Thank you, Ms. Lee. Please be seated. Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, since its introduction, the Highway Investment Strategy has been a source of considerable debate.

The strategy will enable the GNWT to invest an additional $100 million into the reconstruction and repair of NWT highways while distributing the cost of these improvements among those sectors of our northern economy that will benefit the most from them.

Mr. Speaker, the strategy is a critical part of our overall fiscal strategy. The funds it will generate will enable us to upgrade our highways -- a key component of the infrastructure that we will need to have in place in order to pursue our vision of resource development in the NWT. The strategy will also allow us to apply any new revenues to investments in other key priority areas -- areas such as those related to education and health care initiatives identified in Towards A Better Tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, support for these proposed bills has not been strong. However, most residents of the NWT have acknowledged that highway improvements are necessary and agree with the intent of the bills. Many Members of the Assembly, representatives of industry and the general public have offered suggestions as to how this initiative could in fact be improved. They include considerations like:

• • Adding a sunset clause so that once highway improvements are completed, the permit fee will also conclude;
• • Provisions to protect the NWT's fragile manufacturing industry;
• • Increased tax breaks for residents of the NWT to counter some of the increased costs reflected on residents of the NWT; and
• • Protection for lower-income families.

Mr. Speaker, the government has agreed to consider these suggestions and we are prepared to amend the proposed bills to reflect these concerns. To that end, we do not intend to proceed with the proposed legislation this session. Instead, we will take the time to consider, make amendments and share these changes with all stakeholders and Members of this Assembly. We will reintroduce amended legislation during the February budget session.

In the meantime, we will be looking to those individuals and organizations that in the last six months have pledged to continue or support our lobby of the federal government for investment in our region.

Mr. Speaker, everybody agrees that our NWT highways are in much need of improvement. Our decision today will delay much-needed improvements and interim steps may have to be taken to protect our investment of over a billion dollars in the NWT highway system. These steps may include reductions in speed limits, road or load bans, restricted hours or days of operation and seasonal limitations. It also means that we will be forced to spend more money on repairing and rebuilding portions of some highways that will eventually be discontinued, or redirect money from other program areas to finance the most critical of our highway deficiencies.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate that this government believes that the Highway Investment Strategy is the solution to rebuilding NWT highways to a standard that will encourage and support future investment without taking money away from other important government programs and services.

I trust that we will be able to identify changes so that Members of this Assembly will be able to support this important initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we used to have a tradition of doing something lighthearted in this House on Fridays. I do not believe we are going to be sitting until Friday so I have a Member's statement that I hope no one takes offense to. My daughter helped me write it. It is called the Three Truckloads North.

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there were three truckloads north. In the winter, they hauled loads and loads of freight to the good people of the Northwest Territories. On their way to the North over the highway system, the three truckloads north had to cross a rushing river. There was only one way to cross over and that was on the ferry. It should be a bridge, but in this case, it was a ferry. The ferry was made of reinforced steel plate. In the wheelhouse of the ferry lurked the highway troll.

No one was allowed to cross the river without paying the highway troll. He wanted the trucks to pay a trip fee. The smallest truckload north was the first to reach the raging river. Vroom! went the little engine as it hauled its freight on the deck of the ferry. "Who is that driving on my ferry and wearing out my roads?" growled the highway troll over the loudspeaker on the ferry from the wheelhouse.

"It is only I," said the smallest truckload north. "I am on my way to Yellowknife with this load of bread and vegetables for the food stores so the families can feed their children." "Oh no you are not," said the highway troll, "not until you pay me." "Oh please, highway troll," pleaded the smallest truck. "I am much too small to pay a trip fee. Why don't you wait for my brother? He is much bigger and has a different axle configuration and would be able to pay a much bigger fee."

The highway troll did not want to waste his time on a little truck if there was a bigger and better truck to tax. "All right, you can pass on my ferry," he grunted. "Go and get heavier and I will tax you on the way back." So the smallest truckload north passed over the raging river.

The highway troll did not have to wait long for the second truckload north. Vroom, vroom! roared the engine as the second truck drove onto the deck of the ferry, causing it to dip slightly to one side. "Who is that driving across the deck of my ferry?" screamed the highway troll, suddenly appearing in the wheelhouse. "Truckload north," said the second truck. "I am heading up to Yellowknife with this load of industrial parts for the suppliers who sell materials to the folks who service the industry." "Oh no you are not," said the highway troll, "not until you pay the trip fee." "Oh no, please," said the second truck. "I may be bigger than the first truckload north, but I am much smaller and will pass through many fewer zones than my big brother, the third truckload north. Why do you not wait for him? He would be able to pay a much bigger fee."

Mr. Speaker, I am going to run out of time here. I did not think this was so long. I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your very interesting statement.

-- Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The highway troll was getting very frustrated but he did not want to waste his time on a middle-sized truck if there was an even bigger one to come. "All right. You may cross on my ferry," he grumbled, "Go and get bigger and I will tax you on your way back." The highway troll did not have to wait long for the third truckload north. Vroom, vroom, vroom! thundered the big engines as the big truck pulled onto the deck of the ferry, causing it to tilt to one side.

"Who is that rolling onto my ferry?" roared the highway troll. "It is the big truckload north," said the B-train loaded with fuel. "I am hauling fuel up to resupply the mines when the winter road is ready." "Oh, no you are not," said the highway troll, as he clambered onto the deck of the ferry, "Not until you pay the trip fee." "That is what you think," said the big truckload north. Then he blasted his horn, revved up his engines, flashed his running lights and busted the highway troll, up, up, up into the air and down, down, down went the highway troll. He landed right back in his chair in Yellowknife at the drawing board in the Cabinet room beside his friend, the finance troll.

-- Laughter

The big truckload north rolled down the road to Yellowknife, bumpy and windy as it was. Until the highway troll found a fairer way to collect the tax, anyone can cross the river and the roads without paying the highway troll.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I was just checking my list to see which riding the trolls were from. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for -- while we are on a roll -- Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as most of us are aware, the week of October 14th to the 20th was officially proclaimed Family Violence Awareness Week throughout the Northwest Territories. It is imperative, Mr. Speaker, that we as legislators place a tremendous amount of importance on this critical issue, not just during Family Violence Awareness Week but throughout the year.

By importance, Mr. Speaker, I do not just mean passing a motion of proclamation in this House. I am referring to the fact that we as government should commit adequate resources to putting an end to family violence.

I would like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to recognize and to surely thank Ernestine Gladue and her very competent staff at the Family Support Centre in Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this government should do everything in its power to assist shelters such as the Family Support Centre in promoting the safety and well-being of women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, we need to find a solution to generational violence in our communities. We need to offer future generations an alternative to violence. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that this government can and should do more to support family violence shelters such as the Family Support Centre in Hay River so that they may assist people to make positive choices towards healthier lifestyles.

At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have further questions to the Minister responsible. 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, today I would like to once again talk about the GNWT's support for the development of oil and gas industry related opportunities for residents and businesses in my constituency.

Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of oil and gas exploration activity in the southern Mackenzie region; activity that should be supported and assisted by this government to a much greater degree than is currently the case.

According to the NWT oil and gas activity update issued by RWED on September 14th of this year, there are plans in place by industry to drill as many as 13 wells, in addition to seismic programs in the Deh Cho region. Five of these exploration wells were slated for the Cameron Hills. Total expenditures in the region are then projected as high as $90 million. In contrast, the same document states that there are up to eight exploratory wells being planned by industry in the Beaufort-Delta region for the upcoming winter.

Notwithstanding the subsequent effect of September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States on these plans, I feel that these numbers should help honourable Members place my constituency of the Deh Cho in some kind of context when it comes to assessing GNWT assistance for development in the region.

These drilling statistics demonstrate that some of the drilling training that is being conducted in the Inuvik area would be very beneficial in my constituency, yet there is no such program being offered in the Deh Cho. Indeed, although NWT Community Mobilization, with GNWT assistance, has facilitated many workshops on industry worker certification in the Sahtu and the Delta over the last 12 months through its Worker Capacity Building Program, there has been none in my constituency since December of 1999.

Community organizations consequently have to pay for basic training initiatives themselves and try to recoup the funds from the GNWT in any way that they can. This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment labels some of its initiatives in oil and gas training as just-in-time training courses. Mr. Speaker, this term illustrates the government taking a reactive approach to human resources planning and training.

Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to continue my statement.

Thank you. You still had a few seconds left to go but the honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment labels some of its initiatives in the oil and gas industry training as just-in-time training courses. Mr. Speaker, this term illustrates the government taking a reactive approach to human resources planning and training.

What our workforce needs is a proactive approach to training that will ensure that the trained people are in place in advance of opportunities actually arriving. Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to wait for training programs to be put in place just in time for trainees to see exploration companies leaving town.

I would like to also raise the issue of specialist advice for communities in my constituency. Many of the community governments in my constituency are aboriginal government organizations that have traditional land rights in the area rich in oil and gas potential. The GNWT should be assisting these communities with funding to enable them to hire industry-specific specialists on a confidential basis to allow them to negotiate value-added business deals with industry partners.

I am not talking about in-house advice offered by the GNWT, Mr. Speaker. I am talking about funding for aboriginal community governments to hire industry specialists and negotiators that will allow them to conduct professional, due diligence analysis negotiation on potential business deals.

At the present time, there are opportunities for commercial participation on a number of different levels, up to and including equity participation in oil and gas initiatives for aboriginal community governments in my constituency. Only informed decisions will maximize long-term benefits for these communities and the NWT as a whole, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what is needed is for a comprehensive and imaginative package of government services and programs to be put in place that will assist aboriginal governments to take advantage of the unique opportunities that are available to them. Opportunities that, if taken advantage of, will benefit all Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my constituents that hopefully, if we wrap up today, I will be travelling home tomorrow to meet not only with my constituents but to once again take my spot in the family unit back home. I will gladly inform my constituents that the issues that have been raised in this House, or the things that have happened over the last number of days and weeks that we have been in session, if they have concerns or questions, I invite them to come over to my constituency office in Inuvik, sit down with me, have a cup of coffee and I will try to address their concerns. If they feel they want to come over and seek some clarification on the issues and concerns that were raised in this House.

Just informing my constituents and my family that I am coming home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Giving them plenty of warning. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tomorrow in the Great Hall, as you know, the Legislative Assembly will host the St. John's Ambulance investiture ceremonies. The St. John Order is over 900 years old and it has been in the North for approximately 24 years. Volunteers will be recognized through investments and promotions by the chancellor of the Canadian priory of the St. John's Ambulance, Mr. Robert Langdon, and the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Honourable Glenna Hansen.

This year, there will be 20 Northerners recognized for their volunteer service work in the Order of St. John's Ambulance. Twelve recipients will take part in the ceremony in the Great Hall tomorrow and another eight will be honoured in Ottawa later this month.

It is my pleasure to acknowledge Mike Lowing, a constituent of Yellowknife South, who is being recognized tomorrow for his volunteer efforts and being promoted to the rank of officer in St. John's Ambulance.

Mr. Speaker, Mike started as a young cadet many years ago with the St. John's Ambulance. He is currently on the board of directors and in 1996 became a serving brother. The honour and awards committee selected Mike because of his dedication and work for St. John's Ambulance in our community. His main service with St. John's focuses on improving first aid training and determining community needs for training services and supplies. Mike is known by members of the St. John's Ambulance, his peers, and indeed our entire community, as a very dedicated person who gives as much time as he can to this organization and to community service in general.

Youth programs are of particular interest to him and he enjoys promoting healthy lifestyles and safety to youth. Those who know Mike fully recognize and appreciate how much time and effort he dedicates to our community. Mike joined the Yellowknife Fire Department as a volunteer in 1984 and is currently employed as a firefighter and has been since 1985, Mr. Speaker.

In closing, I would like to ask my fellow Members to join me in recognizing the invaluable work and service that St. John's Ambulance brings to the North. The interest and training in the North are the highest per capita in the country. I think, Mr. Speaker, this speaks volumes about the many dedicated volunteer men and women serving in our communities.

Congratulations to all of this year's recipients. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from a meeting held in Ottawa yesterday afternoon with the Minister of Indian Affairs, Robert Nault, the Gwich'in Tribal chairman and the board of directors, along with Bob Overvold, divisional director.

Mr. Speaker, in regard to that meeting, there were several issues we dealt with in trying to find ways of working through the different areas. One of them was the land use planning process, which has been stalled and has not been ratified by the Minister of Indian Affairs. Hopefully through the meetings that were held yesterday afternoon, we can come to a conclusion to this effort within the next couple of months.

The other concern that was raised was in regard to the Yukon ADAP process and the Yukon overlap, the new Yukon Act, which has been introduced in the House of Parliament, and the effects of that act in the Gwich'in land claim and their rights in the Yukon. Note there again, we are hoping to work in conjunction with the Minister and the Premier of the Yukon to try and find a solution to this problem through dialogue.

The other issue we worked on was the whole area of governance. As we all know, the Gwich'in self-government agreement has been initialled by the Gwich'in, Inuvialuit and this government, and the federal government is in the process of doing the same thing. Again, there are some questions on the next stage, which is the final negotiations which are taking place. We are hoping there again, through working together with the three parties, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit in the Beaufort-Delta region, and the Minister of Indian Affairs, we can find a solution to that problem.

Another area that I think is most important is the regional priorities we have to look at, especially with what has happened in the Mackenzie Delta and the Beaufort Sea areas, the whole area of economic development and trying to prioritize some of those developments and find ways to deal with the effects that come with it. We also have to realize the social envelope that we have to look at. What are the health and education requirements? Training is one. The other area is looking at how we can work together to formulate some of these training programs, develop the different economic opportunities and projects that will come, and trying to find a partnership arrangement between the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Minister of Indian Affairs, through the federal programs, and the Aboriginal First Nations governments to coordinate these efforts.

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. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my statement, I think it is imperative that we build on these partnerships in cooperation with governments, aboriginal First Nations and the different jurisdictions, the Yukon Government, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government.

I think it is important that this government, especially from the Premier's office, meet with the counterparts in the Yukon to help us resolve some of these outstanding issues, especially in regard to the devolution process that is taking place with the Yukon to ensure that rights of First Nations people in the Northwest Territories who have bilateral rights over the Yukon boundary, especially in the Gwich'in settlement area and the claim itself, that we have to work on that relationship.

With that, I have heard from the Minister of Indian Affairs that he is going to pass that message on and hopefully through the dialogue between our Premier and the Premier of the Yukon and the Minister of Indian Affairs we are able to accomplish these efforts. With that, thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to make a statement about HOPE. HOPE is the acronym for Human Organ Procurement and Exchange. This program is administered by a committee with the Stanton Regional Health Board through an educational committee, which promotes the national organ and tissue donor awareness campaign.

This program is a voluntary donation program that allows people to say, "Yes, I want to donate certain or all organs for use for transplants by individuals in need." In most parts of Canada, they do so by indicating it on their health care card or driver's license.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories does not have a specific donor identification format like those found in other provinces and territories. Therefore, temporary donor cards were created. Unfortunately, there are a number of different donor cards being used and it gets quite confusing as to which one to sign. One kind is this kind that I have that I have signed and had witnessed by my wife. Once that is done, you must make sure you carry it at all times. Unfortunately, because people in the health care system may not know what to look for, they may not be able to find it when it may be appropriate.

Our jurisdiction needs to have a simple donor identification system put into place. We should be able to indicate on our driver's licence or on our health care card that we wish to be organ donors.

Mr. Speaker, as of December 31st last year, 26 residents of the Northwest Territories had benefited from transplants. Nearly 3,700 Canadians are waiting right now for organ transplants that could enhance or even save their lives. In the year 2000, 147 patients on transplant waiting lists died when no organ became available.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's present donation rate is 13.7 per million population, one of the lowest in the industrialized countries.

Mr. Speaker, living donation is increasing as one way to close the gap between the number of people on transplant waiting lists and the number of available organs, but cadaveric donation is still the most typical source for organ transplants. That requires that a person's heart be beating and still transporting oxygenated blood around the body even though the brain may be dead.

Mr. Speaker, even in other circumstances, people may make donations because things like corneas and bones and muscles -- Mr. Speaker, I see that I need to request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Indeed you do. 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, even in those circumstances where the heart may have stopped beating, donations can still be made because corneas, bones, muscles, pancreatic and nerve cells, for example, can survive for a limited time after the body stops breathing and the heart stops beating.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians overwhelmingly support the idea of organ donation. In a 1999 Angus Reid survey of more than 1500 Canadians, 81 percent were willing to donate any organs, or certain organs, for transplant at the time of death but only 65 percent of Canadians have ever discussed the idea of organ donation with a family member. In most parts of Canada, families make the final decision on organ donation, even if their loved one left a signed consent.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that northern citizens are made aware of and have the opportunity to participate, contribute and support this health care issue. Northerners, I believe, want to be part of this and our friends need us to be involved.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Minister of Health and Social Services to make residents aware of programs like this. I would urge the Minister of Transportation to provide an avenue for them to participate by implementing a policy allowing NWT residents to indicate their willingness to participate in the organ donation program by signing their drivers' licences or health care cards to indicate that they do wish their organs to be used. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of Minister Steen's statement today, I would like to say something about the highway toll legislation that we have been reviewing for the last number of months.

Mr. Speaker, I must say that I am alarmed by the red herring included in the Minister's statement, which says that if we do not agree with another tax initiative that we may have to contemplate cuts in programs and services in health and education. I do not believe that is necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I think the government has to be made fully aware that there is absolutely no tax base in a jurisdiction with a population of 40,000 people. We simply cannot draw blood from stone.

Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees that the cost of living is already too high. The cost of fuel has created a great hardship not only for the residents of Yellowknife but for residents all over the Territories. Any kind of taxation on the road will result in increased costs for gas for the trucks or vehicles and increased costs of building homes. I have already received complaints from constituents who are saying that the rent is going up. Airfares have already gone up and there is no guarantee that groceries and all essential items will not go up as well. I think simply that the message we have been hearing is we just cannot take it any more.

Mr. Speaker, the government has been saying that the tax credit will address this. In my opinion, no tax credit could make up for the cost of living that would be incurred by any kind of taxation. Any tax credit that the government would introduce would only make up for the loss from a number of years that we have gone without a cost of living credit, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the government should also realize that any increase in cost as a result of a highway toll would make the government the biggest loser. Just this year, just in this supplementary appropriation in this session, the government is asking for $2.7 million extra dollars to make up for the cost of fuel. This is not including some $30 million that the government is already paying for the fuel.

Mr. Speaker, any kind of highway taxation will send the wrong message to the resource industry, which is already paying upwards of $6 million...

Ms. Lee, your time has expired.

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

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, any sort of taxation that would increase the cost of living will send a terrible message to small businesses. Their cost of inventory will go up and they would have a more difficult time attracting people who are already facing a shortage of housing and the high cost of living, and discouraged from moving.

Mr. Speaker, highway taxation will have a terrible impact on back hauls of crushed cars or recycled items, or those who are manufacturing and exporting. Mr. Speaker, there is also clearly an uncertainty about the clawback implications of any taxation given that the federal government takes 80 percent of any tax revenue.

Mr. Speaker, this initiative is also administratively very cumbersome. We do not have weigh scales and it would require that we build weigh scales. That would cost millions and more money for manning them.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this government has had it good for the last two years. We know that it has had upwards of $150 million extra and it is time for them to buckle up, clean their house up before they hold their hands out to the people and keep saying that if you want tourism, you have to pay for it through a tax, or if you want the road, then you have to pay through a highway tax.

It is time to stop that, Mr. Speaker. If the government is having a hard time, people are having a hard time and we need to look within first before we go out and ask people to buckle up some more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in this session, I asked Members to support and circulate in their constituencies a petition on behalf of children living in poverty. This petition was sponsored by the Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Status of Women Council of the NWT and a constituent of Great Slave, Ann Marie Giroux, an advocate on behalf of children living in poverty.

Mr. Speaker, children live in poverty across Canada and in the NWT. Some schools, a very few, are fortunate to have community programs such as the Rotary Club's Kids Ahead that help out in this area. I know that many schools and teachers are expressing growing concerns that when children come to school, they do not have very much in their lunch bag because parents do not have enough to afford food. We hear the plight of our local food bank here in Yellowknife and organizations like the Salvation Army and the Yellowknife Women's Centre are working harder and harder to meet the needs of some residents.

There is particular concern among low-income families on income support about the clawback by this government of the National Child Benefit Supplement.

Mr. Speaker, the National Council on Welfare has expressed its deep concern about this clawback on many occasions. The council states: "Any program that is intended to support poor families but bypasses the poorest has missed the boat." Mr. Speaker, is our government missing the boat on this one?

Under federal-territorial arrangements, the GNWT claws back the National Child Benefit Supplement from income support assessments. The government then uses the clawback for a variety of programs for low-income families, including the NWT Child Benefit, the Working Supplement, and the Healthy Children's Initiative.

According to the National Council of Welfare, other jurisdictions, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, have chosen not to claw this back while still providing other programs for low-income families. This means, Mr. Speaker, more money in the pockets of the poorest families.

Mr. Speaker, as inadvertent as it may be, this government perpetuates children living in poverty in the NWT through its clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement.

I would urge Members and residents across the NWT to seek out this petition, Mr. Speaker, sign it and get it in before the deadline of November 19th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the approach of November 11th, I would like to invite this House to join me in giving recognition to the Canadian Rangers and junior ranger groups serving in the communities of Nunakput.

Mr. Speaker, these volunteers are always the first to be called out at times of on-the-land emergencies, such as search and rescue events. The rangers are also expected to act as guides when the armed forces hold training exercises in the Nunakput area. A periodic inspection of DEW Line sites is also one of the duties performed by these all-weather rangers.

Mr. Speaker, on November 11th, I invite the Members to give recognition to these hardy, local servicemen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by Mr. Bell on October 30, 2001, regarding the rationale for the closure of the youth addictions program.

A review of this program undertaken in October 1998 recommended its closure. Serious issues pertaining to client safety and the program's success rates were raised during the review. During the year prior to the closure, the program was also experiencing very low occupancy rates, approximately 56 percent.

Beginning in January 1999, the department, in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, embarked on an alternative programming initiative. The intention was to work with Northern Addictions Services (NAS) to develop alternative programming to address the underlying issues of addictions for both adults and youth. In March 1999, NAS advised the department in writing that they were no longer interested in participating in this process of change. They indicated that the NAS board had a different vision and would pursue options with Justice Canada. All contractual arrangements between NAS and the department were terminated effective June 30, 1999. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by Ms. Lee on October 31, 2001, regarding jurisdiction over licensed premises. In particular, whether the City of Yellowknife or the Liquor Licensing Board had jurisdiction with respect to closing times in relation to the unruliness on Yellowknife streets that oftentimes happens after bar closing.

Mr. Speaker, the current liquor regulations require that all licensed establishments stop serving liquor at 2:00 a.m. and patrons have 15 minutes after that to leave the premises.

Mr. Speaker, matters relating to licensed premises fall under the jurisdiction of the NWT Liquor Licensing Board. Municipalities do not have jurisdiction to regulate licensed premises. While the board does regulate closing times, it does not have jurisdiction outside licensed premises. Once the bars are closed, the responsibility for maintaining order on the streets falls to the RCMP.

The Liquor Licensing Board is concerned with problems relating to bar closing and I understand that they are reviewing options which may include changes to the liquor regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Oral Question asked by the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake on November 1, 2001. Mr. Floyd Roland wanted to know if the security screening done at the Yellowknife airport is performed at the discretion of the airlines.

Under the authority of the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations, Transport Canada designates the security classifications and requirements for Canadian airports. In determining its security designations, Transport Canada completes a risk assessment for each airport according to a number of criteria, such as the type and volume of air traffic moving through the airport and the routes the airport serves. In the end, the specific reason Transport Canada has for assigning a security classification to a given airport is confidential.

The Yellowknife airport has a tighter class II security classification than Inuvik or Norman Wells. The regulations require that on flights departing the Yellowknife airport for other class I or II airports, the air carrier must conduct security screenings of the passengers and their luggage. The air carriers can exercise discretion as to how they decide to satisfy the security regulations. In the case the Member referred to in his question, the air carriers could screen the passengers and luggage prior to their departure from Inuvik or Norman Wells and thus avoid the security screening in Yellowknife before proceeding onwards to a class I or II airport.

In this case, however, the air carriers have decided not to do the security screening in Inuvik and Norman Wells. This means that onward bound passengers from Inuvik and Norman Wells must go through the security screening in Yellowknife before continuing their flight. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, would you join with me in recognizing in the gallery, Mr. Robert Langdon, Knight of the Order of St. John and Chancellor of the Canadian Priory of St. John Ambulance, and his wife, Betty Langdon.

-- Applause

Mr. Langdon is here to assist the Vice Prior Glenna Hansen with the 2001 Investiture, which will be held tomorrow in the Great Hall at 11:45 a.m. This will honour 12 Northerners and promote Commissioner Hansen to the rank of Dame of Grace; the first aboriginal Canadian to be knighted.

-- Applause

The order believes that tomorrow's investiture will be the first in some 900 years to be held outside of a church or regal residence. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome someone accompanying them, David Connelly, the president of St. John Council for the Northwest Territories and for Nunavut. Welcome to our Assembly.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize two members of Canada's Olympic badminton team who have been invited to the Northwest Territories at the invitation of the Northwest Territories Badminton Association, Mr. Bryan Moody of Quebec and Mr. Brent Olynyk of British Columbia. They will be visiting schools and giving clinics and presentations, Mr. Speaker. They will also be giving a short exhibition of high level badminton on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Sir John Franklin gym. They are seated in the gallery with Laurell and Ron Graf. Please help me welcome them to the gallery.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Eddy Dillon of Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Dillon is the former mayor of Tuktoyaktuk and has been active on many Inuvialuit boards as well as on the Northwest Territories Water Board.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the past two weeks, we have had the able assistance of two fine groups of young people in this House, our pages. One group, those here today, are students at William MacDonald School, which is a school in my constituency. I would like to recognize the pages. With us today we have Abby Alty, Amanda Baton, Sandra Bokovay, Jill Campbell, Alexandra Cracknell, Jessica Fornier, Kesley MacDougall, Alexandrea Malakoe, Michael Shayhi, and up in the gallery is Josh Parent. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. 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 a Hay Riverite up in the gallery, Mike Mahar. Mike is a town councillor in Hay River. Welcome to the Assembly.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I as well would like to take this time to recognize Ms. Frieda Martselos, a local successful businesswoman from Fort Smith, a constituent and a friend, now in the Business Credit Corporation. Thank you.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs responsible for sport, recreation and youth, and as a '72 Olympian, I would like to recognize Mr. Bryan Moody of Quebec and Mr. Brent Olynyk of British Columbia. Welcome.

-- Applause

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 all of the members of the board of directors for the Business Credit Corporation who are with us today, and two staff members. The people are Kim Staples, the chair; Darrell Beaulieau, vice-chair; Frieda Martselos, a member and director; Eddie Dillon, director; Michael Maher, a director; and two staff people, Tracey-Lynn Lower and Ian Collins with the BCC. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a visitor in the gallery today who is actually a constituent of Mr. Delorey, but it is my daughter, Gillian. She is here on official business. I want to assure her teachers of that. Thank you.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Colleagues, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mrs. Whitford, Mrs. Speaker, on a rare visit -- shows you the Speaker does not play favourites. Any further recognition of visitors in the gallery? I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone here and I thank you for coming to see your Legislative Assembly.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We recognize the importance of caribou to many people. In the past, we have considered applications by communities who have to travel unusually long distances to harvest traditional food. I do not know which community Mr. Lafferty is referring to but certainly if they request it, we will have a look at it. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly we will look at past expenditures, look at whether or not what we are doing is fair to all of the harvesters. We recognize that the money we provide is meant as an incentive, as a contribution. It is not meant to cover all costs every year. There are some differences sometimes. Mr. Speaker, we will take a look at past expenditures. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We heard earlier today the government's intention not to proceed with the highway toll bills, but of equal significance to me was the commitment to go back out into the community, to industry, to look for ways to bring back more acceptable ways of investing in our highway infrastructure and for paying for it. I think this is a very positive signal and I look forward to that work.

Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister of Transportation is what plans does he have for including and bringing in communities, individuals and industry experts to help redesign the Highway Investment Strategy? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is considering different options as to how we could approach this particular issue and how we can include all the stakeholders in a review of what our plans are and how best to approach this important subject and come to some kind of agreement as to what type of legislation we could put in place that people could agree with and live with.

At this present time, we are considering all options, including the use of consultants, if necessary.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The overall initiative, as I have said, is a very good one but you know, I think we heard a lot of expertise when we were taking the bill out in committee and in the discourse over the last few weeks. I would again ask, of all the information and the people who are available, when, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister be contacting those people to bring them into the process of redesigning this new plan? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Considering all we have to do before we come forward with a plan here, including discussing this at Cabinet level, I expect it will be at least two weeks before we come out with any kind of plan.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

You know, Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Minister gets it. He still seems to be telling us that the government's approach here is to design a plan and then go out and get people to react to it. I am advocating that the government brings people in to help build the plan. That is how we are going to get buy-in and ownership of the plan and how to make it work.

I would have to ask just how does the Minister expect to come up with a workable plan if he does not include the expertise that we already have out there? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has a good suggestion and that will be taken into consideration as well. We have had a lot of different suggestions brought forward by trucking firms, chambers of commerce, chamber of mines. We have to review all of these, whether they can be used in the short term or whether they are long-term options. We have had suggestions that the chamber is going to put together a force of people that would go and lobby the federal government. We are giving them the opportunity to do this. The department is open to all suggestions, including the one from the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the approach, the attitude, the appetite from Members here and from the people in the Northwest Territories is that we want, we need, we will help put the plan together. There is a lot of good will out there to go in this direction. The signal that we really need to receive from the Minister is that people will be welcomed and encouraged to participate in the process. When will the Minister be issuing an invitation to participate in an organized fashion and forum to help build this plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to emphasize that this is not something the department will be doing on its own. We need the input from Cabinet on this as to what the consultation package is going to be, what process we are going to take in order to have input into this plan and how we are going to do the approach.

Like I said, I do not expect that this thing is going to be done overnight. There is no doubt that it is going to take a lot of thought on the part of the department as to how we can have an effective plan, whereby people take ownership of this thing, whatever the proposal comes out to be. However, the initial proposal that we are suggesting at this time is going to be the same proposal with amendments, as we have identified. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier regarding Cabinet decisions allowing for negotiated contracts. Mr. Speaker, the process is decided by Cabinet to allow for the contract to be either negotiated or sole-sourced. In most cases, what we have seen is that there seems to be a trend in this government where a lot of these contracts that either have gone to Cabinet to be approved for negotiated contract, got the approval from Cabinet. Then, at the end of it all, some department, Public Works and other departments, may dispute the amount set in the contract. Then they go out to a public tender. Then what we see is they come back to this government to get more money to complete the contract because it exceeds their mandate.

I would like to ask the Premier, what is his government doing to ensure there is monitoring of how these contracts are dealt with if they do not meet the criteria of a negotiated contract, go to public tender, then to come back way over the margins that are set through the planning process?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Over the last while, I have raised questions regarding oil and gas training many times. Today, I want to point out that RWED has released information on the NWT oil and gas activity update, dated September 14th, that provides statistics produced indicating that there are more drilling rigs being planned for the southern Mackenzie than the Beaufort-Delta.

I want to ask the Minister why there is no drill rig training currently being conducted in the southern Mackenzie, similar to what is being done in the Beaufort-Delta?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process that was used for the drill rig training that took place in Inuvik was a partnership process whereby Akita Drilling provided the drill rig, and other funding was made available by the federal government and various departments. The Governments of the Yukon and Nunavut also participated in order to train their employees. It was a conglomeration of a number of funding sources to put in a rig to provide rig training and then service rig training. That was one of the impetuses in the Inuvik region for having a drill rig placed there.

We would certainly be supportive of any such move in the Deh Cho if there is a desire to have a drill rig placed in that community to do drill rig training, but partners would have to be brought in. It is an extremely expensive process, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he could tell us what types of initiatives he has planned to encourage drilling rigs to come in and put on training programs prior to lands being opened up for exploration? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have two programs that are directly involved in the oil and gas training. One is access training, entry level type of training. We provide about $500,000 in that area and $600,000 for advanced training. It is in the advanced training area that we can provide funding for that. We would be extremely interested in ensuring that the program we held in Inuvik, if it could be continued in other regions or in Inuvik, or wherever possible.

Last year, we had an indication that there may be interest in the Sahtu. We have to ensure that if we are going to provide training in a particular area, Mr. Speaker, that we have adequate numbers as well. Last year, we had approximately 120 required applications in order to, at the end of the day, graduate about 60.

Just to get back to the Member's question, we would be extremely interested in pursuing it. I am meeting with some oil and gas people in Calgary in about two weeks time. I can discuss it with the various interest groups, the people that may be drilling in that area. It is not an issue that can be solved overnight because of the cost of doing this and because of the commitment that has to be made on the part of the drilling company.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, RWED's information tells us that there are plans for 13 wells, in addition to seismic programs, for the Deh Cho. I do not see any programs being developed by the Minister of MACA. I would like to ask when this Minister plans to have something that we can see concrete in our communities in the Deh Cho.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated, we are extremely interested in pursuing this but it does require partnerships. We will require the effort of everyone concerned in this in order to bring about the possibility of a program in the Deh Cho. Thank you.