Please be seated. Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Good afternoon, friends. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you back, colleagues, from a very busy summer. The world has indeed changed since we last met, and it is the hopes and the prayers of this Assembly that the world crisis will soon resolve itself.

I wish to advise the House that I have received the following message from the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

Dear Mr. Speaker,

I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of the Supplementary Appropriations Act No. 3, 2000-2001 during the Fourth Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

Yours truly,

Glenna F. Hansen

Commissioner

I also wish to inform the House that I have received the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories' declaration whereby she gave assent to Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act of September 25th, 2001. At the appropriate time today I will table the Commissioner's declaration of assent. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, today as we gather again as an Assembly, I would like to extend my deepest condolences, on behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly, to the families and friends of those killed in the plane crash near Fort Liard one week ago.

We are all too familiar with the human price that our northern environment can exact. We each share in the sense of loss that exists today in the Deh Cho. I am confident that the people of Fort Liard will come together in the wake of the tragedy that has hit their community.

It is our nature as northern people to unite to face challenges. It is something that I would call on each Member of this Assembly to do today as we prepare to address the future of our Territory and our people.

It is almost two years since we first came together as an Assembly and then presented to the people of the Northwest Territories our vision of a better tomorrow. Our vision reflects the common belief that each and every Member of this Assembly that Northerners must benefit from economic and social development in their regions and that we will pursue this development in the interest of the people we represent.

Two things have happened recently that impact on our agenda. First, the tragic events and consequences of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. have touched all of our lives. The events of September 11th have and will continue to have a profound affect on the way we live even in our remote northern communities. Tougher airport security measures are an example.

Last week in Ottawa, I met with United States Ambassador Cellucci and conveyed to him the sentiments and support of all Northwest Territories residents in the aftermath of the New York City and Washington attacks.

Secondly, we are experiencing an economic downturn which, with few exceptions, is beginning to impact most of Canada, including the Northwest Territories.

Now more than ever we as an Assembly must stand united in our purpose and not lose sight of our collective vision. I urge all Members to stay the course and complete the agenda that we have laid out together.

This tragedy has significantly altered the federal government's agenda because it must now take into account the increased focus and spending on national security measures and international defence obligations.

Last week, I also met with a number of federal Ministers, urging them to ensure that Northwest Territories and aboriginal issues continue to be part of the federal government's national agenda. I was assured that opportunities presented by the Northwest Territories are still on the federal government's agenda. This should be a source of great encouragement for us all.

Coupled with this assurance, there are a number of positive developments that are worth noting:

• • Despite recent developments, the Northwest Territories economy has remained strong, primarily because of gas exploration and diamond mine development.
• • On October 15th, the Mackenzie Delta Producers Group signed the Aboriginal Pipeline Group's Memorandum of Understanding, giving aboriginal equity in a pipeline the legitimacy it needs to move forward. Through the MOU, the APG is now well positioned to work with Mackenzie Delta Producers in advancing Northwest Territories aboriginal interests in a proposed pipeline project. This partnership is especially representative of many that have been developed between southern industries and Northwest Territories aboriginal development corporations and businesses.
• • The diamond mine industry has begun to pay royalties to Ottawa. These payments will only increase in future years, highlighting the need for a resource revenue sharing and devolution agreement. Negotiations are set to begin in the new year.
• • A Beaufort-Delta Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle is another concrete achievement. Aboriginal self-government has been a priority of this House for the last three decades. The process of change can formally begin in this region.

As we begin this session today, Mr. Speaker, it is important that we know where we stand. Existing gas exploration commitments totalling close to one billion dollars, continued investment in Diavik and investment in a third diamond mine are good signs of strong economic growth for the Northwest Territories.

However, our fiscal situation has changed in the past few months and will face further challenges.

We expect that Ottawa's spending priorities will address security and defence considerations, resulting in less investment dollars for the Northwest Territories.

Within the next decade, the Northwest Territories will be paying more into federal coffers than it receives, yet in the short term, the new federal focus may mean fewer dollars for the Northwest Territories. Mr. Handley will be providing you with a more detailed account of our changing fiscal situation shortly.

Meanwhile, our political environment has become charged in recent months by the government's highway investment plan. It has been a long time since one issue has captured the attention of so many Northwest Territories residents. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to receiving the standing committee's report and to a productive debate on the options available to us and the consequences of these options, particularly for consumers, business and industry.

In light of all of the national and international development and uncertainty, we as a government must decide how to proceed over the remainder of our mandate.

Obviously, our response to these challenges must always be guided by our goals as set out in Towards a Better Tomorrow and we should not react without good information. We should have a better idea of how these internal and external factors will impact our Territory and how we should adapt our strategies and actions by the time our next budget is presented in February 2002. It is important for us to stay the course and to ensure that on those agenda initiatives which require immediate attention and over which we have jurisdiction, we make the decisions in support of our vision.

One of these initiatives, with significant revenue and infrastructure implications, is the highway investment plan. The basis of this plan is investment now to provide returns for NWT consumers who want better and safer roads, for NWT businesses which will benefit directly and indirectly from a modern highway system, and for industry, including that based in the NWT, which will profit from the development of our northern resources.

Mr. Speaker, as a key element in our vision of a better tomorrow, the government is advocating that this House supports the highway investment plan.

There are also a number of other investment measures that will advance our collective agenda and which need the support of Members. Members will be asked to pass a bill to approve expenditures for the development of an NWT energy strategy, the completion of our social agenda framework, furthering the work of the Intergovernmental Forum in resource revenue sharing and devolution. Much of this investment will flow to aboriginal governments, community consultations and the non-government sector.

As we return to work in this House, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we consider what needs to be done to complete our mandate. I indicated to my colleagues at the start of the recent business plan review process that the next 18 months will require the commitment and joint action of both the government and the Assembly.

My Cabinet colleagues and I will continue to share information and be available to discuss issues with individual Members, committees and the public -- but we must do more than that. I am pleased to note, Mr. Speaker, that House Leader Joe Handley and Caucus chairs Bill Braden and Steve Nitah are working to develop a legislative priorities package. I am also pleased that we are planning to meet as a Caucus to discuss priorities for the remainder of our term. I have asked Mr. Handley to work with Mr. Braden and Mr. Nitah to provide options for us all to consider at that meeting.

Mr. Speaker, we have some difficult issues to resolve during this session. Some of these decisions will be difficult and may not be popular but are necessary if we are to fulfil our vision of a better tomorrow for all people in the NWT.

Whatever the solution, Members have our assurances that the focus of this government is to work with all Members of this House to lay the foundation for the next two years and to complete the agenda we began together -- our joint vision of a better tomorrow for our people. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my budget address in February of this year, I outlined the fiscal strategy of this government. This strategy called for the government to make the critical investments that would ensure that NWT residents benefited from resource development.

At the time this decision was made, we recognized that without access to royalties and other resource revenues, the government did not have enough money to make all of the investments needed. But with the belief that we could negotiate a resource revenue sharing deal with the aboriginal and federal governments, we decided we would make as many investments as we could to implement the strategies and direction of Towards a Better Tomorrow. We were prepared to make these investments even if we had to go into debt.

However, the amount of debt we were prepared to incur was limited. It was limited by the fact that we have a federally imposed borrowing limit that has often been referred to as our debt wall. It was also limited by the fact that we would need new sources of revenue to pay back this debt. If we had to pay it back from existing revenues then that would mean cutting programs and services and we were not prepared to do that.

To ensure we could pay back the debt we needed to keep our new investments modest, we needed to push hard for a resource revenue sharing deal and we needed to determine if some of the debt could be paid for by other means, such as the proposed highway toll. All of these measures were critical to our fiscal strategy and the related investment and spending plans. These plans anticipated new revenues but also involved borrowing over $200 million additional by the end of our term.

Mr. Speaker, at the time we launched this fiscal strategy in February, I presented a balanced operational budget, calling for a small $2 million surplus. Our borrowing for 2001-02 was primarily to finance our capital investments. Since then, we have had both good and bad economic news.

The good news has taken the form of the resolution of an outstanding formula financing issue with the federal government and the potential, once again, of being the beneficiary of a large, one-time corporate tax payment in the Northwest Territories. These two events have resulted in a one-time increase in our revenues of over $100 million spread between last fiscal year and the current year. Later today, I will be tabling the unaudited interim accounts for last year.

The bad news has been the recent world and national economic slowdown, which has been worsened by the events of September 11th. Added to this has been slower than anticipated Northwest Territories population growth, temporarily lower natural gas prices, softer international demand for finished diamonds and reductions in tourism. Although the government is still confident that the Northwest Territories' economy will develop and expand dramatically over the next few years, we may have to be more patient than we thought. This means we will have to be fiscally cautious while we closely monitor world events and economic markets over the next year.

The one-time revenues that we recently received will afford us some breathing space while we reassess our fiscal strategy in light of these world events. Instead of having to go into immediate debt to finance our capital programs, we can draw on this one-time revenue and avoid the $75 million cash deficit we had forecast for the 2001-02 fiscal year. This revenue will also reduce the more than $200 million of borrowing we had planned over the next few years as we moved forward with our spending and investment plans.

Continuing with these plans is critical to our ability to benefit from and cope with resource development, as well as achieve other priorities, such as helping Northwest Territories residents deal with the northern cost of living. Initiatives like the recent increases to the Northwest Territories cost of living tax credit and income support rates, and the tax reform recommendations we anticipate from the committee reviewing our personal tax system, are examples of the types of changes we must still pursue.

In the longer term, our fiscal health is still very dependent on oil and gas development proceeding and on completing a fair deal on resource revenue sharing. Without these economic gains, we still continue to be reliant on a financing agreement with Canada for the majority of our money and it looks like future formula financing agreement revenues will be lower than anticipated due to the national economic slowdown and slow population growth. In the past few months alone, the forecast revenue yield from our formula agreement over the current and next three years has declined by over $100 million.

As the Premier just advised in his sessional statement, our efforts to secure federal investment in the Northwest Territories must now compete with new national security and defence priorities.

Mr. Speaker, this does not mean the government will abandon its current fiscal strategy or shy away from continuing to make critical investments. It does mean we will have to keep the level of these investments affordable and constantly review how we are going to ultimately pay for them. It also means we have to continue to look at our own ability to pay for the investments we want made. This may mean investing less aggressively than we originally planned but investing nevertheless.

It is my hope world events and markets stabilize over the next few months so that I can bring you more clarity in the February budget session. Along with my provincial and territorial colleagues, I will be meeting with the federal finance Minister this coming weekend. After that meeting, I hope to have a better understanding of the national economic picture and of how governments across Canada anticipate responding to the new situation. In the meantime, we should stay the course, avoid unnecessary debt and monitor events around us vigilantly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a motion to refer the two Ministers' statements to committee of the whole. Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Minister's Statement 30-14(4), titled Sessional Statement, and Minister's Statement 31-14(4), titled Fiscal Update, be moved into committee of the whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. We have a motion. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. The House is ready for question. All those in favour, please signify. Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you and the Premier and the honourable Minister for Finance reflected, Tuesday, September 11th was the day the world changed forever with the disasters in New York and Washington. In the past few days, the insidious terror of the spread of biological weapons -- our seemingly orderly world has been shaken to its core. The global village has become much more closely connected. World leaders have united in their condemnation of terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, our part of the world is often removed, if not immune, from adverse world affects, but this was not the case on September 11th. Gwich'in Tribal Council representatives, including our colleague, Mr. Krutko, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, sought shelter in the Canadian embassy in Washington after the attacks. Here in Yellowknife, a Seattle-bound Boeing 777 jet with 144 passengers was diverted. Air travel across the world was shut down. Small northern airline operators were left scrambling to comply with regulations. Air travel resumed several days later with new security measures and all the complexities of a post-September 11th life.

Our city, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services, businesses, individuals and other groups extended tremendous hospitality to our unexpected visitors. It was indeed a time to come together.

A Sir John Franklin High School graduate, Nancy MacNeil, a young woman, organized a special memorial at City Hall to enable Yellowknifers to show their sympathy. Flags flew at half-mast, a national day of mourning was declared and a book of condolences was signed by many here in the Great Hall.

Here in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, we responded with remarkable generosity as the Yellowknife Fire Department and local businesses, reaching out to victims and their families, raised over $30,000. We are not stopping there as we just heard of plans for local musicians putting together a benefit for the refugees from Afghanistan.

It is distressing, Mr. Speaker, that in Canada and the North, followers of Islam have been targeted as a result of terrorist activities. We must not act out of ignorance and fear. We must remain a caring and tolerant society that respects the fundamental freedoms of people around the world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to recognize Hazel Nerysoo for the outstanding achievement and contributions she has made to suicide prevention for people in the Mackenzie Delta and elsewhere in the Northwest Territories.

She has been chosen and will be recognized in St. John's, Newfoundland, October 26th, where she will be presented with a national service award by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.

Ms. Nerysoo lost her brother to suicide and is determined to provide help to others. She is a key person to assist when crisis situations occur in our communities and in our regions.

Ms. Nerysoo is committed to working with our communities and sits on boards, the Gwich'in Tribal Council, youth committees, and the T'loondih Healing Society and a lot of other boards and agencies.

She is well-known for her work as a suicide prevention worker and has raised the issue with regard to FAS/FAE and the work that is needed to improve the lives of all of our children.

She has traveled extensively throughout all of the small communities and she has always volunteered her time freely for the love of her people and the children in the community that she has served.

I would like to congratulate Hazel and her continued efforts. We deeply appreciate what she has done and the achievement that has been bestowed upon us with a national award for one of our own. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying how pleased I am to be back in this wonderful Chamber with yourself and all our colleagues to continue what I hope will be a very productive session.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that all of my colleagues on both sides of the House will agree when I say that we have all been extremely busy over the last few months attending to legislative business, whether it be in support of our aboriginal people and their aspirations for land claims and self-government, selling our Territory to the world as a tourist haven, convincing big corporations that the North is a good place to come and do business, and I must not forget, Mr. Speaker, our attempts to find new sources of revenue for our deteriorating infrastructures.

However, Mr. Speaker, we must never get too busy in the day-to-day bustle of everyday living that we do not take time to reflect on our lives and what is important to us.

Mr. Speaker, the tragic events of September 11th, the recent drowning right here in Yellowknife and the tragedy in Fort Liard serve as a stunning reminder that we must all take some time in our lives to tell our families that we love them and that we cherish every moment that we spend with them.

Mr. Speaker, far too often we put off visiting old friends and acquaintances because we are too busy and far too often when we do find time, it is too late.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to recognize a number of long-term Hay River residents who have passed away over the last while. These people were all constituents of mine and some were personal friends. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the passing of Sarah Bond, George Edward Gray, Harold Hudson, Lois McCallum, Joyce Patterson-Robertson, Sarah Sibbeston and Ernest Joseph Villebrun.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to let these people's families know that my thoughts and prayers are with them and that they have my utmost sympathy. 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. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I attended the funerals of Daniel Lomen and Sally Bertrand in Fort Liard. I want to make some comments on the tragedy that recently occurred in that community.

Mr. Speaker, an airplane crash took place on the approach to Fort Liard on the evening of October 15th. This crash has led to the passing of three of its passengers and serious injuries to three of the other occupants of the plane. I want to take this opportunity to pass on my condolences to the relatives of respected elder Daniel Lomen; Sally Bertrand, the manager of Acho Dene Koe; as well as Mr. Sean Toner, all whom have passed away as a result of this plane crash.

I also want to pass on my well wishes to the passengers that survived this crash and to their families. I am sure that the love and concern of the families of those injured, along with the medical attention they are receiving, will combine to ensure as speedy a recovery as is possible in the circumstances.

Mr. Speaker, although this sad event did not take place in my constituency, Fort Liard is part of the Deh Cho region, of which my riding is a part of. This tragedy has deeply affected many, many residents of the Deh Cho region, many of whom are related to or who were friends or associates of those involved in the accident. The shock and sorrow felt by the whole Deh Cho region was reflected by the leadership of the Deh Cho First Nations, who cancelled an important political meeting last week in Fort Providence as the news of the accident became known.

Mr. Speaker, it is at times like this that we all realize what is truly important in our daily lives. It is the warmth and companionship of those dear to us that ultimately brings meaning to our lives. My thoughts and my prayers go to all affected by the tragedy of October 15th in Fort Liard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Indeed, the condolences of the House do go to the families of that tragedy. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for over 30 years the people of Fort Smith have had as a dream another southern access through the Wood Buffalo National Park down to Garden River and Vermilion and south.

Mr. Speaker, recently, thanks to the hard work and the understanding of Minister Copps, the federal government and our MP Ethel Blondin, and the hard work of the Thebacha Road Society and Mayor Martselos, approvals were received from Parks Canada for the road right of way and to begin construction. Unfortunately, as tends to occur in these kinds of situations, there was a court challenge by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. It was to the good fortune of the road society and the people of Fort Smith that the court ruled in favour of the Thebacha Road Society and Minister Copps, that they had made the right decision, they had done all the things necessary so that the road should proceed.

Mr. Speaker, there is one more legal hurdle to be surmounted. Hopefully that will be done this week, after which there are people trained and ready in Fort Smith and in Garden River to begin the brushing. There are the temporary bailey bridges ready, and hopefully this winter we will have, after 30 some years, a road through the park, at least on a temporary winter basis.

I would like to commend all the people for their perseverance, hard work and dedication on this issue. It has been a very frustrating and slow process. The wheels of government grind slow and fine and in this case, this proved to be true yet again.

Mr. Speaker, once this road is through, then we as a community will be able to turn our attention to other valuable links that need development. Those are our links to Fort Chipewayan and Fort McMurray. This is going to be a good news story for this winter. There has been a lot of work done and many people deserve credit. Soon, the dream will come true. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate one of my Range Lake constituents and a well-known personality within this Legislature, Ms. Lynda Sorensen, who was honoured by the Governor General on October 18th as one of five women in Canada to receive the 2001 Persons Case Award.

Mr. Speaker, today, with the equal rights of women enshrined in the constitution, it is difficult for us to fathom a time in Canadian history when our Supreme Court ruled that women were not to be included in the word "persons" for appointment to Senate. It took five determined women to take the case to the judicial committee of the Privy Council in order to obtain the self-evident judgment that women were indeed persons with all the rights and privileges under the law.

Named after this decision known as the Persons Case, with this award we celebrate not only the right of women to serve in Senate but the enormous contribution women make in all aspects of our nations work. For us in the North, Mr. Speaker, the Governor General has recognized Ms. Sorensen's contribution through her 25 years of distinguished public service, as the director of nursing at Stanton Hospital, a consumer advocate, the first woman MLA from Yellowknife and a tireless worker at every political campaign at all levels since the mid-70's.

From the time I saw her campaign poster on a telephone pole on Franklin Avenue back in 1979 as a 14-year-old girl, she has inspired me as a woman leader in so many ways. I know she has inspired many others into political participation, men as well as women, due to her energy, wisdom and conviction.

Her record of service demonstrates her unflinching commitment and respect for our political system for its important responsibility to serve all our citizens at all times with integrity and a sense of fairness.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as the second woman MLA from Yellowknife, albeit 20 years later, it is with great pride and joy that I recognize her today as a great person, a mentor to political leaders, women and men, and a very deserving recipient of the Persons Case Award. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week was Family Violence Awareness Week in the Northwest Territories. I know that many of us participated in activities marking the event. Today, I would like to recognize the work of front-line workers involved in family violence such as shelter workers, counsellors, police officers, social workers and the people offering victim services.

Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, along with the Minister responsible for overseeing this government's efforts to combat family violence, I visited Alison McAteer House, located in my constituency. It is unfortunate that we still need shelters like this, and even more troubling that shelters in the Northwest Territories are so busy that they regularly have to turn moms and their kids away.

Mr. Speaker, one solution to reducing the number of times victims are turned away from shelters is an act such as Alberta's Protection Against Family Violence Act. The Minister with responsibility for family violence has clearly indicated that yes, she would support such family legislation.

However, Mr. Speaker, in correspondence with the Minister responsible for Justice, he has indicated to me that his department is reviewing current legislation and he will report to Cabinet by the end of the year. Mr. Speaker, my concern is that it appears that the Department of Justice is looking at this situation from a strictly legal point of view and this is not adequate.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, court orders may be obtained under our current legislation but that often takes too long. Current legislation does not permit immediate protection from family violence. Police cannot obtain immediate protection orders over the phone. Victims are victimized again by having to follow often overwhelming, cumbersome and time-consuming legal processes to obtain the protection they should have immediately.

Mr. Speaker, in 1999-2000, 54 percent of women escaping abusive situations were admitted to shelters with their children. Sixty-eight percent of these children were under ten years of age. This is an abhorrent situation for a child to live in.

Shelters are full. They are turning women away. Last year, in one month alone, 46 women and children were turned away from Yellowknife shelters. Remember, like all shelters in the Northwest Territories, they serve a much broader population than just the local community. More than half of the clients served by Alison McAteer House come from outside of Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, these people need immediate protection. They must feel safe in their own homes. The police need better tools to react quickly. An act similar to the Alberta Protection Against Family Violence Act would provide this. We need it now, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, honourable colleagues. Welcome back after a short summer break. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those delegates from the communities who are taking part in the official language conference, in particular, those delegates from my riding of Nunakput.

They are Agnes White of Tuktoyaktuk, Agnes Kuptana of Holman, Roger Kuptana of Holman and Emily Kudlak of Holman. I am sure they are raising the concerns of the people of Nunakput and are bringing forward good suggestions as well.

Mr. Speaker, our aboriginal languages and different dialects in Nunakput are all alive and still used substantially in some of our communities. Many people not only speak the language but live it as well. We hope the results of this conference will see much improved recognition of this fact. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by Mr. McLeod on July 24, 2001 regarding community forest fire protection plans. The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has completed site and structure assessments for over half of the communities. Additionally, satellite vegetation analysis for all communities has been completed as well as mapping and street layouts for 80 percent of the communities. Our forest management program expects to have most of the work on site and structure assessment completed by the end of 2001.

Following assessment, the next stage is analysis of the fire protection plans for each community to determine the extent of the protection problem and develop reasonable and practical solutions which may be applied for effective protection of the community.

Of the 31 communities in the forest area of the Northwest Territories, only one, Wrigley, has submitted a practical proposal for further work to the department. Fort Smith, Fort Providence and Tsiigehtchic are working with department staff to complete their preliminary work and evaluate the problem in preparation for a proposal submission. The community of Fort Simpson has retained a contractor to develop a proposal on their behalf for the Wild Rose Subdivision.

For the remaining communities, department staff are completing those assessments and analyses in preparation for planning in their areas. Regional staff have been in contact with the communities, keeping them informed on the progress of these efforts.

The department will be continuing to work with communities and other departments such as Municipal and Community Affairs to move this important task forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 4, returns to oral questions. 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Welcome to the Assembly, Ms. Williams. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a former mayor of Fort Smith and now the new director of the Energy Secretariat, affectionately known already as the new energy czar of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Dennis Bevington.

-- Applause

Welcome, Mr. Bevington. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the president of the UNW, Georgina Rolt-Kaiser, in the audience. It is nice to see her back here.

-- Applause

Thank you. Welcome back. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize David Murphy. David is the president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association. I would also like to recognize Bob Galipeau. He is with our department and in charge of language services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. 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 Bob Haywood and Steve Peterson from the NWT Federation of Labour. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome, gentlemen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a long-time Yellowknife resident who enjoys being here and watching us, Mr. Ed Jeske, and next to him, Barb Hood. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. A former constituent, Mr. Jeske. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, my question this afternoon is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes. It is a follow-up to an issue that was raised in June and I believe again in July. It relates to information gathered in the process of the review, Mr. Speaker, for the income support program in the Northwest Territories.

My question at the time -- and the answer that I believe the Minister gave -- was that this information would be made public. It has not been received, at least by me so far, and I want to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, when will the information be publicly released from the income support review? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I made that commitment, I subsequently realized that it was a Cabinet document, an internal working document, subsequently submitted to Cabinet. What I would like to offer the Member, Mr. Speaker -- it was a document that covered a number of topics, such as paying suppliers direct, food allowances, issues concerning the working poor and exempting income. What I would like to offer, Mr. Speaker, is to provide an in-depth briefing for the Member and anyone else who may be interested in that briefing, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a welcome offer. I appreciate the difference sometimes with what is a Cabinet document and what is information. When would the Minister be able to make this event happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We would be quite pleased to be able to address that immediately. As soon as the Member and others who may be interested in this are available, we can arrange that. We are quite prepared on it already, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden. No supplementary? Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is also for the Minister responsible for Education. Mr. Speaker, it is that time of year again when students have gone back to post-secondary education, college, university, and yet, Mr. Speaker, I have received a lot of calls this fall regarding problems our students are having with the income support program. We revised it to make it simpler yet, Mr. Speaker, we still continue to receive these calls. The problems that occur are where students find themselves at a particular college trying to find a place to stay, no resources in hand. Again, they are pre-registering themselves at university and college and finding themselves up against a roadblock because of either the paperwork has not been done right or they just have not got into the system.

My question, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister is this: is there a possibility of taking another look at this program and making it more community friendly by delivering these programs through income support, through the regional college systems, like Arctic College in Inuvik, Fort Smith and also here in Yellowknife, so that those students who are from the smaller communities can access it through the regional college rather than having to deal with it through Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the comments of the Member and that there is no doubt that some students have still had some difficulties for various reasons, Mr. Speaker. I do want to emphasize that we believe that the program has dramatically improved over the past year over what it was the previous year, not discounting the fact that perhaps some students may still have difficulties.

The Member's question is with regard to the issue of being able to deliver this particular program on a more on-the-ground basis in the communities. One of the issues, Mr. Speaker, we have been looking at, we started it already last year but because of the many areas of concern with the revamping of this particular program, we wanted to make sure we had other areas, administrative areas, out of the way first.

We are working towards more utilization by the regional offices, Mr. Speaker, and I think that is a progressive step for us. We trained our people at the regional offices on the computer system and we do want to move forward on that. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we have less than two years to go in this House. I would like to ask the Minister, how soon can you move on this initiative to improve the flow of programs and services? I am talking about decentralization and ensuring that we have more community friendly programs that we deliver through this government. When, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, the issue of more delivery at the regional level and possibly more local level was started by us some months ago by training our regional people, our regional career officers. We would like to pursue that further. We did need to take the step of educating them on our CMAS system, the computer system. There are still some complications in that whole area, being able to turn it over. The request was also made previously about being able to cut cheques locally and to do the actual approvals. We are moving forward on that, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to state that I can be in a much better position by the spring of this coming year on this whole area. It is a case though of involving our regional career officers. We are not in a position to be able to add individuals to this because I do not think it is necessary with the new computer systems that we have. I think it is educating our regional staff. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if we can be kept informed to what he is doing with the department and also keep the regional boards and regional colleges informed, to bring them in the loop because they do play a key role of delivering programs in the regions and also to the different communities. I would like to ask the Minister to ensure that he does receive input from those groups in this review that he is considering looking at.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, when I discussed this with my officials from my department, I did mention to them that I was interested in ensuring that the high schools are well aware of this program, that the colleges are very well aware of the program and the details so they can start providing assistance on the local scene to students who may be leaving high school, who may already be in the college system. This particular program is one that I am working on from time to time, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we educate our people and that it is well known to those who may have to become involved in delivery. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko. No supplementary? Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years, we have heard from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as to how much more money we are providing for education and everything the department is doing to increase the education levels of our youth.

Recently, Mr. Speaker, our grade 9 students took part in an Alberta equivalency exam. My question, Mr. Speaker, is could the Minister inform this House as to the results of these equivalency exams, specifically in mathematics? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have the exact results in hand here. I can certainly get them for the Member. I know that in mathematics, I understand that both the students from YK 1 and the South Slave were below standard compared to Alberta students. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister inform this House as to how many districts took part in those equivalency exams? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it was Yellowknife District 1 and the South Slave. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister inform us as to why there were only two districts that took part in those exams? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Yes, it is a choice of the school districts to decide where they take their exams from. Other districts are looking to also include themselves in the Canadian Achievement. Some are taking Canadian Achievement tests now versus the Alberta exams, and while the Alberta exam was in two districts, the Canadian Achievement tests were in some other districts, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister inform us as to what steps he will be taking because of the low results that were brought back from these equivalency exams, especially in grade 9 math? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When something like this is brought to our attention, naturally we are very concerned about the results. It clearly is of concern when the results are there. However, we have to remember the circumstances under which those exams were held and compare them in an appropriate fashion. I did deal with this issue with my officials to see why this may have occurred. Certainly in the case of YK 1, the students that took this particular math test have only been taking that particular math program for three years and it was not an indicator like the Alberta students, who have been on the program perhaps for many more years.

Also, it is an Alberta achievement test and there are a number of considerations that have to be made. Alberta students are ranked amongst the highest in Canada. As a matter of fact, they are very high internationally. Also, it did not take into consideration some of the northern learning that takes place here in the Northwest Territories that are not part of the exam, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 3 has the highest category of maintenance priority.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is well aware of the priorities of this government in regard to the state of Highway No. 3 versus Highway No. 4. Our maintenance crews are well aware of the status of the priorities as well. As a result, we do direct our efforts towards Highway No. 3 on a priority basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I can make that information available to the Member.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today goes to the Honourable Joe Handley in his capacity as the Minister responsible for the Liquor Commission. Mr. Speaker, as you might be aware, there has been a call for contracts out for liquor store outlets in the City of Yellowknife but there has not been any announcement as to who might have won those contracts. I am not asking any substantive question, but I have had inquiries from constituents as to when the commission may make an announcement as to who the contracts would go to. I wonder if the Minister could indicate to this House as to whether he is aware of when that might be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The contract was tendered and closed, I think, on September 7th. Since that time, the liquor board and the department have been doing a review and analysis of the many proposals they received. There are two factors that have to be considered. One is the relative cost of each proposal and also the total cost of what would be even the lowest one to Yellowknife consumers. I am meeting tomorrow with the representatives of the liquor board and the Department of Finance. After that, we will be able to indicate how soon we will be able to award the contract. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister's answer but I would like to indicate to the Minister that the concern my constituents have is the fact that she needs to know this as soon as possible because she is holding properties in abeyance in case she gets this contract. I am sure there are many others who are having to hold their contracts and incur expenses at the same time. I was wondering if the Minister could convey to whoever the decision-makers are about the importance of the timeliness, whatever the decisions may be. Could the Minister commit to that, please?

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

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am meeting with the board representatives tomorrow and the department. I will convey the concern of businesses that we make a speedy decision. Assuming there are no difficulties, I hope we can do that within a few days but I will let the Member know as quickly as I can. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if I could ask the Minister to indicate whether or not he sees any possibility of having this decision made by the end of the month, because the end of the month is always an important time for properties. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, I expect I can make that decision by the end of the month. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice relating to my statement on the protection from family violence legislation and our need for it here in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, the letter I received from the Minister indicates that his department is examining this type of legislation and that the purpose of that legislation is to protect residents who are experiencing family violence. The letter also makes note that it is important to make sure that this legislation does not merely duplicate protection that is already available.

Mr. Speaker, as I see this legislation, it is to better protect the people than what we are doing with our current legislation and it does in some ways duplicate, but it means that we do not have to have court orders. Will the Minister ensure that his department knows that the purpose is not just to ensure that people can get to court but that they do not have to go to court to get an order to get a person who is committing a violent act out of the house? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Antoine.