Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take a moment to recognize students from a school in my riding who have been working as pages this week in the Legislative Assembly. The pages are grade 8 students from the William MacDonald School. Mr. Speaker, each one of these students was selected by a committee of teachers, based on their exemplary performance in school and their well-rounded ability as students.

I would like to express my appreciation of their dedication to their studies. Mr. Speaker, in order to participate as pages during this Session, and to gain the opportunity to learn more about the Legislative Assembly, the students had to give up some of their precious summer holidays.

I know this experience will further their education and understanding of our political system, and I appreciate their willingness to participate as pages, especially during the summer.

Mr. Speaker, they are doing a great job. I am sure their teachers and fellow classmates are proud to have them represent the William MacDonald School. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all of us in this House, I would like to thank Nico Todd-Cullen, James Cracknell, Chris Fournier, Duncan Hamre, Leslie Miller, Andrew Silke, Noel Taylor and Louise Tumchewics. Mr. Speaker, although he is not from William MacDonald School, I would also like to recognize a young man who is no stranger to the halls of the Legislative Assembly, and who is also working as a page for us right now, Vital Manuel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few minutes today to talk about the Student Financial Assistance Program. Mr. Speaker, I have said previously in the House that I consider myself the biggest beneficiary of the education system of the Northwest Territories. I had the privilege of having eight years of post-secondary education with the assistance of the government. I always thought we had a pretty good system. It needed improvement. I am glad I was part of the Assembly that revamped the program earlier in this Session.

Mr. Speaker, I guess we can always say that it can always be better. I am glad we were able to make the progress we did. We do have some problems, as other Members have indicated in this House earlier, there is a question about the grandfathering of the clauses and benefits.

I have met with the people other Members have met, and I am glad the issue was discussed. Another problem has to do with the administrative complications of it. I am hoping the Minister will address that question. What I want to deal with today is a very simple thing the Minister could change to make what we have even better. That has to do with the automatic payment portion of the program.

Today, I heard on the radio that the department is considering changing the payment plans, where the student loans will be paid monthly instead of in installments by semester. What I understand from the students is that they are really having a problem getting to the officers. I have a problem with the department doing it in a way that would take so much more labour. Why is it that when we have a wide available system of automatic payments, the department has to have someone going and depositing these cheques? Why is it that it cannot be done in a way that the payments can be deposited automatically?

I know this is possible, Mr. Speaker, because I still pay back my student loan and they know how to take the money out of my bank account every two weeks. I would think the system is available there to reverse that. I would urge the Minister to make it perfect and address this simple issue immediately. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today concerns forest management in the Deh Cho. Mr. Speaker, many residents in my riding are confused by the policies and practices of the GNWT with regard to the issuance of timber cutting permits in Cameron Hills, through seemingly little reliable information about sustainable forest inventory and how it relates to the annual allowable cut as calculated by the forest management division of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.

Indeed, much of the information seems contradictory in nature. Yet despite these contradictions, many timber cutting permits were issued this winter, and many residents are concerned about the environment. Mr. Speaker, it is essential that the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development increase its focus on community consultation with regard to forest management issues.

These consultations should be meaningful, Mr. Speaker. By that I mean the department should give consideration to including communities in some kind of inclusive decision making with regard to forest management issues.

Mr. Speaker, the Forest Management Act allows for the development of forest management agreements with communities. These agreements, if structured properly, could allow for more meaningful community participation and decision making, as well as ensuring that benefits from forest management activity accrue to the communities in which the activity takes place.

Mr. Speaker, as the Cameron Hills is an area of shared traditional land use between the residents of Kakisa Lake, Hay River Dene Reserve and Fort Providence, I suggest the forest management division pursues a tri-community approach to forest management issues. Perhaps a comprehensive forest management agreement could be developed between the three communities. I further suggest that the forest management division not focus on jurisdictional issues and the retention of powers when considering policies and practices. Instead, it should focus on maximizing community participation in forest management. In doing so, it will help form a more solid base of community support for GNWT involvement in forest management issues as well as other resource management initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to address a very important issue that has to do with northern nurses. We are all aware, and have heard very clearly from the Department of Health and Social Services, that there is a critical shortage of nurses in the Northwest Territories. It is especially acute when you come to northern nurses.

We have heard that affirmative action is not working that well. That after 12 or 14 years, affirmative action has not met its targets. It does not do the job it is intended to do. It has not addressed the key areas of the professions. We have heard that the government is giving millions of dollars through its recruitment and retention plan last year, and they request more money this year to recruit nurses from the south and to retain the ones we have in the North.

They have sent groups to the British Isles trying to find nurses. The have admitted they have come up with a short-term strategy, but in the long-term, we have to have northern nurses.

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned. I have a constituent, a nurse with a diploma, a Metis nurse in Fort Smith, who has applied to go to school to get her degree. We have been told that all nurses are going to soon require a bachelor of science to practice nursing.

Mr. Speaker, this nurse was rejected. I am shocked and appalled that this department, which has voiced such concern and is spending millions of dollars trying to recruit nurses, will not spend the money to train and retain a northern nurse, especially since they lapsed over $800,000 in their recruitment and retention plan last year.

The reason this lady was given was that there were insufficient funds to allow her to upgrade to the degree level so she would be able to provide a better quality of service as a nurse.

Mr. Speaker, I would hope the Minister will do the right thing. She has the flexibility to move funding to make the right decision to not only recruit, but to retain the nurses we have. We have a classic example of a northern nurse seeking to upgrade her skills so she will be better able to provide service to her patients. Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister questions about this issue. I hope she would like to tell me that with this $800,000 they lapsed and the $3.4 million they will get this year, they will find a way to make sure we train northern nurses. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the issue I raised yesterday, the Inuvik Regional Hospital. Mr. Speaker, in questioning the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat and the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, then proceeding to the Minster of Public Works and Services, every response I received gave me more concern than the first.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat said they will be moving along and delays should not be happening. It would stay on the same timeline that was proposed in the P3 project and it would be moving from there. In the last reply I received from the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, he informed me it would be going back to square one. That causes some concern, because I was informed when this was first transferred to a P3 project from a traditional tender project, that 30 percent of the work was done on the plans. I have a copy of that here, Mr. Speaker, that shows there is an actual footprint that is ready to go.

I would like some clarification today, once and for all, so we can put some assurances on this and I can let my constituency know this will proceed and proceed in a timely manner to which it has been committed. The clarification here will be very clear, so I will not have to raise this any further.

In light of all of the changes that have happened in my constituency since the forming of the 14th Assembly, I feel I need some clear answers on this project and try to bring some closure to it, and I can watch it develop on the plan of this government and reassure the residents in the region of Inuvik that they will have a new hospital that will stay current with all of the new methods of delivering health care services in the Northwest Territories.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be questioning the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat further. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I would like to recognize the initiative of the northern manufacturing sector. There is much talk of diamond, oil and gas exploration with capital intensive development and requirements for skilled, or at least a semi-skilled, workforce. In most economies, it is still the small businesses that provide the majority of jobs, Mr. Speaker.

Across the North, the arts and crafts cottage industry participates in the benefits of the tourism industry, and indeed we are making progress in the development of small northern manufacturers.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Northern Manufacturers Association which is promoting products manufactured in the North, made by Northerners, for our climate and conditions. The association also supports training through its involvement with the Skills Canada competition, which saw Northerners compete successfully in local and national competitions.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to acknowledge the success that Energy Wall and Building Products Limited has achieved through the certification of its Northwest Territories designed and manufactured wall panel system. They received this accreditation this week by the National Research Council's Canadian Construction Materials Centre. It is the first such certification for the North, and it means that the product can be used nationally in construction projects financed by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing mortgage insurance system.

There is also involvement, Mr. Speaker, by other northern companies, including Ferguson Simek Clark, who have been leaders in Canadian northern construction in the Soviet Union. I am also pleased to note the technical support of the Department of Public Works and Services and the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. The efforts of my colleague for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent, are also to be acknowledged in furthering this venture.

This is an excellent example, Mr. Speaker, of public and private sector cooperation. I urge the government to further develop this type of support for northern manufacturers.

I should add, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister responsible for Housing for Ontario has authorized the use of such approved building material systems and designs for all of Ontario. I believe there are further ways the government may assist local manufacturers, Mr. Speaker, and I intend to raise questions on this issue later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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 Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to bring some emphasis to how important the oil and gas development is to Hay River. Hay River had a taste of the excitement that can be created by oil and gas development. In the early 70's, I was there for about five years, and indeed it was a busy time for Hay River. They had visions, Mr. Speaker, of Hay River growing to approximately 15,000 people. In fact, Hay River took steps to put infrastructure in place to support that population.

We all know what the Berger Inquiry did, and how everything was put on hold. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that Hay River had very little input into what was contained in the Berger Inquiry.

Since that time, Hay River has very little to celebrate. Yes, we have had the Northwest Territories Power Corporation move to Hay River, but the impact of that was reduced considerably by the fact that we lost NorthwesTel as a main centre.

When diamond mines were first introduced to the North, Hay River businesses spent a lot of money in attending meetings and preparing for what they could possibly gain from the diamond industry. A lot of those businesses came away empty handed because of their location.

I hear every day, Mr. Speaker, how well situated Hay River is for oil and gas development, how well it is equipped with infrastructure to support that development. However, Mr. Speaker, that infrastructure was taxed to the limit in the early 70's, some of which was in better shape at that time than what it is today.

When asked about funding for infrastructure in Hay River, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development stated that they cannot do anything on speculation. I am under the impression, Mr. Speaker, that oil and gas development in the North has gone beyond being speculative.

Speculation did not stop the Government of the Northwest Territories from spending millions of dollars in preparing for the diamond industry. The four advisory positions in the oil and gas sector that are being proposed by the government, one of which is located in headquarters, and one in Fort Simpson, does nothing to assure me that Hay River is being considered as a major point for the oil and gas industry.

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

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays? You may proceed, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Hay River does have infrastructure that is going to be very crucial to the development of oil and gas in the North. I suggest that without the help of this government and some emphasis being put on Hay River, we could just as easily be bypassed. I would like to urge this government to take a proactive role in helping Hay River prepare for this oil and gas development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk today about summer student hiring. The last time we sat in this House in March, my colleagues and I urged the government to do something for the students who were returning home from university and would be looking for jobs.

We suggested that if they did not do something quickly, we might as well meet the students on the tarmac and turn them around and send them down south for jobs.

To his credit, Mr. Kakfwi responded by setting up a phone line and a dedicated person in the Department of the Executive who the students could contact for summer employment. Since that time, Mr. Speaker, students have been reporting back to me and letting me know exactly what they thought of the situation this summer. It appears it is not much different than it was when I was going to university.

Unfortunately, what they are saying is that we simply have a receptacle for resumes in the Department of the Executive, and if you actually wanted a job, you had to go out to the individual departments and meet with managers.

The kids are not naïve, Mr. Speaker, and they know that trying to go to the Department of the Executive for a job was not the answer. Unfortunately, internally, the Executive only needs to know about the student once he or she has been hired, so it is reporting back after the fact. I do not think this situation is acceptable.

When I went to school, it was about who you knew for getting summer student employment. I hope that is changing. I now understand that corporate human resources is setting up a review to look at summer student hiring. I hope that they will include students in this process and I hope it is successful.

I do want to commend the Premier for setting up this review, because obviously he sees the problems that we see with summer student hiring. I hope he will fix it quickly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also have a concern with the Inuvik Hospital being built and replaced. Hearing that they are going to have to start from ground zero, I have many concerns. There has been a lot of work done on this. We were told in the 13th Assembly that this was to become a P3 project. A request for proposals went out. Money has been spent on feasibility studies and blueprints have been identified.

The federal government has committed to paying 64 percent of the cost of building this hospital. Mr. Speaker, 64 percent is in the area of $16 million that the federal government is committing to pay as their share of the cost. The Government of the Northwest Territories' share is around $8 million.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, this project that was signed through a transfer agreement back in 1988, in the Health Transfer Agreement, it is clearly stated under section 2.8 through 2.16 of the provisions. It boggles my mind as to exactly why it is taking this government so long to develop the infrastructure that is greatly needed for the regions of Beaufort Delta, Mackenzie Delta and Inuvik.

We have a major impact coming forth in the oil and gas industry, but the infrastructure that is in place is old, run-down, and needs to be replaced, yet nothing is being done by this government to ensure that project is being carried out. The comment from the Minister yesterday saying that they are going to have to start at ground zero upsets me very much. This was one of the projects I saw as being beneficial to the region and to the North. There has been a commitment from the federal government on this through the transfer agreement, yet this government is not living up to its obligations in that agreement.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services questions on this transfer. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The condolences do go to the family of the Giroux's. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. At this time I would like to recognize one of our own, the honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden, has a birthday today. He has been trying to keep it a secret from us.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as in my Member's statement and questions that I put to the Minister yesterday regarding the Inuvik Regional Hospital, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat. The last response I received yesterday before the question was taken as notice was that it would go back to the Financial Management Board Secretariat for direction or the hospital project would be brought back into the department for a final decision.

What direction was given when it was changed from a P3 project to a traditional tender project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once the decision was made by the Financial Management Board, we basically turned it over to the Department of Health and Social Services, the client department for this project. Any further direction is from the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, not me. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister initially informed me of this change in the project, he informed me of a certain number of processes and ensured me that it would not be delayed. Can the Minister clarify for me here, as he stated yesterday that this was going to be on time and would proceed from that point, is that the case here? Or is it going back, as the Minister responsible for Public Works and Services said yesterday, to square one? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the decision by the Financial Management Board was to switch it from a P3 back to a conventional capital project. As I have told the Member before, there is no intention from the Financial Management Board to have any delay in the project. The intention was, an expectation under P3, the project would be completed in late fall or early summer of 2003. As far as I know from the Financial Management Board, that is still the intention. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, 30 percent of the drawings are done, and I have a copy of those. Can the Minister inform me if that is where it is going back to? When it went back to the department, is it starting from the point where it has left off? The government has already paid well over $1 million for some work on this facility. Can he inform me if that is where it is going back to? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly as the Minister responsible for Finance, and Chair of the Financial Management Board, I would like us to use our money as wisely as we can. If there is work that has been done, then hopefully that can be used.

The design of the facility rests with the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. I cannot speak for her in terms of how the new building will be designed. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the responses are getting lukewarm. He says he does not want to waste money. The previous government spent money on this project. Was direction given, when this project was changed from a P3 to a traditional tender, to go back and use existing information that has already been done? The groundwork has been done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to be evasive. I am just trying to make sure I stay within my mandate and my portfolio as the Minister responsible for Finance and not tread into other people's portfolios.

Mr. Speaker, the direction and the decision from the Financial Management Board was to switch it from a P3 to a conventional project. There was no decision regarding how we were going to make use of the work that has already been completed. As I said before, that is up to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services as the client department. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, and on the same issue. The Inuvik Hospital was constructed back in 1963, which is almost 37 years ago. Most buildings are pretty well obsolete or torn down in that timeframe.

There has been very little done in the way of trying to reconstruct or live up to the commitments this government made when it transferred Health and Social Services from the federal government to this government. I made reference to the 1998 Health Transfer Agreement. It clearly states, under section 2.8 to 2.16, the agreement deals directly with the Inuvik Hospital replacement. It is a direct statement to a particular hospital.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, nothing has been done to date. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services when can we see the construction of this facility?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, some of the questions directed by Mr. Roland to Mr. Handley would have been better directed to me. Mr. Krutko's questions have to do with Finance, but we will try and provide some answers here.

I think everyone knows, hopefully everyone in this House knows, the people in the region of Inuvik know, that there is a commitment on the part of this government to replace the hospital in Inuvik. We went a long way down the public-private partnership road that used up a lot of time and a lot of energy.

When it was determined that this project was not going to be carried out under the method of acquisition of a P3 project, it was a decision of the Financial Management Board that we would return to a conventional tendering, capital acquisition option. At that time, my department was instructed to prepare a submission to go back to the Financial Management Board for the funding required to place this project under the capital acquisition plan. That is in the process of being done now.

I want to assure the Member we are working on this as expeditiously as possible. Maybe more important than the start date is the fact that we are committing to the completion date and not changing that: completion in the year 2003. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me when we can see the tender documents being put forward so people can start bidding on this project? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the funding is approved through the Financial Management Board to return this to a traditional tendered project, it will then be up to the Department of Public Works and Services to put out proposal calls. I do not have a timeframe with me today. I have a chronology of the history of this project, the dates and the different things that were done on certain dates, but I do not have a projected timeline in great detail. I could get that and provide that to the Member once the Department of Public Works and Services has been given the go ahead.

On the previous question, as to whether or not we can use information that has already been compiled regarding this project, I believe the answer to that is yes. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hope we will not have any more delays when we go back to calls for proposals. This thing went through a rigorous process. It went through the P3 process and there were calls for proposals. I would like to ask the Minister what her department is doing to limit the timeframe to ensuring there will be an actual tender document prepared, so we do not have to go through the same process and we can make use of the information that is already compiled. 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, during the lead up and the preparatory work that was done on the P3 project, the Financial Management Board Secretariat, the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Public Works and Services worked very closely together on this. They were all parties to a P3 implementation team. Because of that fact, much of the information has already been shared. Now it is a formal process of turning the management and securing of this project over to the Department of Public Works and Services.

They have a lot of background knowledge, and they are also aware, and I cannot speak for Mr. Steen's department, but they are aware of the urgency and the desire on the part of the government to move this project ahead as quickly as possible. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in line with the cost of the hospital, which is $25,440,000, I would like to ask the Minister what role is the regional health board taking? They are the ones calling us and asking us what is going on. Can the Minister allow the Inuvik Regional Health Board to take more of a controlling role with the replacement of this hospital? 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, I cannot inform the Member as to what formal process the Inuvik Regional Health Board would participate in, but I can assure you the Department of Health and Social Services will work very closely with the board to ensure the parameters of the project and what the health board recognizes as the needs, services and facilities to be incorporated in this project are met. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen. It is a follow-up to my Member's statement. We have a situation where this government has spent millions on a critical recruitment and retention initiative for nurses in the North and northern nurses. Yet we find in my constituency, I have an aboriginal nurse who has been rejected and turned down for education leave to go back and get her degree. At the same time, this department has lapsed $820,000 in the retention plan.

I would like to ask the Minister if she would consider personally looking at this issue and making sure that, given the amount of money that has been lapsed, she would look at this particular situation and reconsider. 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 familiar with the case the Member refers to, with respect to an applicant from Fort Smith who, as the Member says, has worked for the department for a number of years, is an indigenous aboriginal Northerner and precisely the kind of candidate we want to see expand on their training. People who will be investing their careers in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the funding that is available for nurses and professionals on education leave to enhance their skills does not come out of the recruitment and retention funding Mr. Miltenberger referred to as having $800,000 lapsed. It comes out of the department's O and M, and there is a set, prescribed amount of money available under this program.

Unfortunately, for this particular applicant, the monies had already been committed for other candidates. I want to assure the Member that there are a number of other sources of resources for someone like this to return to school. We would be happy to work with Mr. Miltenberger's constituent to make them aware of these other avenues of resources. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am amazed at the rigid attitude the department appears to be taking. If this is not a retention issue, I do not know what is. We have already had a case in Fort Smith where a northern nurse picked up the phone and was offered a job with a signing bonus down south because she could not get a job up here.

Mr. Speaker, they lapsed $800,000. They lapsed $400,000 in the public service training fund. They lapsed $400,000 in apprenticeship training, and they tell me there is no money to train northern nurses. I cannot believe the department cannot find the flexibility. I will ask the Minister again, will she reconsider, given the amount of money that has been lapsed and the millions you are asking for to retain northern nurses, to look at this case? 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 not certain as to what kind of latitude a Minister has to reprofile and reallocate funds. We are talking about recruitment and retention, which is the lapsed funding Mr. Miltenberger refers to. I do not know how pleased Ordinary Members would be when they go through budget processes and are involved in allocation of funds if that kind of latitude was granted.

However, let me say that I do agree that if we have northern nurses, we want to expand on their skills, and, who are being rejected for education leave... the issue of the amount of money available in this fund does need to be examined so this does not happen again.

I also want to assure the Member that there are two times per year under the collective agreement when employees can apply for this education leave. Those times are in January and September. People who have previously applied are given priority. We would certainly encourage and invite another application from his constituent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am getting the polite slag-off here in terms of being willing to look at this. This is a retention issue. This is a northern, aboriginal nurse. The government itself has defined it has a critical shortage in terms of the professional need. They have lapsed hundreds of thousands of dollars, Mr. Speaker.

I want to inform the Minister that I will be extremely critical of the department's budget if that is the attitude they are going to take to training northern nurses.

I would like to know how many other northern, aboriginal nurses received funding last year under that one program? 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 do know that affirmative action rules do apply to this education leave program. I know the department had made a commitment to other students in this program. I do not know how many, and I can get back to the Member with that information. It is important that once they have begun to participate in this education leave, that we do not withdraw that support in favour of introducing other people into the program. I could find out how many applicants were accepted under this program in the previous year. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister define what is covered under the retention part of the recruitment and retention program, given the fact that it has lapsed hundreds of thousands of dollars, they sent a crew of people off to the British Isles to look for...

Mr. Miltenberger, would you please ask the question?

What is covered under the retention part of your program? 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, there are quite a number of categories under program delivery under recruitment and retention. I will just highlight some of them. There is a recruitment and retention steering committee that represents the department, boards, medical association, nurses association. There is a recruitment and retention unit within the department. There is a northern development program, which has programs such as a step bursary program. There are also career bursaries available. There is a professional development fund. There is funding for the recruitment of general practitioners, locum and long-term. There is a rural physician locum program. There is an advanced nursing skills education program. Temporary market supplement for nurses. There are nurse educator consultants. There are workshops that have been sponsored under this funding for workplace safety, health and well-being, and there is a website we have developed for recruitment. There is a foreign nursing recruitment program, which the Member has referred to. These are some of the categories that fall under our program for recruitment and retention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. 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. Mr. Speaker, I do not think there has been a decision made on where the road to resources would go. That is with the Minister responsible for Transportation.

Any new roads, as the Member knows, are the responsibility of the federal government. Our government's responsibility is with existing roads. I think the comments he is referring to are referring to work that is proposed to go ahead in future years on Highway No. 3, No. 4 and so on. I will not go into detail on that, but if the Member wishes, he can refer to the capital acquisition section of the main estimates. It outlines the projected expenditures there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not think you can call the Ingraham Trail the road to resources. The Ingraham Trail serves a recreation area and a number of people who live there permanently. I notice in looking back in the capital acquisitions in prior years, the government has spent almost $1.2 million. There is a projection this year to spend $494,000 there. It is proposed in future years to spend between $2.8 million to $3 million per year on Highway No. 4, which goes from the city out past Giant Mine and down to Tibbit Lake. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am really on the edge of getting into the Minister responsible for Transportation's responsibilities. All I will say is that money that is spent on that road is spent there to serve the traffic on that road. I have no idea, Mr. Speaker, where the road to resources might go. I do not think that decision has been made. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. I would like to remind Members not to ask hypothetical questions, or questions that border on the hypothetical. I do not know if the Minister is able to predict what the other governments are going to do. Please restrict your questions there. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Last Friday, I asked the Minister about the timelines for the development of a new Wildlife Act. He advised the House that he was hoping to see legislation at the most optimistic time coming in for the fall of 2002, more than two years away.

Mr. Speaker, as government brings in new legislation, there should be some philosophical underpinning to the development of that legislation. For instance, the primary purpose of a new Wildlife Act could be either to regulate harvesters or it could be conservation.

I would like to ask the Minister what is the primary purpose of the proposed new Wildlife Act?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current Wildlife Act is very old. There has been a lot of change since that time, from an environmental perspective, a wildlife perspective, political change and so on. There are a number of purposes in the Wildlife Act.

One, and a primary one in my mind, is to update the Wildlife Act to accurately reflect this government's obligations and commitments to the land claims agreements, and also to recognize the rights those land claims agreements have. We also have self-government arrangements that are being negotiated right now. That has to be taken into consideration.

We have conservation measures that were developed years ago that may no longer be applicable. We have new demands and interest in wildlife harvesting, from a commercial perspective and from a traditional perspective. That has to be taken into consideration.

We have a lot more people living in the Northwest Territories than ever before. That has to be taken into consideration. Mr. Speaker, without getting into a lot of detail, there are a number of reasons for it. The primary one is to reflect our new political situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat disappointed not to hear conservation being the first priority, and politics listed as the first priority. Mr. Speaker, will this legislation specifically cover both habitat and species? In other words, will it apply to all plants and animals?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Before I ask the Minister to respond, I would like to recognize in the gallery a former colleague, former MLA, former Minister, former Speaker, Ms. Jeannie Marie-Jewell.

-- Applause

Welcome back. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just to be clear, the whole purpose of a Wildlife Act is conservation. How we do that is very dependent on our political system and governance and so on. I do not want to suggest that politics drives our Wildlife Act.

The Wildlife Act is being revised. At the same time, it will introduce legislation for species at risk. We have two main pieces of legislation coming forward at the same time.

The Wildlife Act will take into consideration all wildlife and habitat that is within our jurisdiction. Habitat includes plants, the earth, water and so on. Those and wildlife are very much interrelated. The primary focus is on wildlife and endangered species. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, much of the control of harvesting will now take place through bodies that are set in place through claims settlements and self government agreements. For those areas that are under this government's control, will the Minister agree that harvesting limits should be based on sound conservation principles only?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, they should be based on sound conservation principles. Certainly. As we do that, there are other considerations that have to be taken into place. Those refer back to many of the land claims rights and responsibilities, traditional users...there are a number of issues we need to look at as we get through this, not strictly conservation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, some of those other concerns will be addressed through claims and self-government. I would like to ask the Minister what conservation purpose does the two-year residency clause serve?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that provision is an old provision that was in there a long time ago. It was set in the Wildlife Act at a time when there was a lot of, I believe it was during the period where we had a lot of oil and gas activity in the Beaufort Delta and a lot of mining activity, people going in and out of the Northwest Territories.

There was a need, and continues to be a need, to prevent situations where people who are here on very short rotations are able to come in and harvest as if they are residents. If we set it for two years, that is certainly a provision that will be looked at as the Act is revised. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Transportation. The constituents in the Hay River Reserve are concerned about the condition of the access road to the reserve. This road was constructed through a heavy equipment program in 1970. This road is very narrow and winding and dusty, and certainly not up to today's standards. I would like to ask the Minister what his department's plans are to upgrade the access road to the Hay River Reserve.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we did have a meeting with the community last fall on this particular issue. The department indicated at that time that we have no plans to upgrade that road. They also requested we consider bridges across that particular river. We indicated to them the department had no plans to put in a bridge. The response to the Member, Mr. Speaker, is that at this point in time, we have no money or plans to upgrade that particular road. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, of all of the access roads, and I believe there are 13, which includes the Ingraham Trail, I would like to know where the access roads to the Hay River Reserve rank in terms of priority. Thank you.

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