Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. Please be seated. Mr. McLeod, on behalf of the Members of the Legislative Assembly, I would like to extend our condolences on the passing of your father. Our best wishes to the family are extended as well. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would to address concerns raised by some Members of this Assembly about the proposal to return administration of the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program to the federal government. I appreciate that Members are very concerned about the impact of any change in program delivery on the quality of health care services provided to their constituents.

The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program is a national program funded by Health Canada, which provides specific benefits for status Indians and Inuit. Health Canada determines the type and extent of benefits that will be covered. Benefits under this program include specific drugs, dental work, various equipment and supplies required for medical treatment, vision care, eyeglasses, and co-payments for medical travel.

When the responsibility for health was transferred from Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories, our government agreed to administer this program for the federal government. We provide the services directly to status Indian and Inuit residents and recover the costs from Canada through monthly billings.

This arrangement worked for several years. However, over the past few years, our government has been losing money. Health Canada has been disallowing a number of our claims. In other words, we pay the full costs up front, but when we send the invoice to Canada, they do not always reimburse us for the full amount. This is due to a number of reasons, including changes to the national NIHB policy by Health Canada and differing interpretations of the terms of the agreement.

In addition, our agreement with Health Canada has not provided sufficient funding to cover the administrative burden of delivering this program.

We estimate that our government loses about $1 million each fiscal year through a combination of disallowances and unfunded administrative costs. The department has attempted to resolve these issues through discussions with Health Canada. However, no resolution was reached and we have become increasingly frustrated with the time and resources spent trying to recover our expenditures under the program. For this reason, Cabinet and the Financial Management Board directed that the Department of Health and Social Services should not renew our agreement to administer this program for Health Canada. The department's main estimates have been reduced by $5.5 million to reflect this decision.

Mr. Speaker, let me be absolutely clear about one thing. We are not "giving this program" back to Canada. Authority for the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program was never transferred to this government. All we are proposing to do is to get out of a contractual administrative arrangement that has resulted in our government subsidizing a federal program to the tune of $1 million per year.

Health Canada was advised in October 2000 that our government would cease to administer the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program unless satisfactory arrangements could be made to ensure that our government would not be footing Health Canada's bills. Since then, the two departments have been working closely together to try to resolve the outstanding issues.

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend I received an update from my staff on their most recent discussions with Health Canada. I am pleased to report that Health Canada has agreed to compensate us for $800,000 of disputed billings, and is currently reviewing a further $700,000 worth.

Health Canada has also agreed to consider providing the Government of the Northwest Territories with additional administrative funding. We are still negotiating the details of such an arrangement. However, let me be clear -- we want full compensation for the costs of administering this program.

If we are able to reach a satisfactory arrangement, I will be recommending to Cabinet and the Financial Management Board that we enter into a vote 4-5 arrangement to deliver the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program for one additional year. During this period, we would monitor program administration very closely to ensure that the terms of the agreement and the funding received are sufficient to cover the full cost of administering the program.

Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful of a successful resolution of our discussions with Health Canada, and I will continue to keep Members apprised of our progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Groenewegen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is Heritage Day in the Northwest Territories and across Canada. Each year, the Heritage Canada Foundation encourages Canadians everywhere to set aside the third Monday in February to celebrate our heritage. The theme this year is Travel Through Time: The Heritage of Transportation.

Transportation has played a significant role in shaping society in the Northwest Territories. Long before Europeans arrived, aboriginal people developed the knowledge and the technology to travel across vast and rugged landscapes. This made life easier and ensured survival in a harsh environment.

The original aboriginal methods of transport -- the dog team, the kayak and the canoe -- were adopted by European explorers, traders, missionaries and police who came to this land. Later, paddle wheelers, cat trains and bush planes helped to make the North more accessible. Today we have an extensive network of all-season and ice roads. Most of our communities have airports. Many northern communities are supplied by barge or sealift.

Mr. Speaker, we in the Northwest Territories welcome the benefits that the evolution of transportation has provided over the years. Our communities are much less isolated than they once were. Technological advances in the transportation industry have opened up many areas to mineral exploration and development. Transportation will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping our future.

Special events have been planned throughout the week to remind us of the importance of our transportation heritage. Earlier today, the City of Yellowknife Heritage Committee presented their annual heritage award to the Yellowknife Seniors' Society Book Committee for their recently published book Yellowknife Tales: Sixty Years of Stories from Yellowknife. The city has also planned a series of other activities that will take place over the course of this week.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Transportation are jointly hosting a public event on Thursday, February 22, at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre about the making of ice roads. I am sure that my colleague, the Honourable Vince Steen, Minister of Transportation, joins me in encouraging everyone to attend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on February 9th, 2001, a very special event was held in the Great Hall of our Legislative Assembly. For the very first time, our government publicly recognized and honoured physicians who have served the people of the Northwest Territories for five years or longer.

The first annual physician long-service awards were presented to the following 12 physicians with five years of service:

• • Dr. Angela Carruthers
• • Dr. David Cook
• • Dr. Andre Corriveau
• • Dr. Malcolm Goff
• • Dr. Michael Haskins
• • Dr. David King
• • Dr. Marie-Claude Labeau
• • Dr. Eileen Peters
• • Dr. Roger Purnell
• • Dr. John Shillington
• • Dr. David Unger

Nine physicians received awards for ten years of service:

• • Dr. David Butcher
• • Dr. James Corkal
• • Dr. Abraham de Klerk
• • Dr. Ian Gilchrist
• • Dr. John Giovanetto
• • Dr. Theresa Hansen
• • Dr. John Morse
• • Dr. Suzanne Perkins
• • Dr. David Wong

Three physicians received awards for 15 years of service:

• • Dr. Nicole Chatel
• • Dr. Nancy Fraser
• • Dr. Leonard Smith

Three physicians received awards for 20 years of service:

• • Dr. Rita Dahlke
• • Dr. Pierre Lessard
• • Dr. Margaret-Anne Woodside

There were also three physicians recognized for 25 years of service:

• • Dr. Perry Caplan
• • Dr. Peter Kallos
• • Dr. Ross Wheeler

Finally, there are two physicians, Dr. George Gibson and Dr. Earle Covert, who have each given the Northwest Territories 30 years of service.

Mr. Speaker, together these 32 physicians have provided over 390 years of medical services to the people of the Northwest Territories. People in small communities will recognize many of these names as these are the same doctors who have been providing visiting physician services for many years and who attend to medevac patients upon arrival in regional centres. Yellowknife doctors provide inpatient and emergency services at Stanton Regional Hospital, which serves all residents of the Northwest Territories. A stable physician work force results in better, more reliable hospital services for all patients from across the Northwest Territories. Although we still struggle to recruit and retain physicians, it is important to pause to recognize and thank this solid core of over thirty dedicated doctors who have chosen to establish their home and their careers amongst us. They are our neighbours and friends and valued members of our communities.

The Physician Long Service Awards Ceremony also recognized the important contribution made by physicians' families. The patience and support of the physicians' spouse and children is essential to be able to make the personal sacrifices that are required when doctors are on call after long days in clinic, or when they agree to provide much-needed visiting physician services to outlying communities. To the families of physicians, we also extend our thanks.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to highlight another first: the announcement of two medical school bursaries, named in honour of two long-serving Northwest Territories physicians, Dr. George Gibson and Dr. Earle Covert.

It was a great honour for me to present the Dr. George Gibson Medical Bursary to Mr. Michael Parkins, who is currently enrolled in first-year medicine at the University of Calgary. A graduate of Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, Mr. Parkins has already had an outstanding academic career. He achieved his Masters of Science degree on full scholarship. The medical school bursary awarded to Mr. Parkins has a value of $75,000, which covers four years of medical school and two years of internship. On completion of his medical studies, Mr. Parkins will provide four years of service to the Northwest Territories in return for his bursary assistance. It was especially appropriate that Mr. Parkins would receive the Dr. George Gibson bursary, since Michael was delivered by Dr. Gibson at the old Stanton Hospital.

A second medical bursary, named after Dr. Earle Covert of Hay River, has also been established and will be awarded next year.

We were also honoured to have the president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Peter Barrett, and the acting executive director of the CMA, Ms. Barbara Drew, attend the Long Service Awards. Ms. Sylvia Stard, president-elect of the Northwest Territories Registered Nurses Association, also congratulated the recipients and reiterated the strong commitment of the NWTRNA to continued close collaboration between the two professions.

Mr. Speaker, we have come a long way in stabilizing our complement of physicians from just a year ago. We still have a ways to go in ensuring that the entire Northwest Territories has the same access to physician services. The well-being of all residents depends on good medical services and good teamwork between all health and social services professionals. In the meantime, I believe that it is vitally important to recognize, honour and thank our hard-working, dedicated physicians and I know that all Members join me in saying to Northwest Territories doctors, on behalf of all our constituents -- thank you for your service and commitment. We appreciate your professionalism and your dedication. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Madam Minister. Yes, indeed, congratulations do go to the recipients of those awards. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has proclaimed today Heritage Day and provided an opportunity for us to reflect on the transportation heritage. In this light, I would like to acknowledge the contribution and the life of a northern pioneer of vision and action, John Denison, and those who worked with him.

John Denison passed away January 6th in Kelowna at the age of 84. While his passing marks the end of an era, his life and spirit of adventure and perseverance opened up tremendous opportunities and roads to resources. He proved that freight could be hauled long distances over ice roads with wheeled vehicles. John Denison helped engineer ice road construction when he began building an ice road to the Great Bear Lake silver mine in the late 1950s. The road was appropriately named Denison's Ice Road and was immortalized in a book by the same name written by noted American author Edith Iglauer. Working with Byer's Transport, the early pioneer of ice road construction, Denison and his crew -- including my father for a short time, Mr. Speaker -- endured bitter cold and darkness in construction of a 500-kilometre road from Yellowknife to Great Bear Lake.

Denison first moved to Yellowknife in 1946 as a member of the RCMP, and he served several years here before moving to Edmonton where he married his wife Hannah. He returned to the North for the winter road construction season and worked on roads to Bear Lake and Tundra and Discovery.

Also key in early ice road construction and development were Dick Robinson and Hughey Arden. Renowned for his knowledge of the countryside, Arden pioneered routes north through Great Bear as he scouted the way forward in the Bombardiers. Dick Robinson, also a major developer in the construction of ice roads and the move from cat trains to wheeled vehicles, his company, RTL Limited, has been a major player in the moving of goods and the development of northern transportation.

These pioneers, Mr. Speaker, were gamblers who knew when to take a chance. As it is today, ice is always the big factor and those involved had to work closely together with trucks, equipment and communications. In those days, they were not what they are today.

Without pioneers of this type and their contributions, we might not be enjoying the benefits of our current development. I wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of pioneer John Denison and other pioneers in our unique northern transportation system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a critical issue in a lot of our small communities. There is a high increase in prices in everything from power to land taxes to gasoline. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we are going to be reviewing the 2001 budget shortly. There are areas we have to take into account the cost of living that is associated with accumulated tax increases, increase in fees and different programs like driver's licences.

The big problem in a lot of our small communities is adjusting to our landed price increases in a lot of the small non-tax-based communities. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we have a budget in front of us where we have come out with new initiatives, new ways of doing things, but in the communities I cannot really say how that will affect to improve the conditions a lot of our communities are finding themselves in, with the increased power rates and the fuel adjustment rate rider that is in place now where people's power rates have increased drastically.

For some communities, they are paying over $1.00 a litre for gas. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we continue to see these increases but we do not feel the impacts until you get right down living in these communities where you own your own home. You try to heat and pay for the power to maintain these units in isolated communities and continue to see these increases.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate that we seriously consider people in the small isolated communities when we review the budgets and business plans in front of us, knowing that there has been impacts on communities, especially in areas related to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and the fuel adjustment rate rider. There has to be a review to see exactly what can be done to offset the cost of these small communities who are off highways, who are not going to see the benefit in regard to the Highway Strategy, who may not feel the benefit of where the economics are coming from in regard to oil and gas, diamonds, where it seems to serve a lot of the larger centres. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like unanimous consent to conclude.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we take into account those communities who do not have an economic base. We have to find ways to assist them through the troubled times, especially the community that I represent, Aklavik, who lost their fur shop, which is the main employer in the community. I for one feel we have to do more for those communities who do not have economic benefits sitting on their doorsteps like most other jurisdictions. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, mining is a vital component to the northern economy. In December, the Fraser Institute released its annual survey on mining investment opportunities around the world. Overall, the Northwest Territories ranked 14th out of 35 jurisdictions. At first glance, it would appear that the Northwest Territories offers an attractive investment opportunity for mining companies. While looking at the survey's individual components, we see a slightly different story.

In terms of geology and mineral potential, the Northwest Territories ranks a strong 11th. On the policy side of things, however, out of 35 regions we ranked 29th. This ranking should cause us great concern. Companies are increasingly basing their investment decisions on a region's policy climate. The main concern that mining companies have with the Northwest Territories is about the regulatory process and whether it is streamlined enough to accomplish what they need to do in a reasonable period of time.

Mr. Speaker, this may also be a major factor in determining whether a pipeline is built in the Mackenzie Valley. While maintaining strict environmental standards, Mr. Speaker, we must work towards streamlining the regulatory process. I am pleased by the commitments that have been made to date to work towards this.

As I have stated previously in this House, our government must continue to pressure the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to provide adequate funding for the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board. I do not believe, Mr. Speaker, that this board can efficiently review the large number of potential projects without increased financial support from the federal government.

We also, Mr. Speaker, need to insist that DIAND develop guidelines to streamline the regulatory process and to make it clear to all parties how the process works. Companies are ready to make significant capital investments in the Northwest Territories but they need a clear picture as to how long it will take to open a new mine or build a pipeline. We have attractive mining and oil and gas opportunities in the Northwest Territories. In order to see them develop though, we need to clear up the uncertainty in the regulatory process and then let the world know that we are open for business.

Mr. Speaker, as we have often heard the Minister of Finance say, we have the potential to become a "have" territory. Mr. Speaker, we must not sit on our hands. We must move to realize that potential. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Déclarations de députés. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise an issue that has been brought to me by a constituent of mine. The issue in part, Mr. Speaker, is the recent recruitment drive conducted jointly by the Department of Education, the Northwest Territories' five divisional education councils and two Yellowknife education authorities.

Mr. Speaker, while I agree that recruitment and retention of teachers is critical to the well-being of our children, the method used currently to attract teachers may not be all that it can be. Mr. Speaker, it has been brought to my attention that we have qualified teachers currently working as special needs assistants in the school systems in the North. It is my understanding that when teachers' jobs become available, these qualified individuals are not even granted an interview. Mr. Speaker, special needs assistants, or SNAs, as they are referred to, are part of the Union of Northern Workers and not the teachers' union, even though some of them hold teaching designations.

Mr. Speaker, I have some concerns about the recruitment drive across Canada at untold expense to the taxpayer when we have qualified teachers right in our backyard. If we were to hire these individuals, who in many cases are long-term Northerners, we would not have the concerns such as housing and moving costs. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the Department of Education conduct a survey of all staff throughout the Northwest Territories school system that would indicate qualifications, because it appears that some people are being overlooked.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the department undertake a local recruitment drive encompassing the communities of Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik and surrounding communities. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will have further questions for the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to comment today on our progress on resource revenue sharing. Specifically, I guess after reading an article today, actually an opinion piece in the local media about how it appears we have fallen back from our position of pressuring the federal government for a resource revenue sharing deal to raising taxes, umpteen initiatives, raising tolls. It seems to me we have taken an approach of trying to get back royalties from mining companies and other industry simply because we have fallen down at this level, at the political level, in being able to get any kind of reasonable deal.

I think constituents of all of ours are asking themselves the question, should we really be punishing residents of the Northwest Territories because we in this House and in conjunction with other aboriginal governments have failed to this date to make any real progress on resource revenue sharing with the federal government? I do not think so, Mr. Speaker.

Others may be asking what is the urgency? I think it has to be clear: there will be no retroactivity. Once the diamonds and gas are gone, they are gone, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Nitah mentioned last week that maybe we have to look at doing something outrageous. We have to find a solution and I would agree. I think in the meantime, there are some things that our government might look at doing. Maybe we need more publicity around the actual dollar amounts of money that are involved, that are flying right over our heads into federal coffers, Mr. Speaker. That certainly might get direction moving.

We have discussed in the past a trust account where these funds might accrue until we can get a deal worked out. It is true that we do not have a deal now but, Mr. Speaker, I think that would light a fire, so to speak, if we could actually see what kind of money we are talking about and how this money is quickly adding up.

So Mr. Speaker, I think it is clear we need a new approach to resource revenue sharing. We have to take a new approach to Ottawa and I am looking forward to hearing what this government is proposing to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.