Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, that is a good and reasonable explanation. I think the reality out there is for many people in these kinds of situations when a one-time or unexpected or unanticipated situation comes along and they have cash, they are going to use it. That is the way it is out there.

Sorry, Mr. Braden. If you can cut short the preamble of your question.

Will the department give notice when large, unexpected payments may interfere with a client's lifestyle? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Braden does have a very good point, that individuals get a cheque and, through circumstance, they may spend that money and then find themselves in a situation at the end of the month where they feel that they are short of money.

As I stated, they are not really out that month any more than previously. The Member's point is, can we set up a system of notification to individuals in the event of anticipating receipt of chunks of money from other sources?

I will do my best, Mr. Speaker, to take the honourable Member's concern in that area to see if we can institute a better system. I cannot guarantee that there is a more advantageous process that we can employ. Perhaps it is being done already. However, I will undertake to look into that and see if we can improve the system, Mr. Speaker.

Just to conclude on that, Mr. Speaker, I guess that is why I went to my officials and directed them to come back to me with a report on this, so that I can enter into some discussions with them and then in turn with the Members on the other side.

Merci, Mr. Minister. Le temps pour les questionnes orales est termine. The time for question period has ended. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on June 21st, 2000, our Premier, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, addressed the House and the people of the Northwest Territories about the energetic and positive start we have made towards addressing the challenges before us.

He spoke of the new sense of enthusiasm within the Northwest Territories, about the prospects we have for a secure economic future. In February, he stated that within the Northwest Territories, he and his Cabinet colleagues recognized how the people of the Northwest Territories want to be governed and the types of institutions, partnerships, administrators and experienced workforce needed to advance the Northwest Territories' interest at the national and international level.

Mr. Speaker, it was acknowledged that considerable time was spent by all Members of this 14th Legislative Assembly in developing the vision, priorities and agenda contained in the document Towards a Better Tomorrow. He agreed that this was time well spent and in fact, this document would serve as the foundation upon which the government would build its action plan. He identified actions and specific strategies designed by Cabinet to help achieve the goals outlined in Towards a Better Tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, on January 17th, 2001, our Premier addressed the people of the Northwest Territories and laid out a plan full of wonderful initiatives that painted, by anybody's standards, a very bright future for the people of the Northwest Territories. The only thing missing, Mr. Speaker, was the money to go with the plan. Needless to say, we were all very anxious to find out where the money would be coming from.

On February 15th, Mr. Handley brought down his bold, aggressive, ambitious, and very rich budget. As I followed along, page after page, it was hard not to be supportive and, indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is hard to be negative towards a budget that addresses all of our problems with a solution and the dollars to go with it.

The budget was full of catchy phrases such as: a bright future that lies before us; tremendous economic potential for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren; self-reliant, healthy, well-educated individuals; a vibrant northern economy; a prosperous future for the Northwest Territories; match every Northerner who wants to work with a job; start our children off in life on the right foot; residents leading fulfilling and productive lives; maximizing northern employment; job opportunities for all graduates; bring our post-secondary graduates back North and put them to work; support our public servants; the Northwest Territories Literacy Strategy; Early Childhood Development Action Plan; investments in health care; housing for seniors; full control over our future is only a matter of time; the time for action is now; reconstruct and pave Highway No. 3 in three to four years; pave highways to Fort Smith and Fort Resolution; and we are investing today for a better tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, who could argue with initiatives such as these? Who would not want to be a part of such a plan, especially if we had input into it?

I am not a song composer, Mr. Speaker, but I have a good friend of mine in Hay River, Doug Henderson, who had a great plan with all these phrases and putting a song together. Maybe I will get him to put one together for Mr. Handley.

I suppose, Mr. Speaker, if we were in Alberta and Ralph Klein had been delivering that budget, we could have all formed a circle, joined hands and sang Auld Lang Syne and watch our problems go down memory lane. However, the reality is, Mr. Speaker, that we are not in Alberta and we do not have Alberta's money. The federal government is not going to pay, so somehow we are going to have to pay.

We know that to make this plan work, we must take control of and develop our resources. We need to transfer our federal resource revenues. We need devolution. We need to have all governments working together. We need to have all people, all parties understand what resource revenue sharing will look like. We need to streamline our regulatory process and our regulatory environment. We need more mines. We need a Mackenzie Delta pipeline and we need to generate and sell hydro-electricity. We need more money from Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, we know that we need all these things, we just do not know how, if and when we are going to get them. I can remember, shortly after being elected as an MLA, Mr. Speaker, sitting in our beautiful Caucus room and having Lew Voytilla before us and painting us a picture of our fiscal situation.

I can remember thinking, "This is going to be a boring four years", because there is no money. The debt wall was not hovering above us, it was right smack in our face, Mr. Speaker. I remember wondering how we were going to accomplish anything in the next four years. Well, what a difference one year makes, Mr. Speaker. Lew Voytilla and Mr. Handley have done a wonderful job in changing the picture.

Mr. Speaker, although I support all the initiatives in this budget, I think there is room for concern. In the areas of devolution and resource revenue sharing progress is slow, at best. We say that it is a must and that it is going to happen. We also say that it is a must, but if that is the case, how long can we wait?

It sounds good when we say companies have spent $650 million for Crown exploration licences, $76 million in bid bonuses for Inuvialuit subsurface lines, $60 million for exploration licenses in the central Mackenzie Valley. The 1999 production at BHP reached almost $600 million; however, we have to look at how much money came directly back to this government.

Mr. Speaker, it sounds good when we say the Mackenzie Delta region could generate $400 million in revenues. In five years, diamond mines will produce $2.2 billion worth of diamonds annually. The potential for revenues in hydro-electricity is immense and promising, but what does this all mean in view of the unknown and how these figures will be affected when the federal transfer payments are taken into consideration?

How will they be affected in partnerships with industry and local governments by resource revenue sharing? When will the feds open up the purse strings and when they do, how wide are they going to open them? How will it all affect the transfer payments and when it is all said and done, will we be better off? Can we expect enough support from the House of Commons in view of the fact that we now receive approximately $15,000 for every man, woman and child in the Northwest Territories?

Fifteen years ago, Mr. Speaker, my kids and I had a favourite song we use to sing all the time. It was a song by Kenny Rogers called the Gambler. I think maybe our Finance Minister, Mr. Handley, has fit the role of the gambler quite well. I would suspect that he is in a very high stakes game with some very good gamblers. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that when the time comes, our Finance Minister can keep his game face on and play his hand out.

Being an ex-gambler myself, I can appreciate that the game can get very intense and I will borrow a line, and I will not say who it is from, but if we are going to go, we do not want to go silently; we may as well go out with a bang.

I have to support all the initiatives in the budget, Mr. Speaker, but I think it is incumbent upon us as government Members to remember that we are here to serve the people of the Northwest Territories and that whatever we do, we must do everything we can to try to keep the cost of living down to an acceptable level for all of our residents.

So I support the budget, but I will be watching that the cost of living does not keep creeping up on our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have four documents to table. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled The Government of the Northwest Territories Comprehensive Response to Committee Report 4-14(3), March 2001. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territories Greenhouse Gas Strategy, March 2001.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Aurora Fund (1996): Financial Statements for the Year Ending June 30th, 2000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Aurora Fund II: Financial Statements for the Year Ending June 30th, 2000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Premier, I wish to table the following document entitled Victoria Anne Douglas, 1921 to 2000: A Biography. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Premier. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for the first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, this motion is put forward for the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

WHEREAS the 14th Legislative Assembly recognizes past efforts of the Government of the Northwest Territories in opposing oil and gas exploration and development in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;

AND WHEREAS the introduction of the National Resource Governance Act of 2001 and the Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy Security Act of 2001, two Bills recently introduced in the 107th Congress of the United States, will allow oil exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;

AND WHEREAS the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the most northern and among the largest refuges of the American National Wildlife Refuge System, and is home to the calving grounds of the migrating Porcupine Caribou herd;

AND WHEREAS the Porcupine Caribou are linked to the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in peoples both traditionally and culturally, and as an critical component of their subsistence;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada continues to oppose oil and gas exploration and development activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to protect and preserve the abundance and diversity of shared natural resources, including the Porcupine Caribou;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is ardently opposed to oil and gas exploration and development activity being carried out in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its Coastal Plain;

AND FURTHER, that the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, Premier of the Northwest Territories, communicate this resolution to the Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, through the office of the Minister of the Environment, be encouraged to continue to vigorously oppose any threat to the shared natural resources of northern Alaska, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. We are on Motion 19-14(3). The motion is in order. To the motion. Is the House ready for question? To the motion, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I put this motion forward today knowing of the importance of the Porcupine Caribou to not only the residents of Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories, but also the subsistence way of life of many residents of the Northwest Territories. Also realizing the importance of this species to the people who have lived here for thousands of years. We cannot afford to take a chance on a resource that has, for thousands of years, taken the migration route all the way to the coastal plain every May and June to have their calves and then migrate south during the winter to their wintering grounds in the Ogilvie and Richardson Mountain ranges, where a lot of the residents that I serve continue to maintain themselves by that food source to support them through the long winters.

I would like to make it clear that I do not see how we, as Canadians, can allow for this activity to take place in a national wildlife refuge. That is just like us opening up the door to allow exploration development to take place in our national parks in Canada.

With regard to the Aulavik National Park, which is established through the Inuvialuit agreement and the Vuntut Gwich'in National Park, which is established through the Vuntut agreement in Old Crow, they have taken the step to preserve and protect the calving grounds in Canada. Also, we have established the Tuktut Nogait Park around Paulatuk to protect the Bluenose caribou where we have set the precedent in Canada already. I would just like to make it clear to the people out there that in no way, shape or form can we allow that to happen. Those are my reasons for protecting the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. To the motion. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I supported Mr. Krutko as the seconder on this motion for a couple of reasons. One is the cultural linkage to the caribou of the area and their calving grounds.

Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that my support for this motion refers to the calving ground of the Porcupine Caribou herd. In no way, as I see it, is it infringing on the rights and the abilities of the Inuvialuit and the Inupiat of the Mackenzie Delta and of the Alaskan far north.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I think we have to be clear that we are here to continue the efforts, as has been done in the past. I believe Cabinet is on that path to ensure that the calving grounds remain protected and it is in the interests of all the northern peoples. Again, Mr. Speaker, just to be clear and on record so my Cabinet colleagues can understand where I am coming from, as well as residents of the Mackenzie Delta, we are here to ensure that ongoing activities are being done and sought out through the Inuvialuit and Inupiat as it is their business. As we proceed, as I see it, I support them in their initiatives to develop their resources.

I know that already through, for example, the Inuvialuit, the hunters and trappers committees and the Inuvialuit game council, they work to protect the species of the area. They work in conjunction to protect their areas. I see that as important and vital work that is ongoing in partnership with their development plans, Mr. Speaker.

With that, again for the record, I would like to state that as we put this motion forward, my support for this is for the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd and in no way is meant to impact or infringe on the rights of the Inuvialuit and Inupiat. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. To the motion. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the motion is offering direction to the Premier, the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi, to communicate the resolution, and as such, Cabinet will be abstaining from the vote. Thank you.

Thank you. To the motion. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.