Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week marks a special celebration. March 20th to March 26th is being recognized as Social Workers Week. Health and social services boards in the Northwest Territories are honouring social workers and their contribution to building healthy communities.

Mr. Speaker, as you know from personal experience, social workers greatly contribute to community wellness. They provide a variety of services in the areas of mental health, community wellness, child protection, adoption counselling and crisis intervention. Social workers practice their skills in a number of settings, such as health care centres, family violence shelters, social work offices, correctional facilities, and in counselling settings.

Social workers have a challenging profession that demands flexibility and the skill to adapt to the priorities of the communities they serve. They make a difference and deserve our recognition.

The Department of Health and Social Services and boards were recently faced with a shortage of social workers. Today we are pleased to announce we have reduced this shortage and the department continues to receive inquires about social work employment opportunities. Perhaps the best news is that more and more Northerners are selecting social work as their career of choice. Recognition of social workers is important for recruiting and keeping social workers.

I am also pleased to give recognition to the work of the Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada that was formed two years ago. This organization represents social workers from all three territories. The association provides a collective voice to address the issues of practice and policy for their profession.

Fostering a network of peer support across the North is a priority. The association sponsors an annual general meeting that has an educational component. They have a regular newsletter that the department is pleased to co-sponsor this month.

They are also developing a web site. This web site will offer social workers the opportunity to get online to discuss issues and share ideas.

As part of Social Workers Week, I was pleased to join the celebration for Mary Beauchamp, who is a very committed social worker. She was given the first honourary lifetime membership to the Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada.

Mary began her social work career 34 years ago. This commitment is a statement of her dedication to the profession. Today, Mary provides her expertise as an adoptions consultant with the department. Much of her work is helping adults search for their biological parents and siblings. The rewards of this work are realized when there is a successful reunion of family members.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in an enthusiastic round of applause for Mary Beauchamp and all our social workers who are making a difference in our communities. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Indeed, we have a lot to be proud of in our young athletes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jake Ootes will be absent from the House this week to attend the International Rough Diamonds Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Premier Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last night, all of the Yellowknife Members had the privilege of hosting our first joint constituency meeting here in the Great Hall. It was very well attended. It was about a three-hour meeting. We must have had about 60 to 80 people in attendance and about 20 presenters. There was a wide variety of very important issues raised. I would just like to report to the House at this time on some of those issues, so we are all more aware.

I appreciate everyone who took time to attend, but especially those individuals who were there to address the Giant Mine pension issue. One individual, Mary Kosta, who I think we all know, now, has been on a hunger strike for three weeks in support of laid off miners who will soon have their pensions reduced by 25 percent. There were several very emotional appeals made for help. I think we can all realize that this is an emergency issue and action must be taken on compassionate grounds.

Several others raised concerns about changes to the Student Financial Assistance Act, Bill 4. Most of the concern focused around the impact on Metis and Inuvialuit students, and the change going from grants to remissible loans will have on their situation. Delays in passage of the bill were requested because there are more concerns that need to be addressed.

One of the most important concerns was that student input seems to be lacking. We have new legislation, but there is no new money. I think we need to talk to the students and see how they feel this will affect them.

There were also concerns raised over travel by Members. I think it was mentioned that it is very important for us to realize that we are travelling on public money, and we are accountable to the public when we return.

Roads were mentioned, specifically the road between Yellowknife and Rae, and an all-weather road to the Slave geological province. Money was mentioned, but I think the underlying factors were that we cannot put a price on safety. It is important to do something about this now.

One constituent mentioned the idea of possibly setting up a trustee for territorial pensions. He suggested this might help people in the North have protection against similar situations as those experienced by the Giant Mine pensioners.

Devolution of resources from the federal government was also mentioned. When will we receive control of our resources? What will this do to our federal grant? Do we have a plan or a timeframe? These are all very real concerns that were raised, Mr. Speaker.

A bill of rights is also needed in the North, and we have mentioned this many times.

Mr. Bell, your time is up.

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

The Member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Bell, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were also concerns about layoffs in the public service. People fear government will reduce the public service due to our deficit, and they wanted these concerns allayed.

The sunset clause was once again raised. When and how will it be dealt with? We do not want to see more committee reviews.

There was also some concern regarding government contracts. Regulations need to be changed to protect northern business. We need to establish a formal policy. There is a feeling that there is too much left for interpretation at this point. There was also concern about where and how government contracts are advertised.

The Business Incentive Policy was also discussed. It needs a review. People wanted to know why there are southern firms and international companies receiving BIPs. The policy should be there to support independant northern businesses, not corporations.

It was also mentioned that we need to be more aware of social agencies at work in the North and in Yellowknife, specifically groups like the Salvation Army, the Women's Centre, and the YWCA. They need the support of their MLAs and the government to continue providing the services they are delivering. Community service groups and social agencies also wanted involvement during committee decision-making, instead of being advised after the fact.

We also discussed sole-sourcing of contracts. There was concern with businesses taking contracts funded by social agencies.

Affirmative action issues also came up. The concern is the Affirmative Action Policy may not be doing what it was initially set up to do. It needs a review. All Members were asked and gave their support for an Affirmative Action Policy, but we want to see one that works.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend the meeting and voice their concerns. I would especially like to commend those individuals who are committed to fighting for the Giant Mine pension plan, and let them know they have our support as a House. Later in the week, we will be moving a motion to this end. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1999, the 64 employees of the central region of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation achieved zero loss time due to industrial accidents. These are all of the employees in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Rae-Edzo, Fort Resolution, Wha Ti, Rae Lakes and Lutsel K'e. This includes both management and employees. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation recognizes this considerable achievement with a $10,000 bonus to the group of employees. The employees in turn gave this funding to the central region Joint Occupational Health And Safety Committee to distribute.

This committee addresses workplace health and safety issues, and tries to eliminate the risk inherent in the work situation. Apparently, various ideas were considered, including something for each employee. However, in the end the committee decided to make a contribution of the full amount to the Fort Smith Health Centre.

The presentation was made last week during the committee's March meeting in Fort Smith. I would like to acknowledge this very generous contribution in this House from the Northwest Territories Power Corporation central region employees. I know the health centre will put the funds to good use, as they intend to purchase a signovscope. On behalf of the Fort Smith residents, to the central region employees, thank you very much.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the efforts of the Mackenzie Hotel Group in Inuvik. They just recently launched "A Fast Track to a Management" training program. They are looking for 25 people to enrol in a two-year Hospitality and Tourism Diploma Program. This program is being made possible through the commitment of the Mackenzie Hotel Group. The Mackenzie Hotel Group is working with the Aurora Campus and Red Deer College so that the participants can be prepared to take on the jobs after graduation.

The Mackenzie Hotel Group will guarantee jobs to participants who receive a 70 percent plus average. This is good news for the people of Inuvik and surrounding communities. Mr. Speaker, this is the spirit of entrepreneurship we have not seen for quite sometime in the region. During the 13th Assembly, it was said the government could no longer be the engine of the economy. But it was also stated that the government had to at least supply the fuel.

With that, I hope this government will provide some support to entrepreneurs like the Mackenzie Hotel Group, who have expended much in resources to date to develop the Fast Track Program.

In closing, I would like to congratulate the work of the Mackenzie Hotel Group for their effort and I hope that they indeed fill the 25 training positions. I believe they have filled ten of them to date. I would also like to send greetings back home to my wife and children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland, we always look forward to that. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to reflect on the week of March 5th to the 11th and the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of attending and taking part in the games as the coach of the Northwest Territories Junior Women's Curling Team. Although our team schedule kept us very busy and allowed us very little time to take part in any of the other sports, I can safely say that we enjoyed the games very much.

Mr. Speaker, the more than 315 participants from the Northwest Territories should be congratulated, first for being such great ambassadors and, secondly, for bringing home some 108 ulus including 42 gold.

As a coach, I get a great deal of satisfaction watching young athletes achieve their personal best performance when everything is on the line. Throughout the week there were many great performances, such as the 11 year-old Jason Baxter from Inuvik, who won a silver and two gold ulus in dog mushing, the first ever gold for the Northwest Territories in that sport.

There are many other examples far too numerous to mention here today. However, there were other events of a less positive note and some of these I will address during question period. Mr. Speaker, I would like at this time to recognize all the athletes from Hay River, who participated in the 2000 Arctic Winter Games and I congratulate all the ulu winners in all the sports. I want to especially recognize the following athletes:

• • Megan Crowley from Yellowknife;
• • Ashley Hval, Fort Smith; and
• • Dayna Haley and Katrina Delorey, both from Hay River.

These four young athletes made up the Northwest Territories junior women's curling team. I want to point out, Mr. Speaker, that they did not have the opportunity to curl together as a team prior to the games. However, they were able to pull it all together and bring home silver ulus, losing the final game to a stronger Alberta North team. However, Mr. Speaker, their silver ulu performance is not the reason for their special recognition here today. This team was able to overcome any personal differences they may have had, overcome two player injuries that occurred, as well as a few defeats along the way.

But more importantly, this team was able to seize the spirit of the games and as a result received the Fair Play Award for female curling. These girls were very happy to receive this award. As their coach, I was extremely proud of them. Fair play and good sportsmanship, Mr. Speaker, I believe is what the games are all about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask all Members to pause for a moment today, March 21st, in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Mr. Speaker, discrimination refers to actions at the individual level which assert the natural superiority of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or culture over another. It also involves institutionalized discriminatory practices that protect and maintain the position of certain groups, and continue the inferior position of others.

The Northwest Territories is blessed with a diverse population made up of peoples of different history, culture, education, religions, languages, gender and lifestyles. And with these rich blessings also come immense challenges. As citizens of the Northwest Territories, we must ensure that our actions embrace, value and respect this diversity through our words, actions, customs and styles and attitudes.

As legislators of the Northwest Territories, it is our duty to remove structural and behavioural barriers which inhibit the full participation of all members of society in all aspects and at all levels through inclusive policies, programs and practices that are adaptive to the needs of our evolving society.

We must be diligent, Mr. Speaker, that the Government of the Northwest Territories policies such as affirmative action and the equality of men and women in the Northwest Territories are continuously monitored for proper application and effectiveness and, when necessary, amended to meet our common goals.

Discrimination takes many forms, Mr. Speaker, as do the steps needed to eradicate it. Mr. Speaker, I firmly believe that together we can make a difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend, CBC television aired a documentary titled "Olympians". The athletes that were presented were Shirley and Sharon Firth. Shirley and Sharon are twin sisters from the Mackenzie Delta who are indeed unique Canadians. I felt that it was time to also pay honour to them in this House.

Shirley and Sharon are products of the Territorial Experimental Ski Training Program, more commonly known as the TEST program. This program began in 1965 under Father Monchet and coach Bjoyer Pettersen. The program produced many national level and several Olympic level athletes. The program also placed Inuvik on the map of the cross country skiing world.

Mr. Speaker, Sharon and Shirley are unique in that they have done what no other Canadian woman has done. In fact, they have done what no other Canadian aboriginal person has done. The Firth twins are the only Canadian women to have represented Canada at four Olympic Games. Together, the ladies have 48 Canadian championships.

These, Mr. Speaker, are only the triumphs that are recorded on paper. There are other achievements that can be attributed to these women that are not recorded on paper.

Mr. Speaker, the Firth sisters have given hope to many aboriginal youth in small communities throughout the Northwest Territories and Canada. They have served as role models to all Canadians. Sharon and Shirley have represented the Northwest Territories and Canada all over the world and are the subject of television documentaries, such as the one aired this weekend. Throughout all of this, they remain true and proud of their Loucheux roots and heritage, and their origins in the Mackenzie Delta.

Mr. Speaker; as an aboriginal person from the Mackenzie Delta, I wish to thank Shirley and Sharon Firth for the trail they have blazed for the people of the Northwest Territories and Canada. I want to thank them for being an example of what Northwest Territories youth can aspire to at the national and international scene. Lastly, I want to acknowledge them in...

Mr. Krutko, your time has expired.

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

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I want to thank them for being an example of what Northwest Territories youth can aspire, and at what lengths they can go to achieve national and international success. Lastly, I want to acknowledge them in the capacity that they have shown as role models to all Canadians.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the other Members to congratulate these two unique ladies for achieving what they have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Indeed, the Firth twins have been able representatives of the Northwest Territories for many years. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 7th through the 10th, I travelled up to Inuvik to attend the Beaufort Delta Leaders' Conference. It was nice to see the leadership working together on identifying solutions to regional problems. The first two days, the leaders participated in a self-government workshop. This workshop focused on identifying common issues and prioritizing these issues as a group. I truly believe that workshops of this type are extremely valuable and important as the Beaufort Delta prepares for self-government.

A representative from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation also made a presentation on the hydro-carbon development in the region. This development is going to have a great impact on the region and provides us, the Government of the Northwest Territories, an excellent opportunity to work in partnership with the Inuvialuit to ensure that these resources are developed in a manner that ensures long-term local, regional and territorial benefits. Overall, Mr. Speaker, the conference was a success. I look forward to working with the Beaufort Delta Leadership to assist them in meeting their goals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I too would like to highlight the concerns raised last evening in the Great Hall at our constituency meeting, attended by six of the seven Yellowknife MLAs. Mr. Bell has already given us a very thorough review of a number of the points, but there were two or three that I would like to highlight.

Mary Kosta, in her 22nd day of a hunger strike who, along with the Canadian Autoworkers' Local, is working so hard on behalf of Giant Mine pensioners to secure a fair and just entitlement. Highlighting, in a very passionate way, the unfair treatment and deplorable position Giant Mine pensioners, widows, retirees and former employees are in, who have not received severance pay are in.

She has asked us to put forth a motion calling on the federal government to provide immediate relief of Giant Mine pensioners and laid off workers. I should add that many MLAs have written to federal ministers seeking an immediate remedy to this unjust treatment. In the longer term, this House, Mr. Speaker, needs to seek control of legislation which affects not only our resources, but our workers, so that pensioners of the future can also be assured fair and just treatment in an accountable system of government.

The need for a vision and a plan of where we want to go in this Assembly over the next five to 15 years was also raised in relation to devolution of programs and the transfer of authority and responsibility of resources from the federal government. Caucus continues to work on this vision. We must remember that it has to be inclusive of many to be successful. We have been preoccupied, Mr. Speaker, with economic, development and fiscal issues, but we were reminded last night that we also have an obligation and an expectation on the broadest possible scale, to develop a caring and fair-minded society.

We heard from representatives of the non-government organizations, Mr. Speaker. There is a heavy burden placed on the social safety net in Yellowknife as a result of sexual and spousal assaults, gender issues, lack of self-esteem, and many other social ills. We value the efforts and the energy of the people behind these community support group efforts, Mr. Speaker, and we continue to press for the kinds of things that they want to achieve.

Mr. Braden, your time has expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, that ends my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to speak about the meeting the Yellowknife Members held with our constituents last night. Previous speakers have addressed a range of issues. One issue I would like to concentrate on has to do with the Giant employees.

We heard many presentations about the Giant Mine pensioners, and particularly from Mary Kosta. The impact not only on these pensioners, but also on the widows and the widows-to-be is something I think we have to encourage the federal government to deal with very quickly. After all, they will soon suffer a drop of about 25 percent in their pensions as a result of the company having under-funded the pension plan.

Mr. Speaker, I think the way these employees were treated by their former employer is disgraceful. There is no severance pay. I think the federal government should be ashamed that their legislation allowed this to happen.

We have talked in this House a number of times about devolution. Mr. Speaker, I think it is time to talk about devolution for labour legislation as well. I think it is time that we took over labour legislation in the Northwest Territories.

This is not just because of this issue, but unfortunately relates back to the Giant Mine strike. I know I was tremendously frustrated in the days of that strike by the failure of the federal government to act. Northerners should be able to decide whether to prohibit replacement workers in our own legislation. We should not be stuck waiting for a federal Minister thousands of miles away to decide that it is indeed a crisis.

Northerners should have our own developed and designed in the North legislation protecting workers. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call on the government to move quickly to bring forward a legislative proposal on labour legislation. This should then go out for public discussion. Then I believe we should move to occupy the field of labour legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have three returns to oral questions.

On Wednesday February 23, 2000, the Member for Range Lake asked me if I knew the cause of a truck accident on Sunday, February 20, 2000, and whether it was attributable to the road conditions. The Member's question was very specific and called on me to make a judgment on the cause of the accident, which would have been speculation on my part.

The Department of Transportation monitors and keeps reports on the motor vehicle accidents that occur in the Northwest Territories, including municipalities, but it does not analyze or investigate accidents for the purpose of assigning a cause or causes.

The Department of Transportation received a copy of the official accident report from the Rae-Edzo detachment of the RCMP on Monday, February 28, 2000. Without implying any criticism whatsoever of the RCMP, the department received the report a week after the accident took place and three working days after the Member asked me her question in the House.

The accident occurred on Sunday morning shortly after 10:00 a.m., and involved a B-train transport hauling diesel fuel towards Yellowknife, about 15 kilometres north of Boundary Creek on Highway No. 3.

The driver reported that as he entered a left curve in the highway, he met an oncoming northbound tanker. He steered a bit too far to the right and the tractor's right front wheel caught the right shoulder of the road. The driver lost control of the truck. It left the road and rolled over 270 degrees into the ditch. The driver sustained minor injuries that were attended to at Stanton Regional Hospital.

The road surface was clear and in good condition. There was some limitation in visibility due to light snowfall. Traffic signs were in place warning of the curve ahead and advising a speed of 70 kilometres per hour. This was the speed the driver reported he was travelling. The RCMP report there are no charges pending in the incident.

Mr. Speaker, I have a second return to an oral question asked by Mr. Nitah on February 25th, 2000, referencing improving Northwest Territories highways.

The Member for Tu Nedhe asked me if the Department of Transportation had looked at alternatives to calcium as a surfacing material on the existing unpaved roads in the Northwest Territories.

The best material for stabilizing the surface of gravel roads depends on several factors, such as the strength of the road grade, the type of material in the road grade, traffic volumes and the available funds. Most of our gravel highways were built many years ago, and lack the strength required to support a rigid topping, such as pavement or chipseal. The best traveling surface is obtained from a product that remains flexible, is resistant to traffic wear, lasts over a summer season and can be reworked with highway maintenance equipment.

Calcium chloride has the required properties and it can be delivered and placed on our highways at an economical cost. The product comes from wells near Slave Lake, Alberta. The delivered cost for calcium chloride is much lower than for other competing products.

The department has considered and used products other than calcium chloride for stabilizing gravel highway surfaces. It has, for example, tried oil based and lignosulfate-based stabilization products. So far, no product is available that compares in price and performance to calcium chloride. It remains the Department of Transportation's best option for stabilizing gravel surface roads.

Mr. Speaker, my final return to an oral question is a return to a question asked by Mr. Krutko, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, referencing highway maintenance funding.

The Member for Mackenzie Delta asked me if the Department of Transportation kept a contingency fund in case of some extraordinary event that required the department to make an unexpected and large expenditure on repairs.

No, the Department of Transportation does not maintain a contingency fund. The department's annual budget and the purposes for which it is to be spent is approved by this Legislative Assembly. There is no line item in the department's budget labeled "contingency".

In the event of an extraordinary expenditure requirement, the department would first look to see if, or to what extent, it could manage the expenditure internally. If it could not manage the expenditure internally, the department would have to seek supplemental funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Bell on February 29th, on accounting for tangible capital assets.

The government is planning on implementing the new approach to accounting for tangible capital assets in the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

A work plan has been developed which includes an initial inventory and valuation of capital assets to enable an estimate of the amortization expense to be included in the 2000-2001 main estimates. Although some delays have been encountered, we do expect that departments will have completed the initial inventory in time to implement the changes with the 2000-2001 main estimates.

The amortization expense included in the main estimates will be our best estimate based on information currently available. We will be working with departments to refine the valuation and amortization of capital assets.

We may encounter a number of issues related to the valuation or title of assets. These issues will need to be clarified and corrected prior to finalizing the reporting of the tangible capital assets in the 2000-2001 public accounts. However, we still anticipate being able to complete the exercise during the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

Actual amortization expenses for the 2000-2001 fiscal year will vary from the amount included in the main estimates as we progress in resolving valuation and title issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Miltenberger on February 29th, 2000, on the update on the power rate review.

There are no legislative changes proposed at present. The Public Utilities Board requested proposals from interested parties with respect to a strategic and operational review of its operations.

The review may lead to legislative changes. Due to concerns raised by an unsuccessful proponent in the request for proposals, the Public Utilities Board withdrew the contract.

The Public Utilities Board is considering revisions to the request for proposals and expects to reissue the request for proposals later this year, probably in June, 2000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. 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 chief from Aklavik, Mr. Charlie Furlong.

-- Applause

Welcome to the gallery, Mr. Furlong. 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 two former Hay Riverites, Pat Thomas and Georgina Rowe.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Welcome, Mr. Furlong. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, who is a former teacher from Sir John Franklin High School, who also taught me how to drive about 20 years ago.

-- Laughter

Welcome, Mr. Jeske.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Jeske also taught me how to drive some 40 years ago. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a very special visitor in the gallery, Mrs. Whitford.

-- Applause

To everyone else who has taken this opportunity to visit us, welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is addressed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, I was approached by a constituent of mine who is disabled, and as well, the recipient of a new pair of glasses. He had received a pair of glasses from the Stanton eye team.

Mr. Speaker, when he showed me the glasses, I can only say that I was shocked by the quality. The edges of the glass were all chipped. As well, there were fractures along the edges. These were brand new glasses.

I want to thank the Minister for her assistance in dealing with this particular constituent. But I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that this may be indicative of greater quality control problems and service, hopefully not just to the constituency of Fort Smith or the disabled, but a concern across the North.

I would like to ask the Minister if she is going to check on this to ensure there is a radical standard of quality for all recipients of this service. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very much aware of the issue the Member raises in the House today and in the form of this question.

The constituent he spoke of was prescribed eyeglasses, which were ordered through the Stanton eye team. They came to him through the Family Vision Centre. When they arrived, they were damaged, and the constituent rightly passed these on to his MLA who passed them on to me.

I had them on my desk in my office. I saw first hand the condition of the eyeglasses. I concur with the Member that there was something seriously wrong with the workmanship in these glasses.

I hope that this is an isolated incident. However, if anyone else has similar issues where constituents have received eyeglasses which were not up to normal standards, I would be pleased to hear about it and would undertake to deal with the company on this.

I hope this is an isolated incident. I understand the constituent in question will have new glasses by the end of this month. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While I share the Minister's hope that this is an isolated example or incident, I would like to ask the Minister if she would commit to making sure, through her department, that the service providers are notified about the expectation of adequate service to all the people they serve. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe this was an isolated and unfortunate incident. If it became apparent that there were numerous cases of this, I would undertake to communicate with the providers of the eyeglasses.

I think there is a process that has been followed. It was an unsatisfactory purchase. The merchandise has been returned. It will be replaced. If there appears to be a broader issue and a broader problem, it may require direct communication with the supplier in the future. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister, hopefully in the not too distant future, will be coming to Fort Smith. I would ask that she add this issue to her briefing book. I am sure it will come up from the particular constituents involved. Once the word is out of the Minister's concern, I am sure others will be there with their concerns as well, not only about eyeglasses, but a whole myriad of related health issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. There was a question in there as to whether or not the Minister would add that to her briefing book, but it was more of a comment.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we have been busy preparing budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, I know the finance Minister has travelled down to Ottawa to speak to Ministers in Ottawa regarding our fiscal situation. I would like the Minister to update this house as to whether or not his discussions in Ottawa were successful in getting more dollars for the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The visit to Ottawa and the meeting with Finance Minister Martin was successful as a first step towards getting more money for the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Martin listened very well and carefully, and I think with some enthusiasm, to our description of the resources and the resource potential we have in the North.

As well, he listened very carefully to our concerns regarding the performance of the formula. I think it was a good first step, with the intention that we will be following up. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us what the next steps will be? Will they be in time to help us out with our present budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Finance has committed to having a senior member of his staff, a member responsible for provincial-federal, territorial-federal fiscal relationships, come to Yellowknife to sit down with our finance people and go through the formula and our reasons why we feel it is not working well. We intend to have that done next week.

As well, we have made a commitment to provide the federal Minister of Finance and other Ministers with more information on our resource development potential. We hope to have a draft of the economic strategy, that is a work of a steering committee representing a lot of people, in his hands within the next two or three weeks. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister spoke of the economic strategy that he will hopefully be able to present to the Ministers in Ottawa. Can the Minister inform us that this strategy will be shared with this Assembly as well, as we prepare to provide information to Ottawa? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the economic development strategy is really a strategy that is being developed through the direction and advice of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. I think that it is a question that might be referred to the Minister there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding the finances and potential debt wall that is sitting out there for us in the near future, is this Minister confident the meeting that will take place will positively impact our bottom line so we do not hit that debt wall? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that our discussions will be fruitful for us. I cannot say with any certainty that we will be successful in our negotiations regarding the financing formula. The federal Minister of Finance was very clear with us that it would be a tough sell and all we can do is do our best at it. In any case, I can assure the Member I am very confident we are not going to hit our borrowing limit. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware that the department is not maintaining the road. I believe the department has a maintenance schedule for all aspects of the highway, in particular Highway No. 3, which is heavily impacted with truck traffic.

I could take the question to the department and get a response to the Member to see exactly what our maintenance schedule is on the road. I believe the department does perform what they believe is sufficient maintenance on that particular stretch of highway. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 3 has a high priority, probably the highest priority of the highways as far as the department is concerned, which is relative to the amount of traffic on this particular stretch of highway.

Again, to be more specific, I will ask the department to respond in writing to the Member and identify what the priority rating of that highway is. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated in my opening remarks, there were some aspects of the Arctic Winter Games that did not shine such a positive light on the games, as did the statements that were made in this House so far. I would like to address a few of them with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

There has been concern in the House that we look at the Arctic Winter Games and the size they are getting to be and the problems associated with organizing the games.

I think we have reached a point with the Arctic Winter Games where there are very few centres that are capable of hosting the games. I would suspect Yellowknife would be a hard stretch to host the games and cover all the aspects, as was Whitehorse.

When we hear stories like two coaches, one from Yellowknife, Natasha McGage and Jack Keith from Hay River, who had their clothing stolen as well as wallets, personal effects and money simply because they did not have any security on duty at that time.

You hear stories about the games having a $100,000 budget for food and by midweek they were already $5,000 over budget. It really raises some questions as to the size of the games. I suppose we all heard about the sexual charges that were laid against a security guard at the games in Whitehorse.

There were a number of concerns within organizational meetings that the international committee, that sets most of the rules for the games, is very close to listening to remarks from other bodies as far as setting up the games.

I was wondering if the Minister could tell me what he sees as the Municipal and Community Affairs role in setting rules and regulations and organizational procedure for the games? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sexual charges that I mentioned, I consider them to be very serious. Although when I heard them on the radio, they were not a surprise to me.

I would like to mention the situation the junior girls curling team was put in the venue in Whitehorse. They were put in a school where it was an all female venue. They were in with female hockey players and female curlers. The security staff that was on duty in that school was all male.

To make the situation worse, my wife was the chaperone of our team and was very uncomfortable with the situation there. When any of the girls wanted to go to the washroom or the showers, they had to walk directly by the security desk at the front of the school. Having all male staff made for an uncomfortable situation .

Additionally, if I wanted to check with my team, I had to check with the desk. They would not let me pass that because it was all female. Yet the male guard that was down hall would walk right into the classrooms to check with somebody. It created a very uncomfortable situation.

I would like confirmation from the Minister that he will address that particular situation and look into how they could better that situation.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Members are reminded to keep the preamble to the first part of the question, and refrain from too long of a preamble in the subsequent supplementary questions. The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The next Arctic Winter Games are scheduled to go in Nunavut and Greenland. There is already talk about dropping some sports from the games because they are unable to host them. One of the sports that is being considered to be dropped form the venue is the biathlon. The biathlon has been involved in the sports since 1974. It is a sport that has the potential to allow some of our smaller communities to participate.

I was wondering if the Minister could inform us if he indeed knows that this sport is being eliminated from the Arctic Winter Games?

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister partially answered my question, but I think we have to look at who is going to be hosting the games. Splitting the games up the way they are for the next games, it may open up an avenue where smaller communities such as Hay River, Fort Smith and...

Excuse me. Mr. Delorey, the supplementary should just be a question. Please go right to the question.

Would the Minister consider looking at that type of proposal for the games?

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen, regarding the Aklavik trail they have been working on for a number of years to the mountains. His predecessor, Mr. Antoine, made a commitment to the people of Aklavik that they will continue to work on the strategy to someday have a road from Aklavik to the Dempster Highway.

This was one of the methods of getting there. Whether it takes us ten years or 20 years, we are going to get there someday. This project was supposed to be the kick start of a project that would be ongoing. But as I see now, through the interim appropriation and commitments from this government...I would like to ask the Minister how committed is his department to ensuring this project continues?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have two different projects here for Aklavik. One of the projects is an ATV trail to the mountains from Aklavik. I understand there was an original cost of $99,000. The department is still working with the community to put this particular trail in place. There is no change in the plans to my knowledge. Thank you.

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