Thank you. Mr. Bell. Please be seated. Good afternoon.

As the Speaker, and on behalf of all Members, I am pleased to recognize today March 11, 2002, as Commonwealth Day, which has as its theme this year Celebrating Diversity. In a moment, I will read a message from Her Majesty the Queen commemorating this important occasion, but first I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a number of other important anniversaries that came to pass over this past weekend.

Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of the first fully-elected Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

-- Applause

Prior to the election held on March 10th, 1975, the Northwest Territories was under the direction of the then Commissioner, Mr. Stuart M. Hodgson, with the council consisting of 10 elected Members representing the whole Northwest Territories, three appointed Members and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Parker.

The first session of the first fully-elected Legislative Assembly was held on May 1st of that same year and saw the election of the first Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. David H. Searle, the only Member representing Yellowknife. Mr. Searle was the first of my predecessors to take the reins from then Commissioner, Stuart Hodgson, and assume the chair as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

In passing the torch to the 15 newly-elected Members, Mr. Hodgson stated the following:

I am sure none of us are under any illusions that this is going to be clear sailing from here on for the rest of the journey. We have a long way to go with a new ship and like any similar situation a lot of it is trial and error. It will take some time to get used to it, but if all those involved dedicate themselves to the principle and make it work and give full support to the new council structure, then I believe that territorial residents will be assured that this is indeed a forward step along the path to responsible government.

I think Mr. Hodgson's words are as fitting today as they were some 27 years ago as we move our Territory forward into uncharted waters.

In addition to the first fully-elected Assembly being held on March 10th, 1975, March 10th, 1983, also marks the first day of Mr. David Hamilton's distinguished 19-year career as Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

-- Applause

Congratulations, Mr. Hamilton, for your continued dedication to sound parliamentary procedure and doing your part in keeping our ship sailing smoothly.

I would also like to note that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is once again organizing an event for youth in London today. I am happy to announce that the NWT's representative to this year's Commonwealth Day event is Mr. Stephen Dunbar. Mr. Dunbar, as you know, is no stranger to this Assembly as he worked here as a constituency assistant last summer. He is currently studying at a university in England. Today, Mr. Dunbar will attend discussions on the Commonwealth, attend an observance at Westminster Abbey attended by Her Majesty the Queen and tour the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament. I know that Mr. Dunbar will represent our Territory well and will learn a great deal today.

And now, a message from Her Majesty the Queen entitled, Celebrating Diversity.

Over the last 50 years the Commonwealth has undergone a remarkable transformation from an association defined by its history into the modern, multicultural organization we know today. Across those years, it has been the privilege of many of us to witness that evolution; to see at first hand the contributions made by the Commonwealth's leaders, as evident in Australia last week; and to share in the enthusiasm and warmth of its peoples.

Today the Commonwealth is a meeting place for north and south, east and west. It is built on diversity, which is why this year's theme, Celebrating Diversity, goes to the heart of the association.

Politically, the Commonwealth sees its diversity as a strength. That was certainly true of its invaluable contribution to the ending of apartheid in South Africa. The practical assistance it was able to offer in such a crucial area reflects the kaleidoscope of its membership and its expertise. As a result, the Commonwealth was able to work with all the different communities of what is now proudly called, the rainbow nation. Bridging social and political divides has also been a feature of the Commonwealth's continuing work in seeking to encourage democracy, good governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

In all this, we recognize that promoting diversity is not just tolerating difference. Living together as neighbours needs more than that. The true celebration of diversity involves reaching out, recognizing and embracing difference, and in so doing enriching our lives. It requires respect for others and a readiness to learn from them; recognizing that we have duties as well as rights; and seeking to leave the world a better place than the one we inherited.

As each of the last 50 years has passed, so too has our appreciation of the contribution made by the Commonwealth, an association of peoples as much as it is of governments, bound together by ideals as well as interests. If the Commonwealth is to remain a force for good, we must ensure that those ideals are carried forward by the millions of young people across the world who are its future, so that they too can celebrate and build on the diversity of this unique organization.

That is signed by Elizabeth R. March 11th, 2002.

-- Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, access to safe and clean drinking water is an important issue for all residents of the Northwest Territories. I know it is also an issue that my fellow Members are interested in. Today I would like to update the House on some of the work that the Government of the Northwest Territories is doing in this area.

As Members are aware, responsibility for water is shared among many partners. The GNWT, community governments, water boards and the federal government all play a role in providing good quality water. In the GNWT, the responsibility is shared among three departments.

• • The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs funds training for water treatment plant operators and provides funding for new water and sewer infrastructure. It also works with community governments to identify needs for water and sewer infrastructure.
• • Public Works and Services provides project management services and technical support to MACA and community governments. In some communities, Public Works and Services operates the water system.
• • Health and Social Services regulates and monitors water quality under the Public Health Act.

These three departments work together to address many water-related issues that may come up. The departments recently completed a review of the roles and responsibilities of all agencies to ensure we have a coordinated response to water issues.

One area the GNWT is working on is training for water treatment plant operators. MACA is working with Public Works and Services and community governments to identify training needs in communities. The Northern Territories Water and Waste Association will provide the necessary training. MACA provides community governments with funding to participate in the training, which is done to national standards.

MACA is also proposing to regulate the certification of water treatment plant operators. This may be done through changes to the public water supplies regulations under the Public Health Act. Community governments will be consulted before any changes are made.

Public Works and Services is conducting an operational review of community water treatment facilities. Some reviews have already been completed. The results and recommendations of those reviews are being shared with the communities and their MLAs. Public Works and Services expects to have the reviews completed by the end of 2002-2003.

It will be important to address any deficiencies identified by these reviews. MACA has identified capital funding in its 2002-2005 business plan for necessary upgrades. Funding will also be available through the Canada/NWT Infrastructure Agreement. This agreement will provide cost-shared funding for water and sewer projects to upgrade community infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, helping NWT residents protect and improve their health is a key part of the GNWT's agenda. Work that we are doing to improve water system operation and train operators will help us reach that goal. Investing in new and upgraded infrastructure will also help us make sure that northern residents continue to have access to good water now and in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this session questions were raised in the Legislative Assembly regarding gasoline and propane prices in Yellowknife. There is no question that Yellowknife consumers are paying considerably more for their gasoline and propane purchases than consumers in the south.

The Department of Finance conducts a quarterly survey of gasoline and propane prices in Yellowknife, Hay River and Inuvik. The latest survey was conducted on February 28th, 2002, and found that the price of regular gasoline in Yellowknife ranged from a low of 74.9 cents a litre to a high of 82.4 cents a litre. Some retailers also offer additional discounts or promotions which further lower the price. These prices are considerably higher than the 51.0 to 58.5 cents per litre Edmontonians were paying on March 5th.

I would like to assure Members, Mr. Speaker, that Northwest Territories fuel tax rates are not the cause of this difference. At 10.7 cents per litre, the NWT tax rate is only 1.7 cents higher than Alberta's and is considerably lower than Saskatchewan's tax rate of 15 cents per litre, Ontario's rate of 14.7 cents per litre and Quebec's rate of 18.3 cents per litre, which includes retail sales taxes. The NWT rate has remained unchanged since 1997.

The territorial tax rate comprises only a small fraction of the total price of gasoline. The retail price of gasoline in Yellowknife is composed of the federal excise tax, the goods and services tax, the NWT fuel tax, the Edmonton rack price and retailer's margins. The two principal determinants of the pump price of gas in Yellowknife are the Edmonton rack price and the retailer's margin, neither of which are subject to government control. On February 26th the Edmonton rack price was 26.1 cents per litre. Given a retail price of 82.4 cents per litre, this would make the retailer's margin 30.2 cents. However, the retailer's margin must cover the cost of transporting the gasoline from Edmonton to Yellowknife.

An Edmonton retailer pays the same rack price as Yellowknife retailers, and charging 56.8 cents per litre receives a margin of 8.7 cents per litre. Edmonton retailers can survive on a margin of this size because they sell much larger volumes of gas than Yellowknife retailers. On average, urban stations sell from three to six million litres of gasoline per year, which is approximately 400 to 800 litres of gasoline an hour. This allows them to cover their operating costs with lower margins. In addition, many southern retail outlets make the majority of their profit from their convenience stores, coffee shops and car washes, rather than on low-margin gas. The key determinant of the price at the pump is not taxes, but rather the volume of gasoline sold. Because Yellowknife retailers sell much smaller volumes of gas, they must charge more to cover their fixed and operating costs.

In order to determine whether the retailer's margin at 30.2 cents a litre on a pump price of 82.4 cents is excessively high, one would have to analyze the local retailers' fixed and operating costs and compare their costs to the industry standard. However, we do not have this information. Based on a survey from March 2000, we have some indication that retail margins are higher than they were a year ago. On the other hand, retailers have to cope with increasing wage rates, transportation charges and other costs.

With respect to propane, prices in Yellowknife have dropped from their March 2001 historical high of 63.9 cents a litre. As of March 5th, 2002, the price for auto propane in Yellowknife was 56.8 cents a litre. This is considerably higher than the auto propane price of 29.9 cents a litre Edmonton consumers currently enjoy. The discrepancy in price between Yellowknife and Edmonton is not due to fuel taxes, as this government does not levy fuel tax on propane. The difference is strictly the result of retailer margins, including transportation costs which are not subject to government control.

Mr. Speaker, I share Members' concerns about the high gasoline and propane prices in the NWT. However, I do not believe that the tax rate is the cause, nor will lowering taxes make a substantial difference in prices. In the long term, we must work towards lowering the cost of living in the North by reducing transportation costs and ensuring a competitive retail environment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in April the Northwest Territories will welcome 300 delegates and chaperones from across Canada to the Interchange on Canadian Studies/Echange sur les etudes canadiennes conference. The interchange is an annual conference that gives high school students a chance to meet, listen to prominent speakers and share ideas and experiences significant to Canada and Canadians.

The delegates are grade 11 students who will be learning about our homes, the NWT, and how our lives and our lands are changed by major events like industrial development and the evolution of aboriginal self-government. Changing Land Changing Peoples/Monde en changement is the theme of the conference.

Mr. Speaker, the conference is being hosted by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Nunavut's Department of Education, with support from the Dogrib Community Services Board, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Catholic schools.

Students from outside Yellowknife will be billeted with local families. This particular interchange is unique because some Yellowknife families will be hosting both a northern and a southern student. The students who stay together share in the week-long academic and social activities. Next summer the student who hosted a Yellowknife visitor will complete the exchange by travelling to the visitor's home for a one-week stay.

Mr. Speaker, the list of speakers confirmed for the interchange conference is impressive. Dr. David Suzuki will deliver the keynote address to open the conference. Dr. Suzuki and speakers from northern and southern Canada will work with workshop leaders to help delegates understand and learn to question some of the big picture issues we deal with daily. Issues up for discussion include promoting and protecting language and culture, the importance of the environment, strengthening the economy, globalization and upholding the rights of indigenous people.

Our Premier, Stephen Kakfwi, will join Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik in the conference's closing address.

Mr. Speaker, the interchange is a unique opportunity for students from the North to connect with their peers from southern Canada and promote an understanding of and appreciation for the regions and people of Canada. I am certain delegates will leave the NWT with a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of the NWT and Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, thousands of Canadians across Canada participated in the Kids Help Phone Bowlathon. This marked the 11th such annual event and it was, as always, a tremendous success. More than $52,000 was raised towards the phone service in Yellowknife. This figure includes a generous donation of $15,000 from the Yellowknife Elk's Lodge No. 314.

Mr. Speaker, the Kids Help Phone is a 1-800 national anonymous service available to children all across Canada. It gives them a chance to call toll-free anytime and talk with specially trained counsellors. It is estimated that one out of every eight Canadian children suffers from some form of abuse, whether physical, sexual or emotional. The Kids Help Phone offers them a safe way to get help without the pressure of face-to-face meetings.

Each day, Mr. Speaker, more than 1,200 calls are answered from children between the ages of five and 19. It costs the callers nothing and it should not. A happy childhood should be free to all children.

However, Mr. Speaker, keeping up with the demand for service is an extremely difficult task, and that is why, each year, Canadians are asked to step forward to help. I would like to thank my colleagues who did just that. Mr. Handley and Mr. Bell, MLA for Yellowknife South, bowled with me on the Yellowknife MLA team. I would also like to thank my colleagues in this House, many of whom donated very generously. In fact, most of whom donated very generously.

Mr. Speaker, our team raised the most money at the three o'clock time slot on Saturday. I know that senior staff were under an awful lot of pressure over the last couple of weeks as Minister Handley single-handedly raised more than $600 towards the cause, tying with one other person for the top amount pledged.

-- Applause

Mr. Speaker, we did well at raising money. However, I have to tell you that our bowling prowess left much to be desired. We were definitely not in the running for any awards for our bowling. In fact, there were some who said the safest place to stand in the bowling alley was among the pins when we were bowling.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the Northwest Territories 5 Pin Bowlers Association. Both the Yellowknife zone of the 5 Pin Association and the adult league, as well as the Youth Bowling Council rallied more than 130 bowlers. There were also 200 individuals who came out or offered their time and raised money for the Help Phone.

In particular, I would like to congratulate Lynell Broadbent and the volunteers who coordinated this much needed and very successful event. A job well done.

Mr. Speaker, the Kids Help Phone number is 1-800-668-6868. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. You may not have been the best bowlers, but you had fun. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

The time for your Member's statement is over, Mr. Nitah. Mr. Nitah.

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. Nitah.

Mahsi. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is regarding the housing problems that we see in the Northwest Territories, especially in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, in this day and age we have overcrowding and people living in poor social conditions, lacking clean drinking water. Mr. Speaker, regarding social requirements in our communities, there was a year 2000 housing study done, a needs survey. It found that in the community of Aklavik, 33 percent of all households were in core need. In the case of Fort McPherson, it was 36 percent.

The most remarkable statistic was from the community of Tsiigehtchic, which has 62 percent of its households described as being in core need. Mr. Speaker, 62 percent is alarming. I think as a government, we have a responsibility, especially in the NWT Housing Corporation, to provide social housing in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, with 62 percent and the problems that have come out of Tsiigehtchic, the band council has made this an issue. It has raised the issue with the department. It has identified the problem because it has affected the ability of the community to provide housing to its residents. The band has gone out of its way to purchase two trailers to try to deal with some of this problem, but the problem is not going to go away.

I think this government has to take a better look at where we are going. This government seems to be striving for something else with harmonization and other areas. I think we should concentrate on the problems at hand without generating more problems that we are not sure of.

I think that as a government, we have a responsibility for small communities such as Tsiigehtchic, to ensure the health and well-being of the community is looked at when it comes to overcrowding and the lack of houses in our communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation on this matter later. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Mr. Speaker, as you indicated in your remarks at the beginning of today's session, 27 years ago, this House, this Assembly assumed full elected responsibility for the business of the NWT. I would like to remark on an aspect of that, and that is confidence in our affairs and in our business. Confidence, Mr. Speaker, in the consensus system of government that we are fortunate to have, I believe, and one that so many other parts of Canada and I think the Commonwealth are fascinated by.

Mr. Speaker, as we go about our business from day to day, issue by issue, the decisions we make I think are, in small or large part, a gauge of the confidence level that we have in ourselves as MLAs and in our consensus system.

Once in a while, we are also inclined, Mr. Speaker, to challenge individuals on their capacities, especially on leadership. Challenges of this nature should not be dismissed. They should not be taken lightly. Mr. Speaker, neither should the singular opinion, or even that of a small group here in the Legislative Assembly be elevated or interpreted as any more than that.

I am a defender and I think we all are defenders of the right of each of us to speak our minds as, when and how we wish. That is democracy and it is part of our consensus system.

However, I believe it is also one of the weaknesses of our system, that we can so easily be diverted and distracted from the bigger issues of the day and of our times by this singular and very powerful individual ability that we have to speak our minds.

However, it is also a strength of the consensus system that we do not have to deal with the complications and the rancour or the filters that are imposed as we go about our business if we had a partisan system of government, Mr. Speaker.

I am an advocate of a consensus system, but we all have to work at it, Mr. Speaker, to avoid the threats to our unity, our effectiveness and the promises that we made as an Assembly at our start just over two years ago. Mr. Speaker, I request 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 your statement, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we go about our business, we do have to work at maintaining the integrity of this consensus system, as fragile as it is in some places and as strong as it is. I want to state that I have confidence in our system and, for the record, I want to state that I have confidence in the Cabinet and in the Premier that I helped to elect just over two years ago here in this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- 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 Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend two of my constituents and very well-known Hay Riverites and Northerners, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

-- Applause

Mr. Speaker, Red and Bertha McBryan of Hay River have been married for 60 years this weekend. It gave me great pleasure to have the opportunity to present them with a combination of plaques, certificates and flowers. Mr. Speaker, they received certificates from the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien; Governor General Adrienne Clarkson; Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew; as well as our Premier, Stephen Kakfwi, and myself. Red and Bertha wanted me to pass on their thanks and appreciation to our Premier for recognizing this great event.

Red and Bertha are no strangers to the North, Mr. Speaker. Red came to the North from Edmonton in 1937. He made his home in Aklavik at that time and worked in a number of jobs. He worked on the Hudson Bay supply ships, actually, in the late 30's and early 40's.

Bertha is from Bell Rock. She is the daughter of Claude Watt and Mary Deschampes, very well-known pioneers in the North, Mr. Speaker. They have raised five children, Mary, Joe, Darlene, Pauline, Ronnie, and Matthew and Michael, now deceased. All of their children still live and work in the North, Mr. Speaker, and they have an extended family that is far too numerous to mention here.

They were married in 1942 and have lived in numerous communities across the North from Great Bear Lake to Great Slave Lake. They made their home in 1950 and have lived there ever since.

In his 65 years in the North, Red has worked for the Hudson Bay Company on the supply ships and some 30 years with Highways. As foreman of Highways in 1963, Red was charged with moving 23 buffalo from Fort Smith to Fort Providence. That is the foundation of the herd that is there now. Red takes great pride in that accomplishment.

Red also developed and operates his own farm in the Northwest Territories, some 200 acres that has varied from raising cattle to crops for feed. Red also served some 48 years down in Hay River on council, both as mayor and as councillor. Red's accomplishments in Hay River are far too great to mention here, but he has done everything from flood watching to mayor.

Your time for your Member's statement is over, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 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, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, 60 years of marriage is a great accomplishment in anybody's book. I would like the Members to join me in congratulating Red and Bertha for this fantastic milestone. I wish them all the best for years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Indeed, congratulations do go out to the McBryans. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government commissioned a report called the Grant Thornton report on human resource practices. I am interested in what progress has been made to date in responding to the recommendations in this report. This is an area of government policy and activity that is of significant interest to many of the constituents in my riding. Whether you are a candidate for employment seeking to secure a position in the GNWT public service or you are currently an employee looking for opportunities to advance your skills, training and career, the impact of the direction undertaken by this government needs to be carefully considered because it has many implications.

The public and the public service are looking for a very clear signal from this government as to their philosophy and goals and what principles of fair practice are going to be the underpinning of the potential transition from affirmative action to employment equity.

I am also concerned about the present degree of uniformity amongst government departments and agencies in practice at this time. It appears that some departments are already at the implementation stage of a new direction, as indicated by the Justice Minister's recent announcement of a departmental human resource management policy.

The newspaper is full of career opportunities in the North and many of these are for government departments and agencies. Our ability to recruit and retain qualified staff will be affected by the outcome of our deliberations around human resource management. Labour markets nationally and internationally, for many reasons, seem to be a dirth of qualified candidates in many occupations.

While our ultimate goal is to prepare Northerners to meet our labour market demands, in the interim, our human resource management policy will play a large part in our ability to staff our public service. I have attempted to raise this issue earlier in the session, but have not received a satisfactory level of response. It is important that whatever direction is taken, that the input of Regular Members of this Assembly will be fully considered. Later in question period, I will ask questions of the Minister responsible for the public service as to the status of work in this important area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members are aware, on Monday, January 21st at 5:00 a.m., a popular truck stop located five kilometres from Fort Providence was accidentally set on fire during an attempt to thaw the water lines.

Mr. Speaker, the Big River Service Centre is a well-known restaurant and service station that primarily serves the trucking and tourism industry and is located only minutes from the ferry crossing, where one can buy gas, have a bite to eat or rent a room. Although the fire destroyed the restaurant, the craft shop and the convenience store, the older section of the building is still operational and allowing some services to resume.

Today, I want to thank the local fire brigade who are credited for a speedy response and early containment of the blaze. As a result, currently available are re-fuelling services, lodging and a soup kitchen. I also want to thank the Evergreen Forestry fire fighters who were available to relieve the tired fire brigade members who worked a long, 12-hour shift.

Mr. Speaker, the fire was in the immediate proximity of very hazardous products. The gas pumps and propane storage was only a few hundred feet away from the fire, and this fire occurred during a very cold period of the winter. It goes without saying, Mr. Speaker, that these fire fighters had to work under extreme conditions.

As in most small communities in the North when incidents like this occur, community residents band together to help out. Don Plante and Cheryl Pztenue, owners of the Big River Service Centre, were certainly overwhelmed with appreciation from the response of the community of Fort Providence and others who helped out.

Mr. Speaker, plans are to rebuild. Clean up has already taken place and the new modular buildings will arrive by April 1st. They will house a restaurant, a craft shop and a convenience store. All construction was slated to be done by April 10th, with hopes of having full services restored by April 13th. This is welcoming news for all the customers that rely on the service station and the locals that frequent this business.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the volunteers who helped out, especially the Fort Providence fire department. I also want to wish the owners of the Big River Service Centre the best of luck. I certainly want to commend Don and Cheryl on their decision to stay in Fort Providence and rebuild, and by doing so, demonstrate that the North is a good place to do business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity this weekend to travel back to my constituency, catch up at home with my own family and take in some activities. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how our own families can look at situations and provide some input as to what we do in this House.

For example, Mr. Speaker, at our supper table on Saturday evening, for some reason the discussion got turned into what happens in this Assembly and the issues we deal with. This topic, Mr. Speaker, was around the issue of FAS/FAE. It was interesting to hear the young people's perspective on what is happening out there. I think it is even more reason why we need to address the seriousness of what it is and the impacts it has on the individuals and families affected.

Mr. Speaker, when talking to my children they not only asked questions of what it really is, but how it happens. Discussion on what happens to a baby that is still in the womb and is affected by the alcohol consumption and also the discussions that go on in the public amongst these young people in this area.

I must say that I am somewhat disappointed to hear that in some circles the discussion is more, again, about young people and how they would categorize each other or call upon each other with certain names. I do not believe they do it to harm individuals, but it is something that gets picked up in the school yard, discussion goes around, jokes get made and then name calling happens. I do not know if these individuals know the real extent of the damage that is done to an individual.

I think that is why it is that much more important for us as a government to take a strong stand on what happens to the unborn child. I will have questions for the Minister during question period on this issue. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend I had a chance to be around town, out and about, talking to people in the city. I took the time to think about what transpired in this House last week. Mr. Speaker, more than once in my time here I have been unhappy with one or more Cabinet Ministers and the answers or responses they have given to me. There were times when I wanted to express my displeasure in no uncertain terms and Members here are aware that I can do that quite well.

As I have said many times in this House, I believe we ought to have very good, sound, public policy basis when we feel compelled to expel a Cabinet Minister, the entire Cabinet, or the Premier. In effect, change the government. This is really serious business.

Mr. Speaker, I believe our government operates in a very tightly woven, intricate, interdependent world. We have to and have built relationships with partners of all sorts. What goes on here matters to every resident in the Territories and the stability of this government has implications far away and beyond our territorial and jurisdictional borders.

Mr. Speaker, when I was travelling through the Sahtu before Christmas and the Premier happened to be with us, I witnessed first hand how much power and credibility this Premier has with the people from industry. I was surprised to learn that four pipeline industry executives flew, one from Texas, all the way to Norman Wells, from plus 40 degrees to minus 40 degrees to have dinner with the Premier to convince him of their position.

I thought about this. When he has to answer to his position as the Premier or to the confidence in his leadership every three months or so, what do these partners think about when they look at us? For example, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and the federal government who are in negotiation with the GNWT and aboriginal governments on the important issues of resource revenue sharing and devolution. What about De Beers negotiation with the GNWT on impact agreements? Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, what about De Beers who is playing hardball with the territorial government and the aboriginal governments about what they are prepared to do or not do in their businesses in the North? What about our mega pipeline project that is hanging on the balance, especially in light of the discussions and legislative amendments happening in Alaska?

If we are not speaking with a united voice and we keep undermining the power and credibility of the Premier, I do not think we are doing good for any of the people in the North. Mr. Speaker, I am a strong advocate of the power and privilege of Members in this House, of every Member to speak. I do believe that what we do here matters a great deal and that we ought to think about implications and weigh the balance about what we are saying and the results of what is happening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to acknowledge two very dear friends who are currently in the Stanton Hospital for medical reasons. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize our elders who play such an essential role in our lives. To most of the people out there, you will not know much about who I am speaking of, but they are people back home. They have character and play an important role in the daily lives of their community.

Mr. Speaker, I want to wish both Martha Arey and Leyland Kayotuk a very quick recovery and I hope you are enjoying watching our Legislative Assembly from your hospital beds. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. That ought to help in their recovery. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, it is my great pleasure to introduce in the gallery visiting us Mr. Victor Chin, he is the director general of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

-- Applause

As well, his assistant Mr. Edward Tao.

-- Applause

Also, accompanying them is our own protocol officer, Ms. Carmen Moore. Please welcome them to our gallery.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. David Murphy. Mr. Murphy is president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association. It is great to see him here in the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Gerry Cheezie, the manager of the Yellowknives Dene Housing Association.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say welcome to those of you who have come to see this Legislative Assembly today. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for Mr. Ootes, the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. In the Budget Address, the Minister of Finance indicated that it was the government's intention to bring in a new tax measure to the benefit of Northerners, a minimum cost of living tax credit for low-income residents.

My question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is, is this new tax provision something that may be clawed back from income support recipients? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the program was designed to not be a guaranteed lifestyle program. It is based on the productive choice program, Mr. Speaker, a system of last resort to provide temporary assistance to clients.

There are many areas that we look at when we consider what makes up the cost of living for an individual. We provide free housing, Mr. Speaker, we provide the cost of utilities for the individual, we provide food support and clothing support as well as support for furniture.

Mr. Speaker, when we took this into consideration we were looking at reinvesting approximately half a million dollars into the food allowance, which consists of a number of other areas of support, personal items and so forth, when we do that consideration. In keeping it consistent with the philosophy of the program, the cost of living tax credit will be deducted from the amount provided to individuals. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I think, along with the income support recipients across the NWT, I find that news disappointing. I would like to ask the Minister, what about the concept of the approach of universality and fairness to all Northerners when it comes to our income tax system and being able to retain the benefits from it? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have stated, we have to consider the philosophy of the program, Mr. Speaker, in terms of the amount of support that we can provide to individuals. A balance has to be maintained between an income support earner and a low wage earner and it is reaching the point where there is and can substantially be a difference in balance, Mr. Speaker. What happens then is that it is no longer possible to be a low income earner and instead revert to the system of income support.

By way of example, Mr. Speaker, the possibility is there for a family of four to be in the range of $29,900 a year on income support, which translates into, for an individual, approximately $18 an hour. If we do not take into consideration all of the areas that individuals can get support from then there is no longer an incentive, Mr. Speaker, to have the productive choice system in place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister makes a good point and I too am a supporter of the productive choice concept behind the income support program. However, I am also aware that in the new provisions of the program I think there is a provision in it for a monthly income of up to $200 for an individual and $400 for a family. I was wondering if this kind of thing could be incorporated in that to be allowed as some income that income support recipients could rely on to help them get ahead in our high cost of living area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a possibility for a family to earn $400 a month or $200 as an individual. That would be considered as earned income. How the definition of this tax would be interpreted is subject to interpretation, of course, and that is something I would have to check out to see whether it would fall under a reimbursement for dollars earned or whether it would be considered unearned income. I cannot answer that question here, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We keep going back and forth on some of these ideas about income support and I know that the question of impact benefit payments to some people in the Northwest Territories is still a question. When, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister come back and advise us on the status of the minimum cost of living tax credit for income support recipients? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes; when, when, when? Mr. Speaker, this will take a bit of work to iron out as you can appreciate. It is a tax situation; how is that interpreted, how does it get into the individual's hand, what did the individual earn throughout the year? There are some complications in order to ensure that this does receive an appropriate decision and appropriate interpretation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for the public service. In a previous Member's statement in this session, Mr. Speaker, I said if there is no Public Service Commission, then what? I know that the government has been working on human resource management issues, and I would like to know what the status of that work is at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the public service, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Both our compensation and labour relations sections of the Financial Management Board Secretariat and the corporate human resources section of the Executive are working together on a number of initiatives to improve our GNWT human resource management activities. I could go on for some time describing what is happening, but we have been focusing on a number of areas.

One is creating a framework and some strategies for human resource plans; improving the skills of our people in human resource management, that is the skills of people both in the regions and at the headquarters level; looking for organizational efficiencies on how we do things; clarifying roles and responsibilities between departments and individuals within departments; and, looking at pension reform. That is essential because of the opting out by the federal government, and also in making a shift from just simply being an affirmative action program to what will be called an employment equity program.

Those will be some of the main activities that are underway right now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that does sound like a fairly comprehensive review and comprehensive undertaking. Inasmuch as we are anxious to hear the outcome of these activities, we would also like the Minister's assurances that there is going to be an opportunity for meaningful input from Members on this side of this House. Could the Minister outline for us what he has planned in that regard? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the public service, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we provided the AOC with an overview of some of these activities on everything right from all of the ones I outlined as well as staffing appeals and some options we may want to look at there. I will commit to meeting whenever AOC wants in order to review some of these and also to consult with AOC on any steps we are taking before we finalize those decisions. I am open as often as AOC has time to sit down to have an in-depth discussion on any one or all of them. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the transition then from affirmative action to employment equity, is that a direction that has already been decided on and is being moved on? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the public service, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, we are moving in that direction. I want to clarify as well that it is not as if we take the affirmative action policy and throw it in the garbage can and then start with an employment equity program. I see employment equity as being something that is broader and incorporates a lot of the pieces of affirmative action that we have had for a number of years. Those will stay in place. We will continue to have the same intention of having human resources in our government that is representative of the population.

Employment equity is broader though than just affirmative action. It takes in a lot of other pieces that sometimes get in the way of people being able to get jobs in government. We are looking, as I mentioned, at the skill levels of our people to be able to ensure that people have fair access and the processes we use for hiring people. People do not have to go through oral interviews if there are other ways of doing them. We want to look at that. We want to look at our pension reform. A whole host of things that ensure that all people in the North have equal opportunity to have jobs in the public service. It does not replace affirmative action, but it is much broader than affirmative action. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to thank the Minister as well. Does the Minister see an opportunity to communicate any of these directions and goals he has outlined here today, even on an interim basis, to members of the public service? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the public service, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, we do table and make available to the public regular reports on various public service issues, so those certainly we would want to make sure our people in the government understand them, have access to them and so on. We also often put out pieces of information, often as payroll stuffers, that go to employees to explain to them any changes we are making of compensation services or levels, or whatever it may be.

Any suggestions Members have about how we can improve getting this information out to our employees I would appreciate hearing and certainly take it into consideration. We want a knowledgeable staff. We also want, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that people who are not in the public service also have access to information on how they might get into the public service and what it has to offer to them, so it goes beyond just our own employees. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in this session, I had asked questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services around the subject of FAS/FAE in the form of legislation. This time, I would like to know what his department does in the area of prevention and talking to the young people in the Northwest Territories who are in schools and, at some point in the future, could be looking at being parents. What do they do with the youth in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our focus tends to be mainly with practitioners through the health care system with social services. I know there is also work done with Education, Culture and Employment in terms of healthy choices and active living which includes, of course, not smoking or drinking. We have posters. We have very aggressive campaigns out there in terms of trying to make sure that pregnant mothers, teen mothers as well, do not drink during pregnancy.

We do a number of things. On this particular issue, we do not work in isolation. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister inform us if there is more than posters out there? How do these visits happen? How do they inform pregnant teens out there as to the potential hazards there? 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, there are a number of things that we are doing. There is work done through public health when teens are pregnant. We are also, through a lot of our training and with the family visitors, trying to identify families, young pregnant mothers at risk who could benefit from support to ensure that the child is born healthy. We are trying to take a fairly broad approach here dealing with this specific issue. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, posters, fridge magnets and diaper bags all sound good and it is hard to argue against "some action taking place," but we need some more specific and concrete examples of what the department is doing.

The Minister just talked about family visitors. I would like to know from him, it sounds like a good idea, but who is the family visitor? Is it set up and is it ready to go? 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, the Family Visitor Program is part of the early childhood development initiative, and that is going to combine some of the early childhood money with the continuing care money. We are looking at expanding the skills of people doing home visits. We are going to incorporate a lot of the work done through the Hawaiian model, which brings together services at the community level, so you have the social workers, the family visitors, the public health people and the educators working as a unit to identify families at risk, mothers at risk with their unborn children and work with them to provide the support they need in a concrete and hands-on way, to ensure that fundamentally, first and foremost, that the child is born healthy. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so a family visitor is now a new name for what we used to call a home care worker? Is that the case? Are we actually getting more people out there or are we just changing the name and making it sound good? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I tend to have coffee in the mornings to discuss issues. It is always good to have these issues reflected in our questions in the House. This issue of, will there be new resources? Will there be new people on the ground? In some cases, there will. We are also going to train existing workers, to give them added skills as they go out and work with families. What we want to do is link the early childhood money with what we are obtaining and accessing through the continuing care funding, so that this funding will in fact extend past the three-year life of the early childhood development program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The practice and, I suppose, unwritten policy of the Power Corporation and all of these sites is to be open and accommodating to travellers who happen to come along. I do not know the circumstances of the individual that Mr. Lafferty met up with, but I will look into it. I assume he just ran into some cranky, old employee or unknowledgeable new employee who did not understand how we operate here. I assure Mr. Lafferty that we will look into it.

The only restriction that we have, as far as I am concerned, is on safety and security. The safety of travellers who come through and security for themselves and for equipment, but I do not think that was the case in this situation. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I will certainly do that. The Power Corporation has a good working relationship with the Dogrib people. We recognize people's rights and we want our employees to show the same respect as the corporation does itself. I will follow up on this one. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, unless there were issues of safety and security, then I do not know what the consequences would be. Our people out there are not armed. They are not going to wrestle somebody to the ground. I do not know what they would have done if the people had just ignored whoever this person was. I assure you I will check into it. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know of anything in those negotiations that would have caused this incident to arise. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to raise an issue that I raised several times last week and I would like to ask questions regarding the harmonization strategy. The Minister had indicated to us that he would be providing us with some information last Thursday and as of yet we have not seen anything. We only have a few days left of session, so I would like to ask the Minister if he could give us a status report as to what is happening with the harmonization strategy. Is he going to table anything? Is he planning to announce a deferral? Is he going to scrap it? Can he tell us what is going on, please?