Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate to the Member that this is a matter of concern, not only to my department but also to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, it is important for the residents of Fort McPherson to carefully follow the instructions that have been provided with the Brita filters. The Brita filters are an interim measure until a new water source can be accessed for the community. It is the best we can do in the interim. I would encourage residents to follow the instructions carefully.

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for me as a Minister to guarantee residents will do this. If there is any further information or public awareness we can provide in the community, we are certainly willing to take a look at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider looking at an outside professional to perform tests regarding the water problem in Fort McPherson? Someone who is outside the Government of the Northwest Territories, or existing laboratory services we have? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. The time allocated for the extended question period has expired. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is regarding THMs in the Fort McPherson drinking water.

During the second session of the 14th Legislative Assembly, the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services noted the urgent problems that residents of Fort McPherson were having with their drinking water.

I referred to an article in MacLean's magazine, January 24, 2000, which indicated the community of Endfield, Nova Scotia, has also had problems with trihalomethanes (THMs). That article stated that alarm bells were ringing because this group of chemical by-products is suspected of causing cases of bladder and colon cancer and possible stillbirths.

The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services is requested to:

1. Advise how she plans to make available to the residents of Fort McPherson all necessary preventative technologies, like x-rays and mammograms, which will allow for the possible early detection of these types of cancers.
2. Provide residents with guidelines for the effective use of Brita water systems.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Item 13, tabling of documents. The Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As required by section 32.1 subsection 2, of the Financial Administration Act. I am tabling a list of all interactivity transfers exceeding $250,000 within departments for the period April 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. The Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, March 2, 2000, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh that notwithstanding Rule 4, that when this House adjourns on Tuesday, February 29, 2000, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, March 21, 2000.

And further, that any time prior to March 21, 2000, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.

At the appropriate time, I will seek unanimous consent to deal with my motion today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Before we go on to Item 16, motions, the House will take a short break.

-- Break

The House will come back to order. Item 16, motions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS there has recently been increased interest in the development of natural gas resources of the Western Arctic;

AND WHEREAS Canada has commitments under the terms of the Kyoto Protocol to seek the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a reduction which can be realized in part through the use of natural gas;

AND WHEREAS these resources should be developed in a manner that provides for the greatest benefit to all parties, including northern people, governments and industry;

AND WHEREAS aboriginal leaders meeting in Fort Liard, have recently expressed their intention to work together to build a partnership to maximize the ownership of, and benefits from a Mackenzie Valley pipeline;

AND WHEREAS the construction of a natural gas pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley area will support the development of additional infrastructure which will benefit all Valley communities;

NOW THEREFORE I move seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that the 14th Legislative Assembly is committed to work cooperatively and in partnership with aboriginal governments to take control of the development of northern resources;

AND FURTHER that this Legislative Assembly urges the Government of the Northwest Territories, in partnership with aboriginal governments, to actively promote the development of a natural gas pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories seeks to maximize the benefits that would accrue to western Arctic communities with the development of a natural gas pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley;

AND FURTHERMORE, that this Legislative Assembly endorses the efforts of the Premier and the Executive Council in seeking, with aboriginal governments, the control of our natural resources and the sharing with these governments of the resource revenues arising from that development.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. We have a motion on the floor. To the motion. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been much talk of development in the Northwest Territories. Knowing our certain fiscal situation, it is very important we get on with developing our resources in cooperation with aboriginal governments of the Northwest Territories. It is time we worked together to benefit all residents of the Northwest Territories. Gone are the days when we could make a decision on our own, as a government or as a land claim group. Now is the day when we have to work together to benefit all residents, to provide employment and long term benefits. We are aware that recently the aboriginal leaders in Fort Liard, as stated in the motion, have agreed to work together to pursue the development of a natural gas pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley. I think this is a very important step that we, as a government, get on board, to assist them, and work along side with them. To pursue this, to see this potential developed so that northern residents will benefit from this development.

Mr. Speaker, especially coming from an area for example in the Mackenzie Delta, we went through a boom and bust cycle of the early oil development where we saw the Inuvik region balloon out to almost 7,000 people in the community alone, at certain times during this cycle. But at that time, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories' people were not ready to assume ownership of a lot of the companies that would take care of the work. A lot of the people, at that time, took positions such as camp attendants, labourers, light equipment operators. Now, Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of people who worked through that era and have developed themselves into business men who have new businesses that can take on the type of work that can be done here. We have aboriginal groups who have settled claims and those that are working on settling claims who can take on the job that is being provided here and provide true benefits to northern residents.

I think this is a move, as we have talked about, to work with aboriginal governments of the Northwest Territories. We can come together from this area and show the residents and the rest of Canada we have got it together. We are going to work together and bring results; not just talk about it, but bring results. This is very important today, Mr. Speaker.

We can no longer, as we are finding out as a government, totally depend on Ottawa. As we heard in the federal budget speech, there are some changes happening. But the net impact on the Northwest Territories will not cover the cost of doing business in the Northwest Territories. It grows every year. We, as northern residents, have to come together in a common theme to develop our resources that keeps our environment safe, that see jobs being developed in the Northwest Territories, not just short term, but long term as well, that sees the training being done at an acceptable rate that will not leave people out until the last part of the job is being done.

Gone is the day, Mr. Speaker, where we are the ones that fetch the water and chop the wood, so to speak. We now have the expertise in the Northwest Territories to be able to sign the contracts, to do the legal work. Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity for us as the Government of the Northwest Territories to work along side the aboriginal governments. To show our own people, to show Canada, and to show the world that we are able and we are ready to march into the new millennium. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. To the motion. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.