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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate National Aboriginal Day, I would like to briefly reflect on Fort Smith as a possible model for what National Aboriginal Day is all about.

Mr. Speaker, Fort Smith, as you well know, is a multi-cultural community. About a third of the people are Dene, a third Metis and a third are people from many other places from across the world.

This is a community that has a tremendously long history of living together, of ties of blood and commerce and time together. Over the past five years, Mr. Speaker, there has been a clear recognition that there are three main groups in the community when it comes to decision making.

There is the community public government, the band and the Metis. Major issues are now discussed by the community leadership. We attempt to move ahead together. There have been agreements reached on how the DEA should be structured, with guaranteed seats and appointments for the band, town and Metis in equal portions. It is the same with the health board, as well as the housing board.

There has been a common approach in terms of developing the community plan and our strategy in trying to resolve the seniors' housing issue in Fort Smith. I think we are demonstrating by these actions that there is a great role to be played by the aboriginal governments at all levels, and we can work and live together.

We recognize and respect the roles we all have to play. We also greatly respect and admire many of the aboriginal models we have, role models in our community. To name a few, and not to exclude anyone, but some who just come to mind: Mary Hearn; Jane Dragon; and Maggie Kurszewski, fine elders in our community. Some athletes like Jonathan Kurszewski; Don True; and Joe Dragon, all of whom have demonstrated very well that they can compete at any level with anybody in the land or world.

In our community, we are tremendously proud to see the progress we are achieving in terms of self-government and land claims. Smith's Landing First Nation has recently signed a land claims agreement. This is going to be a tremendous benefit not only to the members, but to the community as well.

The Salt River First Nation is pursuing treaty land entitlement as well, as are the South Slave Metis with their negotiations for a settlement. When these are resolved, Mr. Speaker, in our neck of the woods, we will be able to get on with the other issues of the day, such as economic development, dealing with social issues and moving ahead as a community.

National Aboriginal Day is an opportunity to recognize all the good work that has been done by the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories. I am proud to stand here today to say that our community is doing a fine job. The aboriginal governments and the aboriginal people, along with the non-aboriginal people, are demonstrating that we do have a strong future together in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, as we have heard from a number of my colleagues, marks a very special day in Canada. Here in the Northwest Territories, I think we can look to our people and the accomplishments they have shown throughout the Northwest Territories.

I myself, being an Inuvialuit and having the recent signing of the Concession Agreement in Inuvik that open lands, from an aboriginal perspective, shows that we, as a people of the Northwest Territories, are no longer the bearers of water and the cutters of wood. In fact, we are now the leaders in our own communities.

I think we should all look at ourselves and the accomplishments we have made today. The future only shows that there is room for improvement.

We have come a great distance since government first came to the Northwest Territories. I think we must be proud of that. To see that people are working together...I think today all residents of the Northwest Territories can celebrate with one another as to the richness we share in our cultures. Not only aboriginal people, but people of the Northwest Territories as a whole should celebrate together and not show fear of one another or mistrust, but instead a common understanding that we are a people of the Northwest Territories, sharing in our work and our responsibilities and being good examples for all residents.

It is positive to take a stand and show who you are and be proud of who you are. As well, it is even better to be humble in admitting we all have a long way to go, and there is a long road to travel.

With that, I would like to wish all of the residents of the Northwest Territories who are holding their celebrations the best of luck. Be proud of who you are and share your richness and culture. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a number of years ago in 1993, when I was a member of the North's esteemed press corps.

-- Interjection

-- Laughter

Did I say something? I covered the signing of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement-in-Principle in Iqaluit. I recall a remarkable atmosphere of pride and accomplishment shared by young and old, Inuit and Kabloona in the Iqaluit high school that day.

On May 6th of this year, Mr. Speaker, I attended the signing of the Smith's Landing First Nation Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement, in which, after 101 years, the Crown fulfilled the promises made in 1899 with Treaty 8.

As in Iqaluit, the same sense of pride and accomplishment swelled the walls of the small community centre at Fort Fitzgerald, as officials from the federal, territorial and provincial governments saluted the determination, leadership and integrity of the Fort Fitzgerald leaders, especially negotiator Francois Paulette and his brother, Chief Gerry Paulette, in achieving their goal. This is yet one more indication of the progress being made among northern people.

Not long ago, Mr. Speaker, support for First Nations claims was seen by many as a hindrance to the process of modernizing the North. However, today I believe that attitude has changed and continues to evolve. It goes beyond entrenching the rights of aboriginal people in the Canadian constitution. It is a process that I believe, over time, requires changing our own individual values to see the future, not relive the past.

The legacy we owe our children, Mr. Speaker, is to continue to negotiate the differences, values and priorities we have across the cultures of the North and create a foundation our children can use to build their own vision of a healthy, prosperous and united Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Merci beaucoup, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would also like to talk about National Aboriginal Day, and of the people I represent: the Inuvialuit; the Gwich'in; and the Metis people of the Mackenzie Delta.

As we know, they have a unique history. These First Nations people have been a group who have lived with hardship, living above the Arctic Circle in harsh conditions. Yet they have been able to survive with the elements around them.

The Gwich'in and Inuvialuit people have lived in the Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Sea area for some 20,000 years. They have managed to survive with the understanding that they have to live in harmony with the wildlife, the environment and the elements around them.

They were able to survive by moving with the seasons to harvest caribou, fish, and whale. They were also able to sustain themselves with a unique style of government. They had a government in place long before this Legislature came about. They had headmen. They had elders' committees. They had people who were able to harvest for the elders, bringing back meat, fish, and caribou so they could sustain the family.

To us, family means your immediate family. To aboriginal people, it is a collective group of people. They take care of the whole family, the elders, children, grandparents, the widows. We have to realize the uniqueness of how these people lived, where they were battling with the effects of unemployment, welfare, and of being uneducated.

They had a system in place. The Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in have seen a lot of change. They have seen the impacts on the whaling industry, the gold rush, the fur trade, the residential schools, the imposition of government put on them regarding Indian Affairs and now the NWT Act establishing this government.

Through those changes, they were able to strive and meet these challenges. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in were able to strive and meet the challenges in front of them. Yes, they received hardships and lost certain things along the way, such as their culture, language and some of their abilities, especially to harvest, with the generations to come.

A lot of people like myself do not feel proud that we are not able to speak our aboriginal language. We are seeing that more and more with the generations that are here and the generations to come. They have made progress in other areas, such as the Inuvialuit concluding their land claim settlement in 1984, then the Gwich'in following in 1992. There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure those agreements are lived up to and implemented as they were understood and signed by governments and the aboriginal people.

With that side, we have seen some accomplishments, especially with the Inuvialuit, on the economic side of businesses and also on the environmental management regimes that have been established for the screening and revealing of land-use permit plans.

The Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in have taken the next step to improve the well-being, health, education and social conditions of their people in the Mackenzie Delta. They continue to work along with the people to conclude the self-government negotiations, to establish a regional government in the Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Sea area, so they can have a say in how programs and services are going to be delivered and improve the lives of the people they represent.

For me, self-government has always been there. It is nothing new. The First Nations people have been practicing this from time immemorial, long before the contact with the Europeans.

I wish all aboriginal First Nations across the country and within the Northwest Territories to continue to strive for success, and to show you are a governing government on your own. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize two people who are here in the audience who are celebrating 50 years of living and working in the North. They are very good examples of community leaders of this type. Two people who have made a great contribution to the North, Bishop John Sperry and his wife, Elizabeth.

Reverend Sperry is the former Anglican bishop of the Arctic Diocese, which covers all of what is now the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Northern Quebec. He was elected to this position in 1974 and held it until 1990 when he retired.

Bishop Sperry came from England to serve with the Anglican Mission in Coppermine, now known as Kugluktuk, in 1950. He and Elizabeth married in 1952 and raised their two children, Angela and John, in Kugluktuk, where they lived and served for 19 years. They were later posted to Fort Smith for four years.

Aside from ministering to the parishioners, John Sperry also translated the Anglican Prayer Book, the hymn book, the New Testament, Gospels and Acts into Inuinnaqtun, the language of the Kitikmeot Inuit.

He and Elizabeth also served with many volunteer organizations and provided medical help in the early days when the Inuit were devastated by epidemics like influenza and tuberculosis, to which they had no immunity at the time. There were no medical facilities in the North to treat them.

When doctors did come to see the people, John, who became fluent in Inuinnaqtun, often acted as their interpreter.

I feel privileged to join you today in expressing my heartfelt appreciation for all that they have done. People of such integrity, dedication and devotion do not appear every day. We are all very fortunate that the Sperrys have chosen to serve our jurisdiction. It is well known that we are lucky here in the Northwest Territories, because we are blessed with such fine community leaders, people who devote their lives to helping others.

I would like to acknowledge their presence in the gallery today, along with their daughter Angela and son-in-law Doug Friesen, and their granddaughter, Katherine. Welcome. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I may, I would like to change the topic a little bit to the issue of the budget. In what was otherwise a predictable budget yesterday, I was very surprised to see a proposal for a hotel tax of five percent being introduced. I want to take this opportunity to just say no to a hotel tax.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that it may very well be that this is merely a trial balloon that the Minister is floating up in the air to see how it will pan out. If that is so, I am here to tell the Minister that this statement, and my press release this morning, should serve as the pin that would pop the balloon and make it fall out of the sky.

Mr. Speaker, my concerns for this tax initiative are many. First of all, it will send out a totally wrong message to the tourism industry, penalize tourists and hotel operators, and add a whole new tax regime in the Territory.

At noon today on the news, it was reported that a tourism operator in Toronto will not send tourism buses to Inuvik because the hotel costs are just too high in the Northwest Territories. They have not even heard about the new tax yet.

Let us look at the facts, Mr. Speaker. Two of the largest groups using hotels in the Northwest Territories are government employees and Japanese tourists. The latter group has been steadily increasing and it is expected to grow again this year to about 10,000 visitors from Japan.

In most communities, government employees make up the bulk of the hotel users. In effect, the government would be taxing itself, and at the same time extending a very chilly welcome to tourists. That really does not send out a positive, welcoming message.

Another problem I have with this is that hotel operators will be forced into becoming tax collectors for the government. Mr. Speaker, after years of no action, we have been seeing lately new constructions of hotels and motels around the city, and this government is responding to it by turning them into tax collectors. That is not the proper way to say thank you to those business people who invest in our economy.

The time for Members' statements has expired, Ms. Lee.