Thank you, Mr. Roland. Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today I had an opportunity to address a dedicated, focused and energetic group of educators, the principals of the schools of the Northwest Territories.

They will be here in Yellowknife over the next several days in order to advance their knowledge in effective leadership practices during our annual principals' conference. This is the only conference of its kind in Canada where all principals working in one province or territory travel to come together to learn, network and improve their skills. This year's conference theme is "Gaining Momentum: Increasing Student Success".

And increasing student success is just what these professionals do best. It is the principal who is the pivotal role in implementing new programs in schools. They have the responsibility to take the initiatives outlined by the department and educational boards and turn them into reality within the individual schools. The onus is on them to ensure that "it happens".

In the Northwest Territories principals are also educators and community leaders. They have multi-faceted roles: teacher, coach, counsellor, caregiver and career advisor to name a few. We know this can be a challenge. Our educators play a pivotal role in the formation of our youth. In many cases these are the people who will work with our students and their families as they make the critical choices to prepare their child for a productive future.

Now more than ever, the future holds tremendous promise for our young people here in the Northwest Territories. Our educators are working now with the future leaders of tomorrow.

Please join me as I welcome these committed leaders to Yellowknife. By attending this conference they are demonstrating their commitment to lifelong learning. We look forward to the new ideas and knowledge that they will bring back to share in their home communities. Through building knowledge we will build a better tomorrow for our NWT students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to raise the issue of access to information. We are now in an age where information and access to information is a key to success in education, work place, business and politics. I am very concerned that in our smaller communities we are without relevant access to timely information, which could be the difference between life and death, the difference between acquiring or missing a business opportunity, the difference in being adequately prepared for post-secondary education or not.

Mr. Speaker, at one time this government had a field service clerk program which through a small office in the communities was a conduit with which all types of information was passed and retrieved. The amount of information that passes through this government in itself is enormous, which is why we require staff to digest it and condense it into a form that is meaningful to us. Put yourself in the place of an individual in the community that has limited access to information and when they do receive the information from this government, or anyone else for that matter, what does it mean to them?

It has only been in the last few years that telephone service has been readily available in the smaller communities. The cost of developing such infrastructure is great, thereby eliminating access to the Internet unless people are willing to pay a higher cost than their neighbours in a community such as Yellowknife and Hay River. Residents in my constituency are aware of the business and economic opportunities knocking on their door. However, to capture these and prepare for these opportunities, access to information is vital.

I would encourage this government to assess the information requirements of the smaller communities such as those in my riding to determine what it is that would make access to information easier. A start would be to identify and hire a person in the communities who is proactive, who can work with the seniors and the youth, who knows the communities and knows how to access government departments and move as a conduit for those seeking information.

Mr. Speaker, this may seem trivial to some of the Members sitting here today and may seem trivial to those persons who now enjoy timely access to information, but for those people with limited or no access it is important for their future and for the future of their children that this is something this government should reflect on and take action on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be talking about a new society that was formed recently, the NWT Mining Heritage Society. Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife was built on mining. Many people came here, lived here and raised families here because of what lies within our rocky landscape. The great gold mines, Giant and Con, are evidence of that.

Today, especially with the diamond mines, this industry is still an engine that drives our city and the Territories' economy, which is why I am so pleased that on September 25th a formal board of directors was voted in at the first annual general meeting of the NWT Mining Heritage Society. Mr. Speaker, the group had been operating on an ad hoc basis for the last two years and came about partly when Giant Mine was being shut down. At that time a group of interested citizens got together to go to the mine and salvage mining equipment there before it was destroyed. They have stuck with it and from that effort a society has been formed.

The membership of the board includes Walt Humphries, who is the president; Mike Vaydik, vice president; Wayne Bryant, secretary-treasurer; Chuck Arnold, Diane Baldwin, Mike Beauregard, Mike Byrne, Dennis Olmstead and Yana Preston are the directors.

Mr. Speaker, I believe they have taken on a very important job. The society's mandate is to preserve mining heritage in the NWT and promote the development of facilities, sites and exhibits that will further the understanding and appreciation of mining, mineral exploration and geology industries in the NWT, all the while contributing to the tourism and economic potential of the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, although some of them are very well known, they all have diverse backgrounds and share an interest in seeing northern history preserved. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the society's major plan is to develop a mining museum in Yellowknife, an idea that I believe is long overdue. I understand that many tourists come up here and they are disappointed to find that there is no mining or geological museum or a heritage centre.

I want the people of the NWT to know that the society is up and running and they have a web page www.nwtminingheritage.com. I encourage NWT residents to log on to the web site if they have a chance and see what the society is up to. I will be doing it, and I wish them success in all their efforts and look forward to seeing...

Ms. Lee. your time for Member's statement has ended. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement please.

You certainly may. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to continue with her Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Ms. Lee, you may continue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to simply conclude that I want to wish them well and I want to do all I can to help with the society and enjoy their success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I rose to make mention of the elections in Inuvik and mentioned those who were successful in the elections for Inuvik Town Council as well as the Inuvik District Education Authority. However, I did not mention the fact that the mayor, Mr. Peter Clarkson, was acclaimed to the position of mayor and will be serving his second term as mayor. It is rare in a community that has a lot of political interest that you would see someone get acclaimed to a position, so I think that speaks highly of Mayor Clarkson and his abilities and wish him much success in leading our community honourably. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the $50 million country club that is being built where you can go for real top of the line of services with regard to programs and services, compared to what the rest of the Northwest Territories residents receive.

Mr. Speaker, what I am really talking about is the $50 million fiasco that we find ourselves in with regard to the North Slave correction facility. Where this facility was projected to cost $35 million, as of December last year the estimate was $40 million and now we find in August, after cancellation of the BIP process, that a tender was received in which this government, on August 6th, approved a $8.4 million budget increase, taking this mega-project to $50 million.

Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to stand here and tell my constituents, sorry we do not have any money, we cannot deliver programs and services and we cannot help you with regard to the social problems we face in our communities. Yet, Mr. Speaker, knowing the financial restraints we are under as a government, we can find room to approve $8.4 million knowing that we have a major deficit that we have to face and deal with.

Mr. Speaker, I for one feel that we should either submit that the Auditor General to do a thorough review of how this project has been handled and exactly are these expenditures for dollar for value based on the amount that has been spent and the size of this facility and the programs and services that can be accessed elsewhere? At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Justice questions on this matter.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, 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 the issue of Highway No. 2 in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, just to refresh everyone's memory, Highway No. 2 is a stretch of highway from the bridge in Hay River all the way north to West Channel in my constituency.

Mr. Speaker, I have continued to raise the issue of the condition of Highway No. 2 in this Assembly basically since I got elected. I am sure I have become the nemesis of the department and the Minister of Transportation, but here I go again.

I have continued to raise the issue of Highway No. 2 in this House, Mr. Speaker, because I have not seen any form of progress with it, as it is badly in need of repair. It has been as long as I can remember.

Mr. Speaker, I read with interest a document from the Department of Transportation entitled "Historical Highway Maintenance and Upgrading Expenditures for the Years 1999-2001." Upon reviewing this document, Mr. Speaker, I learned that Highway No. 2 has had the least amount of money spent on it in each year from 1998 to 2001. Highways No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 have all had more money spent on them every year. This does not add up, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 2 is a very busy highway, but it had the least amount of money spent by the Department of Transportation. That is very disturbing to me. As I stated in the House previously, Mr. Speaker, it appears to me that there are other road projects that were not even on the radar screen when I started bringing up Highway No. 2, and these other projects have had money allocated, and in some instances, had the work done already.

Mr. Speaker, in June of this year, the Minister of Transportation, when I questioned him about the lack of any work being done on Highway No. 2 stated in this House, and I quote: "I realize the condition it is in. I will certainly ask the department to have a look at what we may do in the short term for this summer, but there are major problems with that road and its tendency to settle."

Mr. Speaker, the Minister is in agreement with me that there are major problems with this highway, but here I am again asking for the Department of Transportation to start spending some serious money on it.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, ever since I have been making inquiries about Highway No. 2, I have been told by the Minister to wait until the Department of Transportation creates an engineering study on the highway.

Mr. Speaker, I received a commitment from the Minister in this House in June of this year that the engineering study on Highway No. 2 will be completed this fall.

Mr. Delorey, the time for your Member's statement is up. Mr. Delorey.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you, colleagues. As we can see, Mr. Speaker, fall is here. So I eagerly await the Minister's comments on the study when I get an opportunity during oral questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wanted to speak to seniors' needs across the entire Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker. I think it is certainly an issue that we are aware of, but I think as a government, we tend to pay more lip service to seniors' programs and seniors' needs than initiating real action. We know that our population is aging, Mr. Speaker. We know that we don't have enough housing for seniors. There is one specific group in Yellowknife, the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors, who have recently been continually lobbying this government and making the case for a specific dementia facility here in Yellowknife. I think in discussing this with some of my other colleagues, there certainly seems to be a need right across the Northwest Territories to look at specific dementia facilities.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, currently Aven's Manor cannot meet the demands of seniors in our community and it has not been set up with the specialized, I guess, training and the specialized facilities required to safely house seniors with dementia. This is certainly something that they have been...the message that they have been driving home to the Department of Health continually. I know they have had a number of meetings with our government, and I think we have to make sure that this request and this urgency does not fall off the table as we seem to be overtaken by other events in the healthcare field. This is every bit, Mr. Speaker, as important. We certainly need to increase the number of beds for dementia care right across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I am hoping that the Minister will give us some assurance and certainly do something, but give some assurance that this is not falling off the radar. He still intends to deal with this and try to meet the needs of seniors, because I think oftentimes, Mr. Speaker, this is a segment of our population that we don't pay enough attention to and certainly don't do enough for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today, as one of far-reaching and long-term effects about citizens in the Northwest Territories, it is about the environment. I would like to refer to the report released earlier this week, Mr. Speaker, by the federal commissioner of the environment and sustainable development. The 2002 report further confirms that a mere two kilometres from where we are meeting here in this Assembly sits one of Canada's worst mining legacies, and those are the underground vaults and the 237,000 tons of arsenic trioxide underneath the Giant Mine property.

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report on the environment has some good advice for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs about the ten abandoned mine sites that it claims are high priority contaminated sites in the Northwest Territories. The Auditor General warns that the current levels of care for water contamination and protection of human health are mere band-aids and do nothing to give long-term solutions. The report calls for stable funding and long-term plans, and I agree.

Let's talk about a couple of the sites that are close, including the Colomac site. This is an urgent problem, says the report, as a potential dam failure on the tailings area could be catastrophic. Giant Mine, as we know, is one of Canada's most infamous contaminated sites. In addition to the toxic underground situation, there is a lot of surface clean-up required, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps the most significant conclusion of the report in relation to Giant, and I quote: "Regardless of the method used to store or move the underground arsenic, water that leaves the underground area will likely require treatment forever."

Mr. Speaker, in seeking to take something positive from the Northwest Territories in the recent Throne Speech in which the federal government was made to accelerate the clean up of federal contaminated sites in Canada. With Giant and Colomac we have two of the most toxic sites for which the federal government has responsibility.

I have recently written to the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, our MP, and I look forward to hearing about real money, real money, Mr. Speaker, to address these critical environmental issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to mention a happy event in my constituency which I had the pleasure of attending two weeks ago. The occasion was the presentation of $25,000 from the Royal Bank to the Junior SideDoor Program. The presentation was made by Yellowknife Royal Bank manager, Doug Nelson.

Mr. Speaker, the Junior SideDoor Program at the SideDoor Youth Centre is an everyday school program that provides between 45 and 50 Yellowknife students ages 7 to 14 with a safe place to go after school where they can relax, use the computers, work on their homework and gain life skills.

The overall intent of the program is to keep children in school. The $25,000 from the Royal Bank is a very important part of the funding which allows the SideDoor to provide this service to our young people. This is the third year that the Royal Bank has funded this Junior Side Door through its after school grants program.

In all, the bank has now provided the Junior SideDoor Program with over $100,000. Al Reid is the coordinator of the Junior SideDoor and his assistant is Twilla Bulieau Bachon, a grade 10 student from Sir John Franklin High School. Al says the centre would like to provide more structured programs and provide more help with homework to the youth who come to the centre for two or three hours after school each day.

However, in order to do this, they need volunteers to help because they do not have a sufficient staff. In fact, the SideDoor needs volunteers in all parts of its programming, Mr. Speaker, and I urge anyone who has an interest in our young people to consider contacting the SideDoor to see how they could help out and to contact director Kevin Laframboise.

The Royal Bank's financial support to the Junior SideDoor Program is very much appreciated, Mr. Speaker, and the staff of the SideDoor are certainly to be commended for their great work. It is a great contribution that is being made by one of our businesses towards one of our very important social contribution areas in our community, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the new executive of the Native Women's Association of the Northwest Territories. First of all, the new president, Gina Dolphus from Deline.

-- Applause

The new vice-president, Noeline Villebrun from Fort Resolution.

-- Applause

The new treasurer, Annie Goose from Holman.

-- Applause

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly and congratulations on your appointment. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize someone who is in the education field and has worked for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for many, many years. He retired recently and became the executive director of the Francophone school division here in Yellowknife for a period of time and he is a constituent of mine, Mr. Chuck Tolley.

Thank you. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to recognize Annie Goose from Holman, the secretary-treasurer of the Native Women's Association. I welcome her to the gallery.

-- Applause

Thank you. item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi. item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. It is in the area of patient care and trying to get information. I have been contacted about a situation that comes out of the Mackenzie Delta, so to speak, but has been brought to my attention by the grandmother of a child. The grandmother lives in Inuvik and has some concerns.

Her grandson was sent out for medical attention and the doctor suggested that the parents remain close to the facility. They were told to be within five minutes of a facility that could provide services for this child. The family then was not sure what was to happen and sat in limbo for quite some time.

I have been contacted and told that they have been told now that there are a lot of services that are not going to be provided by this government so the family has basically moved back to their home and is well beyond five minutes. It is a plane ride down to Yellowknife, that is the situation.

What happens in a situation when the doctor issues a recommended course, what kicks into place once that doctor issues prescribed treatment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a question that does not have a clear answer as I think the Member's preamble indicated. I am not familiar with the circumstances that the Member discussed but I would be very interested to get the particulars from him and look at what can be done.

I can tell the Member that I have had occasion to deal with this issue on a number of other cases and it is one where each case must be reviewed on its own merit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated that each case would be looked at on its own merit, so if the Minister has the particulars of this situation brought to him, will he look at it with his department?

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my previous answer I would be very interested in sitting down with the Member to get the particular so we can pay the proper attention to this issue and see what can be done in terms of the doctor's order and the circumstances that have fallen from that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. This is the area of gun control, I suspect? Thank you. The honourable Minister responsible for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I indicated that most of the smaller communities have limited access to information and services. We heard Mr. Lafferty and I spoke to the same issue about registering guns. We have difficulty in our smaller communities. We do not have the court workers. We do not have a lot of the different functions that are mostly, in my case, located in Fort Simpson or in Hay River or in Ottawa or in Yellowknife.

If you want to register guns, just to get the application form is a difficulty. We do not have a phone or Internet service. The seniors have always indicated they have problems with their old-age security applications. There is nobody in the communities to help them, or to even access a court worker or a legal aid service. You have to try to find some way for them to place a call in a lot of cases. It is using our phones as MLAs to contact public trustees, or even in the case of me being situated in Yellowknife during session, a lot of my constituents have a hard time faxing me because there are no fax machines readily available.

I would like to ask the Premier if he would consider assessing those communities with limited or costly access to information or services to determine what could be done to assist them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand the legislation, it creates quite a cumbersome process from what existed previously. You need to become quite knowledgeable with firearms and be able to fill out an extensive form, provide some very detailed information, take a test, before you can get a firearms license, and then also proceed to register every firearm that you have, and make sure that we have these available whenever and wherever you go with these.

The cost of implementing that is far beyond what the federal government had originally estimated, and so they have relinquished the field to no one. They simply have withdrawn and fled their responsibilities. The difficulty, as sympathetic as we are to the plight in the communities, is does this Legislature want us to expend money to take over a responsibility that is not our responsibility? If so, to what extent do you want that done? If there is a discussion that needs to be undertaken here, then we are prepared to have that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what question the Premier is responding to. It may be a question I asked several days ago. My question was if he would assess the communities on how they could, especially the ones with limited or costly access to information services, how we could improve that. I was not asking a question specifically on the gun law. I was asking about how we could assist them with asking about how we could assist them in accessing court workers, trustees, legal aid, even their MLAs, and all these different positions would have a position or a mechanism. That was my question, not on gun control.

Mr. McLeod, yes, I have no control over how the Minister answers, but could you just re-ask the question in a little more concise manner, of the Minister? Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot ask the question without repeating my preamble.

-- Laughter

To form the question, Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I indicated smaller communities have limited access to information and services. We have difficulties accessing legal aid or court workers or medical assistance. I did mention firearms offices in the south.

My question was to the Premier, if he would be willing to assess those communities that have limited or no access, or costly access, to information and services and see what could be done to assist them.

Thank you for your clarification. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My apologies for not hearing that question. The government is obliged to look at suggestions made by this Legislature. If there are communities out there, I certainly have them in my constituency as well, that have difficulty accessing information to know what is available in terms of programs and support for the many needs that they have, as well as just broad information about a range of services and programs available resources of this government, then yes, we will be prepared to look at how we can be organized to respond adequately to that need.

I recognize and it is a need specifically in small communities where there are very few government employees, limited resources and no central coordination at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to see and hear that the Premier has recognized that there is a problem there, as he very well knows as he represents the smaller communities also. I also would like to ask if he is willing to assess the communities? Would he be willing to look at the concept we had formerly where we had field service officers in each community? Would that be part of his consideration? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government, the previous Legislature had to undergo some massive reductions in services and make some drastic cuts in the organization and the employees that were available to serve people in the communities. One of the positions that was done away with is the executive field officers and regional directors.

We are prepared to look at how we can reintroduce these in some capacity. We have offered to do that with existing resources in the Beaufort Delta because of the pending self-government agreement that would compel us to provide some coordination function to see that initiative supported. We are prepared to do that in the Beaufort Delta, we are prepared to argue and try to advance those in the upcoming budget exercise and see how far we get with that.

It is currently something we have considered. There are limited resources, but we believe there would be a demand in the Deh Cho, there would be a demand in the Sahtu, there would be a demand in the Tlicho area, the North Slave and we are prepared to give that serious consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to direct my questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services and pursue the statement that I made yesterday about a long-term aboriginal northern nurse who had to turn down a permanent job after working casual for many, many years because she could not find affordable housing for her and her four kids and her husband in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that I got a call from the Minister's office this morning asking for her phone number, so I am assuming that his staff has talked to them. What I do know is that she will not be offered anything close to housing that would make it possible for her to accept this employment.

Mr. Speaker, that is really the big issue. If the government cannot offer a housing policy we have to remunerate them enough so they can afford to live here. I would like to ask the Minister, what is he doing about making it possible for these people who are from here to take the jobs in Yellowknife so they can work at the hospital? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of finalizing the recruitment and retention options paper to take to Cabinet now that we have had a chance to review it with the committee and we have sat down with the union, and we are going to sit down with the nurses as well.

We have some options in there that we believe will help offset some of the costs, maybe not directly to the housing but will add some incentives in terms of remissibility, in terms of staff training, service agreements. It would help people to pay off their student loans and student debt.

I recognize the issue that my colleague has raised. We are also in a very preliminary stage of looking at some options specific to Yellowknife for housing that we hope will bear some fruit at least as they deal with new nurses on a short-term basis to find housing while they find more permanent housing.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister give any better indication as to when we might expect to have this finalized and made public? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope to have it in to Cabinet staff and FMB staff for analysis and through Cabinet before the end of next week. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, can I get a clarification from the Minister that he understands that our benefits are not competitive and that he acknowledges that we have to do something more to retain and recruit health care professionals in Yellowknife? is this paper based on that assumption? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very clearly across the North, including Yellowknife, there is a recognition that we need a competitive pay and benefits package. The reality is that we are having difficulty staffing critical positions like nurses and doctors. One of the issues involved with that is pay and benefits.

I am very clearly aware of that. I have spent the last year travelling across the North. That point has been reinforced to me in every community that I have been in so the answer is yes, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate a very clear answer from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister then at the same time, because part of the problem is that when these people go to the recruitment and retention office to inquire about that benefits package that they might have, they are getting less than 100 percent service. Would the Minister advise his staff to be more cooperative and open-minded about some of the questions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concerns of the Member have been noted as we speak and the issue of being very responsive to potential nurses and doctors and other allied health professionals is a critical one and it is a point well made and a point taken. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is about the country club that is being built here in Yellowknife, the correctional facility. Mr. Speaker, the facility will contain two classrooms, a library, a gymnasium, three group programs, a spiritual room, chapel, arts and crafts room, aboriginal skill room, medic area, administration discharge and on top of that, the units for beds and whatnot which people are in custody.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister regarding the cost of this building, knowing that the original cost was at $35 million, which is now almost $50 million. I would like to ask the Minister, when discussing with the Department of Public Works the design of this building to eliminate some of these program areas, why was the Department of Justice's position not to take out those program delivery areas such as rooms for classes, libraries, spiritual room, chapel? Why did the department take that position?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I may put fact before figure, I would like to extend to the Member that this facility, if I may, was prefaced by a report which was tabled in this House in November of 1998 identifying a number of considerations based on the fire marshal's report, for instance, to close down the current facility and also look at some other important components to the overall facility in terms of how we look at restorative justice, as well as other cognitive skills, training and the need for modernization of programs.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult for ourselves other than to follow those recommendations and to begin consulting with Public Works and Services on the design and construction of the facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find it pretty ironic that with regard to the Arctic College facility in Inuvik we were told that the expense with respect to cost overruns would not exceed 10 percent of the project, but in this case we are talking about $15 million over and above the cost of this project. I would like to ask the Minister why is it that for some projects you cannot exceed the 10 percent, and on this project we are away beyond that to the tune of $15 million?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not familiar with the contract regulation requirements of this project. Although we were consistently trying to find methods of reducing the costs and reducing the facility, we found through the analysis that it was not possible. Therefore, we remained consistent with the chronology of decisions that led up to the conclusion of this facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on December 5, 2001, Cabinet approved a $5.6 million budget increase with regard to cost overruns. Then we find out with respect to August 6 that there was an $8.4 million approval of the budget. On top of that, Mr. Speaker, the BIP process was waived with regard to this government, which is a policy of this government to allow for savings to the government.

I would like to ask the Minister, could you tell us here today how much money did we save by going through that process?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect, I do not have those figures as that is not really in our purview as a department. We have to rely on the figures submitted to us by another department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister tell us exactly how many beds will this new facility hold considering that there have been cuts in the different areas? My understanding is that the existing facility holds 151 beds and we were told in committee that there had been cuts in that area where the new facility will hold something like 138 beds. Could the Minister tell us how many beds will be in this new facility.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for corrective purposes it will hold 154 beds for the adults and 25 beds for the young offenders, for a total of 179 beds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.