Bonjour, bienvenue. Good afternoon, Members.

-- Applause

Thank you, thank you. I was keeping up with tradition. If not keeping up with it, setting it. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Hay River District Education Authority and their efforts to alter the governance structure of the Hay River education district. Mr. Speaker, on October 6, 2000, the Hay River District Education Authority put forward a position to the Honourable Jake Ootes, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, requesting the creation of a Hay River and area education division and divisional education council. This request, Mr. Speaker, is being made with a desire to streamline the administration of resources and maximize the results of programs and services they deliver. Mr. Speaker, the Hay River District Education Authority is comprised of a very dedicated group of volunteers and I commend them for the excellent job they perform week after week.

As you are probably aware, Mr. Speaker, Hay River is presently part of the South Slave region, which is headquartered out of Fort Smith. From day one, Mr. Speaker, this arrangement has proven problematic for Hay River and area. In 1997, the Hay River DEA proposed that each DEA negotiate its own individual agreement regarding the sharing of powers with the South Slave Divisional Education Council.

However, Mr. Speaker, in April of 1998, a motion to accept a single sharing of power agreement was passed by the South Slave Divisional Education Council by a vote of four to one with Hay River opposed. This motion, Mr. Speaker, closed the door to change within the existing structure and has compelled the Hay River DEA to petition for an alternate government model.

Mr. Speaker, 52 percent of the students in the South Slave region are based in Hay River. To this end, I feel strongly that Hay River should have local control over its resources. Mr.

Speaker, I am very much an advocate of having more control of resources at the community level. The community of Hay River is simply trying to take the next step in the evolution of community empowerment.

Mr. Speaker, Hay River is a very large and diverse community. By allowing the local education authority control over its own resources, it would be better able to focus on the concerns of the community it serves. Mr. Speaker, I believe that if the Hay River District Education Authority were granted control over their own schools, then this would provide for quicker and more efficient decision-making. It would also provide programming that better serves the needs of the multicultural makeup of Hay River.

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

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Delorey. You may conclude.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough that our children are our most valued resource. Mr. Speaker, I believe all of these factors would result in improved community relationships, more efficient use of resources and improved overall student performance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak briefly on the issue of the conference that is being held in the South Slave, in Fort Smith from the 7th to the 9th. It is the third phase of the Building Communities Strategy. The focus and theme is, Tourism, A Tool for Community Development. I would like to commend all the players that have come together to pull this conference off. We have RWED, MACA, and Education, Culture and Employment as the main Government of the Northwest Territories players, along with Aurora College, Wood Buffalo National Park, Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism, Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities and Canadian Tourism Commission. As well, the participants include all levels of leadership at the municipal, Metis and band level, and at the community level.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very, very important conference. The issue of tourism has been before this House for years. I would like to commend the three main departments for the work they have done and the fact that they are working so cooperatively at the regional level.

I would also like to commend all the communities that are taking the time to attend this conference. There will be a host of us going down tomorrow. I would like to thank my colleagues for taking the time to come to Fort Smith, along with our constituents who will be there from the South Slave. As well, we are going to get the benefit of Mr. Lafferty and some Ministers coming down as well.

I think this is a very valuable conference. Tourism for us is critical. We do not have oil, we do not have gas or diamonds, but we do have a lot of tremendous tourism assets. I would like to thank all the participants. I look forward to our visit tomorrow. I would like to commend the departments within the Government of the Northwest Territories that have worked so hard, and a lot of the other staff at community and regional levels for pulling this together. Thank you.

-- Applause

Merci, Mr. Miltenberger. Declaration des depute. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to speak about northern development and the regulatory process. Mr. Speaker, the Premier, the Minister of Finance and others from this government have been spreading the word that consensus is building among Northerners that we want to see a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to do this, but I think it is also important to remember the decision will not be made on the basis of political leaders' statements. The final decision will be a business decision on which route is the most efficient.

Our government needs to be sure that we continue to build a strong consensus of Northerners and that the regulatory process will work efficiently or, by default, the route outside the Northwest Territories may become more attractive to industry. We have heard that there will be a meeting shortly of regulatory boards in the North to discuss a cooperative approach and this is a welcome idea. The Government of the Northwest Territories has a role to play here and should work with those agencies to ensure that we facilitate a cooperative approach.

There is a potential problem that we must be aware of and it has to do with the funding for the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board. Mr. Speaker, since 1992, the funding for the board has been fixed at about $540,000. This level of funding is aimed at environmental hearings, not at the cost of running the office or other infrastructure needs.

Mr. Speaker, given the current continually increasing developments in oil and gas and other mining developments in the Territories, the board probably needs more like $1 million to $1.2 million to continue their program at the current levels. Given the increase in prospects for development, more funding is required to effectively deliver the mandate of the board.

In the last fiscal year, Mr. Speaker, the board proposed funding of $1.7 million to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, but they only received $1.1 million. That is obviously a substantial improvement from the $540,000 they had received before but more funding is needed to meet increasing demand. Mr. Speaker, if additional work is required this year, such as consideration of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, the current funding will not be sufficient. This could lead to delays, Mr. Speaker.

Our government needs to go after the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to ensure that adequate funding is available or our chances of becoming a "have" Territory could be seriously endangered.

-- Applause.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today concerns commercial hunting of wood bison in the Fort Providence area. Mr. Speaker, there are many commercial opportunities associated with big game hunting, in regard to the Mackenzie wood bison that are being missed at the present time due to problems with the regulations.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the wood bison were originally listed as an endangered species. This endangered species classification resulted with the wood bison originally being placed on the international CITES, appendix 1 list. However, it is further to my understanding that the wood bison have now been down-listed to the CITES appendix 2 listing. Species on appendix 2 are species not threatened with extinction but may become threatened if the trade goes unregulated.

Regrettably, Mr. Speaker, the United States legislation still prohibits the importation of wood bison and does not recognize the animal has been down-listed. This is unlike every other country in the world that now allows for importation of wood bison. This is a similar situation that we faced with the polar bear and big game outfitters a number of years ago. On that occasion, the Government of the Northwest Territories supported a lobby to have the United States laws changed for the importation of polar bears. I understand that the lobbying efforts were successful and that polar bears from certain areas of Canada can now be imported to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, similar efforts are now required of the Government of the Northwest Territories to assist for the changes of laws for the wood bison as well. This would greatly enhance our abilities to market the wood bison to the significant big game markets in the United States and thereby increase the value of the hunting tags.

The Government of the Northwest Territories should apply pressure to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for importation privileges in regard to Wood Bison. We should let them know that we have a sport hunting program based upon sound scientific principles that allow for the maintenance of the wood bison population. 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. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, at 7:00 o'clock in the city hall chambers, the City of Yellowknife will be swearing in a new council. They have eight councillors and a mayor. This new council was elected by the residents of Yellowknife last month and will serve our city for the next three years.

Residents of Yellowknife elected Mr. Gord Van Tighem to serve as mayor for our city. City council is represented by the following incumbents; Mr. Blake Lyons, Mr. David McCann, Mr. Ben McDonald, Mr. Kevin O'Reilly and Mr. Alan Woytuik. New councillors elected are: Ms. Wendy Bisaro, Mr. Robert Hawkins and Mr. Dave Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate these individuals on their election and wish them well as they serve Yellowknife for the next three years. Along with my fellow Yellowknife MLAs, including yourself, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to extend our welcome to this new council. We look forward to working with them on common issues and concerns in our community.

At this time, I believe it also important to recognize the other candidates who put their names forward to represent Yellowknife. We are very fortunate to have a choice for representation at the municipal level. I would like to thank the following individuals. Candidates for mayor, Ms. Cheryl Best, Mr. Bob Brooks and Mr. Dave Lovell. Candidates for council, Mr. Travis Armour, Mr. Wayne Bryant, Mr. Bruce Coomber and Mr. John Murray. As Members of this Assembly are well aware, it is not an easy task to run in an election and I would like to thank these individuals for their hard work and dedication. Residents not only of the Northwest Territories, but all of Canada are fortunate to live in a democracy where we have the right to vote for and elect who we want to represent us in government.

We will soon have another opportunity to exercise our right to vote with the federal election on November 27th. I hope all eligible voters take this opportunity to choose their federal representative. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like again to acknowledge Yellowknife's new council and mayor and say we look forward to the coming three years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a meeting held earlier this morning with the mayor of Fort McPherson, Mr. William Koe; acting SAO, Mr. Don Smith; the honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs; and also, the honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Public Works and Services in regard to the extraordinary circumstances that Fort McPherson finds themselves in with the contaminated water supply and the increasing costs associated with it.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let the Members know that when the cost of maintaining a service jumps from $220,000 to $400,000 that impact could be greatly felt by the people in the communities, especially in the case of Fort McPherson where you have contamination of the water with a product known as THMs. The water is not suited for human consumption and people are depending on bottled water.

Mr. Speaker, the outcome of the meeting was not too satisfactory because we did not really get an answer. I feel that this government does have an obligation to the health and well-being of all residents of the Northwest Territories, especially with the circumstances that we find ourselves in Fort McPherson.

Mr. Speaker, there is an agreement in place, one that I believe most provinces and the territories probably have, for the Department of Public Works to operate the water and sewage systems. There is a water and service operation agreement between the municipality and the Government of the Northwest Territories, in particular, the Department of Public Works and Services.

Mr. Speaker, one of the items which is clear in that agreement states that:

"it is further agreed that the committee, complete with representation of the Municipality of Fort McPherson, the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Public Works, and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs shall meet twice a year on or about the first of April and again on or about October 1st of that particular year to review the expenditures that have occurred in the operating of the water and sewage distribution and removal systems within a six month period".

Mr. Speaker, that has never happened, and we find ourselves in a deficit situation.

Mr. Krutko, the time allotted for your Member's statement has expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not ordinary and because of the contamination this government should realize that the associated costs are unforeseen costs. We do need assistance from this government to ensure that the community does not find itself in a financial situation where it is running a deficit because of the impact of contamination on the water systems. With that Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs a question on this matter later. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I join with my colleague from Yellowknife South and all the other Yellowknife MLAs in acknowledging the importance of another major aspect of our local government structure.

Mr. Speaker, school boards and educational authorities across the Northwest Territories are part of the community government structure which guides our education. They have a historic place in Canadian governance and Yellowknife school board members, like their municipal counterparts, are being sworn in at the next meeting and I would like to recognize these people and the contribution they make to community education operations.

For Yellowknife Education District No. 1, I acknowledge returning board members, Terry Brookes, and Dan Schofield who are being joined by new members, Marlo Bullock, Ann Enge, Rob Meckling, Jim White and Mildred Wilke.

For Yellowknife Separate Education District No. 2, I would like to acknowledge the new board members, Nancy Gardiner, Raymond St. Arnaud, and Francis Chang. Returning board members are Larry Purka, Mary Vane, Jane Haley and Debbi Ross.

It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that there is not greater interest in school board elections, as acclamations to these offices are not infrequent. It is one part which is generally paid little attention in local government, but these people have a significant impact on our children's future and municipal government taxation levels. Mr. Speaker, I see that my time is up, I seek unanimous consent to conclude.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Yellowknife, one of the major issues around local education is taxation, and Yellowknife is unique in the NWT communities in that no other community gets funds directly from its tax base for education. School boards in our city jointly have 3,600 full-time students and they administer operating budgets of approximately $33.6 million. About $7.5 million is raised through local taxes.

From the numbers, Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that the school boards and educational authorities are significant contributors to community development and our progress for the future. I would like to also, Mr. Speaker, acknowledge the progress of Commission Scolaire Francophone de Division which is the equivalent of a divisional educational council and operates at École Alain St. Cyr. The commission is evolving into the Francophone school board of the Northwest Territories and I wish them well with their new status at their first meeting this evening, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Merci, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In keeping up with the spirit of recognizing our fellow leaders and partners for the Yellowknife Members, I would like to recognize the new Chamber of Commerce board in Yellowknife. They had an election on October 27th and I would like to recognize the award winners who were honoured the same night. A business award of merit went to MacKay and Partners. This award acknowledges the accomplishments of a special Yellowknife business each year, recognizing those achievements that have made them an outstanding corporate citizen within our business community.

Also, an award for the business person of the year went to Mr. Bill Aho of Central Mechanical Systems. He is also the president of the NWT Construction Association and one of the founding members of NORD, which stands for Northern Organization for Responsible Development. Mr. Gordon Van Tighem received an award for outstanding dedication as well.

Mr. Speaker, with the time remaining, I would like to recognize the new executive committee elected on October 27th. Mr. John Ondrack has been elected as the President; Jerome Babyn, first vice-president; Dave McPherson, second vice-president; and John Taylor was elected treasurer. I would also like to recognize the second year term directors, Jerry Jaud, Bob Hoddinott, and Mike Olson.

I would also like to congratulate and acknowledge new members of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Mr. David Connelly, Mr. Rod Lowen, Ms. Shawnette MacNeil, Mr. Dave McCann, Ms. Karen Poitras, Mr. Gary Reid, Mr. Doug Snodgrass, Mr. Bill Tait and Mr. Andy Wong. I would like to congratulate them and tell them that on behalf of all the Yellowknife Members here, we look forward to working together and I especially valued their advice and input regarding the hotel tax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak to an important item that follows up on some Members' statements last week in respect to the renewable resource sector.

Mr. Speaker, we often find the need to address the critical issue of the method in which we utilize northern food items. I would like to share in the House today, an interesting statistic that is found in an article produced in Inuvik that supports our northern diet.

Mr. Speaker, interestingly, the people at this specific venue consumed more than 8,000 Eskimo doughnuts, 60 pails of muktuk, 1,500 pounds of Arctic char and whitefish, and over 2,500 bowls of geese and caribou soup. Perhaps today this will give us some food for thought as we continue to support our renewable resources in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Because of your kind words, the Speaker bent the rules on the single subject Member's statement. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes in order to effect change, we have to work very hard to see some results. It is true that very often our political will does not persevere as quickly as we would like, but when change comes then we must always see it for what it is. I am pleased to see the changes in the Legislature today. I believe it is a significant and positive change that has come to the decor of this, the most unique of all Legislatures in Canada. Mr. Speaker, I recognize your personal commitment today in wearing a truly northern First Nations coat. It is a visible, strong statement. I want to commend you for it. I also would like to commend and recognize for the very first time, a truly positive change of garment by the Clerk and the deputies. In the Legislature, where even Mickey Mouse makes the odd appearance inside an otherwise truly dignified traditional First Nations coat, it is good to see, Mr. Speaker, your officials of this Legislature making their first appearance in Dene garments. I want to recognize it for the significant statement that it is. Thank you very much.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Kakfwi. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great honour to recognize the mayor from Fort McPherson, Mr. Willie Koe, and also his acting SAO, Mr. John Smith. Welcome.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. At this time, colleagues, I would like to recognize in the gallery Ms. Berna Beaulieu of Creations by Berna, who designed and sewed the ceremonial clothing of the clerks and myself, the ones that we are wearing here today.

-- Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment and it is about the literacy strategy that his department has embarked on. As I mentioned, his department has the lead in this area, but one of the guiding principles of this literacy strategy is that this be a government-wide initiative and not just ECE out on an island acting in isolation. Can the Minister discuss how he intends to make this literacy strategy truly government-wide? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been working in collaboration with other government departments on the literacy strategy and while that has taken some effort to accomplish, we are doing that and continue to work closely with the various departments. As you can appreciate, sometimes in areas such as the plain English that may be needed, we need to involve the Department of Public Works, for example, on contracts and other areas. So we are working with other government departments. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I picked up on something the Minister said there and was encouraged. I think I heard him say "plain English." I am wondering can the Minister tell us if we are considering plain language legislation for this government?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not believe that is been looked at as of yet, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you. If this recommendation were to come out from the consultations that are being held, would the Minister bring this recommendation before Cabinet?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have all the details as to what will come out in the literacy strategy as of yet. Certainly once the strategy is brought forward, we have to look at all the implications in the plan to implement the strategy. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, not only am I interested in how collaboration within the Government of the Northwest Territories is going to work, but also with other stakeholders like private business. BHP, for instance, is embarking on some literacy initiatives of its own. Can the Minister tell us how they are collaborating with private industry and maybe specifically use BHP as an example? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The literacy strategy is very pervasive and broad, of course, because it takes into account the early childhood development plan that we are working on because that is part of literacy; the aboriginal language program; and literacy programs that may be in place such as adult basic education. I have had discussions with BHP. They have pointed out a particular need to bring some of their employees up to a level where they can read and write and deal with some very basic literacy areas. That is a challenge for the company that they are facing right now because some of their employees, their workforce, is in unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled levels. Many of their people are in the unskilled level and many people in that area are not literate. So they have a problem there. I am familiar with that.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I made reference to the unforeseen circumstances that we find ourselves in Fort McPherson with the high cost of operating the existing water system. It has increased by some $220,000 to $442,000 this year and a projected $400,000 next year. Knowing, Mr. Speaker, that the main cause is the THM problem in Fort McPherson with regard to the contamination of the water system that we have, because of that, the hamlet has no way of being able to recoup a lot of these costs. Yet, Mr. Speaker, this is an emergency and this has been recognized as a priority of this government. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, is there any possible way that the community of Fort McPherson could receive emergency funding to offset the costs that have doubled in the last year? Can the Minister tell me, is there a possibility of receiving supplementary emergency funding for this program?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am certainly aware of the Member's community problems with the water. It has been an ongoing issue. We had the liberty of meeting early this afternoon trying to resolve some of the problem areas. We are certainly on the path to some kind of resolution of the problem areas. Though it is going to take some time, I just wanted to advise the Member that we will continue to consult with the parties that are dealing with this matter. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in plain English, can the Minister go forward to Cabinet and ask for a supplementary appropriation to access funding to offset the costs to Fort McPherson?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not prepared at this time. I made a commitment earlier this afternoon to consult with all parties involved to verify the expenses and perhaps some expenses that were legitimate in the context of an original agreement. I have committed to that process and I will continue to work with the Member and also His Worship from Fort McPherson. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has programs in place to assist municipalities when they are in trouble financially or they find themselves in a deficit and also with regard to unforeseen circumstances. So can the Minister tell me does the municipality of Fort McPherson fit into any of those categories where they can receive funding from this government?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been working very diligently to address some of the key problems in the municipalities. We have introduced a new formula financing agreement, or at least a proposal, to provide another method of funding to the municipalities that would encompass other fiscal problems. Their intention, of course, is for the department to make it much more flexible so the communities have the ability to deal with some of those problems. At this point, we are still working on it and I am going to keep all Members informed of our progress. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the present time, the municipality's original budget was $220,000 to maintain funding in their budget. Almost half their budget right now is going to the cost of this increase to the water problem in Fort McPherson. Again, I would like to ask the Minister, will he make an effort besides just saying he is going to meet, to actually do something to deal with the problem in Fort McPherson?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we are undertaking a lot of work at this point and I do have a plan of action in place. We will continue that plan of action. Hopefully we will have that resolved in due time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Allen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for Mr. Handley, the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. In my Member's statement, I briefly outlined some of the challenges facing the growth of big game hunting with regard to Mackenzie wood bison. Could the honourable Minister please explain what the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is currently doing to persuade the United States of America to allow the importation of Mackenzie wood bison from Canada into the United States? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government and the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development do view the outfitting industry and outfitting potential in the Northwest Territories as a very important part. In the same way as the Member indicated in his Member's statement, we have succeeded with polar bears. We are also working to enable the import of buffalo or bison trophies into the United States. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you. The Minister is also aware that bow hunting is a growing sector of the big game hunting market. Can the Minister confirm whether or not bow hunting is permitted as a method of big game hunting for the Mackenzie wood bison?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if it is for bison hunting in the sanctuary. Certainly we allow bow hunting in a number of other areas. I will have to get the information for the Member on the hunting of that species in that particular location. Thanks.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister commit, should the regulations not allow for bow hunting, to change the regulations to allow bow hunting for Mackenzie wood bison? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, with the approval of the Wildlife Management Committee in Fort Providence and Rae-Edzo, we would certainly look at that. I do not know if there are some other reasons why it would not be allowed, but certainly I would take that under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department informs me that the feedback from the community with respect to the Women's Mobile Treatment Program has been very positive and that it meets the needs of the women in terms of not having to leave the community and can attend this while living in their own homes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree completely with the Member that this can be a family issue and where couples and families want to deal with this issue together, that is a very positive and productive choice. The female gender-specific mobile treatment program is to address women specifically. There also is a Youth Mobile Treatment Program which is being implemented.

As far as the issue of relapse and after care in the communities, as the Member knows, during the Dogrib Treaty 11 regional meeting held in April this year, a motion was passed to provide $578,000 for funding to establish the commitment to the Dogrib Addictions Strategy. Part of this money is for the training of drug and alcohol counsellors to work in the Dogrib communities. So hopefully they would be there to work with people who have taken treatment either in the South or at the territorial treatment centre at Nats'ejee K'eh. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is the wish of the department to work in cooperation and in partnership with communities in finding community solutions to community issues and challenges. We are open to doing whatever is the most effective use of the resources that we have, which all Members in this House know are limited. We do not have unlimited resources.

The Women's Mobile Treatment Program and the youth one, we are told, are very effective. It is not that we want to get away from the residential treatment, but that is usually a 28 day program and it is fairly costly but it is not that we do not want to have that as one option.

We also want to look at other options so that we have a comprehensive selection of different types of treatment that community members could access that we would be looking to find what is the most effective use of our resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I cannot break it down in terms of clients, but under the women's program, the funding allocated is $500,000. Actually, I should clarify that. I am not sure if that is all for the mobile treatment part of it, but I can tell you that the Nats'ejee K'eh facility, the financial commitment there is $1.3 million per year to operate. I would have to find out for the Member exactly what the mobile women's and youth programs are costing this government.

Mr. Speaker, I just also want to say that I think that the people of the North Slave certainly know the priorities that their Member is committed to. Sometimes we listen to Members on the opposite side of the House and it seems like everything is a priority. I do thank the Member for raising this again, this very important issue of addictions, and I will undertake to get that additional information for him on the funding allocation.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is addressed to the Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, and it is in relation to the conference that we will be attending briefly for half a day tomorrow. The Minister is a keynote speaker tomorrow morning to kick off the conference, which has a theme of tourism. I would be interested to know if the Minister would be willing to share some of the key points he intends to bring to the many people in the South Slave who have such a significant interest in tourism. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Member to be patient. If I go and give you the key points and the highlights of my speech here today, possibly nobody will show up tomorrow. It is going to pre-empt the whole thing. I can assure him that my speech is prepared. I think it will be a very positive one. Just be patient and tomorrow you will see. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister then indicate whether he will be addressing issues like the need to resuscitate regional tourism associations that we basically killed and gutted prior to division? Do we need two major tourism associations, one in the east and one in the west? I know over in the South Slave, and I think in other regions, that is a significant issue. I know it will be an issue that will be brought to him. Will he be in a position to address that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, certainly encouraging regional capacity building is important. Whether it is done as a regional zone or what kind of regional organization would be set up, I would like to leave a lot of that up to the regions. Yes, I will certainly be encouraging regions to plan, to work together, to make sure that they are able to take advantage of every opportunity they have within their regions. I, for one, do not believe that tourism has to be exactly the same for every part of the Territories. What is good in the South Slave might be a little different than what we may do in the North Slave or in the Delta. So in that sense, yes, I will be referring to the matter. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, Mr. Speaker, one of the big issues that will invariably arise as we talk about tourism and the need to do more things and better things in areas of the Northwest Territories is going to be the issue of resources. Could the Minister indicate whether he will be able to speak in a definitive, positive way to that particular question which I am sure will arise, especially in light of the hotel tax and the proposed money that the Minister has indicated should be available if all goes well? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I will not be getting into the budget of next year or anything like that for the South Slave region. I certainly will be making reference to the need to find ways of generating more revenues, particularly in these times when our fiscal situation is not as healthy as you might like. I will also be making some reference to the hotel tax, although I am not going there to speak primarily about that. Yes, we do need resources. I agree with the Member and I challenge people tomorrow to help me find ways of getting the necessary resources for this important part of our economy.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This issue of resources is probably going to be one of the more critical ones in our strategic planning. I would ask if the Minister could elaborate. Does he have any possible suggestions of other creative ways, or suggestions that he may be able to put on the table for communities in the South Slave? I do not want to belabour the hotel tax, but are there other areas where there are some creative possibilities that we as a community or as a region may not have thought of that he would be bringing to us tomorrow? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes. I do have other thoughts about other ways that revenues might be raised. Certainly some of them are more popular with some people than are others. I continue to look for creative ways of doing it. I realize that every time we want to spend money we have to raise it from somewhere. I do not expect tomorrow to lay out five other options, but I hope that at the conference tomorrow and on other occasions I will be hearing back from all sectors of tourism operations on ideas that they might have as well. I am open-minded on that matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.