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

Mr. Speaker, I had the great pleasure three weeks ago at the Legislative Assembly to meet a wonderful young lady, Miss Kendra Qilluniq. Kendra is the winner of the Queen's Jubilee Book Award. She was chosen by random draw of all entries to present the book "Voices of Our Youth" to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, two weeks ago in Ottawa.

This book was a compilation of stories created by the young people of the Northwest Territories to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee Year. The children were encouraged, as a literacy project, to write a story that they would like to tell Her Royal Majesty. My honourable colleague, Mr. Steen, has already shared several of these stories with Members of this House.

Each principal of the participating schools was asked to nominate a contributing student who would be an excellent ambassador to present Queen Elizabeth with her copy of the book. Our winner was Kendra Qilluniq, a grade 5 student from Weledeh Catholic School in Yellowknife.

According to her principal, Ms. Merril Dean, Kendra is a self-confident mature student who has shown leadership skills throughout her six years at Weledeh. She is always one of the first to volunteer to do extra tasks and activities that contribute to the well-being of the class. Kendra, according to her principal, has a strong sense of presentation, excellent speaking skills and works hard at playing fair.

All these qualities were demonstrated during Kendra's stay in Ottawa. She waited patiently outdoors during an incredible rainstorm in order to present Queen Elizabeth with her copy of "Voices of Our Youth". I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kendra, on behalf of all students and residents of the Northwest Territories, for being such an excellent ambassador. She represented us well.

I would recommend that if you have not yet been able to read a copy of this very entertaining book, go to your local library or school library and take an opportunity to do so. Not only is it a

great window into the minds of our youth of today, but it is also a very good read.

Mr. Speaker, I would like today to thank not only Kendra for her part in this project but each and every student who took the time and energy to present a story for Queen Elizabeth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The Honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Jim Antoine will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to attend the Joint Energy and Environment Ministers meeting in Halifax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Any further 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 address the issue of the recognition of addictions counselling profession by this government. Recently, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services unveiled a report entitled A State of Emergency; A Report on the Delivery of the Addictions Services in the NWT. This report chronicled the challenges currently being faced by alcohol and drug counsellors attempting to address the complex issues associated with substance abuse and addictions in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the concerns associated with the qualification of counsellors and the ability of current programs to meet the needs of the communities that they serve must be addressed immediately.

Mr. Speaker, we must as a group of concerned stakeholders work to break the cycle of chronic relapses. The impacts of chronic relapses cost to this government each year millions of dollars in increased health care and socio and economic costs.

Mr. Speaker, alcohol and drug counsellors throughout the North have worked very hard over the years, providing a wide range of services to those who suffer from alcohol and drug addictions.

The time has come, Mr. Speaker, for this government to recognize alcohol and drug counsellors as allied health professionals, and to have alcohol and drug programming deemed a poor service.

Mr. Speaker, the recognition of addictions counselling as a profession, and the credentials earned through a certification process, represents the first step in building our current programs.

Mr. Speaker, with the formal recognition of addictions professions, measures can be taken to ensure that quality ethical and professional services are delivered to our communities.

Mr. Speaker, we must strive to be accountable to our communities. We can demonstrate our commitment to that ideal by recognizing the profession of addictions counselling.

Mr. Speaker, this government has formed partnerships with Aurora College and the Canadian Addictions Counselling Certification Board and other interested stakeholders to achieve higher standards of personal and professional growth for addictions counsellors.

Mr. Speaker, National Addictions Awareness Week will be held from November 17th to the 23rd. I would encourage the Minister that during this week, an announcement be made outlining this government's support for the formal recognition of this profession.

Mr. Speaker, many other professions are recognized and have designations and/or certifications associated with...

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

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, Mr. Delorey. You may conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, other professions are recognized and have designations and/or certifications associated with them. Alcohol and drug counsellors should be no different. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate a major talent, and major league talented athletes in my constituency. They are Andy Wittlinger and Amy Wittlinger.

Mr. Speaker, the Wittlinger siblings had a very successful 2002 North American Indigenous Games experience, competing for Team NWT in swimming. The games were held back in July to August in Winnipeg.

Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife's Francis Ablitt was also on the team, along with Robyn McLeod, Deh Cho MLA Michael McLeod's daughter, Collin Stipdonk of Fort Simpson; Robin Gordon, Kristielyn Jones, and Curt McLellan of Fort Smith. The three YK swimmers brought home 25 medals in all from Winnipeg, and Andy and Amy took home a big portion of these medals. Andy won nine individual medals and two medals as a member of relay teams. Amy won seven individual medals and two as a member of relay teams. At the games, Andy and Amy combined to break five NWT swimming records.

The Wittlinger sibling accomplishments do not end at the Indigenous Games. Andy and Amy have attended the Alberta Senior Championships the past three years, and have had numerous top ten finishes. Last April, Amy competed at the Edmonton Keyano International Age Group meet in Edmonton, Alberta, against swimmers from 33 clubs across Canada, the United States and several other countries.

Amy and Andy both give time back to their Yellowknife Polar Bear Swim Club. They are qualified coaches and are currently helping the younger age group swimmers with the club. They have been swimming with the club for seven years and I could tell you that their parents have taken the time to tell me that there is a lack of support and funding for these elite athletes, but that does not seem to stop these exemplary and very talented young swimmers. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize them and congratulate them. I ask that the Members of this House join me in recognizing them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee -- quite an accomplishment. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring attention to this House in regard to a matter of a young child, six months old, who has a very serious disease, a heart disease -- a disease that affects the blood system by forming blood clots, and it has serious implications to the security and the life of the child. One of the recommendations to the family was that they had to move from the community of Aklavik to either Yellowknife or Edmonton.

Mr. Speaker, the family has been away in Edmonton receiving treatment for their child. They were gone for ten weeks. Mr. Speaker, the family also has three additional children who had to stay back home in Aklavik. Mr. Speaker, I think it is critical that this government helps this family to deal with this medical emergency by assisting the family to move to Yellowknife and find the appropriate accommodations.

Mr. Speaker, to date, the social workers in Yellowknife have been trying to make an attempt to find some accommodation, but all they were able to find is a one-bedroom unit. Mr. Speaker, there are six members in this family.

Mr. Speaker, I find it crucial and critical that this government, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, do whatever he can in his powers to ensure that the health and well-being of the family and the child be taken into consideration.

Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see that we spend a lot of time in this House talking about programs and services, but yet, Mr. Speaker, a simple thing such as providing accommodation for families from outside of Yellowknife to receive medical attention is unwarranted in regard to not having the accommodations available to families to deal with medical emergencies, such as this young Donovan Bailey Junior is having to deal with today.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services questions on this matter to assist this family with this medical emergency. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Among our youth today, there has been a disturbing trend, Mr. Speaker, of more violence, more bullying and intimidation, especially in our school yards and in our classrooms, Mr. Speaker. This is the kind of behaviour that later manifests itself in family violence and spousal assaults and other kind of violent behaviour in society.

I am happy to acknowledge the work of a committed group of people in the NWT who are challenging that kind of behaviour, Mr. Speaker, and really are making a difference.

Over the past three years, the Restitution Peace Project has successfully established the peace circle model. It is a restorative justice approach to behaviour and discipline at J.H. Sissons School here in Yellowknife.

Teachers, children, parents and community members have all played a part in developing this program. It offers an early intervention method and educational approach for children from kindergarten to grade 12 to address this growing concern, Mr. Speaker, for safe schools and student achievement across the North.

Over the past three years at Sissons School, suspensions have dropped from 49 to five. Students are learning self-discipline and non-violent problem solving. Long-term results include improved self-esteem, stronger relationships, reduced incidents of bullying and increased achievement. I think we can all learn from this approach, Mr. Speaker.

There is a video called "The Circle for All" that has been produced by Paul Gordon of Yellowknife. It chronicles the progress of this project. The support for this film was extended, Mr. Speaker, by both our government and the federal Justice department, along with community support and parental support for the whole project.

This video and the models and the examples and the success that is shown is now being circulated across schools in the North and I want to acknowledge especially, Mr. Speaker, the contribution and the belief and the commitment of Lynn Taylor, a key player in this project. I commend her for her efforts and for her colleagues and all the students at J.H. Sissons for setting such a great example. Thanks.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. 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, for my constituents back home in Inuvik, I would like to inform them, I would like to thank them for all the calls and the e-mails that they have sent me over the weekend in regard to the activities here in the House, last Friday especially.

I would like to encourage them if they do have the opportunity to view the whole discussion that does not appear over the TV and things, we only get the first hour and a half of discussion from this Assembly back home, so I would encourage them, if they can go to a computer and log on to the government website and go to Hansard to get the full discussion and details as to what was said and some of the discussion that went around this table.

I would like to thank them for their calls and e-mails and their prayers. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take time to extend a warm northern welcome to a company that has opened its doors to a new office in Hay River. This company is Conoco Phillips and they hosted their grand opening and open house just over a month ago in Hay River.

Instead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, our mayor, Duncan McNeill had the opportunity to demonstrate yet another unknown talent with a pipe cutter. So it was a pipe cutting ceremony.

The Hay River office is coordinated by Mr. Ross Papirnick who is the operations supervisor of Frontier. Mr. Papirnick and his wife Alphonsine are returning Northerners. Alphonsine originally hails from Fort Providence. The Papirnicks have returned to the Northwest Territories from Alberta and are pleased to be back home.

Mr. Papirnick will be working towards building relationships with First Nations and aboriginal people, local businesses and community groups in the Hay River area. The Hay River office will serve as a regional base for existing operations as well as new venture exploration that is taking place in northwestern Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and now in the southern part of the Northwest Territories. The office will complement Imperial Oil's offices in Inuvik, Norman Wells and Fort Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome Ross and Alphonsine Papirnick and Conoco Phillips to Hay River and I look forward to working together with them in building a strong economy and future for Hay River and for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.