Thank you, Mr. Braden. Please be seated. Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share some information with this House about the process I will be undertaking as Minister of Health and Social Services to address the critical need to implement comprehensive reform of the health and social services system.

This reform, that has been attempted with limited success over the past six or seven years, is critical to the long-term viability and sustainability of our health and social service system and to the health and well-being of the people of the NWT.

The health and social services system has been studied numerous times over the past six years, starting with the Med-Emerg report and ending most recently with the Cuff report. As the Cuff and other reports have pointed out, there are serious issues with the system as it currently exists. On the positive side, there are many very good people working in health and social services, both at the departmental and board levels, who have excellent ideas and can help us address the issues at hand if given adequate and appropriate support.

It is time to move beyond the studies and get on with substantial and sustainable reform of the health and social services system. The department has developed a draft action plan to implement changes in specific areas. There has been significant effort by those within the department to develop the action plan and that effort should be acknowledged. However, before it is ready to be released publicly, it is important to take that work and engage the critical stakeholders who will have to help us refine and finalize that plan. The final plan to be tabled must have clear and concrete actions that have the support of Cabinet, the MLAs, the department, the boards and the public.

Mr. Speaker, I intend to take some immediate steps to build consensus and agreement on how to proceed with this reform. One of the critical pieces is to have an oversight team that can work with me to keep the process on schedule. This team will include myself, the deputy minister of the department, a coordinator of systems reform and my executive assistant. The coordinator will report directly to me to ensure there is a balance between regional priorities and the department's priorities. This position will also ensure that all of the pieces of the project are kept on schedule and implemented in a coordinated way. Department and board staff will do the work to prepare action plans for specific areas of concern and this oversight team will keep the process moving forward and on schedule. We also have the support of the secretary to Cabinet to help provide a peer review of the plan as we put it in place.

Mr. Speaker, there are a series of actions that I believe will set the stage for starting to carry out the reform. Over the next three weeks, I hope to meet with the chairs of the health and social services boards to discuss this process and their key areas. I would like them to share their issues with me, as well as their thoughts on what we could do to fix the most critical of these.

I have been meeting with the deputy minister to discuss the current state of health and social services and talk about opportunities and challenges over the next few months. I also intend to meet with the senior staff in the department to outline the importance of moving forward with the changes in a positive, productive and timely way. It is important that they know they will have my support to move ahead in areas where I feel we have a logical plan and support from the stakeholders. I plan to meet as many of the staff working in health and social services as possible. As part of finalizing the reform plan, we will invite their active input and participation as we put this plan together.

I will be travelling to NWT communities to discuss our approach to systems reform and to listen to health and social services board members, MLAs and other community leaders about their most pressing issues. Particular attention must be paid to those communities with emerging large-scale economic development opportunities such as the Delta and the Valley. We know from past experience that along with development comes a social impact that must be planned for. Meetings will also take place with the NWT Medical Association, the NWT Registered Nurses Association and the NWT Social Workers Association, who will all need to be involved in this system reform.

Timeliness is critical. It is my intention to bring a plan to Cabinet within 90 days that can be tabled at the beginning of the February session. This plan would identify those areas where we can make swift progress and provide immediate relief to some of the pressing issues for both the department and the health and social services boards. The plan will also identify time lines including what can happen in a six-month period, a one-year period and which items will take longer. The plan will demonstrate that we are committed to proceeding with change.

Mr. Speaker, an important part of this plan is communications. We must have communications that keep Ministers, MLAs, board chairs and their members, staff and the public informed every step of the way. Cabinet, MLAs and board chairs need to be closely tied into the process.

As I mentioned earlier, there are many dedicated people working within the system. We need to give them credit for the work they are doing and for the ideas they have to make things better.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is tremendous potential to improve our health and social services system and look forward to the opportunity to help guide that process. As we undertake this significant work, I hope we will have the support of my colleagues in this House and all of those territorial residents who have an interest in health and social services, from a personal or professional perspective. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the seniors, especially those in the community I represent. There has been an ongoing issue that they have been working on for a number of years now. As a government and as the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, I have met with my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes and we have tried to have something occur in the sense of where some of our seniors want to spend some of their retirement days in the community of Inuvik.

The seniors' society or group out of Inuvik that Mrs. Bertha Allen has put together and worked quite hard on behalf of, trying to ensure the elders of the community, those that first helped establish the community when it was first built, are looking to set up a seniors' home complex that would be in the same vicinity as where they had initially set up their tents when the town of Inuvik was being built.

That area happens to fall right in the same area that is now called the Happy Valley Campsite that the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has built over a number of years within the community of Inuvik. The seniors have worked with Housing and they know that the business, in the sense of building homes for them, that plan is falling together and they are very happy that the Housing Corporation has worked with them in that area, but it is a matter of where it is going to be built, Mr. Speaker.

The elders of the community, those who were born and raised in the Delta, have a special interest in that when they look out their windows as seniors, they can see the rivers they travelled on the Delta, that they raised their families in. They want to be able to remember that in their days as seniors. They are even willing to put some of their own capital into this. Right now, a number of seniors in the community of Inuvik own their own homes but as costs continue to go up, it becomes more and more difficult for them to stay in their own homes. They have to look forward now as to where they are going to be staying.

Mr. Speaker, I will be asking questions of the appropriate Minister during question period in this regard. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I questioned the Minister responsible for MACA on the allocation of resources to employ by-law officers. Mr. Speaker, beyond the need for by-law officers, a concern has been raised in Fort Providence with respect to policing by the RCMP. This concern stems from what the community says is an entire lack of police presence in the community. This comes at a time when the community is experiencing an increase in unlawful activities beyond the by-law infractions.

Mr. Speaker, this problem has been brought to my attention by the community representatives who are very concerned that if this situation is not addressed in a timely matter, the community will suffer. Mr. Speaker, I have confirmation that this issue has been brought to the attention of our local RCMP detachment in Fort Providence and the commanding officer of the "G" Division in Yellowknife. The response by the local RCMP is that they agree that the problem exists but say that due to limited resources, they must prioritize their responses and patrols.

Mr. Speaker, between patrolling Fort Providence, including 250 kilometres of the Mackenzie Highway system, as well as the settlement of Kakisa and being absent from the community for courses, training, court and leave, the community of Fort Providence feels that it is frequently underpoliced.

Mr. Speaker, both the community and the RCMP are in agreement that the policing problem exists and that incidents of crimes are increasing within the community. Efforts are being made to bring in additional officers when required for things such as special events, but this does not deal with the immediate, day-to-day concerns when the officers are away from the community and no officers are on duty and calls are redirected to Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the lack of available officers and resources, the community at times finds that it is challenged by having to deal with cultural differences with the RCMP members, which is a real concern for an aboriginal community and for the Northwest Territories, where a majority of those persons incarcerated are of aboriginal ancestry.

Mr. Speaker, I challenge my colleagues to question what is being done to ensure that community policing is a priority for this government and the RCMP. What is being done to ensure that our communities are being policed effectively and efficiently? What is being done to ensure that a cooperative relationship exists between the communities and the RCMP? What is being done to ensure sufficient resources are being made available to communities for community policing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I will be raising questions for the Minister.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to inform Members of the Assembly that the Mackenzie Delta people, including many members from my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes, hosted a fun event last Saturday night that drew a huge crowd of Northerners. What became such a truly great satisfaction in this event was the music provided by the Mackenzie Delta Good Time Band from my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes.

The musicians travelled from Inuvik to perform for the Old Time Dance held at the Con Mine Rec Centre, after which they were thoroughly impressed with the crowd and the dancers. Mr. Speaker, it was a fun time for everyone and a good example of how our people from the North can gather to share in good fun and good spirit. It brings back many memories of the past.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, on behalf of my constituents who now reside in Yellowknife, I would like to thank the musicians James Nulluk Rogers, Angus Alunik and Charlie Kasook. Also accompanying the band were South Slave musicians Norbert Poitras and Alan Cardinal. Special mention has to go out to the organizers and volunteers, namely Kathy Moore, Rosa Wright, Eddy Wright and Sheila Vittrekwa, and to those who made contributions throughout the day and evening of Saturday, November 3rd.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite all of you to attend our next major potluck dinner and dance to be held on the last Saturday of February, 2002. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and the GNWT in their efforts to investigate and move forward with increased hydroelectric generation in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the run-off river projects proposed would mean little if any flooding. That is one benefit that the Northwest Territories has over other areas. We can use the water's natural flow rather than storing great volumes of it. I was pleased to hear the Minister's statement that any plan that would include flooding of an unacceptable nature to our environment, residents and communities would not be supported.

Mr. Speaker, I am also encouraged that some aboriginal governments have indicated their willingness to discuss this development of hydro resources. Obviously though, we are going to have to deal with concerns right up front before we can embark on any.

We have an opportunity here to manage the development of the Northwest Territories' hydro resources in a controlled manner to the benefit of all residents. We have the benefit to enhance our social, cultural and environmental stewardship of territorial resources.

Mr. Speaker, keeping in mind the market demand of hydroelectric generation is as far-reaching as 75 years, we must do something soon, particular on the Taltson system. If we do not, I am concerned that Alberta might move ahead in the South Slave River, which could have tremendous negative impacts on our waters.

Speaking of Alberta, Mr. Speaker, Alberta currently generates over 90 percent of its electrical energy from non-renewable resources such as coal and natural gas. The greenhouse gas emissions from these plants affect the climate and the environment of the Northwest Territories. Our hydroelectric generation is not just marketable for dollars but for carbon critics as well.

Mr. Speaker, the North American market, according to analysts, is growing, mainly for environmental reasons, but the demand is also growing, Mr. Speaker, largely because of increased use of technology which also demands huge amounts of electricity.

Mr. Speaker, there are numerous benefits for the Northwest Territories from hydro projects. We can replace high-cost polluting diesel generation with clean, reliable hydro. Expanded hydro will stabilize and lower electricity prices over the long term. Expanded hydro will provide new funding sources for programs and services. Expanded hydro will provide southern-based economies with alternate, clean sources of energy to replace gas or coal powered plants.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, honourable Members. Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, expanded hydro will provide southern-based economies with alternate, clean sources of energy to replace gas or coal-fire power plants and reduce greenhouse gas emission impacts. Expanded hydro will provide long-term employment opportunities in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I think we have embarked on a good project here. I encourage the Minister and the government to continue the exploration of new, alternate energy technologies as well, such as solar-based initiatives.

We have an awful lot to offer the world from the Northwest Territories in terms of resources. I hope to see the government and aboriginal partners move forward with this as quickly as possible. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address an issue that is affecting a great number of Hay River residents, and ultimately all residents of Hay River.

The issue I refer to, Mr. Speaker, is the pressing matter of the Hay River Community Health Board and how health care in Hay River will be managed in the future as a result of recent changes announced by the Department of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Community Health Board has been in existence in one form or another for some 40 years. The health board employs over 175 people in the community.

Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Community Health Board was transferred to the Town of Hay River from the Pentecostal Church on September 1, 1996. The transition from the Pentecostal Church to the Town of Hay River was seamless and resulted in no disruption to the health services to the residents of Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Hay River have some real concerns about the future of health care delivery in the town. One recommendation that has come forward and is being proposed is the creation of a new super board to be run out of Yellowknife.

This is very disconcerting to the employees in the region. I thought that this government was trying to get away from the big-brother-is-watching scenario. However, this does not appear to be the case.

The Hay River Community Health Board employees have been told that having one employer would reduce competition for staff and improve orientation training and clinical supervision.

Mr. Speaker, the employees of the Health Board are not in agreement with a super board for several reasons. One reason is recruitment and retention. Employees are very concerned that if recruitment is done out of Yellowknife, then the other smaller communities will just receive the leftovers, so to speak. In addition, Mr. Speaker, if clinical staff of health boards are reporting to the super board in Yellowknife and administration staff are reporting to their respective individual boards, this will result in fracturing the staff.

Mr. Speaker, I have had several meetings with the Hay River Community Health Board union and staff and they have told me, in no uncertain terms, that they are very unhappy with the proposed changes. Mr. Speaker, the 175 employees of the Hay River Community Health Board and their families represent a significant proportion of Hay River's population. I intend to protect the interests of these residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. March 17th to the 23rd of next year will see the circumpolar world's major international sporting event taking place in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Nuuk, Greenland. I am referring, of course, to the Arctic Winter Games.

In this Assembly, Mr. Speaker, we raise many questions regarding the future participation in those games. At this point, I would like to look at some of the positive aspects of sport and development in the Northwest Territories.

Physical and mental preparation for sporting events is a key to good health, Mr. Speaker. People who are physically active have fewer health problems in later years. Let us all remember the 60-year old Swede and ParticipACTION.

Perhaps the broadest impact in the Arctic Winter Games is the 1200 or so athletes here in the Northwest Territories who will participate in regional playoffs and some 700 who will participate in territorial trials. These trials are commencing starting this month and they will be going through January. Regional trials in the Mackenzie district, Beaufort-Delta and Sahtu, South Slave and Yellowknife will see competition in 19 events in as many as 30 communities. Not only does this competition promote traditional sports like snowshoeing, Arctic sports, Dene games and dog mushing, but it encourages skill development in other sports like curling, skiing and speed skating. Officials, coaches and athletes all develop new skills and greater competencies. They make new friends and learn more about each other's regions and homes.

The Arctic Winter Games contributes to the cultural and artistic development of the performing and visual arts. This year, we will see 16 cultural performers from the Northwest Territories on the international stage at the Arctic Winter Games.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs is currently circulating a paper on sport and recreation. I believe we need to look at the broad value of sport and rec in the Northwest Territories and its positive impacts on health, social and community programs that this government delivers.

In this light, we need to look not so much at how we slice up the pie, but how can we make the pie bigger and spread the value of sport and recreation throughout the North. In the trials upcoming, for all the athletes and volunteers and for our hosts in Iqaluit and Nuuk, Mr. Speaker, I wish them every success over the coming four months of preparation. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity today to acknowledge and thank those who have worked very hard for the last number of months to bring the dream of a youth drop-in centre in Yellowknife a reality. As we speak, the final touches are being applied to the old building that used to be known as the mine rescue building. The future home for Yellowknife youth, which will be known as the Side Door Youth Centre, started with very modest beginnings in the basement of the Anglican Church. Through the determination and energy of the executive director, Mr. Kevin Laframboise, and the dedicated board members led by Captain Al Hoeft, now what started as a wish will in short time become a reality.

Mr. Speaker, every time I go by the building, whether on feet or behind the wheels, my heart warms up to see with my very eyes what is possible when the community gets behind a good idea with committed people putting their energy together. How it is possible to turn an idea into a project well over a half million dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I have also seen the big sign at the construction site indicating the sponsorships by Diavik and Nahanni Construction. This is yet another example of an important corporate contribution being made by our resident corporations, as well an exemplary demonstration of what is possible when the corporate citizens partner with the community and the various levels of government.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by the City of Yellowknife, the GNWT and the federal government to make this project possible.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the residents of Range Lake and the city, I would like to recognize all those who have contributed to this project and to thank them and to let the people know that they are in need of a lot of little things, like coffee pots and computers and so on, to make the place more homelike. I would encourage everyone to make a contribution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say welcome to our visitor today. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question at this time will be directed to the Honourable Joe Handley, Minister for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, in line with my Member's statement, this might seem a bit off-Minister, in a sense, but I am aware that the seniors have worked hard to come up with a plan for a seniors' complex and worked with this government to get to the point they are at.

The concern is the location. The location happens to fall within the Happy Valley Campsite, more traditionally known as Tent Town as the community was being built. There were people who initially stayed there before homes were built in Inuvik. They have approached the government to see if they could use a portion of the Happy Valley Campsite to build this complex on. There has been discussion between the seniors' group in Inuvik, the Housing Corporation and RWED, to a certain degree, and the Town of Inuvik.

The Town of Inuvik has given the seniors its support behind this initiative. I would like to ask if Minister Handley, as this has been addressed before in this House, has any further information with regard to the Happy Valley Campsite being used for a seniors' complex come up? Thank you.

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