Thank you, Mr. Roland. To the principle of the bill. The honourable Minister, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that this can be discussed further as we review the bill. I just want to point out that this is not a department that is involved here. This is the Workers' Compensation Board. The board essentially manages or operates the WCB through the president.

If the board will make the appointments, we will have a situation where the board that heard, made and recommended on the original decision, is now going to appoint the members of the appeal. We want to avoid that. My intention, Mr. Speaker, is to have that removed from the department intentionally so we do not have that conflict. Have the Minister subject to make the appointments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 4 has had second reading. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee. Item 19, second reading of bills. The Chair recognizes Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act, No. 2, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Workers' Compensation Act to enable the Workers' Compensation Board to make a special payment to dependent surviving spouses who have lost compensation entitlements under the Act, or any predecessor to the Act because they married or re-married before April 17, 1985, the date the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 5 has had second reading. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee. Item 19, second reading of bills. The Chair recognizes Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Nursing Profession Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Nursing Profession Act to provide for the appointment of a registrar and the establishment and appointment of a registration committee. This bill also sets out the powers and duties of the registrar and the registration committee. The registrar is authorized to issue registration certificates and also, on the direction of the registration committee, to issue temporary certificates of exemption.

In addition, this bill repeals a provision in the Act that permits a person to practice without holding either a certificate of registration or a temporary certificate of exemption. Furthermore, this bill makes a number of minor amendments to the Act, including amendments that clarify the bylaw making powers of the Northwest Territories Registered Nurses Association, the requirements for obtaining a certificate of registration and a temporary certificate of exemption, the membership status and rights of a person who holds a temporary certificate of exemption and the appeal process for applicants who are refused registration.

Finally, this bill sets out certain transitional rules respecting pending applications for certificates, the validity of prior and existing certificates and the continuation in office of the registrar and the registration committee, currently appointed under the bylaws of the association. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 6 has had second reading. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to a committee. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. Bill 1, Committee Report 1-14(3), Committee Report 2-14(3), Committee Report 3-14(3). By the authority given to the Speaker by Motion 4-14(3), the House is resolved into committee of the whole to sit beyond the time of adjournment until the committee is prepared to report. Item 20, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters, with Mr. Delorey in the chair.

I would like to call the committee to order. The committee has a number of issues to deal with. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the committee wishes to review Bill 1, Committee Report 1-14(3), Committee Report 2-14(3), Committee Report 3-14(3) concurrently, and continue with the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. We will take a short break, and resume in ten minutes.

-- Break

I would like to call the committee back to order. We are reviewing the Main Estimates, 2000-2001, for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Handley, would you like to bring in any witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I would.

Does the committee agree?

Would the Sergeant-at-Arms please escort the witnesses in?

Mr. Handley, when we broke yesterday, Mr. Braden had asked a question. Are you prepared to answer that question at this time?

Yes, Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to answer the question. My witnesses are here somewhere. They are coming. Mr. Chairman, the question, as I recall, was what were we doing to attract employees working at the mine to live in the North. I suppose in the same way to have Northerners take on more jobs.

Mr. Chairman, there are a number of things we are doing. I think the last government started doing a lot, where we had the $10,000 grant for housing to encourage people to move North. I think that had some success.

We have been fairly active as a government and municipal governments in marketing the Northwest Territories as a good place to live and be. I saw advertising at the Meet the North Conference last year. I see advertising at Ekati Mine and other places to say this is a good place.

The City of Yellowknife and I believe other communities have either subsidized or helped people to come up and do familiarization of the North, bring their families up so they can understand it. The companies themselves have done a fair bit of providing northern allowances to people who are not travelling. I believe they have also encouraged families to come up. They have moved their northern management here. They are doing some and we encourage them to continue with that.

We have signed socio-economic agreements with both BHP and Diavik, that require them to meet some targets in terms of the percentage of northern workers. There are a fair number of initiatives we have undertaken to encourage and have people move to and live in the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Before I go back to Mr. Braden, would you please introduce your witnesses for the record?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with me today is Mr. Bob McLeod, deputy minister for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, and Mr. Jim Kennedy, director of corporate services for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With the Minister's answer, regarding the socio-economic and benefit agreements negotiated and under negotiation with companies, could the Minister give the committee some idea of how those targets are being met, specific to residency? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the only mine that is operating right now is BHP. The target for northern employees is 70 percent, 50 percent of which is to be aboriginal. On both counts, BHP is presently exceeding the targets that were set in the socio-economic agreement.

The agreement with Diavik will come into effect during the construction stage. As soon as they get their water license, this will start to kick in as soon as they begin construction. Thank you.