Good afternoon. With tomorrow being Remembrance Day, I would ask Members to remain standing in a moment of remembrance after the prayer, in remembrance of those who gave their lives for our freedom.

-- Prayer

At the setting of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Thank you.

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. 5, 1999-2000 during the Third Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

Yours truly,

Glenna F. Hansen, Commissioner

Orders of the day. Déclarations de ministres. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of the men and women who fought for our great country in order that we may live in peace. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of Remembrance Day tomorrow, I feel very strongly that we need to recognize these individuals for the sacrifices they made for us.

Mr. Speaker, I will be travelling home to Hay River later today and I will be laying a wreath at the Remembrance Day Service at the Royal Canadian Legion in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, in Hay River, we have a number of veterans who served in war time that I feel strongly deserve our recognition. These are, Mr. Speaker: Frank Hirst, Ken Hunt, Ross Ullathorne, Steve Kovatch, Mansel Grey, Art DeChief, Bernie Campbell, Harry Dobbs, Don Ducharme, Burt Stevenson, Bob McMeekin, Jerry Eyford and Lawrence Clark.

Mr. Speaker, we owe these men, and the thousands of other veterans like them, a debt of gratitude for their selflessness and

commitment in order that we may enjoy the freedom that we have today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I as well would like to take this opportunity in this House to reflect briefly on Remembrance Day and its importance in my community, in this Territory and across our land.

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, Mr. Delorey, I will be returning home to my community for the first time in about two weeks. Tomorrow is a very important day for us, as it will be for many others. There are many people in our community who served in the armed forces in World War II, in Korea, and other conflicts since then, and continue to serve with honour and distinction across the land for the benefit of all of us.

As we stand in this House debating issues and raising issues in a democratic process in a free and open way, it is because of the sacrifices that these folks made on our behalf that we are able to do that. I think that it is very important never to forget the contribution, blood and sacrifice that people put out so that we in fact have the privilege to have this type of government, to raise issues in a careful way, in a good way without bloodshed. I think we should all take time to honour those people and never, never forget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my colleagues who spoke before me, I would like to say a few words on Remembrance Day. As November 11th approaches, it is important that we honour the contribution of the many Canadians who fought in wars and conflict in this past century. Remembrance Day is our opportunity to remember with gratitude and pride those who have died while serving their country and honour those who still carry the scars of the wars.

Mr. Speaker, it is only by understanding what the role the people of the North played as part of our war heritage, including the aboriginal people who went to great lengths to enlist and fight for this country, only then can we appreciate what we have achieved as a nation. There are many proud moments in our country's military history. Although we all consider Canada a peaceful country, there have been many occasions when we have had to defend peace and freedom, values that define us as Canadians.

While we honour those who lost lives and were in battle fronts, it is equally important that we show our appreciation to those who stayed home and worked to support the war effort. Mr. Speaker, it is important to know that most of these people were women.

This week across the North, children in our schools will be participating in activities that will make them aware of the role of Canadians at wartime. We would also assume that they will be made aware that we have many veterans in the North, some are possibly their grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and it is important to know that they participated as part of Canada's involvement in the wars.

November 11th is a sombre reminder of things that really matter in life; courage, determination and freedom that we sometimes take for granted. We all have challenges in life to face. Let us face them in the same spirit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we stand here today to say that we have a mandate as people have served in the army, the First and Second World War, to serve and protect the interests of the people we swore to uphold the laws of the land and to ensure that we are servants of the people who elected us.

I think it is important to Members of this Assembly that when we made that oath swearing in as Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly, we uphold that oath. We swore to serve the people of the North fairly and equitably and also to ensure that we do what we can to ensure the well-being of all people is taken fairly.

When we see what is happening around us to the people we have sworn to serve with the declining programs and services, we have to stand up and do what we know is best in the areas of health, social services, education, and ensuring people of a healthy lifestyle to live, ensuring we take care of all the people, from the elderly to the disabled.

We hear ourselves say a prayer every day. There are some words in there that I think we must never overlook: "As we work for the benefit of all people and peace and justice in our land." That goes for those who came before us who served us in war. We also have a duty to ensure that we serve for the benefit of all people, and ensure that we continue to have peace and justice in our land.

I, for one, feel that we have a duty to all of those people who have served in the army to ensure that we preserve and protect in the name of the House, but also the people who have put the trust in us to be here to serve them like those who have served before us. With that, Mr. Speaker, thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Déclarations de députés, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to honour Remembrance Day tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, in a place and time where it sometimes seems as though there is non-stop discussion in this House about rights, benefits, entitlements and what is wrong in our world, I would like to take a moment to reflect, honour and remember those who have served our country in conflicts and battlegrounds around the world in order that we are able to discuss what we do in an atmosphere that makes it possible for each and every one of us to exercise and articulate democratic rights to the fullest extent possible.

In particular, Mr. Speaker, I would like to especially honour those Canadians who fought and suffered injury and lost their lives in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. Mr. Speaker, the war that broke out on June 25, 1950, was the first open act of aggression following the establishment of the United Nations. Over 26,000 Canadians served in the Korean War and we were one of the 36 United Nations member nations that participated in that conflict. Our contingent was only surpassed by the United States and the United Kingdom.

I would also like to honour those aboriginal soldiers, which I am advised amounted to about 73 members in that contingent.

Mr. Speaker, there were thousands of people who lost their lives in that war and many suffered injury. Mr. Speaker, my family comes from North Korea. My mother was one of the millions of refugees who left a burning village to the south. She lost her father in the conflict.

Mr. Speaker, I have said in this House that I consider the day I moved to Canada to be my birthday. I consider Remembrance Day to be one of the most important days of the year. I would just like to state that for the record and honour the memory of those who served our country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, by now, I think we have all seen the news item with the heading "Child protection workers and workload crisis." Some Members of this House, myself, Mr. Braden, Mr. Dent and Ms. Lee, were at a meeting yesterday with child protection workers. We heard about the crisis they are facing, Mr. Speaker. They told us that they are over-worked, have unmanageable caseloads, files all over the place, and in fact are just bursting at the seams. We certainly believe that we are faced with a crisis now that this has been building for some time, Mr. Speaker.

This government commissioned the Child Welfare League to do a report. The report was called, "It Takes a Community". In this report, it identified a need for 22 additional child protection workers to be hired in the North; specifically, the Deh Cho and Yellowknife were singled out as requiring immediate attention. The Child Welfare League research prior to the report indicated that ten were specifically needed in Yellowknife.

One of the things we discovered in talking with these workers yesterday, Mr. Speaker, was that up to 50 percent of the active files they are currently dealing with involve children who have been in Yellowknife for less than six months. Mr. Speaker, it is another example of the effect of the magnet community situation we are in. Clearly we have services that people come to this community for.

I think this will continue to build as we refuse to address some of the alcohol and drug situations in the communities. We have seen drug and alcohol centres in the North reduced from five operating facilities to one. I think this is just a single example.

Currently, child protection workers in this city see three times the national average of cases, Mr. Speaker. They have told us that they have 140 kids in care at any given time. A worker on call over the weekend, they only have one on call each weekend, can get 25 calls per weekend.

Another serious problem is the lack of supervisors for the child protection workers. We again have higher than the national average, Mr. Speaker.

They are thankful that this Minister has listened to their concerns and responded with three new positions. However, Mr. Speaker, it simply is a drop in the bucket. More has to be done. These folks have a legal, moral and ethical obligation to protect our children. Mr. Speaker, we are going to have to give them the support they need. Our children are counting on us. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Remembrance Day tomorrow, I would like all of us today to reflect on the benefits and rights we enjoy as Canadians. These rights have been protected and maintained by great sacrifice during the past century, in particular during the wars, by many. In fact, in too many cases, it was at an ultimate sacrifice. Let us not disappoint their efforts through anything less than our best efforts as MLAs to continue to do everything we can to make this world a better place for everyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last night, along with hundreds of other Yellowknifers and Northerners, I had the pleasure of attending a ceremony at Sir John Franklin High School to commemorate the opening of the newly renovated Sir John. It was a fine evening. I would especially like to compliment the principal, Anne Mieke-Cameron, for the wonderful job she did.

Mr. Speaker, since its opening in 1958, Sir John Franklin High School and Akaitcho Hall have provided a very, very high standard of academic and vocational education and made a difference in the lives of thousands of people in the North. It is interesting to recount that people from over 37 different communities have attended Sir John Franklin High School over its time. Since then, we have seen it evolve into a facility that also serves the arts community with the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre there.

I am a graduate of the class of 1972, Mr. Speaker, and it is very satisfying for me now to have my own daughters attending school. I would like to also congratulate the people involved with the renovation program for involving the students in the redesign and the ideas that have gone into this remarkable new facility.

Last night, the commitment of this government through the previous Minister of Education, Mr. Dent, was acknowledged and Mr. Ootes, today's Minister, as well as the excellent work of the Department of Public Works people. Mr. Steen was also acknowledged, along with Clark Builders and Ferguson, Simek and Clark. It was a good tribute to the hard work and the dedication of over two years of construction that everybody endured.

Mr. Speaker, you yourself represented us very well as the voice of past students and gave a great presentation and a tribute to what that facility has meant. Along with that spirit of celebration, Mr. Speaker, I too will be joining Northerners and Canadians in recognizing the sacrifices that many made so that we can still continue the privilege of a free and a broad education in this wonderful country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to say a few words in regard to Remembrance Day. This is a day to express our gratitude, and certainly my personal gratitude, for the sacrifices that were made and continue to be made by the many Canadians around the world to protect what we consider a very important thing, and that is freedom; freedom to speak, freedom of activity.

My parents lived through two world wars. I was born during World War II. Like most people, we have our own horror stories about those times. People of my birth country are still gratefully and eternally grateful for the work that was done by Canadians. On an annual basis they still celebrate, half a century later, the work that was done by the Canadian soldiers who went to Europe and liberated Holland. There are many Yellowknifers as well, Mr. Speaker, who served in the world wars and in other wars and have sacrificed their own lives and contributed to keeping peace around the world and they continue to do that.

I would like to make mention of just three, but that is not limited to the number of people who are in Yellowknife who contribute; Jack Adderly, Dusty Miller and Mel Brown. I consider them personal friends and I really appreciate the work they have done. They all served, of course, in World War II in Holland.

We were fortunate to be able to come to Canada, to this great country, after the war. And it is a great country. It is a country that has been designated as the best country in the world for seven times in this particular decade alone. That is a tremendous achievement. That is a judgment from amongst 100-plus countries around the world. As well, it is judged on the basis of numerous criteria, over 100 criteria. So I think it is something to remember. Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, I will be participating in the Remembrance Day ceremonies, like most of us will. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.