Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I congratulated Ms. Glenna Hansen on her appointment to the Commissioner's Office. Today, I would like to thank the current Commissioner, Mr. Dan Marion, for his service to the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Marion served four years as Deputy Commissioner until April of last year, when he became the first Commissioner of the new Northwest Territories.

Although he currently resides in Rae-Edzo, Mr. Marion has, over the years, lived in many other Northwest Territories communities. In each place he has lived, he has participated in community life and contributed to the well-being of those around him.

Before his appointment as Commissioner, Mr. Marion already led a very active public life. He has served the people of his community and the Northwest Territories in a number of capacities.

He has been elected eight times to the Rae-Edzo Hamlet Council, serving as mayor of Rae-Edzo for three terms. He is a former member of the Rae-Edzo School Society, a past executive director of the Dene Band Development Corporation and has served as a member of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation's board of directors.

Through his own business interests and through business organizations in which he participated, Mr. Marion also contributed to the economic growth of his community.

Mr. Marion's life experiences prepared him well for his duties as the first Commissioner of the new Northwest Territories. During his travels last year, Mr. Marion was known in every community he visited. His familiarity with the people, history and geography of the North has enriched the activities of his office.

Mr. Marion can relate to people on a one-to-one basis. When you are talking with him, you know that he is focused on what you are saying. This personal touch carried through in his duties as Commissioner. He cares about people.

Mr. Marion, like most Northerners, has also learned to adapt to changing conditions and make the best of any given situation. I can recall an event in Deline where he was asked to represent Canada in his role as Commissioner.

As the day unfolded, circumstances beyond anyone's control resulted in Mr. Marion representing not only his country but also two absent federal Ministers.

Faced with the task of delivering three speeches, Mr. Marion decided instead to combine them into one. He then proceeded to pick and choose the best parts of each of the speeches on hand, careful to give credit where credit was due, all while standing at the podium making his presentation. I thought he was a very resourceful Commissioner indeed.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, all of the Ministers and myself, I would like once again to thank Mr. Marion for his years as Deputy Commissioner and for his time he served so well as Commissioner. I wish him the best in his future endeavours. Mahsi.

-- Applause

Thank you, Premier Kakfwi. Later today, the House will be showing its appreciation to Commissioner Marion in a presentation. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the United Nations had designated March 22nd the World Day for Water. Since 1993, World Day for Water has drawn attention to the importance of water to human life.

It is important to consider how we must protect the world's water resources. Water is an important part of our daily lives. We need water to drink, for cooking and for cleaning. Water is also needed for agriculture and industry.

In Canada, we are fortunate to have an abundance of water to meet our daily needs. Sometimes we take water for granted. Other countries are not so lucky. There are many people around the world who do not have access to safe and affordable drinking water. Many more do not have access to basic sanitation for their water sources.

Between three and four million people die every year from water-borne diseases. This is not always a problem somewhere else. As Canadians, we must keep that in mind.

The Northwest Territories has an abundance of fresh water resources, but this does not mean we will always have access to clean, safe water supplies. Recently, problems with THMs in Fort McPherson's water supply show us that we must continue to take great care of our water resources in the Northwest Territories.

The World Day for Water recognizes the importance of safe water in our lives. The theme for this year was "Water of the 21st Century". This theme was chosen because we have to make decisions on how we protect future water resources. Drinking water must be treated to protect us and keep everyone healthy. Waste water must also be treated before it is disposed, to avoid pollutants in our water supplies.

Careful and effective management of our water supply today...

Mr. Krutko, your time has expired.

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

The honourable Member for the Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Krutko, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Careful and effective management of our water supply today will help ensure continued access to safe water for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, access to safe water is an important issue in our communities. I would like to invite my fellow MLAs to join me today in recognizing that water plays an important role in all our lives, and we must take care in protecting that resource. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the committee of the whole discussion yesterday, I voted against a motion to reduce the government's supplementary budget by $160,000. Due to a procedural misunderstanding on my part, I missed an opportunity to explain my position. I would like to take this opportunity to do so.

Mr. Speaker, the stated reasons for this motion were: to reinforce the importance of fiscal responsibility; and as a symbolic gesture, to force the Premier and the Executive to lead by example.

I carefully listened to both sides of the argument on this motion in and out of this House. In the end, I concluded that I could not vote for it for a number of reasons. At the outset, Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that I respect the right of all Members of this House to introduce and pass a motion. But I also respect my right to disagree and state the reason.

Simply put, Mr. Speaker, in my view, this motion was not rationally connected to the stated reasons. With respect to the need for a symbolic gesture on the part of the Premier and the Executive, I note this was already accomplished by the reduction of $100,000 made in the interim budget. There was no further rationale for asking for another symbolic gesture.

On the issue of fiscal responsibility, Mr. Speaker, I want there to be no doubt that I believe in this government's need for fiscal responsibility in all manners of spending. But I also believe that this cannot be achieved by a piecemeal approach of a miniscule reduction of an arbitrarily picked number from a small section of one department.

Mr. Speaker, in this Session, we have reviewed and passed an interim appropriation upwards of $326 million. The capital spending had to take a cut of $10 million. We have heard the protest from every Member in this House for the cuts that had to be made in their own riding.

The fiscal situation of this government is in a dire situation. It calls for a big vision and big decisions, not small, symbolic gestures.

Mr. Speaker, we know we need more money than we have. For example, as I have stated many times in this House, the Highway No. 3 reconstruction that my constituents want so badly will cost $60 million to build. But the reality is, this is more than the total capital interim budget of this government. It does not take a math genius to realize that the way for me to find $60 million is not a small, miniscule, irrational cut of $160,000 from last year's budget.

I believe what we need is for this House to work together for a common vision and fiscal leadership.

Ms. Lee, your time has expired.

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

The Member for Range Lake is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Ms. Lee, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I believe what we need is for this House to work together for a common vision and fiscal leadership. That requires an honest and comprehensive debate between both sides of this House on all revenue options and spending priorities.

In the short time we have had, we have not had the opportunity to do this. Further, Mr. Speaker, until such time as we have a party system, we operate under a consensus system. For better or worse, this means there is no official opposition party in this House. I know my voters did not elect me to oppose everything in this House. They elected me to use all of my resources to make good decisions and to contribute to a good government for the good of all people.

I firmly believe, Mr. Speaker, as an Ordinary Member in a consensus government, I have a real opportunity to do that. I have a say on setting priorities and setting the agenda for the government. I will not forfeit the responsibility by a piecemeal approach. I will not give up that leadership role.

In my view, this motion was contrary to the real power and influence I have in this House in the overall decision-making process.

Mr. Speaker, I helped select this Cabinet. I want to see it work. At the very least, I want to give it a chance to work. I know the people of the Northwest Territories want this government to work. It has only been ten weeks since the Cabinet was selected. Personally, if I were given a job of governing, I would expect people to give me more than ten weeks to prove myself.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as we close this Session today, I know the Premier will be setting out soon to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss the need for investment in our people and economy in more detail. I want to express my support for his endeavour, and let him know I sincerely hope he succeeds in advancing this agenda. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, if he does not succeed, there is no doubt in my mind that everyone in this House will face a decision 100 times tougher than a motion to reduce a mere $160,000 from the government's budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss and speak to the issue of the PeopleSoft system. During the recent committee of the whole review of the Financial Management Board Secretariat, I started to ask questions about the PeopleSoft project. With each answer I was given, the whole situation looked worse.

Mr. Speaker, during the 1990s, the government used a home-grown human resource system to track people and positions, which also had the ability to track competitions. This was not a perfect system, mostly because departments did not keep up information. However, from what I have been told, the staff found it very easy to use and access information. It could be used without extensive training.

Someone decided we needed a better system. The Financial Management Board Secretariat came up with the pre-made PeopleSoft system. The project has been three years in the making so far and has cost millions of dollars and thousands of hours of time, at a time when we are trying to watch our costs and make the best use of our resources.

Based on the information we have received, Mr. Speaker, I have a concern that we may have bought a white elephant. The system was supposed to be up and running early in 1999. Health and social services boards are still not all on board. The project is $2 million over budget so far. Although the Minister indicated otherwise, when you look in the GNWT's phone book, it shows more than a dozen people still working full time in the Financial Management Board Secretariat on implementing this system.

I also understand it does not have the ability to track competition information. If it does, this information is not available to departments. The users complain, Mr. Speaker. I have been approached countless times about how complicated the system is and how non-user-friendly it is. The training alone is five days, with imported PeopleSoft trainers. This is even more money, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we also discovered the system runs a payroll, which the old system did not. However, when it does run a payroll, three days out of every ten, the system is unavailable for any other use. So for 70 percent of the time, no information on employees or positions can be checked, added or revised. If you have a problem with your benefits during that time period, you have to wait. It would seem we have a system that costs millions but can only do one thing at a time.

Mr. Miltenberger, you time has expired.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have also heard that any changes to reflect specific GNWT needs are very difficult and costly, and of course have to be done by the PeopleSoft company, which means more contracts. I point out that in the last contract document alone, there was $1.3 million in PeopleSoft contracts.

A clear reflection on how well this program works was made apparent when we talked about Nunavut. Nunavut was supposed to be a partner in this system, Mr. Speaker, but they were so dissatisfied that they pulled out and have left us holding the bag, and a leaking bag at that, Mr. Speaker.

The bottom line was supposed to be better information. The recent information and dispute over positions in this House, and the last document tabled by the Minister responsible for Finance, a document that is a masterpiece of equivocation and plausible deniability, shows the information is no better. The departments and the government cannot clearly define where all the positions or the resources are.

We have made a significant investment, Mr. Speaker, but we have to take a careful look at where we are going and what we are doing. Do we keep sinking our money into this PeopleSoft system, which can and may be, and all practical indications are that it is a black hole in terms of finances.

Mr. Speaker, we have to make sure this situation does not occur again. As we look at tangible asset systems and pension systems, we cannot afford to have $2 million cost overruns. During the next Session and business plans, I will have further questions for the Minister on this issue. Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is April 1st. I know it is April Fool's day, but only until noon. It is also the first day of the new fiscal year, a significant day for at least some of us in government.

But it also has other significance, as it is our first birthday as the new Northwest Territories.

-- Applause

Is it a cause for celebration? We all know the history and the reasons. It is our friends and neighbours in Nunavut who are the ones who really have something to celebrate, or at least ponder, about their first year as Canada's newest partner in confederation.

Here in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, I expect our first birthday will be a rather melancholy kind of day. I do not see any plans for parades or fireworks. However, I am not disappointed.

That is because we have not finished the job of building the new Northwest Territories. In reality, we have just started, and I am in no hurry. I take a page from the history of Nunavut, which goes back 30 years to the days when John Amogoalik, Peter Erneck, and Tagak Curley created their vision for their own homeland.

It took them two decades to achieve their dream. We are a bit like them, Mr. Speaker. We have big ideas, as well as big problems. We are still struggling to get the powers in Ottawa to really pay attention to us.

Later today, our colleague, Mr. Nitah, will table our Assembly's vision of how we will proceed towards a better tomorrow. We will have more birthdays, Mr. Speaker, before we really, truly say we have come of age and we have become, in every sense of the word, the new Northwest Territories. It will take time. But by then, we will have carved out our place as a strong, proud and prosperous part of Canada.

So I say, happy first birthday to our neighbours and colleagues in Nunavut. And to the people of the Northwest Territories, I say our big day still lies ahead of us. We still have a lot of talking and thinking and commitment ahead of us before the day when we, too, will unfurl our new flag, our new purpose, and I believe, Mr. Speaker, our new name for the rest of the world to envy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also want to be part of a team that builds a strong, new Northwest Territories. Although we have had some trying times over the interim appropriation, early in our life, I think those are growing pains.

I want to be able to contribute to the development of the Northwest Territories in a positive way. That is why, Mr. Speaker, when I review interim appropriations, the main estimates, bills that come forward, I request a fair bit of information to ensure I am accurately reading what is put before me.

Having a bit of experience from the 13th Assembly, I like to use that experience to help me continue to do a good job, or at least try to. Mr. Speaker, we know it has been a short time to get up and running and put an interim appropriation in place. We saw it pass. We heard a lot of questions, and there was some debate.

We have put the first piece of the puzzle in place. Mr. Speaker, I believe yesterday the Minister responsible for Finance showed a bit of commitment by tabling the capital plan comparisons to put that information out there. I know it is a short time and the departments were probably working long hours to make sure this information was available.

It is that information that I require to do my job properly. As I reviewed the information in the comparison to the interim appropriation, I think I will still need a bit of clarification. Some of the numbers that are in this document are different from what I have viewed in the interim appropriation.

Mr. Speaker, I talked about doing a good job. The government has talked about accountability and transparency. Working together, we can show the people of the Northwest Territories that we are all working for the best cause, and that is the people, not the government.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will seek further clarification from the Minister responsible for Finance later today. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the Canadian Championship Dog Derby. Mr. Speaker, this derby has a history going back more than 40 years. It is a grueling race which takes place here, starting on the ice of Frame Lake and out onto Great Slave, for a total amount of 150 miles spread over three days.

Mr. Speaker, the race starts today at 12:30 p.m., and at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. This year, it features more than 20 teams from across Canada, some from as far away as Spain.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Championship Dog Derby is now part of a points formula for mushers, which means, as befits a world class race, it will attract more mushers from across Canada and the rest of the world in the future.

Mr. Speaker, dog-team racing is a very important part of our history. It has produced some world-class mushers from the North. On behalf of all of the Members today, I would like to wish all of the mushers good speed and safe racing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. I have it on good authority that it is a very fast trail this year. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is the fifth and final day for the pages that are here from Fort Providence. I want to thank them for coming here and working for us. They have all worked very hard, been polite, patient and able to maintain their sense of humour.

We were off to a difficult start, this being the first time since I have been elected that we have brought pages from Fort Providence. We had problems with accommodations, our food arrangements, and yesterday our chaperone had food poisoning. It has been quite an ordeal. I am scared to check how much homework was done. But overall, the pages have been very patient, and I want to thank them for that. They have been very good company for me.

I want to say thank you to Robyn, Ashley, Victoria and Julie, and also to the chaperone, Tamara. Most of all, I want to say thank you to the staff of the Legislative Assembly who made this all possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Indeed, our appreciation goes out to the pages for the excellent job they have done in this House. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of the fiscal year, I think we have a very bright future. I think there are a lot of positive things ahead. I would like to take a minute to mention one of the things I consider not so positive. It is the end of the fiscal year, and at midnight tonight, funding for the Community Skills for Work program in Education, Culture and Employment will sunset.

Mr. Speaker, this will mean that adult basic education will take a million dollar a year hit. I certainly think ABE should be one of this government's priorities and a priority for all Northerners. I do not think it is fair to suggest to people who were not able to receive their education in their younger years, that we are simply going to write them off. I am hoping this government will come forward in its business plans with money for adult basic education.

Looking down the list of groups that will be affected by the funding cuts, we have a thick list here, Mr. Speaker. From Yellowknife, I notice the Yellowknife Association for Community Living will take a hit. I notice that the Native Women's Association will take a hit. I notice the Vocational Trade Centre will also take a hit, as will the YWCA of Yellowknife. I am disappointed. I think these are all very important programs. These are very dedicated and committed groups who deliver the service. I think it is a sad day.

As this sunsets tonight at midnight, I am saddened. I hope this government will look to find money in the mains when we come back in June for these programs. I think the amount of money, being that it is one million dollars, does not seem like a lot of money. When one of my colleagues suggests that $160,000, which we cut from the budget yesterday, is inconsequential and trivial, I find that hard to accept. I do not feel I was part of something trivial or inconsequential. I think it is important that this government focuses resources on adult basic education and other worthwhile programs. I will have some questions for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment later today, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last evening, I had the opportunity to play with a number of minor hockey players from Yellowknife. We played against the Edmonton Oilers Alumni hockey team.

I mentioned to the young, aspiring teammates of mine that I would make a Member's statement congratulating them on their fine effort. Mr. Speaker, I recollect my youthful days as an athlete, looking up to idols of the past.

I sensed a similar emotion in the dressing room last night, as the young aspiring hockey players prepared to go on the ice. These young players displayed a good sense of sportsmanship, and I could see the hard work they put into trying to defeat the alumni team.

I apologize to the Members for losing my line-up card, but I am sure they know who I am talking about.

I especially want to say thanks to my defence partner, master Zeb Fournier, for bailing me out on a few occasions, as I lost more than a step or two. I would also like to thank Grand Chief Billy Erasmus for arranging my participation in this game. I should also mention that Mr. Harold Cook also played on the same team. Mr. Cook and I were teammates on the National Junior Cross-Country Ski team in 1968-69. That tells you how old I am.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that as future fundraising activities for smaller communities, we can introduce such events at that level. As the Minister responsible for Youth, I am looking forward to working with other Members to find ways of bringing teams such as the Edmonton Oilers Alumni to their communities to broaden this interest level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all of us who serve in this Legislature acquired our interest in public service from some experience in our lives or ideals that were instilled in us by role models. For many of us, this may have occurred many years ago in our youth.

One small way by which we can reach out to young people in our constituencies is through offering to sponsor them for first-hand experience in the Legislature through our paging program.

Today, I am pleased to recognize two fine young women from my riding of Hay River South who have served as pages during this past week. Christine Morgan and Holly Schauerte, the niece of our esteemed deputy clerk, have had a chance to observe the process in this House. I hope it has been a positive experience, which might lead them to consider putting their names forward for elected public office at some point in their future.

Hearing Ms. Lee's Member's statement today has reminded me again of how important it is to have strong women in positions of leadership. Holly and Christine have represented themselves and Hay River well, and I thank them for their service to this House this week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was asked a question by Mr. Krutko on March 30, 2000, regarding the amount spent by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the Alaskan Seniors Pilot Project.

Mr. Speaker, there will be no cost to the Government of the Northwest Territories for the pilot project to construct a five-unit seniors' complex in the community of Stebbins, Alaska. All costs for the pilot project are being borne by the Government of the United States of America through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation expects to make money from this sale, which will also benefit Northwest Territories manufacturers, suppliers, and a Northwest Territories construction company, which will be sub-contracted to build the complex. What the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation brings to the table is its expertise in Arctic construction and logistics.

This deal has been termed a pilot project because it is the first time the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has worked in conjunction with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If this project is successful, there is the potential for increased business with these two American organizations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Premier Kakfwi.

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

The first return is to a question asked by Ms. Lee on March 28, 2000. I am responding as the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, regarding arsenic transport within the City of Yellowknife.

In response to the Member's question, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has developed the following information on the transportation of mine ore between the Giant and Miramar mines:

As part of the process being used by Miramar Mining Ltd. to operate the Giant Mine, approximately 300 tons of gold-containing rock is transported daily by truck between the mines. Other than the normal traffic risks associated with such large vehicles using the road system in Yellowknife, no additional risks are thought to exist because of the nature of the rock being transported.

I will be providing additional written information to the Member regarding the monitoring of this activity that she can make available to her constituents.

My next return is to a question asked by Mr. Dent on March 21, 2000. I am responding as the Premier, regarding NWT labour legislation.

A preliminary review has been done of steps required for the Government of the Northwest Territories to enact territorial labour legislation and pension standards legislation. The first step would be for the federal government to agree to devolve this responsibility. Currently, the priorities on the devolution agenda we are developing with aboriginal governments are northern control over northern resources and resource revenue sharing.

In the interim, our government will continue to urge the federal government to be vigilant when regulating private pension plans and amend its pension and labour legislation, which would address the concerns raised to date.

The third response, Mr. Speaker, is to a question asked by Mr. Miltenberger on March 24, 2000, concerning a listing of summer student employment opportunities. I am again responding as the Premier.

On March 24, 2000, Mr. Miltenberger, MLA for Thebacha, asked for information on the formal process that is in place within the Government of the Northwest Territories to identify student employment opportunities.

In late January-early February each year, corporate human resources services in the Department of the Executive begins to notify students about the central referral service. This notification includes advertisements and information in the GNWT's Student Financial Assistance students' newsletter. Resumes from students generally start to arrive in late February. Departments are also reminded about the referral service.

At the same time, departments begin to identify potential opportunities for students. This includes reviewing specific project work as well as summer replacement needs. By early April, all departments have an initial list of possible summer jobs.

Between May and August, departments may also identify needs for additional casual staff and will provide those opportunities to students as well.

To date, our government has identified 221 possible casual positions for student summer employment. Details on these positions by department and community-region, have been provided to Members. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ms. Pat Thomas, possibly for the last time. She is going to be retiring. I would like to thank Pat for her commitment to the teachers of the Northwest Territories and also her commitment to overseeing procedures in this House day in and day out. I wish you all the best, Pat. Take care.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Welcome to the visitors' gallery, Ms. Thomas. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the owner of Deh Gah Services of Fort Good Hope, former chief of Fort Good Hope, a fiddler, guitar player extraordinaire, Everette Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. That name does sounds familiar. Welcome to the gallery. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

I would like to take a page from Mr. Roland's greeting book and recognize my mother, Emelia, at home in Fort Smith, who will be celebrating her 83rd birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday, Mom.

-- Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement, I made reference to the United Nations declaring March 22nd as World Water Day. Mr. Speaker, we in the Northwest Territories are fortunate to have an abundant supply of water. I think we also realize that we are not immune to environmental hazards around us. Water is essential to the survival of all living things, including plants, animals and especially human beings. We must do everything possible to maintain the quality of the water for today and for the future.

However, some of our present water supplies have some problems, especially in my riding. The water supply in Fort McPherson no longer meets the Canadian water standards that are set. It exceeds them. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services what is her department doing to ensure the drinking water of all our communities in the Northwest Territories are meeting the present standards that are set, the Canadian drinking water standards? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed the Department of Health and Social Services is responsible for the health and well-being of Northerners. However, I do not believe that water quality in general is specifically related to this department. It might better be directed to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the environmental health department falls within the responsibility of the Minister. That was where I was phrasing my question to. I would like to know how much money did the government put in place, in regards to interim appropriation or into future budgets, to ensure that safe drinking water is accessible to all residents in the Northwest Territories?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not know how much money was allocated for the specific area Mr. Krutko refers to in the interim appropriation. I would have to take that question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. It is in regard to the Stanton Board. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that a chair has just been appointed by the Minister. I would like some clarification on the process for the appointment of the deputy chair. My understanding of the practice and tradition is that the Minister appoints the chair, and that the board picks the deputy chair from among its members. I would like to ask the Minister if she intends to honour that practice and tradition? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. The chairman is appointed by the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services and the deputy chair is selected from amongst the other members. I have been advised that this is what the by-laws of the Stanton Regional Board indicated at this time. I had a chance to have dinner and meet with the Stanton Board on Monday night. In my remarks, I asked them to consider allowing me to appoint the deputy chair as well. We did have quite a good range of names come forward for the chairmanship and that request has been made to the board. It will be up to them to decide if they comply with that. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering if the Minister could clarify why she would think it was necessary to not only appoint the chair, but also the deputy chair, which would be totally contrary to practice, convention and tradition? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is not totally contrary to tradition. It would be a change. It would be something different that has not been done in the past. I do not believe it would be contrary to tradition. However. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, we did have a number of good names come forward for the chairmanship. It was a difficult choice.

We chose Mr. Elkin. We have felt, on an ongoing basis, it would be good to have a chairman from Yellowknife and a vice-chair from one of the communities and one of the regions. Mr. Elkin brings over 30 years experience to the chairmanship's job. It was also felt that for the sake of future continuity, to have someone working very closely with him that was not an elected member from one of the community health boards or chair of one of the community health boards, might help in transferring some of the expertise and experience of Mr. Elkin to a vice-chair at some point in the future, who may wish to take on that role of chairmanship. Mr. Elkin is also retired and does like to, as I am sure, as any retired person, travel when he can. It is a very big job. It is a very huge budget, it is $40 million. It is a thought that has been floated with the board and it will be up to them as to whether they decide to amend their by-laws accordingly. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would require some further clarification from the Minister. Is the Minister suggesting that she would pick from the existing remaining board members and appoint a deputy chair or is she talking about trying to bring some other person on board as deputy chair? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about an additional person being appointed to the vice-chairmanship. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister clarify if the board does not heed her suggestion and amend their by-laws, will she let the matter stand where it is or is she going to somehow try to enforce her will so that she can bring somebody in from outside and be appointed? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thought I already made it clear that I have asked the board if they would amend their by-laws to allow me to do this. It will be a decision of the board. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. I wonder if the Minister could tell me how many adults accessed training last year through the Community Skills for Work Program across the North? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have that information on hand here, Mr. Speaker, and I will have get back to the Member with the information. It involves the colleges as well as the Skills for Work Program. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to getting that information. Certain groups are accessing or have been accessing the Community Skills for Work money and it has been an ongoing process, for the last three years. The government made a decision not to seek funding for this year for something that has been funded for the last three years. I am wondering if the Minister can discuss how he has been able to inform these groups that the government would no longer be seeking funding for this program? I wonder if he can get into detail for me? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As is common with a number of programs, and especially with the Skills for Work Program, they are offered for periods of time. They may be four weeks. They may be eight weeks. They may be 12 weeks. They were planned to be completed by March 31st, and through our staff in the regions, we have checked to see if there were any programs that were planned to be beyond that and if the organizations were informed of that. I am informed that from the start, they were informed that these programs would terminate as of March 31st. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would expect, Mr. Speaker, that every year these groups have been informed that their funding would terminate on March 31st, but yet for the last three years, it has not been the case because the government has been able to get additional funding. I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that expectations have been built up that these programs obviously are worthwhile and would continue. The Minister in this House made a commitment in informing all of the groups who access this funding and contacted them to let them know that their funding would cease tonight at midnight and he committed to do that before 5:00 p.m. today. I was wondering if he can give us an update on how that is going? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am informed that all the Community Skills for Work projects have been contacted and nobody is aware of any layoffs in regard to these projects because they were all informed ahead of time that they were to be completed. The deliverers, the people that teach the programs, are hired on a contract basis to deliver these projects for the period of time that they are delivered. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just some clarification, all groups have been notified, Mr. Speaker? There will be no layoffs as a result of the lapse of this funding, and the Minister has had, again, contact with all these groups to discuss that it was the government's choice to not seek to refund this program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department works closely with many of these organizations and most of these programs have ceased already, Mr. Speaker. I am informed, as I said earlier, the Community Skills for Work projects have been contacted and that the people who have been working on this were people who were hired specifically to deliver those programs for the period of time that they were to be delivered, for four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member's statement, we were well aware that we have had to get into the business of grumbling on behalf of the people and trying to put budgets in place in a short amount of time. We have heard it many times from across the floor, the difficult working conditions Ministers are in to try and put this together and the tiredness they have felt. But Mr. Speaker, as an Ordinary Member, I feel I need to be able to do my job. To do my job, I need accuracy in the figures in the proposals put before me.

Mr. Speaker, for much of the interim process we were given a document to do our work and review it with departments. It is bad enough that we do not have a lot of time to go through that process and get into a lot of detail. What is even worse is that I have come to find out through the processes that there are some huge projects and changes in the plan that were not at all identified. It was not until questioning in this House that we were able to find out that information.

I would like to first of all thank the Finance Minister for taking it upon himself to table document 39-14(2), yesterday in this House, on the 2000-2001 Capital Plan Comparison. In the short time I have had to do my review, Mr. Speaker, I have found some differences within departments; Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Health and Social Services, Justice, Education, Culture and Employment, Transportation. Some numbers are small, but there are some major changes. We have just passed an interim budget based on a certain set of numbers. I would like to know from the Finance Minister, is this document that is being tabled the document we are going by, or it is the interim appropriation we are going to go by? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We go by the numbers in the commitments that are made during review of the interim appropriations in approving the interim appropriations. Members, though, have all been asking us for a capital plan, what cuts are being made, what makes up the $10 million that we have reduced the capital plan by. That commitment is a commitment that goes back to the 13th Legislative Assembly. We have chosen to follow through on it. And as we speak, departments are doing work on preparing for the 2000-2001 main estimates.

In order to try and respond to the Members' needs, we have given you a copy of what we call a current 2000-2001 capital plan. It is only current in the sense that this is where we are today. As we speak, departments are working on these and refining them. As we get into the final preparation of the capital plans that will be part of the main estimates, then you may find some of these numbers will be still moving around a bit. Each department is still working on this. This is a living, working document as we have it right now. It is not an approved 2000-2001 capital plan. That will not happen until we see the main estimates. We have given you a piece of information in advance that normally, I suppose, would not be given at this stage. There will be differences. I can tell you when we come to the main estimates, you will find some other little adjustments that departments have made based on priorities, based on issues that have come to their attention, based on the need to balance their estimates within the targets that are given to them.

Do not take this as being the final 2000-2001 document. It is not. It is just the capital plan as it currently is. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I am hearing from the Finance Minister is, in fact, these numbers are as in comparison to the shifting sands in the Sahara. We are going to have a hard time reading from one day to the next it seems.

I understand that there is going to be some flexibility. But as a Member of this Assembly, when I cast a vote, I have heard the defense of the numbers, I have heard why some numbers are put forward. I have concerns, in fact, that there is a fair bit of shifting that is going to happen. Especially in light of the fact that we have just passed almost 50 percent of the budget, for our whole year for the interim appropriation. Can the Minister inform me if there are going to be further changes in this document, will Members be kept apprised of the situation, so they are able to deal with it in their communities? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will just ask Mr. Roland to please be patient. We are working on the main estimates and we will do it as quickly as we can. I do not expect that there is going to be, as you say, a fair bit of shifting around in the capital plan, but there will be some changes.

As we prepare main estimates, there is a lot of shifting going on. I suppose you could compare it to shifting sand. There are a lot of things. There are thousands of things that each deputy minister and their staff have to take into consideration as they develop a budget as a response to the needs that are being expressed. There are a lot of things that are still a bit up in the air.

Do not take this current document as the final one and then come back and try to compare numbers later on and say what happened to this $10,000 or $5,000. This is the capital plan as it is today and I will tell you there may be some changes as we prepare our main estimates. That is part of the normal process, Mr. Speaker.

In terms of the Member's questions, are we going to keep you informed, I tell you we made a commitment that we want to be open and transparent, even though you may not believe us. I am going to be as open and transparent as I possibly can. I have done it already by giving you a document that is current as of today, and I am being very honest in telling you that there will be some bit of shifting around as departments put their budgets together, but bear with us. That is part of being open and transparent. The alternative is to wait until we have everything nailed down and then give it to you. I do not want to do that. I will share it with you. If there is any major shifting, then we will absolutely let every MLA know. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am getting a little razzled. He has dazzled me once again. It has gone from the shifting sands to quicksand.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the fact that I found a whole campus has disappeared into the sand overnight, I am quite concerned of the notice I will be given. As I said I voted on a budget based on the information provided by departments. I hope that the Minister by his saying, and I like his honesty, there is going to be some shifting and I understand that. But I am very concerned that, in fact, there will be huge shifts and we will see mountains disappear. I only know of one book that has been talked about where you can move mountains, and that is the Bible. However, they are starting to show me that they can almost move mountains overnight.

Mr. Speaker, once again, can the Minister commit to us that there will be fair, advance notice of any changes in the budget that we just approved? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for rattling the honourable Member. I did not mean to rattle him. I wanted to dazzle, not razzle. Mr. Speaker, to comment on the disappearing campus. The campus did not disappear. It was the last government that decided to take it out of the P3 projects. It is in the plan, as the Minister responsible for Education has told you. It was taken out of the P3 projects because we are going through a review process and it was pulled off that list. It was put back into the capital plan, as the Minister responsible for Education has already told you, I am just telling you some of the history you already know. It was put back in the 2003-2004 capital plan. It is there. It has not disappeared.

In terms of assurances, we absolutely assure you we will be open and transparent on our capital plans and any changes we make. If they are major changes, we will let you know ahead of time. If they are minor changes we will work through the system as we go. We are not trying to hide anything here. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have heard on too many occasions from that side of the floor of the work of the 13th Assembly. We are in the 14th Assembly, Mr. Speaker, and the Minister said that the P3 project was changed, referring to his response, changed in the 13th Assembly. I know for a fact that that was not the case. It was changed by this government.

Mr. Speaker, can he confirm, if he wants to be open and honest here, that, in fact, the changes happened during the 14th Assembly? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the Member with all the confidence in the world that I did not make the decision to move that project out of P3 and into the capital plan. I can check to see exactly what the process was for moving it. It was not a decision that I made. That decision was made before I became Minister responsible for Finance.

Further, I know I have referred back to the 13th Assembly on a number of occasions. I will be really pleased when we get further down the road and I develop our main estimates and I do not have to drag that bag of commitments the past Assembly has made along behind me, and we can have a budget that is totally my own. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier mentioned yesterday during question period, we are not the only government here. If we try to push ahead alone on our own on making some major changes that affect other governments, particularly aboriginal governments, our chances of success are reduced.

As we look at the regions, then we have to work with the aboriginal governments to make sure we are doing it in a way that is viewed positively by them. When it comes to realigning with the North Slave region, then yes, that is certainly an issue. We are looking at how can we realign ourselves to fit with all of the claim areas. That piece is a complicated piece because you have to work with the governments. Some of the areas are not settled yet.

That is something this government is definitely looking at doing. Can we do it for the June budget? It is a pretty short timeframe because we are now working on the main estimates to be tabled in June. Those will be made available to the AOC and the standing committees, I believe in early May.

Realistically, I would have to say to the honourable Member that I do not think we can do it in time for June, but we will commit to working on it as quickly as we can. Thank you,.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.