Bonjour, Madames et Monsieurs. Bienvenue a l'Assembly aujordhui. Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to this first Session of the new year, 2001. I would like to wish everybody a happy Valentine's Day.

Recently, I was in Ottawa to observe the selection of the new Speaker for the House of Commons. On behalf of this House, I would like to take this opportunity to extend best wishes to Peter Milliken, a former Deputy Speaker to the House of Commons, on his recent election as the Speaker of the House of Commons.

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

"Dear Mr. Speaker:

I wish to advise that I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of the Appropriation Act, 2001-2002; and Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2000-2001 during the Third Session of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

Yours truly,

Glenna F. Hansen

Commissioner"

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will deliver the budget address on Thursday, February 15, 2001. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Antoine. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week, more than 100 school and community education counsellors in the Northwest Territories are in Yellowknife. They are delegates at a conference called Honouring the Spirit of Our Children.

Mr. Speaker, the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by people in care-giving roles is evidenced by the high degree of interest shown in attending this conference. In addition to the participation of counsellors, 40 parents took part in a parents' night on the first day of the conference.

I am sure that we are all aware of the importance of providing a safe, caring and stable environment for children in which they can grow into happy, well-adjusted and healthy adults. Children who experience personal success will become self-reliant and contributing members of our communities.

We are fortunate to live in a country in which we can find support for our efforts to create a nurturing environment. That support often comes from caring professionals who counsel, advise and listen with empathy to the challenges we face in our efforts to foster the right kind of environment for our children.

Sponsored jointly by the departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services, the Honouring the Spirit Conference addressed topics of importance to professional counsellors and caregivers in their efforts to ensure they have the skills required to support the public.

Mr. Speaker, a healthy society of self-reliant individuals who contribute to society in a meaningful way is an important part of the vision this government has for the Northwest Territories. We are working together to ensure that we provide a network of programs and services to support the vision I describe.

Mr. Speaker, the joint efforts of my department and those of the Department of Health and Social Services, led by the Honourable Jane Groenewegen, in organizing the Honouring the Spirit of Our Children Conference is a step in the right direction. I want to thank all those involved in organizing and attending the conference for their commitment to helping us to realize our vision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi will be absent from the House until Tuesday, February 20, 2001, to participate in the Canada Trade Mission to China. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to begin by letting you know that I am happy to be back here in this wonderful Chamber with yourself and the rest of my colleagues to continue the work of the 14th Legislative Assembly on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories.

As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, today is Valentine's Day. Seeing as I am one of the unfortunate and deprived Members who live outside of this expanding and booming capital city of Yellowknife...

-- Applause

-- Laughter

...I am going to borrow a line from my colleague, Mr. Roland, and send greetings and love to my wife and family back home.

Mr. Speaker, it does not seem like three months have gone by since we last sat in this Chamber together. I know that it has been a very busy time for everyone. I do hope that you all had an enjoyable holiday season. For me, this holiday season was extra special. I would like to share with you the gift that made it special.

Mr. Speaker, on November 16th during National Addictions Awareness Week, I spoke in this House on the problems associated with addictions and the dangerous effects that drinking and smoking can have on the unborn child. I informed the House that my daughter, Michelle, who was seven and a half months pregnant at that time, had given up smoking and drinking the day she found out she was pregnant.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to let you know that at 3:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, Michelle gave birth to a baby boy, weighing in at nine pounds, three ounces. Brent Michael Lane Hartwell is my third grandson, and he was born in his home community of High Level, Alberta. I am also happy to report that both mother and baby are healthy and doing great.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of Michelle. I want to let her know that I appreciate the sacrifice she made to give her baby the opportunity to have a healthy start in life. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Congratulations, Grandpa Delorey. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. Declarations des deputes. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back, Members. Mr. Speaker, today is a day of loving, caring and sharing with others. I would like to wish everyone a very happy Valentine's Day, especially Karen and my children on the loving, caring side of Valentine's Day.

We, as a Legislative Assembly and government, must never lose sight of the human side of the Legislative Assembly. Despite making decisions on budget, legislation, and programs that are being delivered, we all must keep in mind that there is a human side to all of these decisions.

When it comes to people we represent in the Northwest Territories, regardless of how small or remote the communities they live in, like Colville Lake, or as large a community as Yellowknife, we must never lose sight of the services and programs we deliver. We must never lose sight of the individuals' names and faces, regardless of their father, mother, sister or brother, grandfather or grandmother. Putting a face to all decisions that we make in regard to the acts we carry out and the trust people place in us shall never be lost.

I would like to put a challenge out to all Members of this House of the 14th Assembly that we never lose sight of the faces of the people who may not be with us here today and have passed on. As a loving and caring day, I for one would like to ask this government to have a heart when you make a decision, to have a heart when you bring forth the budget, to have a heart with regard to everyone we represent.

With that, I would like to wish a happy Valentine's Day to one and all, and again, have a heart.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the title of my Member's statement...I am not sure how these things work out or how we title Member's statements, but I am hoping this will be titled "Great Expectations". Of course, Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy that our Premier alluded to in his address to the people of the Northwest Territories.

I, like the people of the Northwest Territories, listened intently as he guaranteed jobs for teachers and nurses, for those of us who were trained in the North or coming to the North. Interestingly, I had a call from a constituent right after the address. She said she was so excited about the Premier's announcement because her daughter is attending university in the south. She had called her daughter and made her aware of the Premier's guarantees and talked to me about how convenient this would be, since they lived in Yellowknife and her daughter could come back here and teach in Yellowknife.

I think it is important that we do not get too far ahead of ourselves. I am not exactly sure what the Premier's commitments and guarantees really mean. I relayed this to my constituent. I think there are still a lot of details to be worked out. I think guaranteeing jobs for teachers and nurses, especially in some of the smaller communities, might not be such a thing. We know there is market demand already, Mr. Speaker.

Guaranteeing support for teachers and nurses in these small communities, or as my colleagues have alluded to many times, guaranteeing adequate housing in the smaller communities for teachers and nurses, I think that would be a thing, Mr. Speaker.

We will wait for details. We are very interested to see how this all plays out, but we are also concerned. We want to make sure that this is not just another job-creation program in the public service, a make-work project, Mr. Speaker. We have seen them before. We know that we have private sector incentives and opportunities for economic development all over the place. Why not partner up with the private sector? I really hope that is the Premier's intention here, to guarantee that we are going to work with the private sector to create jobs for Northerners.

If the Premier and Cabinet have a checklist in their back pocket and they pull it out and number one says "build great expectations", I think they can check that off, Mr. Speaker. Number two should say "deliver a well-thought out plan of action". That is what we are waiting for.

Like the public, I agree the Premier's promises are encouraging. However, like the public, I also hope that the devil is not in the details. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Declarations des deputes. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the life of the 13th Assembly, I repeatedly raised the issue in this House of the need for a broad energy strategy for the Northwest Territories. During the 13th Assembly, it was an issue that was very difficult to have any attention paid to it because of other pressing matters, such as division, restraint, cut-backs and all those other issues of the day. The reality now, Mr. Speaker, is that we are faced with an energy crisis, so to speak, with rocketing fuel prices and increased demand on petroleum products and the negative impact it is having on all of our budgets and the cost of living in the North.

Mr. Speaker, the government has come out with a number of initiatives, such as the review of the electrical generation, transmission and distribution report. The Public Utilities Board as well is working on a report, an operational, strategic review. As well, the government has done work on a Greenhouse Gas Strategy. All separately done pieces not yet linked.

Mr. Speaker, it is going to be critical for this government to, in fact, link those pieces to show the people of the Northwest Territories what in fact the energy strategy will look like. We are spending in the neighbourhood of over $700 to $800 million a year on petroleum products as a Northwest Territories jurisdiction. We are the energy hogs of North America on a per capita basis.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of hydro development as it is detailed in the review by the government on electrical energy is a good one. It requires more work. I encourage the government to take the steps to move ahead to provide the detail of technical, financial and regulatory basis. We also have to look not only south, but let us look at the potential north for having a replacement on our dependency on petroleum products with hydro, a clean, environmentally friendly, safe form of energy.

On the issue of rates, Mr. Speaker, the structure of NTPC, the de-regulation that is talked about, having an ombudsman that reports to Cabinet, those are all issues that require much further debate. I do not think it should be taken at face value as presented by the consultants.

I would also encourage, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board would see the opportunity...Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Mr. Speaker, to conclude, I would also ask the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board to add to the work done by the consultants on the strategic and operational review of the PUB, to table it in this House so it can in fact be added to the mix as we try to make sense of the best way to proceed as a Territory on the issue of a broad energy strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. I just want to remind Members that Members' statements should stick to one topic for each statement. Remember the two and a half minute rule. The Speaker is being a little bit generous with the time today because of Valentine's Day, but tomorrow we shall return to the strict order of the House. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the community fund-raising event held December 6, 2000. Mr. Speaker, this event was put on with the support of many groups and it was to support the Midnight Sun Daycare that was in desperate need of funds to continue their operation in providing day care to families in Inuvik.

This would not have been pulled off, Mr. Speaker, without some key people, organizations and companies. Mr. Speaker, the first company I would like to thank is First Air for their sponsorship in flying up the alumni to Inuvik and bringing them back, as well as sponsoring the prizes that were in a raffle that was held during one of the breaks in the game.

As well, Mr. Speaker, from the alumni, Mr. Al Hamilton, Mr. Brian Baltimore, Mr. Brian Benning and Mr. Tom Gilmore, all of the alumni are from the Oilers organization that came up and put on the game with a few of the Members here. I would also like to thank Mr. Paul Delorey who came up and donned the skates after 27 years of retirement. Mr. Speaker, he did a good job. He did not end up on his keister once.

Mr. Speaker, as well I would like to thank the Honourable Roger Allen who came out and donned skates. We put on a good show. I would like to also acknowledge support from other members of the community, the mayor and some of the other players who filled our roster, as we fell short on MLAs to don the blades.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank businesses that sponsored gifts. Those are Rexall Drugs, Home Hardware, Northern Stores, Arctic Rim True Value, Northern Metallic, Shear Delight, Boreal Books, Delta Flowers and Crafts, Originals on Mackenzie, and as well, Mackenzie Delta Hotel Group for putting the players up.

Mr. Speaker, through this game we raised almost $10,000.

-- Applause

That would not have been done without the people paying at the door to come and view this, so I would like to thank them. Mr. Speaker, before I run out of time, I would like to thank the Old Timers who put on a great game as they played against ourselves, MLAs, and the Edmonton Alumni. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member refers to the situation that the department is experiencing pretty well across the Northwest Territories in regards to our winter road construction. We are experiencing problems with having sufficient ice to carry the weights. The department is doing what it normally does in ensuring safe passage on these roads and that is to take precautions through profiling ice all along the routes. We regulate the weights on our winter roads directly related to the readings from the profiles. We are ensuring that there is safe passage by regulating the weights on the winter roads. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The question may be a little hypothetical, but I will allow the Minister to respond if he chooses. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is working towards establishing more and more overland routes, you would call them, or in fact working towards our Highways Strategy, establishing all-weather roads into communities, that we can justify constructing these routes into these communities.

However, as the Member is well aware, the department has to work with Indian Affairs on this because it is Indian Affairs that is responsible for the construction of new roads over and above the existing road systems we have, and that includes the winter roads. We are working with Indian Affairs as to how we can get sufficient funding towards constructing new roads into communities that are not on the present highway systems.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The road that we made reference to into Colville Lake is a winter road and it is only seasonal. The department did put in the road this year and we will be putting it in on an annual basis from here on. It will become part of our winter road system. We already have winter roads into Wekweti and Gameti, subject to ice of course.

It is a little bit of a different nature that we would be talking to Indian Affairs about an all-weather road into the North Slave versus what is happening into Colville Lake. Colville Lake is not an all-weather road and, at this time, we are not proposing it as an all-weather road. It is just simply a winter road. Indian Affairs has not contributed any funding towards this at this time. It is all between the territorial government and industry. There is no funding from Indian Affairs involved in that particular road.

What I was referring to was we are trying to work with Indian Affairs to identify some process whereby we could fund new roads into these communities that are not on the all-weather road system.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. It really relates to what the department has been saying all along, and that there is more and more pressure on the department to come up with ways to fund roads into those communities that are not presently served by an all-weather road system. There is also obviously more and more pressure placed on the mines to come up with some form of a transportation route in there because, as the Member noted, with global warming and the shortened season for bringing in resupply, the mines are getting pressured more and more to have some other form or route into their mines.

We, at this point in time, have not been talking to the mines about any all-weather road system because basically the road that they maintain into the mine sites is all paid for by the mines themselves. We have not been talking to them, and they have not approached us, towards talks on an all-weather road system into the Slave Geological Province.

Nevertheless, the department has been working on some plans in the past when we did some surveys in the communities to see what the cost of all-weather roads would be into the North Slave, for instance, and we have those studies on record. With those we are trying encourage Indian Affairs to come forward with some kind of a funding program whereby we could construct all-weather roads into those communities that are not on the system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are addressed to Minister Handley and have to do with the GNWT review of electrical generation, transmission and distribution in the NWT, specifically the component that deals with the hydro expansion and potential 200 megawatts in the Taltson system. I wonder if the Minister could inform this House how they tend to proceed in terms of taking that particular recommendation to provide the necessary environmental and economic and regulatory detail, market issues that have all been dealt with and are raised through the public consultation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, let me clarify that the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation and for the energy generation study is Mr. Kakfwi, who is absent for the next few days. I will attempt to generally answer the question.

The report that has been prepared by consultants is out for consultation. We have invited people to submit their advice and comments by the end of February. Following the receipt of any advice and information, we will then, as a Cabinet, review the report and the information that has been received from various sources and determine a plan from that point on. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the leadership role played by the Minister in getting this particular review done and most of the work that has been done to date.

On the issue of the recommendation of looking straight south, as the report lays out, there has been a strong suggestion that it might be worth our while to look at the market of the hydro to the north, to the mines, to tie into the Snare system to create a grid. Could the Minister indicate whether they will in fact be taking a comprehensive look at those kind of broad issues, or are they just going to look at the specific recommendations as they are worded? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, I can give the Member assurance that we will look broadly at all of the advice and recommendations we receive. Certainly we have heard from people that they would want us to consider, for example, the Taltson energy for the North. We would have to look at the economic feasibility of doing that versus going south. As a Cabinet, we would be open to any suggestions or advice. We are not just sticking to the specific recommendations as they are worded. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the report covers other areas that deal with the structure of the Power Corporation and possible regulatory reform and such. Will the Minister as well ensure that they take into account all of the work that has been done in that area, such as the work that has been done by the Public Utilities Board review, so we have as comprehensive a look at that particular component as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would have to defer to the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation in terms of how he is going to handle the recommendations and the advice we receive, relative to the Power Corporation itself. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question this afternoon is for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Jake Ootes. It is in regard to assisting constituents with income support and other associated services of this government.

Very often here in Yellowknife, constituents have to go from place to place to get their services. My question, Mr. Speaker, is what changes or what improvements can the Minister advise of that may be underway to streamline the service to income support clients in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the income support process was partially changed last fall when we contracted the Women's Centre to allow pre-qualifications to be submitted into the computer system so that some of that work is now done by the Women's Centre. It was found that many of the clients originally went to the Women's Centre and, as well, to the Salvation Army. It was felt because the three organizations, the Women's Centre, the Salvation Army and the other organization that was involved in this, coordinated together, it was felt the Women's Centre could possibly handle this, so we did that. That was one of the steps we have taken on streamlining this process for easier access for the public, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to individuals who are on EI, then they go to the Genesis Group for support there. There is a contract out with the Genesis Group. That is not directly related to income support, but there may be people who were wondering where they go for support for training advice and so forth. That is the Genesis Group here in Yellowknife. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that information. That is very much the kind of reform that I think clients are looking for. I would like to ask, can that same kind of thinking be extended to other departments? Frequently, constituents have difficulties in many areas, not only income: justice, education, health. Is there any move among government to look at streamlining on a broader scale? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is certainly merit to what the Member is stating. We have created a Ministerial Committee on the Social Envelope, which involves the social envelope Ministers. It is chaired by the Honourable Jane Groenewegen. It is a subject we can put on the table for discussion. As I say, we have done it in our particular department. We are meeting on a consistent basis to start looking at more coordinated approaches in service delivery in all communities. When you speak of justice and other areas, this may be another concern we should put on the table. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, a signal of some progressive moves there. I would like to ask the Minister to what degree do you plan to potentially bring in other levels of the community? For instance, the non-government organizations that are involved in caregiving, clients themselves and other boards in the region and across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been some discussion as we were doing our planning. Certainly there is recognition on our part from our discussions that are very important to ensure that we develop the partnerships across the Northwest Territories with NGOs, with private business whenever we can. We know that service delivery, in many cases, is more efficiently delivered by the non-government organizations and by private enterprise. We are very strongly supportive of that approach.

We have not reached the stage where we can be definitive about exactly what we are doing, but that is certainly part of our discussions.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak of an individual who is no longer with us. She was a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, a teacher and a friend to the community. Mr. Speaker, her life was taken from her at a young age of 52 years. The Canadian life expectancy is somewhere in the range of 70 to 80 years.

Canada is recognized as the best country in the world to live, yet a disease such as tuberculosis still prevails in a lot of our aboriginal communities.

Mr. Speaker, people have been asking for a public inquiry. I have tabled documents in this House, petitions from my riding. There has been a Ministerial Forum on Health. A report was filed in this Legislature. Yet, Mr. Speaker, these instances continue to arrive.

Through asking questions on a public inquiry, it is not a question of putting blame on any individual. It is to find a way to improve our health care system, to make recommendations to improve our health care system so other people will not have to go through what Ms. Effie Blake had to go through for over two and a half years before finally dying from a disease that, in this day and age, is treatable and preventable.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question to the Minister of Health. What will it take for this government to launch a public inquiry into the death of Effie Blake of Fort McPherson?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member for Mackenzie Delta that as a department, we take this issue very seriously. We were very saddened by the results of Ms. Blake's illness. My office has talked with Ms. Blake's family. I have requested in writing that the coroner's office undertake an inquiry into the specific circumstances surrounding Ms. Blake's death. I have spoken with the chief coroner today, as well as having written a letter and sent it off to them. We as well are very interested in getting all the details we can to ensure that an unfortunate incident such as this one does not occur again. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Madam Minister, for that. I look forward to seeing the results of that inquiry. I for one would like to ensure that the inquiry is open to the public, so we do have input from other individuals or people who may have had a similar experience. I would like to ask the Minister, will she be tabling a terms of reference in regard to how the inquiry will be taking place and exactly what the method of that inquiry will be? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be making a statement on the overall approach I will be taking on this issue within the next day or two. I also would like to inform the Member that on September 21st, a three-member panel led by Dr. Ann Fanning of Edmonton, who is a world expert on TB control, was appointed to conduct a review and report back to us. We now have a final draft of this document. We are just waiting for the final copy of it.

When we are able to receive this final report from Dr. Fanning as well, I hope that we would be able to, when she comes here, make a briefing available to any Members who are interested in this and as well that she would have the opportunity to speak to the family, to Mr. Krutko, to any Members and really assist us in ensuring that we have the proper processes and procedures in place to ensure that we do not have this situation occur again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is in regard to keeping this process transparent and open. Will the Minister make the report that will be coming forth from the doctor, that she mentioned, public?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important to differentiate between the two reports. The report that will be coming forward from Dr. Fanning has to do with the overall subject of tuberculosis and how it is screened for and treated, and those kinds of mechanisms. What I have asked the chief coroner's office to undertake is a public inquiry into the specific details surrounding Mrs. Blake's specific case. Certainly, when we have received confirmation on that back from the chief coroner's office, my hope is that the inquiry will be public and then we will be able to receive the input of people who would have information which could contribute to this particular inquiry. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister table the recommendations of the outcome of the inquiry so that they can be hopefully put into legislation and taken into account in our health acts and legislation that governs the health care system in the North, so that we can make these changes? So that this does not happen again?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Fanning report, which is close to being completed, will be made available, as I said, to Members and hopefully a briefing by Dr. Fanning herself. As to the terms of reference for the inquiry portion specifically related to Mrs. Blake, these terms of reference will be in the hands of the chief coroner to determine. It is my hope that this would be a public process. We are talking about two different things here.

The terms of reference under which we asked Dr. Fanning to conduct this report that she has done, we can make available to the Member. Thank you

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Initially I did not have a question in this area, but my memory is now refreshed as to where we left off when we recessed our session. At this time I have a question for the chairman of the Financial Management Board with respect to the job classification system that we have in place, and how the chief of staff position falls into it, especially when we relate it to the pay and benefits.

It is on public record that the Premier stated that where it refers to deputy minister-like benefits in that area, it is still a chief of staff position. I would like to know from the chairman of FMB, does this fit into the job classification system and how does it fit in there if it does? How often do they make these kind of changes? There is a big difference in pay levels between executive assistants and deputy ministers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. I just want to remind Members to be aware that sometimes they are asking more than one question. In this, I sort of heard more than one, but I will allow the Minister to respond to whichever one he wishes to deal with. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The position of chief of staff is a new position. It is one that is has not been in the job classification system of the government over the years because it did not exist until the beginning of this government.

In terms of the benefits, including salary and so on, then it does fit pretty much in the same category as do deputy ministers. Whether or not it is actually built into the system yet, I am not certain. I would have to check on that and get back to the Member on whether or not it is there already.

Certainly at some point though the intention would be that this position would fit in the category similar to deputy ministers. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully those guidelines for deputy ministers would also be attached. Further, Mr. Speaker, with the Hay Plan job classification system and the pay equity case that is going on, which impacts that job classification system, how does this impact on that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that there is any impact at all in terms of pay equity with regard to this specific position. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to the earlier question and his response to it that he was not sure if this position has already been put into the job classification system and what needs to be done in that area, it clearly states, Mr. Speaker, in page 1624 of Hansard where the Premier states that the contract says that she is a chief of staff and that she is an executive assistant. Mr. Speaker, executive assistants are, I believe, classified in the job classification system. Is that not a fact? Thank you.