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

Mr. Speaker, I will look at it as expeditiously as possible. I just do not know with our schedule here how soon I can do that but I will pay appropriate attention to it, time-wise. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister be a little more definitive in what can happen? I know that he himself does not have to look at the whole act and do some interpretation. Can his department come forward with a review of that and potential options? Thank you.

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

Well, the question is can we do a review and possible options? I did commit to look at the act, Mr. Speaker. I will commit to do that and return as expeditiously and touch base with the Member as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my Member's statement, I will be elaborating on some of the points I brought out in my Member's statement, particularly the correspondence and phone calls I have been receiving from home in the last couple of days in relation to what is happening in this House. In particular, as it calls into question the confidence in the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I have received more letters and more phone calls in the last two days than I have received in the last six years that I have been in this House, on any issue. That suggests, Mr. Speaker, that people at home are watching and they are concerned about what is happening in this House and how we are conducting ourselves.

I have been told that we are now competing with The Simpsons for popularity and comedy. That, Mr. Speaker, is something that is very serious. If that is in fact how we are being envisioned by the public we should all have another look at ourselves.

Maybe we do not realize it because we are not watching ourselves. We are, in fact, part of this show and the people are expressing it.

I think that is very serious because it takes away from the importance of this House, of the importance of us as Members. I think we should really take a serious look at how we conduct ourselves and whether we are conducting ourselves personally to represent our own interests or whether we represent the people at home.

I would like to make two points here that I think are important and that have been expressed to me. One is on the need for a secret vote when we are not -- in any of our elections, a secret vote is normally used when there are two candidates or more. There is no election here. We are just supposed to show whether we support someone or not. We are not supposed to show it as do we personally support it, but do we support him as representatives of the people we are elected by?

How can we possibly do that with a secret vote? I have been told that we are not to take part in a secret vote because it will not be expressive by showing my people whether I am voting as they wish me to vote. I will make that point. I do not believe that the secret vote will accomplish what it is supposed to do and that is to express our public confidence -- not our own confidence -- our public confidence or our public non-confidence in this government or in this Premier. That is the point. It is a very important point that we are not to vote as we feel like it, but as our people feel like it.

If there is no other avenue for me as a Member to express my public vote then I should not be taking part. The unfortunate part about that is that it would be considered as an absent vote. It would be a vote of abstention. That is not what I intend to do. If in fact there is a call for a secret vote, I will stand and I will express myself. I do not really mind which public forum that would be, whether it is in a leadership committee or not. If it is against the rules, then you are going to have to rule me out of order, but that is the position I am going to take.

The other position my people would say is quite important is whether or not we should have the ability to use public funds, public time and public resources to conduct ourselves properly, to deal with our own problems as Members. People question that, whether we should have the ability to use the time of this House, the time of the government and the time allotted to us as Members to resolve our own personal problems and conduct. It has been suggested that perhaps we should have another look at our legislation that governs this, that we do this in our own time and at our own expense because we do not seem to have anybody else who can do this for us and they are not prepared to pay for it.

Why do they bring this forward? We only need to look at what has happened over the last three or four years and how much it has cost this government in regard to conflict issues -- millions of dollars that we could have spent for social programs, on highways and then maybe there would not be a need for this highway toll existing or putting in place. That is what people are saying.

If we cannot conduct ourselves as professionals then we are in the wrong forum and we should be in kindergarten, not here.

Maybe I am a little strong in expressing what my people say, but that is the message. I think we should give serious consideration to the suggestions that we keep our own private problems to ourselves, behind closed doors if necessary, but we deal with the good of the public in this House and nothing else. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers' Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut 2000 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 29, 2001, I shall move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that this Assembly affirm its confidence in the Premier, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 14, notices of motion. Any further notices of motion? Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Ministers' Statements 1-14(4), 3-14(4), 4-14(4), 30-14(4) and 31-14(4); Bills 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.

I will call the committee of the whole to order. We are dealing with Minister's Statement 1-14(4), Minister's Statement 3-14(4), Minister's Statement 4-14(4), Minister's Statement 30-14(4) and Minister's Statement 31-14(4), Bill 5, Bill 6, Bill 7, Bill 9, Bill 10 and Bill 13. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to first of all recommend that committee consider Ministers' Statements 1, 3 and 4 as being concluded and would ask that you ask the committee if they are willing to take those off the order paper.

For today in committee of the whole, I would like to recommend that committee considers Ministers' Statements 30-14(4) and 31-14(4) concurrently. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Does the committee agree that Ministers' Statements 1-14(4), 3-14(4) and 4-14(4) are concluded?

Agreed. After the break, we will continue on with Ministers' Statements 30-14(4) and 31-14(4). We will take a short break.

-- Break

I will call the committee back to order. We decided prior to the break that we will deal with Minister's Statement 30-14(4): Sessional Statement, and Minister's Statement 31-14(4): Financial Update. General comments. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just in the area of initial statements on the fiscal situation, I have had discussions in this area from time to time throughout our time here in the Assembly. I have an interest in what we are doing as the territorial government when it comes to our funding situation. The fiscal side of the equation and how we will leave things for the next Assembly and for the people of the Territories when we are done our time here.

Mr. Chairman, there have been a number of activities and to date, this government has been fortunate indeed to get a number of one-time cash dollars put into the coffers, they say. We continue to spend all of those new monies that do show up in the process of a yearly budget. Mr. Chairman, there have been a number of changes that have been alluded to in the Finance Minister's fiscal update of October 23, 2001.

In fact, I must go back to some earlier questioning I put in the House over the last couple of years as a Member of the 14th Assembly that refers to our debt wall and our fiscal situation. One of the things to clarify is what is our actual fiscal situation?

I know, for example, that this fiscal year again, because of the cash influx that has come our way, whether one-time or not, has helped to ward off our situation. Our outlook still looks pretty bleak. Government plans are put in place with a lot of things hanging out in the balance that there is no decision on yet, and relatively large ones.

We continue to hold royalty revenue sharing as one of the bigger pieces of the pie, so to speak, and how we can continue to operate as the Government of the Northwest Territories? We know that that issue will be a fairly slow process. When we first came in it was stated by the Finance Minister that we should have something as early as a few months into our term. Then it turned into the fall and the latest update is beyond 2003-2004.

Meanwhile, we continue to sort of put our plans and initiatives and strategies out there that will count on those dollars arriving. In the meantime, when things are getting tighter, we go to the people to help pay for the investments that are needed or are critical, as some would say.

I think we need to review our situation as a government when it comes to our fiscal position and in trying to ensure that the next Assembly and the people of the Territories are not put in such a position that we indeed will not have the ability to come out of it without having to make massive reductions.

That is something I believe no one wants to see here in this Assembly or in the Northwest Territories.

We are fortunate indeed, Mr. Chairman, to have the mining situation happening in the Northwest Territories. Due to their development, there are people being put to work. There is a new payroll tax and income tax being derived. There is even new corporate taxes that will come on-line.

In the oil and gas, especially in the gas play, in the Mackenzie Delta, there again are the opportunities for some increased revenue for this government. However, Mr. Chairman, I think we should evaluate how much that will be and what impact it will have on the government revenue situation. If it is large enough, maybe it is time we looked at putting some aside to ensure that the future days are not bound by reductions as we came through in the 13th Assembly, some of us that came through the 13th Assembly.

One thing we have to do is we are definitely impacted by the fiscal situation that the provinces in Canada find themselves in. That is how the federal government looks at its fiscal agreement with this government. If the jurisdictions in the south start to reduce it a large scale, that will definitely impact us negatively, as I became well aware of in my time in the 13th Assembly. It is something we need to build in some measures, I believe, that would see us try to put an insurance policy in place to help us along, if in fact those days would come forward.

It is difficult to put something in place if in fact we are outspending what we are receiving today, in a sense. In those areas, I think it would be prudent of us as a government to start looking at how we can start preparing and ensuring that the future governments and the residents of the Northwest Territories are not put in a position where they are going to see an increase in taxes, an increase in fees put upon them because we have outspent our resources as they exist.

I know there is a lot out there that can come our way and be very positive for the Northwest Territories. We have talked about being a "have" jurisdiction. That is some time away. I think it is incumbent upon us to make sure that the plans that we put in place are definitely ones that are achievable, especially if they are achievable in the lifetime of this government.

I go back to what seems to be the practice of every government coming in a new term, and it seems to be the practice that a new government would start its own new initiatives and not rely on the initiatives of an outgoing government. That is unfortunate at times because then we have to go back to the drawing board and start things over. In some cases, it is good. In many cases, I believe it is not very prudent of us to say, just for the sake, we are a new government, let's redo this and we will redo it our way.

In fact, Mr. Chairman, we have had a number of, for example, economic strategies done. Then there was the big one that was put forward by this government, the Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy that was going to Ottawa and requesting over $200 million, almost $250 million. There was much praise given when we received the so-called down payment of $3.9 million.

I have not heard anything lately, Mr. Chairman, if in fact we received another payment of any sort. It would be interesting to hear if there is any further movement in that area. In fact, some of that strategy is being potentially used in an aspect of residents of the Northwest Territories making it come about, if in fact some of the government plans go ahead as they are presented.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I conclude my remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. General comments on the Ministers' Statements, Sessional Statement and the Financial Update? General comments? We are dealing with the Sessional Statement and also the Financial Update. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In another area of the sessional statement, this time I will refer to it. Earlier I was referring to the fiscal position. In the sessional statement made by the Premier, he urges us to hold the course in what we have worked on in our agenda. Mr. Chairman, I think again that it would be prudent of us to reflect on our agenda that was laid out two years ago and to see how much of that is still relevant today.

In light of the changes that are going to occur and potential changes that are more immediate than those that are further out, we are going to be impacted by how the federal government deals with the unfortunate incidents, as stated in the Premier's comments, in a sessional statement given again on October 23, 2001. He states: "The events of September 11th have and will continue to have a profound effect on the way we live, even in our remote northern communities."

Mr. Chairman, there is then a recognition that as a government, we should indeed look at our position and what we have set up, knowing that there is the potential for some negative reaction in the sense of economies and how we as the Northwest Territories will once again be impacted.

I agree there are a number of initiatives out there that we must continue on to help clarify and provide for the ongoing work that is needed. For example, the self-government tables that are out there. We need to continue to work on those initiatives because those are ones that would help us clarify politically the climate and how we as governments would operate. Then it would help us as well in the area of revenue sharing.

Mr. Chairman, I think it is time we take the opportunity to go back and review what we termed as the Towards a Better Tomorrow document and look at what needs to be done. In fact, are we heading towards a better tomorrow or is the potential we are living a better today, but tomorrow we will be suffering? That is something that we need to address in our plans and reaffirm, as 19 Members, how we see this situation proceeding.

Even in the government's own estimates, fiscal forecasting beyond this Assembly and early into the next, if we do not receive new sources of revenue, we indeed will be in a very tight situation.

I have come through the 13th Assembly. I have no way of wanting to accept that and accept that we as an Assembly would put that upon a future government. I think it is an issue that we must deal with and come out with again, either reconfirming the positions that were made or making some changes to the plans that were put out there. I believe it is only prudent of us to do that.

Those who would want to continue to go at the present rate we are without ensuring that, in fact, there is some sort of a check stop at some point to ensure that we are not going to go beyond what we are capable of coming out as a government. I think that is something we need to do. At the end of the day, whether we are here or not, the system will move along, dollars will flow, and it is just a matter of how much and where to.

I think it is something that is incumbent upon us again to reflect on and probably put more detail to. I have heard Members in this House talk about Towards A Better Tomorrow and how some initiatives can be thrown into that and justified quite easily because of the rather broad and open wording that is used and little to no detail. I think it is time we started to refine those and again assess where we are and what we will leave for the people of the Territories when we are done our term.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I will conclude my comments.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. General comments. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not have any general comments per se, but I do have some questions for more clarity, in particular on the fiscal update for Mr. Handley. I wonder if I could ask him some questions for clarification as we move along in order to try and get a better understanding of what he was saying in this fiscal update. I would seek some guidance from the Chair as to whether or not those general questions would be in order now.