Thank you, Mr. Roland. Declarations de deputes. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden .

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is Valentine's Day, as many of my colleagues have observed. Sweethearts from around the world are exchanging cards, gifts and flowers, and showing their love and affection for each other, just like we do here in the Legislative Assembly every day, especially during question period.

I think what Valentine's Day really means, Mr. Speaker, is that we have people we care about and people who care about us. So I think this is a good day, Mr. Speaker, to show some recognition for all the organizations, professionals and volunteers who make up the care and support system here in the Northwest Territories. I would like to highlight one of those organizations, the Canadian Mental Health Association's NWT Division, which marks 30 years of service in the Northwest Territories this year. I invite Members to join me in thanking the CMHA and the hundreds of volunteers over the years who have been making a difference.

Their advocacy work, the nightly help line service staffed by volunteers, and their promotions like last week's newspaper flyer on Mental Health Week, help us to learn and cope with what can be, and for far too many people is, a devastating illness.

We still have a lot to learn about treating and understanding mental illness. Government at the national, territorial and community levels need to do more to recognize the importance of mental health in our society, and the value of making sure treatment and care facilities are in place. Something I will continue to promote, Mr. Speaker, is that we can do even more to support the volunteer and non-government organizations who deliver great service and get real value out of public sector investment.

The Canadian Mental Health Association advocates that mental illness is costly, but mental health is priceless. Good advice on any day, especially today, on Valentine's Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to send my greetings to the people of Range Lake and to report to them on the activities I have been involved in during our time away from the House.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have been able to do was to job shadow a special education assistant in Mrs. Auge's kindergarten class at Range Lake North School. I spent a morning with Ms. Hayley Morris, one of four special education assistants in the school. I must say I still find it hard to believe that I was with her and the children for only two-and-a-half hours, because we went through about 11 different activities listed on the board, including a snack time and time with big buddies from Mrs. Tricoteux's class.

It was very meaningful and a great learning experience for me, Mr. Speaker, to see first-hand a special education assistant at work. They are so important, not only to the students in special need, but for the teacher and the rest of the children in the class, and not to mention the parents and our school system as a whole.

It was also very obvious to me that Ms. Morris is a very dedicated professional who loves doing what she does. By the way, her student Kelton performed in the classroom, who seemed to me is a well-adjusted and integral part of the class. It was also heart-warming to see how the rest of the children in the class gravitated towards him.

I would also like to acknowledge the important role the parents play in our school system which was particularly evident that morning. Kelton's mom was there and so were mothers and fathers of about four other children in the class. Apparently it was just an ordinary day. They took the time to come and read to their children's class and that is saying a lot about the health and value we place in our schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Madam Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is Valentine's Day today and we talk about the love and affection between sweethearts, partners, spouses, husbands, and wives, but I think it is also a good day to celebrate the love between parents and children. Mr. Speaker, it was four years ago yesterday that I received news that my father, who I was very close to, had suddenly passed away in Ontario. So Valentine's Day always reminds me of that anniversary.

In considering what to do after receiving that news, I had decided to stay here. How much I appreciated the support of the Members as the House was in session at that time and all of the kindnesses they extended to me. So today, I also think of our colleague from the Deh Cho, the honourable Member, Mr. Michael McLeod, who just recently lost his father. I think on behalf of the Members here, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the McLeod family.

I did not know Michael McLeod's father, but I do see in his children that he must have been a good father and a good person, and we would just like to extend our condolences to his family. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Groenewegen. Indeed, the condolences of the House do go to the McLeod family and to our honourable colleague in his time of sorrow. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Krutko on November 16, 2000, regarding how many employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) are taking part in the federal election.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to indicate with any degree of certainty how many employees took part in campaigns during the last federal election. Political activity is permitted unless an employee is restricted from participating in such activities by the terms of the Public Service Act or its regulations. Further, employees are not required to seek approval from their supervisors or their deputy ministers to participate in political activities.

Therefore, unless an employee discloses his or her participation voluntarily, or applies for leave without pay and indicates that he or she intends to use the time to work on a campaign, there is no way for the GNWT to track those statistics. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The Deputy Premier, Madam Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Krutko on November 16, 2000, regarding the establishment of National Aboriginal Day as a holiday.

The declaration of National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories would provide an opportunity for all residents to participate in National Aboriginal Day celebrations, and demonstrates the importance of the day in the Northwest Territories. For these reasons, Cabinet supports the establishment of National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday.

I have filed a response with the Clerk to a petition tabled by the Member for Mackenzie Delta. I am hopeful that a bill to establish June 21st, National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories can be introduced to the Legislative Assembly in the near future. I provide this return on behalf of our Premier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Groenewegen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome my parents, Alvie and Rose Larocque, and my nephew, Mr. Kurt Wainman to the gallery. Also, they are accompanied by my executive assistant, Mr. Tom Williams. Welcome.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce two people. First, being Valentine's Day, I would like to recognize a very important and dear person in my life, my wife Marg. The second person I would like to recognize is the president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association who is with us here today, Mr. David Murphy. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a resident of Yellowknife and a person who helped me a lot in my first two months at the Legislative Assembly as my assistant, Mr. Brad Pellerin in the gallery.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a pretty famous journalist up in the gallery, Mr. Lee Selleck. He is a journalist on his own merits, and everyone knows Lee. Welcome, Lee.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a long-term resident and a teacher who taught both you and I how to drive, Mr. Ed Jeske.

-- Applause

Welcome, Mr. Jeske. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The Chair would like to recognize Antonio Alvarez, a local contractor from the city of Yellowknife. Welcome.

-- Applause

Thank you for taking the time to come to observe the proceedings of your Legislative Assembly. Before I proceed on to the next item, I have a ruling that I would like to present.

Speaker's Ruling

Before we proceed, I would like to provide you with my ruling on a point of order raised by Mr. Roland on Thursday, November 16, 2000, the last sitting day prior to our extended adjournment. Mr. Roland rose on a point of order in relation to an answer provided by the Premier, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, to Oral Question 293-14(3) regarding the contract for the chief of staff position.

Mr. Roland's point upon reviewing the unedited Hansard was that Mr. Kakfwi was referring to a document that was not before the House. I quote from page 1687 of unedited Hansard:

"Mr. Speaker, my point of order is he was referring to a document that is not before the House, and as I know the rules, that is not permitted".

In further clarifying this issue, I have referred to pages 1623 through to 1627 of unedited Hansard and examined the dialogue surrounding Oral Question 293-14(3), which gave rise to Mr. Roland rising on a point of order.

What I have been able to ascertain is that in his response to Mr. Roland's question regarding the contract for the chief of staff and certain information contained therein, Mr. Kakfwi did in fact briefly quote remarks made by the secretary to Cabinet at prior proceedings which were outside the House.

Mr. Kakfwi also made certain specific references to the content of a portion of the document in question, and I quote from page 1624 of unedited Hansard:

"What the contract does is in the section refers to appendices which refers to deputy minister-type benefits. The contract says she is a chief of staff and that she is an executive assistant to the Premier. It says that where there is reference to deputy minister, it is, should read chief of staff instead of deputy minister, in regard to conflict of interest requirements."

It is the opinion of the Chair in this instance that Mr. Kakfwi, in making reference to and describing certain contents of the document in question, has not quoted directly from it.

Notwithstanding the variety of parliamentary authorities, which limit the abilities of Members to reference or quote from documents not before the House, I am first obligated to draw your attention to Rule 23(d) of our own Rules of the Legislative Assembly, which states and I quote:

"... a Member will be called to order by the Speaker if the Member:

(d) refers at length to debates of the current Session or reads unnecessarily from Hansard or any other document. The Member may quote relevant passages which are necessary to comment on something said or to reply to an alleged misrepresentation."

It is the finding of the Chair in this case that Mr. Kakfwi, in responding to questions posed by Mr. Roland, did not exceed the limits imposed by Rule 23(d) and, therefore, Mr. Roland does not have a point of order.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind all Members that it is an infringement of our rules and contrary to parliamentary practice for Members to refer to committee proceedings that have not been reported to this House. Specifically, I want to caution Members about making reference to what may or may not have been said, or who may or may not have been in attendance in any proceedings or events outside this House. Thank you.

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

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