Thank you, Mr. Handley. Good morning, everyone. It is nice to see the rain, it should help take care of some of those forest fires. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been concern raised in this Session that Highway No. 3 was unsafe because there were places along Highway No. 3 where the highway was too narrow for two trucks to pass by one another.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to state categorically that there is no section of Highway No. 3 so narrow that when two approaching trucks meet, one must stop and give way to the other or one must pull over off the highway and on the shoulder in order to pass

A standard, conventional tractor-trailer transport is 2.63 metres in width under the Large Vehicle Control Regulations. Pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Act, a truck is over-width at 3.2 metres. In other words, for two trucks carrying over-dimensional wide loads to pass, they need a minimum travelling surface width of 6.4 metres. There is no point along Highway No. 3 narrower than eight metres wide. The average width is ten metres with some sections as wide as 13 or more metres. The newly reconstructed and paved sections of Highway No. 3 are built to an 11 metre standard width.

Particularly in travelling from a wider section to a narrower section, the highway may seem too narrow, but in fact, no section is narrower than eight metres. This is more than adequate for two trucks to pass. I would point out that when the highways in the Northwest Territories were first built 20 or 30 years ago, eight metres was the specified design width.

Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 3 is safe and passable at the posted maximum speed limit of 90 kilometres per hour. The Department of Transportation's highway patrol officer reports that according to his radar, far too many private passenger vehicles routinely travel in excess of the posted maximum. If there is a perception that Highway No. 3 is unsafe, I would agree that this perception is valid when people travel in excess of posted speed limits, or do not exercise appropriate caution during bad weather. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been a number of concerns raised in this Session about the safety of the Hay River Reserve Access Road.

The Department of Transportation keeps the Hay River Reserve Access Road in good travelling condition with a standard maintenance routine that includes surface blading, gravel resurfacing, dust control, snow clearing, brush clearing, and traffic sign repair and replacement. In 1997-98, the access road maintenance cost the department $5,400 a kilometre. This expenditure increased in 1998-99 to $7,500 a kilometre, largely due to a special ditch maintenance program initiated to improve the road's drainage.

The traffic accident statistics for the Hay River Reserve Access Road do not suggest that the road is dangerous or hazardous. Over the past ten years, there have been a total of seven reportable motor vehicle accidents on the Hay River Reserve Access Road. All but two of these resulted in property damage alone. There were two injury accidents but not one fatality. No accident has been reported on the road in the past two years.

Mr. Speaker, the maintenance and accident records for the Hay River Reserve Access Road speak for themselves. The road is well maintained and there have been only a few, mostly minor accidents. It is not unsafe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to formally acknowledge all of the hard work completed by Tom Bealieau, the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and his staff. John Hill, the chairman of the Public Utilities Board and his staff, and of course, my Ministerial staff, Tom Williams, my executive assistant and Betty Low, my executive secretary.

It is not often I can publicly show my appreciation of my staff who have put in countless extra hours to continually provide me with sound advice and guidance so that I can adequately respond to the requests of my colleagues and of the constituents we serve.

Through my staff's efforts, it certainly allowed me a smooth transition in my role as a new Cabinet Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Allen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the Business Incentive Policy today. I think it is timely, as this is the last chance I may get to discuss this until the fall. There is going to be a review of the Business Incentive Policy this fall that Minister Handley will embark on.

I have a few concerns, and I have raised some of them already as we have been going through this budget. One concern I raised the other day while questioning the Housing Corporation was that the Housing Corporation has various programs in place, like the EDAP and the IHP. The BIP stipulates that if 51 percent of the money they are giving to someone to buy a home comes from this government, the BIP kicks in and the person is required to buy northern first.

If they go less than 51 percent, say 48 to 49 percent, Mr. Speaker, the BIP is not involved. I think this is certainly a problem. My suggestion would be that if we are spending any government money and we are going to have a policy, I think it has to kick in no matter what the percentage, Mr. Speaker.

As well, the other day my colleague, Mr. Krutko, questioned a Minister in this House about a bid that he thought NTCL should have been awarded, and the Minister responded that there were two bids.

In the initial bidding process, one group was certainly excluded because they did not make the deadline for submissions, but he suggested that NTCL also should have been excluded because they were not BIP'ed. Although they had applied for the BIP, they had not received it. It took them another 14 days to get their BIP.

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a misinterpretation of how the BIP is to be applied. I think the BIP is a northern preference policy. I do not think it is intended to exclude companies from the south, or exclude other companies. I think it simply allows northern companies to be awarded a 15 percent advantage.

For example, Mr. Speaker, when Mrs. Groenewegen tabled the Child Welfare League report, I am fairly certain the Child Welfare League of Canada does not have a BIP registration, yet we still use them. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe they do have a BIP, but this government does do a lot of business with companies that are not BIP'ed, and rightfully so. I do not think, Mr. Speaker, that this is an exclusion policy. It is simply a preference policy.

So, Mr. Speaker, I guess this fall, when we look at BIP, and we take a good hard look at it, we can do whatever we want to bulletproof the thing. We can add tons of rules, but I think rules are only one part of the problem. I think spirit and intent is all together another thing. I think the department and the bureaucrats in the department are going to have to be able to interpret the Business Incentive Policy because, no matter what we do with the rules, there will always... Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you. As I was saying, Mr. Speaker, no matter what we do with the rules, spirit and intent has to be the key, guiding component of this.

For instance, it does us no good to have northern shell companies, or storefront companies, set up in the North that use other southern companies for the majority of work on projects, or to do all of the work on projects and then allow these shell or storefront companies to be awarded a 15 percent Business Incentive Policy. That simply does not keep business or money in the North, Mr. Speaker.

So although that component may be strictly to the letter of the law allowed for in the BIP, I think we have to look at spirit and intent. I am eager to see this thing reviewed in the fall. I hope Mr. Handley will take my comments to heart, and I hope they will take a critical look at the BIP. I think we do need a Business Incentive Policy, but I think we have to do whatever we can to improve it and make this thing more bulletproof so it benefits Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. 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, on the last day of Session, I would like to acknowledge some groups and individuals from Hay River.

First of all, I would like to recognize all the graduates from Diamond Jenness High School and apologize to them for not being able to be there for their graduation this year. I would like to wish them all the best and encourage them to continue on with their education and recognize that they are very important to our society.

I would also like to congratulate all the Grade 6 graduates who are graduating from Camsell St. Paul, and getting ready to go to Diamond Jenness High School. I would like to wish them all the best. I would also like to thank the teachers in all three schools in Hay River, who have dedicated their time and do so much for the education of our kids.

Another group I would like to recognize is the parents and staff that operate the Hay River playschool. I think they are a very important element to our education society. I would like to wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

I would also like to recognize a very special individual in Hay River, who has given some 45 years of her time in volunteer work. Grace Smits received the 2000 Northwest Territories Outstanding Volunteer Service award. I think, Mr. Speaker, it is very fitting that we take the time to recognize people such as Grace and let them know that their work does not go unnoticed.

I would also like to recognize two people that retired this year from the education system, Rose Goudreau and Pat Thomas, for all the years of hard work they have put in the education system in Hay River, and apologize to them for not being able to be at their retirement banquet.

I would also like to recognize my youngest daughter, Katrina, who just yesterday successfully got her drivers' license. I am sure she will make life very interesting for her dad for the next couple of months anyway.

-- Laughter

I would also like to recognize my family for all the support they have given me, especially over the last three weeks being away from home. I look forward to being home for the next while and spending some time with them.

I would also like to thank all of my colleagues for their support and the time we have spent here. I look forward to seeing all of you in the fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk today about the need for the regional petroleum advisory to be located within the Deh Cho First Nations.

I have received a letter from the Deh Cho First Nations for the Honourable Joseph Handley that proposes a need for greater cooperation. It is pointed out by Grand Chief Michael Nadli, in his letter to Minister Handley, that it is important that the Government of the Northwest Territories work closely with the Deh Cho First Nations in developing oil and gas initiatives in the Deh Cho.

Oil and gas development will not occur in the Deh Cho without consent and participation of the Deh Cho First Nations. It logically follows, Mr. Speaker, that it is important that a meaningful dialogue be maintained between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Deh Cho First Nations. Locating the regional petroleum advisor within the Deh Cho First Nations office will accomplish this.

Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho First Nations believes the regional petroleum advisor could assist the First Nations in dealing with oil and gas companies and in preserving traditional lands. Easy accessibility to the advisor would help the First Nations in meeting the challenges that oil and gas development would bring.

It is time for this government to accept that the government functions need to flow to the people. Locating the regional petroleum advisor within the Deh Cho First Nations office will accomplish this. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with it being Friday and all, and the last day of this Session, we will be heading back to our communities. I would like to do a Friday funny, or try to.

Mr. Speaker, it relates to the 2000 Summer Games being held in Sydney, Australia. I have done some thinking here, and I think we should send a team, Team Northwest Territories. I have selected a few individuals that could attend on our behalf, and represent us well.

It starts with the Honourable Joe Handley. Honourable Joe "Hit the Wall" Handley, Mr. Speaker, and I think he would do well in the marathon event. We hope he gets past the first leg before he hits the wall.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Jake "The Finish Line" Ootes, in the 50 yard dash. To ensure he can get to the finish, we are going to set up oxygen that would be available at the 25 yard line.

-- Laughter

And the Honourable Jim "The Sniper" Antoine, in the shooting competition. With his accuracy, we are sure he will always hit right around the mark, in the bulls eye.

Also, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Jane "Ribbon" Groenewegen. With her ability to dance around the questions, we are sure she will be in for a medal in the rhythm and dance competition.

-- Applause

-- Laughter

As well, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Vince "Ride 'em" Steen, in the equestrian event.

-- Laughter

With his ability to avoid the potholes, we are sure he will manage to get around the track. We are just not sure how high he will go.

-- Laughter

And, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Roger "Sage" Allen.

-- Laughter

In the cycling event, we are sure with his sage, he will be able to clearly see the opposition in front of him.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Steven "Knockout" Kakfwi in the boxing event. With his ability to dip and dive, we are sure he will place well in the intermediate class. A word of caution though: he needs to work on his shuffle.

-- Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. You will go as their trainer.

-- Laughter

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is on the recess until Halloween. Mr. Speaker, I could not help but notice this morning that it was raining as I came into work, and I have to hope that this is not a trend that is set for the rest of the summer. If so, MLAs have missed the best days of summer by sitting in the House to approve the budget.

However, I understand the rain is good for the forest fire budget. I really hope that it is a result of the exuberant dancing the Minister of Finance was undertaking last night when we concluded his first full budget in this House.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to take this opportunity to let my constituents know that, while I will be taking some time off over the summer, most of the time I will be available for them to call on me. I am prepared to work for them on their behalf.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Members a safe trip home, a good summer, and we will see you in the fall. Thank you.

-- Applause

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