gas. At this time, I look forward to working with the new mayor and council in trying to make sure Inuvik and the region benefit from this work that is ongoing, and to try to make our community a better place to live for all families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Bell on June 29, 2000, regarding the success rates of mature students who return to the traditional school system to upgrade their education.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment currently does not specifically track the progress of adult students in the regular school system. Adults enrolled in territorial high schools are included in the overall high school student population numbers.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment continues to develop assessment and tracking tools that will allow the collection of this type of information in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Sam Gargan, former MLA for Deh Cho for many years, and the former Speaker of this House. Also, his sister Sarah, who is now a resident of Yellowknife and works for CBC.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Welcome home, Mr. Gargan. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the new president of the NWTTA, the Northwest Territories Teachers Association, Mr. David Murphy. Welcome to the Assembly.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am at a bit of a disadvantage. I cannot see everyone, but I do know that two very highly regarded senior citizens of Yellowknife are with us today, Mr. Ed Jeske and my mother, Mrs. Esther Braden.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Welcome. It is good to see you back. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the president of the Union of Northern Workers, Ms. Georgina Rault-Kaiser. I must say, she looks pretty good after 15 hard days of negotiations.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Mr. Stuart Hogg, a constituent from Weledeh and a good friend. Thank you.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mrs. Speaker, my wife, Elaine. Also, I would like to recognize the family of the new Sergeant-at-Arms, Derek, Wyatt, and Brin Theede, to my left.

-- Applause

Probably not the proper pronunciation of the names, but the recognition is there. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I would like to welcome everyone who is here today, and thank you for taking the time to come and see the Legislative Assembly in action. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are addressed to the Premier and are in relation to my Member's statement and the role the chief of staff is currently playing, apparently filling two functions. I would like the Premier to speak to that issue and clarify it for this House and the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. The Honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. I did not get a specific question, but I am prepared to speak to the issue. Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Member for Thebacha has indicated he has based his concerns on a legal opinion that he has in his possession. I would like to ask the Member if he would be kind enough to share that with us, since he is making some references to it.

Secondly, there was a report in the media based on an interview he did last week that he is a voting Liberal. So whatever may fall out of this, perhaps the federal candidate will take some solace in knowing he will be supporting her in the federal campaign.

Now to the issue that the Member raised, when we were elected as Cabinet, there were some positions that needed to be filled and an organizing of the Cabinet and the staff of both the Premier's office and the Ministers' offices. There was an agreement amongst all the Ministers that we should share in the appointments of our staff, senior management, as well as personal executive assistants, right down to our secretaries. All the appointments were made with the support and approval of Cabinet, which includes the secretary to Cabinet, Liz Snider, the principal secretary who was George Braden for a few months and now Mr. John Bayly.

We also created a chief of staff position. The chief of staff position is in fact an executive assistant position that has additional responsibilities. By a political agreement amongst the Ministers, the chief of staff would be allowed to call meetings of all executive assistants, including secretaries and to ensure that there is overall coordination of the Cabinet. As Members know, no other previous Cabinet has conducted business in this way. So for the chief of staff position, it is considered an executive assistant to the Premier. It is up to the chief of staff to indicate that there are enhanced responsibilities and, like I said, by political agreement, Ministers have agreed that their executive assistants will attend meetings called by the chief of staff. This definition was carried into I believe this House, as well as to the standing committee. So as such, she has a contract that allows her to carry on with political activities and there is no conflict. Cabinet has been advised of that. However, as of last week, last Wednesday I believe, she has been on leave -- unpaid leave -- until I believe the 28th of November. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize as well that he purports to be a Liberal and is going to speak on November 4th at a fundraiser down in a southern jurisdiction. I am sure our MP will be gratified by that as well.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister. I am prepared to share my legal opinion if the Cabinet is prepared to share a list of the duties of the chief of staff, which to date they have refused to provide us, saying that it is confidential. It is very difficult to assess these duties on that basis. So I am prepared if the Premier will give us a list of the duties, I will be happy to give him a copy of this legal opinion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He can share whatever he would like with us. We would appreciate it. We are not going to be trading information back and forth.

I could tell you that in March, the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development asked for further information on the new and redesigned positions in the Ministers' offices. I had indicated to them at the time, under a letter dated March 27th, that the former position of the Premier's executive assistant had been revised and assigned additional duties. The revised position is titled "Chief of Staff" and is responsible for:

1. Providing overall operational and administrative services to Members of the Executive Council and their staff;
2. To provide executive assistance services to the Premier in his daily tasks and for his Intergovernmental Affairs portfolio; and
3. For managing and overseeing the operations of the Premier's office.

There is no job description for executive assistants. There never has been. So this is in addition to her job of providing support to me as an executive assistant.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue is going to come down to what constitutes an executive assistant. Executive assistants, for example, make in the pay range of up to $50,000 to $70,000, maybe $80,000. The chief of staff, I would venture to say probably makes well over $100,000-plus.

My question to the Premier is the chief of staff herself said she has been given...her contract provides her with exemption from the political restrictions that apply to deputy ministers. That does not say executive assistants. It says very clearly deputy ministers. Could the Premier explain that issue, please?

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Deputy ministers and senior civil servants of this government are restricted in the type of activity they may engage in that is of a political nature. Executive assistants are exempt from those restrictions and the chief of staff position is considered an executive assistant position with some additional duties assigned to her, and therefore is exempt from those restrictions that are applied to deputy ministers and other civil servants. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do want to acknowledge the fact that the chief of staff did take a leave of absence. Though Cabinet had to be pushed into it, they did do the right thing. So I am not clear, Mr. Speaker. She has a deputy minister employment contract, yet she is being called an executive assistant. I think it is semantics, Mr. Speaker, and I would like the Premier to clarify that. It is clear that no Premier or Cabinet Minister can have an employment contract that purports to displace the law. Very clearly, it says here that she is covered under Section 34 of the Public Service Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some of my staff are wondering how a legal opinion can be valid when the provider of that opinion had no access to the contract in the first place. Having said that, the position is clear. It is considered an enhanced executive assistant position and enjoys certain rights as an employee of the government. The Member can negate whatever Cabinet decided to do.

As the Premier -- and every Minister of this government feels the same way -- that if we are challenged to protect and defend the rights of the employees of this government, we will. There is no trying to soft peddle that. It has been my view that every employee has the right to be defended by the Ministers and the Premier of this government. I will do that. I was prepared to do that. The chief of staff asked last week for leave and I agreed to it, so now she is on leave.

It is not because we feared the wrath and political pressure of this Member, but because the staff member in question asked for the leave and I conceded to that. It is not because of political pressure. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Minister responsible for Health regarding recent moves to amalgamate surgical and paediatric wards at the Station Regional Hospital. Mr. Speaker, these moves have shaken the confidence of staff and the public in the quality of care given at the hospital. The concerns we have heard centre on the ability of the board and senior management to effectively involve front line nurses and doctors in decisions that affect their ability to deliver good care.

Mr. Speaker, my question is what assurances can the Minister give that health care at Stanton Regional Hospital will not be compromised? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Braden raises a valid point and certainly it is the view of the department that there is nothing that would preclude the board and the management from discussing with front line workers and key players in the delivery of the health services at Stanton what some of the options for dealing with the fiscal challenges might be. As well, consulting with whoever it may be necessary to consult with, not excluding necessarily the public, the MLAs, and the staff at the hospital itself.

If this was the understanding of the board or the management, I do apologize for that. Certainly we do see that consultation process is very necessary in these challenging times.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer. I wonder if the Minister can give us more information on specifically what steps could be in place for the public to have more direct input into these kinds of decisions at Station Regional Hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the current time, a component of Stanton board meetings is open to the public, so there is that opportunity for the public to attend and raise issues. Also, we know from experience that certainly MLAs do meet with the health boards in their regions and that is another avenue for input. The public could input to the MLAs. The MLAs could input to the board and management of Stanton. Certainly there are a number of means by which the public can communicate with the board and the management of the hospital.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, this particular plan -- which has now been reversed and I am happy to hear about that -- is part of an overall deficit situation that Stanton Regional Hospital is in. I am wondering if the Minister could advise the Assembly of the status of Stanton Regional Hospital's deficit reduction plan and how does it meet with approval from, or work with, the department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will attempt to briefly outline what the process is. Health boards are responsible to come up with budgets which are then submitted to the Department of Health and Social Services on an annual basis. Health and Social Services then combine these requirements and goes forward with business plans and budgets accordingly. When it comes to the end of a fiscal year and it appears that there is going to be an operating deficit, there is a policy of surplus retention and deficit recovery.

When a Health and Social Services board can then work with the department and indicate that there were unavoidable, un-projected forced growth issues, then it is possible for a submission to be made to the Cabinet and FMB to accommodate those shortfalls. However, there is also a requirement for the health boards to work with us to help find and identify efficiencies that we may be able to realize cost savings from.

These options for cost savings would then be submitted again to the Financial Management Board for consideration. So it is possible for the board to discuss those kinds of options with the public and MLAs. What is not possible to do is to commit the Cabinet to a position with responses to those initiatives prior to Financial Management Board approval.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you. I do appreciate the information. I am sure it is of value for the public to know that there is a process. I would like to ask at least of the status of that plan. When can we anticipate response to this plan? Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Stanton Board Deficit Recovery Plan is still in progress. It has not been finally determined yet. There are certain components of it that may be ready for consideration by FMB within the next few weeks. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services about the closure of the health centres in my riding. This summer, because of the shortage of nurses, there had to be emergency services offered. I would like to ask the Minister, what has her department done to try to alleviate this problem from happening again? Has the department taken any action to avoid this from happening again?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a general overall effort on behalf of the people of the North, the department does have several recruitment and retention initiatives underway. As far as the specifics of the closures of the facilities and the shortage of health professionals over this past summer, those staffing positions and decisions about those positions are made by the respective boards. In this case, the Inuvik Health and Social Services Board. What the department can do is work with boards when there is an acute shortage and help to alleviate that situation, but ultimately the department is there more in a support and backup role to the boards as they make those decisions and attempt to fill those positions.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the problems seem to be around the area of the retention and retaining of nurses. I know this department has spent quite a few dollars in that area. I would like to ask the Minister exactly how many nurses have been retained through this practice? Do we have some sort of a bank of nurses that we are able to use when we find ourselves with shortages in our communities?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I thought I heard a couple of questions in there. If the Minister can respond to either one of those two. Minister Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The second part of Mr. Krutko's question or the second question is how can we access some nurses when we have short-term shortages when there are retention problems and we need to fill in on an temporary basis.

First of all, the nurses work for the health boards. So the nurses in question would be the employees of the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board, but there are contracting companies and agencies that nurses can be hired through on a contract basis. That is one area which alleviates the shortage.

Those are short-term solutions and it really is the goal of the department and the boards to find long-term solutions to the recruitment and retention challenges. Certainly, this is not a problem that is specific to the Northwest Territories. As we meet with health Ministers across the country, we find out that this health care professionals shortage is something which is nation wide. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me exactly how much money has been spent to date in this effort and how many nurses have we retained through that practice?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have numbers as to how much we have spent overall on recruitment and retention efforts. It is considerable. We have various programs. We have the nursing market supplement that we put in place a couple of years ago to specifically address the issue of retaining RNs. At that time, the amount that was budgeted to address the recruitment and retention issues was $3 million that was committed by the government, but there is quite a wide variety. I would not have a total amount of money of what we spent. I could provide the Member with the vacancies which currently exist of health care professionals at this time.

It is difficult to quantify exactly the results of the recruitment and retention efforts because sometimes there is attrition and turnover of staff that is not specifically related to our efforts. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have that information. I believe it is important. If we are spending $3 million, exactly what are we getting for that $3 million in the way of actually getting bodies in those positions where we do have shortages? I would like to have that information. Hopefully it is tabled in this House so that other Members can have a copy of it as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do keep up-to-date records of exactly where the vacancies do exist, in what region, and what kinds of health care professional positions are vacant. I would be happy to provide that to the Member or table it in the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Lafferty, I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to get to the question. You have already touched on two different subjects. So please ask the first question.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his question. Mr. Speaker, the department is in the process of sending to Cabinet and then for tabling in this House a highway strategy within the next few days. Within there, we identify those routes that we plan to address over the next few years. Not one of the routes is specifically identified as the road to resources. That is simply because all our roads lead to resources. So it is really hard to identify any specific one as the road to resources.

However, in our strategy, we do identify improving Highway No. 4 and also we have some plans that we are working with industry at this point as to how we may be able to take over the operation and control of Lupin winter road into the mines. This is a strategy that is still under development and still has to be approved by Cabinet, but it is one of the options that we are considering. It is part of the highway strategy.

At this point in time, we have not addressed any thought towards putting a road down the North Slave as the Member suggested. This does not limit the ability for anyone to bring forward these suggestions and have open discussions and dialogue on future routes. As the Member suggests, maybe this would be the road to resources from their perspective.

What I am saying here, Mr. Speaker, is the department is open to all suggestions as to where our final route of an all-weather road would be into the North Slave Geological Province. The only route we have addressed at this point in time is the winter road. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the facts or what exactly would be used to determine the road to resources because, like I said, they are all roads to resources. What exactly would be used in determining an all-weather route down the North Slave, as the Member suggests. As I said, we are open to all suggestions. We are open to dialogue with the communities if they want to come forward with proposals.

If there is potential, we would have these included in the highway strategy eventually, but there would have to be a unified approach to this and also some form of an agreement from all the stakeholders that this is in fact the road that everyone wishes to identify as the all-weather route down the North Slave Geological Province. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, although I have been responsible for a lot of things, my overall responsibility for deciding the future routes, as well as existing routes, transportation highway corridors, whatever, I only do that in consultation with Cabinet and with the rest of the House. I suppose in summary, Mr. Speaker, although I am responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of these facilities, the decision as to who decides what routes go where is a joint effort on all our parts. It is not really me who decides where these routes go. It is the Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.