Good morning, everyone. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about our successful partnership with Skills Canada, a non-profit organization of business, government, labour and educational leaders who join forces to develop skilled trades and technology workers.

Skills Canada recognizes the need for young people to find out as early as high school about the opportunities available to them in trades and technology. The program goes beyond simply providing information by giving students hands-on experience in fields of interest to them. It also allows prospective employers an opportunity to participate in evaluating performance and to provide feedback that will ensure training programs meet the real needs of employers.

The success of the organization is evident, in the winning results awarded Team NWT-Nunavut at the 36th World Skills Competition in Quebec City in June. The national competition included 400 competitors in 39 events. Mr. Speaker, in the face of all that competition, our team brought home three bronze medals and a silver medal.

-- Applause

Congratulations to silver medal winners Kelly Laing-Dixon and Brie-Anne Jefferson of Yellowknife. Congratulations also to bronze medal winners Calvin Korchinos, Gord Stephenson and Ryan Byrne, also of Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, the Skills Canada partnership provides benefits to each of the secondary and post-secondary students who competed in local skills competitions in Fort Smith and Yellowknife, as well as those who participated in the national competition. NWT employers will reap the benefits of a program that provides young people an opportunity to try their hand at an occupation that may benefit both them and the NWT in the future.

I am sure you will agree we have much to be proud of, Mr. Speaker. I would ask that my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly join me in applauding the achievements of those students who participated in the Skills Canada competition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the eve of the last day of this Session, I would like to take a few minutes to express my appreciation for the significant role the diamond companies are playing in the North.

Mr. Speaker, there are some members of the public who believe that most of the diamond mine employees do not live in the Northwest Territories. This is not true. I recently attended a public information session held by BHP and learned that as of June 1, 2000, the company employs 440 Northerners, which constitutes 77 percent of their total workforce. Of that, 42 percent are northern aboriginals. As many as 272, or 62 percent, reside in the city of Yellowknife. As well, Mr. Speaker, this year the company has hired 35 summer students, 20 of whom are northern aboriginals, and 13 are northern non-aboriginals.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware that they are here doing what they do because it is profitable. Regardless, I want to say emphatically that we appreciate every single job they create and every single dollar they spend in the North.

I must also say, Mr. Speaker, a good many of the diamond company employees live in my riding of Range Lake, not only employees of BHP, but also of Diavik and Winspear. I know that it is very important to them that we, as a government and as a people, recognize and appreciate the positive contribution they are making to our economy and our social fabric, as the mining industry in general has done over the many decades of history in the North.

This tremendous growth in jobs came at a very opportune time, Mr. Speaker, especially for our city. Perhaps this is why it has not been as noticeable. It absolutely softened the blow of job losses as a result of the Giant Mine shutdown. For that, I am ever so thankful to the industry for enabling us to move from a gold city to the diamond capital of North America with relatively little pain.

I would also like to recognize BHP, Diavik and Winspear for the countless financial sponsorships they provide to an array of community supporting events in the city and in small communities around the city. I think we will be hard-pressed to attend any major event these days where one or all of these companies are not the major sponsors.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware that as I speak, all three diamond companies are currently navigating through the unchartered waters of our environmental regulatory process, ever so patiently and quietly. I want to express my support and encouragement to their efforts on behalf of the people of my riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the UN Security Council just passed a resolution calling for a global boycott on diamonds from Sierra Leone. In June in the Edmonton Journal, there were a couple of editorials on diamonds, one calling for an international boycott of diamonds. Not only those from Sierra Leone, but all diamonds since it is so difficult to tell where diamonds have come from.

Mr. Speaker, unless we do something, there is a danger that Canadian diamonds could become part of a boycott because of the growing demand that something be done to stop the flow of so-called conflict diamonds that fuel the violence in Africa. Let us not forget what impact the fur boycott had on the northern economy and our residents. We cannot be complacent on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, we have an important stake in having a system set up that would prove to the consumer that their diamond is from Canada, and not one from Sierra Leone that has been slipped into the mix. An international system would be best, but there is so much at risk for our economy that we cannot wait for that to be set up.

We should recognize, Mr. Speaker, that our responsibility also goes beyond economics. We have a responsibility to the innocent victims of the brutal warlords in African countries like Angola, the Congo and Sierra Leone. The only way to hurt these criminals is to stop the flow of diamonds from these countries. The only way to do that without a worldwide boycott is to have some way to prove that diamonds being sold to the public are not conflict diamonds.

Mr. Speaker, I know the GNWT has had a preliminary look at a process that will allow certification of Canadian diamonds which would audit a chain of custody to prove that a diamond comes from the Northwest Territories. I believe the government should accelerate its efforts to bring such a system into play. We need to involve players like the Diamond High Council and the mining companies to develop a certification process for rough diamonds that will lead to the highest level of confidence among consumers to stave off a worldwide boycott of diamonds.

Mr. Speaker, we have the highest quality diamonds coming out of the ground in the Northwest Territories. Now we need to be able to demonstrate to the world that we are doing our part to save lives in Africa and to protect our diamond economy by developing a reputable certification process to prove to the buying public that their diamond comes from the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Mr. Speaker, at the aboriginal leaders meeting, which was held in Fort Simpson with the oil and gas industry, they came up with an understanding to look at ownership of 51 percent of the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline. This is good news. Also, realizing the importance of the oil and gas industry to the Northwest Territories, ensuring that we do not lose sight that we have to continue to lobby industry, making sure that the political environment of the North is stable, and also ensuring that we have a skilled labour workforce. And that we develop a mechanism in infrastructure in the Northwest Territories to be able to take on these developments.

Just a couple of days ago, the Premier of the Yukon was in Calgary to host a luncheon with the oil and gas industry, to meet the industry and promote oil and gas in the Yukon. In light of what the Yukon is doing to lobby the oil industry in Calgary, I would like to ask this government to ensure that we, as a government, continue the lobbying efforts, working along with the aboriginal First Nations and the people of the North to ensure that we do not lose sight of the opportunities we have in front of us.

I, for one, know what it is like to see the boom bust era of the oil and gas industries. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Beaufort Sea area was full of excitement and it looked like there was going to be an industry there forever and a day, but it came and went. It has been a long wait, almost 20 years, to see the industry come back.

I think as a government, we have to do more to ensure that we take advantage of this industry and we do not take for granted that we are the only place in Canada, or in the Northwest Territories. The Yukon is also competing for the same competitors, in regards to the oil and gas industry. Trying to promote their lands, trying to entice a pipeline through the Yukon, through the Dempster corridor, and also down the Alaska Highway.

So I would like to encourage this government to ensure that they do everything they can to continue the lobbying efforts that we have done to date, and that we make more attempts to sit down with industry, answer the questions that are out there, especially regarding the regulatory process, ensuring we have a skilled workforce....

Mr. Krutko, your time has ended for your Members' statement.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important that industry know that we have the tools to take on such a venture, that we have developed the infrastructure that is going to be needed to take on such a project. To ensure, as a government, that we will be able to serve the industry, the people that will be coming forth to do the work and also the communities that will be impacted by these developments, because we are talking a large scale development here.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Premier some questions on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have been working on an issue that is of grave concern to the constituents in my community, one family in particular. I have worked on the issue with Mr. Handley to try to come to a suitable solution, but the doors seem to be closing at every avenue that is taken.

This family, Mr. Speaker, is going to be homeless, come Sunday, partly due to some of the actions of this government, partly to do with actions of a bank and the people they were renting their home from. The short of this, Mr. Speaker, was they tried to work out a solution, because he is an employee of the government, with the Department of Transportation. He tried to work out a solution from within and they had advised us that things seemed to be proceeding okay.

Based on that, they told their renters in their home in Alberta to vacate the premises, because their family would be moving down. The individual would stay up and work. That was closed. Now they have no renters, they have a mortgage and they will be out of a place in Inuvik. A family of four children, plus a mother and a father.

So the avenues seem to be closed. The only avenue that seems to be left, that might be something that can help cure this and fix it, would be the fact that the Transportation employees across the Territories, when transferred from the federal government to the Government of the NWT, had VTAs as part of their transfer. The government of the day cancelled all VTAs so that dropped. They fought that and I believe they have won in arbitration, but now they are waiting for a payout, Mr. Speaker. This payout can save this family from being homeless come this weekend.

I just received a note from the Finance Minister, saying that it is being worked on, but I will have questions for him later because this is a grave concern. Unfortunately, this family was given enough information at the time to make them believe that it was a possible thing that it could be agreed to. Within three days now, they were notified that it is not going to happen. Now they are in a panic situation. The family is in great stress, worried about what to do, and trying to find another location.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be questioning the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat on this issue, because it goes back to the accountability of the Financial Administration Act. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other day there were a few laughs, accent on the word few, when I referred to my illustrious days as a reporter. Today, I would like to acknowledge the role of the fourth estate here in the Northwest Territories, and for this Assembly.

Our relationship with the media, Mr. Speaker, tends to be one of mutual and wiry respect. Most days we like each other, some days, well, we might like each other a little less. The media is one of the avenues of communication for us, and indeed, a free and unrestrictive press is one of the most cherished foundations of any democracy.

The North has been a stepping stone for many reporters, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to recognize the achievements of another northern scribe, and no stranger to these halls, CBC's Dave Miller.

After studying economics and environmental design and architecture, Dave joined News/North for several years, then served with CBC Radio in Hay River. He got a taste of government life when he served as an assistant to this government's first elected leader, George Braden, with John Monroe, the federal Minister responsible for Northern Affairs and then with the Housing Corporation. He rejoined the CBC in 1985.

Dave's work has been recognized by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum; Canadian Science Writer Awards, and a first prize in the Gabriel Awards. This year, Mr. Speaker, he is adding another feather to his hat, the prestigious Southern Fellowship for Journalists at the University of Toronto. The objective of this fellowship is to encourage improvement in journalism by offering an opportunity to broaden their horizons through study in the university setting.

He is one of five recipients from across Canada this year. This means, Mr. Speaker, that Dave and his family will be moving to Toronto for the year while he goes to school. Now we will have to blame someone else when the CBC gets it wrong.

It is also interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, that outside of on-the-job training, and I believe that is the best kind of training, this will be the first time Dave has gone to school for reporters. I am sure my colleagues will agree that even after 15 years on the job, Dave is showing us that it is never too late to learn.

We congratulate Dave on his fellowship. We look forward to his return next fall, Mr. Speaker, and we wish him and his family all the best in Toronto. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we face a number of great fundamental issues in the Northwest Territories. One of them, we have clearly heard, is the ownership of resources and added revenues. But another equally pressing issue that is very fundamental to the Northwest Territories is the issue of political development.

Mr. Speaker, the political and governance structures in the Northwest Territories continue to evolve. Division has come and gone, there are seven self-government tables currently in action, and as well as a Legislature, we have a sunset motion that makes it incumbent upon us to address, in the life of this Assembly, the role of this Legislature.

Mr. Speaker, the issue is very basic, in my mind. There are two systems of government that we are talking about here: self-government or the aboriginal governments, and the role of the public government. How do the two governments come together?

Mr. Speaker, I have raised this issue repeatedly through the life of the 13th Assembly. I want to raise it again in the 14th Assembly. In my mind, there is a clear role for public government at the territorial level and at the community level, especially in communities like the one I represent, which is a multicultural community. There are Metis members, non-aboriginal members, and Dene members, working and living together. There is a tremendous amount of history and intermarriage. We have to have a system of government that allows aboriginal governments and the public government to come together.

So as we look at these issues, I want to raise the need for a central public government at the territorial and community level. Very clearly, self-government is happening. It is occurring around us. It is a constitutional issue. We have been debating this. We had constitutional issues before us, last time, unresolved, resulting in the sunset clause.

So, Mr. Speaker, it is something that is not just in the purview of this Legislature. It is something that affects every man, woman and child in the Northwest Territories. I know that we can find a way for aboriginal self-government and public government to work together at all levels. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the time to thank volunteers from the Hay River Reserve. A constituent of mine went missing from the Hay River Reserve last week. On the day that I heard the news, I tried to contact several places on the reserve, including the band office and I could not get a hold of anyone. Everyone was out searching.

Mr. Ernest Tambour went missing from the Judith Fabian Centre on the reserve. This facility provides extended care services to the elderly and the mentally challenged. A ground, air and water search was conducted by Hay River Royal Canadian Mounted Police; RCMP police dog services from Peace River; Edmonton's RCMP air section; Hay River Coast Guard auxiliary; Hay River Fire Department; the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development; Evergreen Forest Management; South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, and a number of local area residents.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that Mr. Tambour was found unharmed. He endured six nights alone in the bush. He was taken to the hospital for observation and he suffered only sore feet. Today, he is out of the hospital. He is resting and has been visited by his family and friends, who are grateful for his safe return.

I would like to thank the volunteers who found Ernest and would like to take this opportunity to thank all the rescuers for their continued support in ensuring the safety of the people, and thank the residents who volunteered in the search. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the Ordinary Members of this House came forward with the unanimous recommendation to urge the government to set up a Public Service Commission, I have had a lot of constituents call me to discuss it, and they were wondering what prompted this.

I think for me, my concerns about personnel issues, I have discussed them in the House before. I have had constituents come to me. One in particular who wanted to grieve a position that she was not included in the competition for but felt, in the end, that it would not be worth it, for fear of reprisal or being blacklisted. That is probably a legitimate concern in some instances.

They were also very concerned about the affirmative action statistics of this government. They just are not getting any better, Mr. Speaker. So we felt it was time to do something. We recommended a Public Service Commission. We have been working on this issue for a little while though, Mr. Speaker, this is not out of the blue. Our Ordinary Members' committee recommended, in April, to the Government House Leader that we do a comprehensive review of this government's human resource function.

Mr. Speaker, he sent our committee a letter. I will just quote from it. He said, "in summary, I do not believe the timing is right for a management audit of human resource management in the government. I suggest we review this idea in about a year's time."

I do not think we were very happy with the response. He also went further to suggest that possibly a working group be established that would take government staff and Ordinary Members' staff, have them review some personnel issues, and get back to us with a report.

Mr. Speaker, to be quite honest, we just feel that we could not represent the public interest effectively that way. We do not have the staff and the resources to do the job on this that it deserves, so we felt that, basically, any recommendations coming forward from this working group would be government recommendations and we would simply be rubber-stamping them.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you concerns about personnel have been going on for some time. In the early 1990s, when the department was blown up, we decided to devolve the authority to the community level. Personnel related jobs and functions have been swelling. There are vast numbers of human resource people in government now and we have a smaller government.

In 1989, the SCONE Report, Special Committee on Northern Economy, recommended setting up a Public Service Commission. Yesterday, Mrs. Groenewegen tabled a report on child welfare services, recommending that the comprehensive Northwest Territories human resources development strategy be undertaken in this government. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This was recognized as an issue in this report. It is not a new concern, Mr. Speaker. I think the Ordinary Members realize that all of the regions in the country except for Nunavut have Public Service Commissions. Our government currently loses one-third of all appeals any time there is a job grievance. Our affirmative action statistics are dismal and are not getting much better. Just in explanation to the public, that is why we felt it was time to take action. We felt we had to do something.

We have recommended a Public Service Commission. Basically, our constituents said to us, "Let us take the politics out of hiring." This was our response. We hope the government will take action. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize a well-known member of our community, yet it is with sadness that I deliver this message today. This week, the family members of Mr. Mike Piro mourned the death of their husband, father and grandfather. As well as the family, there are many people in the city of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories and elsewhere who have learned of his passing, both with sadness and recollections of their memories of Mike over the more than 50 years he called the North his home.

Mr. Speaker, the contributions of Mr. Piro, his accomplishments and endeavours are almost too numerous to mention, but I will name a few. Mr. Piro was an organizer of the precursor to the Northern Frontier Visitors Association, an organizer of the World Championship Dog Derby, a founding and lifetime member of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he was a member of many clubs and organizations, the Rotary, the Legion, the Yellowknife Lions Club, Spirit YK, and the Seniors Society.

Mr. Piro also had many occupations and business interests, from Frame and Perkins, a garage and bus line, to the Prospector, a restaurant and bed and breakfast, where one could recently often find him sitting and enjoying the view.

All of these things would have surely kept a person busy. Mike always found time to fly. Flying was a passion. One of his hobbies was flying to and discovering old mines and artifacts, his goal being not only to locate, but also to preserve these historical sights.

Mr. Piro was surely an interesting and generous man, and the city of Yellowknife was fortunate that he chose here, of all the places he had been, to call home. He will be missed by many. I have asked an old friend of his if he had any special stories or recollections about Mike. He said, "Stories, I have lots. Recollections...what can I say? He was a great guy. A really, really great guy." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Indeed, the condolences go to the Piro family on their loss. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Inuvik is celebrating two major events this summer. The 30th anniversary of the Northern Games and the 12th anniversary of the Great Northern Arts Festival.

The Northern Games are taking place from July 25 through July 30, 2000, in its original birthplace of Inuvik. These games have been part of our community since 1970. The games were headed up by a small group of volunteers who still dedicate their time and efforts every year to make it a success. The founders of the Northern Games include Edward Lennie, Nellie Cournoyea, Billy Day and Reverend Doug Dittrich. The contribution of these outstanding volunteers ensures that the traditional cultures of our people are kept alive.

The events include traditional everyday activities such as muskrat skinning, goose plucking, tea boiling and bannock making. Some of the Arctic sports include the blanket toss, the two-foot high kick, knuckle hop, and the muskox wrestle, amongst other popular events. There is a good-woman and good-man contest. This title is bestowed to the overall male or female winners of all of the events.

The organizing committee is pleased to extend their thanks and appreciation for financial contributions they have received over the years from Heritage Canada, the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as numerous corporate contributions from a variety of businesses.

These contributions have allowed the organizers to bring its contingents and special guests from as far away as Labrador, Nunavut and Northern Quebec, Alaska and from the Beaufort Delta region.

Another annual event that takes place in Inuvik is the Great Northern Arts Festival, which is celebrating its 12th anniversary from July 21 through July 30, 2000. This event started in 1989 with co-founders Charlene Alexander and Sue Rose. As a result, the festival has been a major success ever since. The primary purpose of this event is to foster the education and training of northern artists, and to promote northern art and artists worldwide.

This ten-day festival includes a variety of exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and cultural events. The arts festival is open to all artists from all walks of life, whether professional or amateur. It is the largest gathering of northern artists in Canada. Artists from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon, as well as guests from other parts of Canada continue to participate in this art celebration.

I congratulate both of these special events on their...

Sorry, Mr. Allen. The time for your Member's statement has expired.

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

Thank you, Mr. Allen. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I congratulate both of these special events on their anniversaries and all of the people who help make this a success every year. These two special events certainly help promote the town of Inuvik as a prominent tourist destination in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, July 1, 2000, I returned to Tuktoyaktuk and attended Canada Day celebrations. These activities started at 10:00 a.m., July 1, 2000, but had to be suspended later in the evening due to weather. The wind came up and blew dust and sand all over, then it rained.

Mr. Speaker, the Tuktoyaktuk recreation committee members are very persistent. Canada Day activities continued with the scheduled traditional games being held on the next day, July 2. Again, it rained before activities could be concluded, and the outdoor games had to be suspended.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Day committee and the patriotic volunteers and residents of Tuktoyaktuk were bound and determined to complete Canada Day celebrations as planned. I left Tuktoyaktuk on Monday, July 3, 2000, to return to Yellowknife for the Session. However, my constituents inform me that Canada Day activities were finally completed on the evening of Monday, July 3, 2000. Therefore, it could be said that in Tuktoyaktuk, in the land of the midnight sun in the year 2000, Canada Day was 72 hours long. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Laughter

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. We will have to send an official note to the weatherman. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a good friend of mine from Winnipeg, Strinny Reddie, who is in the gallery today, along with his son-in-law Joey, his granddaughter Jasmine, and Romy, a friend from South Africa. I tell you, these people would be very happy to pay a hotel tax to come and visit our beautiful land. Thank you.

-- Laughter

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are to the Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley. They relate to my statement on diamonds and the UN Security Council resolution that there should be a worldwide boycott on Sierra Leone diamonds.

Mr. Speaker, my first question to the Minister is, what steps has the Government of the Northwest Territories taken to develop a process to certify Northwest Territories diamonds?

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, we have been working very diligently with the industry on certification of diamonds. We have developed our own certification program. Generally, it seems to have met with acceptance from industry and I expect that we will be implementing it shortly.

As well, Mr. Speaker, we are also working on a program to monitor the trade and exchange of diamonds and the transportation of diamonds in and out of the Territory to make sure the diamonds that are here are truly Canadian Northwest Territories diamonds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm that the process the Government of the Northwest Territories is looking at introducing will include a chain of ownership? In other words, an audit of where the diamonds have come from so we can prove there has been a continuous monitoring of the diamonds and that they are indeed from Canada?

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, yes, the certification program we have and are intending to put in place will certify that the diamonds are actually mined and produced in the Northwest Territories. I must say, Mr. Speaker, that the certification program is voluntary. We cannot force the producers to follow it. If they do not, then their diamonds might be questioned in terms of their origin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the World Diamond Conference later this month, will the Government of the Northwest Territories press other players in the diamond industry to adopt a global certification process?

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, I am not sure what the honourable Member means by a global certification process, but certainly we will, and when I speak at the conference, I intend to underline the importance and the economic benefits from having our own certification program. As well, we will make it very clear that this will differentiate our diamonds from those that are referred to as conflict or blood diamonds. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean that there has to be a chain of custody globally adopted as one of the standards so that we can prove that diamonds are not conflict diamonds.

Mr. Speaker, the journal's chief editorial writer wrote a column, calling for a global boycott on diamonds. Will the Minister contact her to discuss the importance of the diamond industry to Canada, and our efforts to set up a process for certification?

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

Mr. Speaker, definitely, we would oppose any move for a global boycott of all diamonds. We are proud of our diamonds. They are important to our economy and we believe that it is a good, viable business, if it is properly monitored and certified.

To answer the question, I have not seen the article but yes, Mr. Speaker, we will contact the writer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today goes to the Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and it is in regard to what happened in the last Session, where the tax-based municipalities had to experience cuts in funding but, moreover, that it was done without any notice to Members or officials.

I know that the Minister made a commitment in Fort Simpson at the Association of Municipalities Annual General Meeting, as well as to the committee. I wonder if the Minister could update us as to what he has done, and how he is planning to address that issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's answer but I do not believe that is the question I asked. My question, Mr. Speaker, has to do with the notice, not about formula financing. I understand that is under review.

I think that there was a cut, but the cut was made without notice to the communities or to the Members. Municipalities are suggesting at least a three year notice, but our committee is suggesting a one year notice, which I think is fair. I do believe the basic principle that this government espouses is the principle of partnership, and partnership has to come with respect for other levels of governments. Cutting their major budgets without notice, I think, is contrary to that principle.

I am very interested in knowing where the Minister stands with respect to giving sufficient notice to municipal governments when there are going to be major changes to their funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am fully aware that we dealt with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, and every other department, for hours and hours for the last two weeks, but I would like to remind the Minister that this issue came up way back in March. There has been four months in which the Minister should have given this due consideration.

I am still interested in knowing where the Minister stands with respect to giving notice to the municipalities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say again that it is not about funding. It is about giving respect to our partners, which the community governments are. I am looking for leadership from all Ministers, in that they are not just waiting for the department to come to them about what the options are, but the Minister is directing his other department.

May I ask the department as to the course of action, and may I have the commitment from the Minister that he will direct the department to find ways to bring in legislation to make sure that there is at least one year of notice? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier, regarding the television coverage being received by the Yukon Premier in her lobbying effort in Calgary to attract the oil and gas industry to open up the oil and gas areas in the Yukon, the Eton Plains area in the southern part of the Yukon and also pushing for a pipeline down the Dempster corridor.

I know for a fact that we have had several meetings in Calgary and there have been several attempts to meet with industry, but I believe that we have to take it up one notch higher. I believe the Premier should make an effort to continue the lobbying efforts. During the World Petroleum Conference in Calgary, the Premier had other obligations and was not able to meet with industry. There were people within industry who wanted to meet with the Premier and still want to meet with the Premier.

So I would like to ask the Premier, will the Premier be traveling to Calgary in the next short time to meet with industry, to lobby for the people of the Northwest Territories to try to attract the oil and gas industry and the pipeline companies to consider building a pipeline down the valley and opening up oil and gas reserves? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The World Petroleum Conference in Calgary was a huge event. We did make sure that many of our Ministers and staff were there to take advantage of the opportunities to get our message and agenda out there to industry. Members should be aware that I have been working for the last two or three years to promote the North as a place for industry to return in pursuit of oil and gas exploration. We are meeting regularly with industry, with oil companies, both in Calgary and here in the Northwest Territories.

It is something that we have worked on relentlessly. I did take, I think, two days off during the time of the World Petroleum Conference as a holiday. I am now ready, as soon as the Session completes, to continue to work with industry to find opportunities to get our message out about our agenda on increasing business with industry, with oil and gas companies, with diamond companies, with promoting the North as a place for tourists to visit, to do that through every possible means we can take advantage of. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of the oil and gas interest, there will be an oil and gas sale lease which will be coming out, I believe, in the middle of August, or early August. So I would like to ask the Premier, can the Premier tell us when he intends to travel to Calgary to continue with these meetings?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We had originally indicated to possibly attending some meetings and discussions with oil and gas companies tomorrow and Saturday. However, because of the uncertainty of how long the Session would continue, we have not made the firm commitments that were required.

So Members should be aware, the intent was to be there tomorrow, but because of the Session and the need to be here to attend to business and Session, we had not made the commitment to attend in Calgary. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask the Premier if it is a possibility that Members of the House who will be affected by oil and gas development, will also have an opportunity to work with you, to continue to lobby for their particular regions to ensure that the economic and social conditions are taken into consideration. To try and assist you in your lobbying efforts, because we, as Members affected, would like to be able to partake in these meetings with industry so that we can also promote our different ridings that will be affected by these developments.

So will the Minister consider the possibility of Members who are affected by the oil and gas industry to take part in these meetings?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we are, as a Cabinet, continuing to be open to that. I believe the message that, as Premier, Ministers and as a Cabinet, we are unveiling on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories is a message that is supported and continues to be articulated by all Members of this Legislature. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other area that I feel that we have to continue to work side by side in this is with the aboriginal working group that has been formed, to see how they are going to do their work to assist the aboriginal people that directed them to pull together an agreement, to see their participation and what their involvement is going to be in the ownership and development of a pipeline. So I would like to ask the Premier, will you also ensure that those groups are involved and that we work along with them to ensure that we get as much benefit out of the oil and gas industry?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The aboriginal organizations' political leadership have sent a message to industry and to Ottawa, that they are unanimous in their political support of a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley, and they indicated the conditions. The aboriginal business leaders, following that, have started work and have put together a working group. They now have a mandated working group in place to begin the process to work towards a proposal for a pipeline that would be owned and managed all or in part by a business consortium. Aboriginal leaders will spearhead that.

Members should be aware that when I met with the Prime Minister earlier this year, I had indicated to him this business initiative lead by Nellie Cournoyea, of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and Chief Harry Deneron, on behalf of the chiefs and the Metis leaders of the Mackenzie Valley. I had indicated to him at the time that he should be prepared to meet with the leaders should they request a meeting, and I believe they were prepared to do so at the time. So the stage is set for the aboriginal leaders to meet with the Prime Minister at a time and place of mutual convenience. That work has been done.

Of course, all the work that we do with industry and the federal government is shared and the added information is made available to the aboriginal leaders. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 6, oral questions. the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the frustration of the community given the amount of smoke that it is creating and the fact that it is burning in the caribou area. It is unfortunate that these things happen. On the day that the fire was spotted, I think that it was on the 27th, the fire was relatively small. There were a lot of other fires and extreme conditions right across the southern part of the Northwest Territories. The decision was made, at that time, not to fight the fire. That decision is made by the regional fire people who are responsible for that area.

Since that time the fire has been monitored, and it is true, there was no action taken on the fire besides monitoring it, until July 3rd. Since that time we have continued to have aircraft and crews working on the fire to try to contain it. The fire is presently over 1,600 hectares. It is locked in on the north by an old burn and on the west, I believe, by a number lakes. It is mainly on the south side of the fire that action is being taken today. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I agree with the Member that it is costing us money. It is costing us about $60,000 a day right now to fight that fire with the aircraft and the crews we have on it.

In terms of a policy to fight all fires within 50 kilometres of a community, that is something we can consider. I think that there are some real problems with us trying to adopt and implement that kind of policy. As we know, on the hot dry days like we have had for the last week, we could have 100 or more fires start up in a region. We have had that happen. We would physically not be able to live up to our policy if we said that we would fight every one of them.

Inevitably, we have to pick and choose which ones we are going to fight and where we are going to keep crews on standby. I think that it would be a policy that would be impossible for us to maintain, because we have had over 100 fires started in any one evening as a lightning storm goes by. We just do not have enough crews for that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I will be willing to meet with the people in Lutselk'e if we can set up a convenient time, I will do it as quickly as I can as soon as we are finished business here.

The department used to have a program whereby we enabled communities. We gave them money to respond to fires within the first 24 hours. They could choose which ones they were going to fight and which ones they were not going to. I would be happy to look at reinstituting that kind of program. I agree with the Member the local people know best where the areas at risk are and some of the fire behaviour. So if there is a way of doing that, then I would like to talk to the Member and to the community about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you. There was no question there. It was more of a comment. Thank you Mr. Nitah. 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 Health and Social Services. Yesterday she tabled a document entitled It Takes a Community, A Report on Northwest Territories Child Welfare Services. There are three points that I would just like to highlight, Mr. Speaker, if I could.

In summary, the Northwest Territories child welfare services are functioning precariously close to the edge. On the other hand, child welfare services are well positioned to take great strides forward. There is also a state of readiness throughout the Northwest Territories as people are anxious to take charge of their own destiny. Mr. Speaker, there are 58 recommendations under seven key areas. I was wondering if the Minister could elaborate on how she intends to respond to these recommendations. Some are training issues, some are process issues. Many are significant cash issues. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have had a chance to look over the report. Obviously, the department will be formulating an action plan with costing and looking at the various recommendations, prioritizing them as to which ones are most critical and need to be addressed first. I think the report was very good. It was an excellent investment. This review was not initiated under my tenure as Minister, it was actually initiated by the former Minister, and it is probably one of the best pieces of consultative work and reporting that I have seen during my time in this government. It certainly gives something for our department to sink our teeth into, and for me as a Minister to act upon.

The implementation of the recommendations will be done over a multi-year approach, and we will prioritize recommendations to address the most critical areas first. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like a little more detail from the Minister in terms of the process she has outlined. For example, there is a recommendation for 22 new social workers this year; that is a big money item. Could the Minister indicate whether there will be a plan in place that will be a part of the business plan and process that will take place this fall? Thank you.