Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to speak on an issue on the lighter side and wish participants of the 2002 Arctic Winter Games the best of luck as they travel to Iqaluit and Nuuk to take part in their activities. I would like to congratulate those who are travelling from my constituency; Ms. Theresa Ross, going as mission staff; Sam Anderson in speed skating; Karen Polakoff, the speed skating coach; Katy Smith, Inuit games; Melanie Poowotak is badminton; Darryl Day is basketball; Tamara Hansen, Inuit games; Mike Muller is the badminton coach; Shaylene Allen is cross country skiing; Jason Baxter, dog sledding; Mike Baxter, dog sledding coach; Leah Sulyma, ice hockey; Mike Gravel, ice hockey coach; Moses Ipana, ice hockey; and Pat Tingmiak in snow shoeing.

I would like to wish them all the best and hope they have memories that will remain with them for a lifetime. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our economic prospects are in great shape with employment activity, tax revenues and investment in the Northwest Territories at record levels. We do indeed have something to celebrate and be thankful for.

We are challenged though, in terms of managing this rapid, even frantic pace of development. One of the consequences on us all, Mr. Speaker, is the pressure on our cost of living. That is my concern today and it is the concern of a lot of other Northerners. Why, oh why, Mr. Speaker, does it cost so much to fly?

We are fortunate to have our major airlines providing overall superb service to us as northern-owned enterprises competing with each other for our business. They do their part, probably more than their part, as good corporate and community citizens. They have had their share of hits in the last few months with high fuel costs, decreased passenger loads and increased security costs in this post-terrorism world.

It seems, Mr. Speaker, that competition among our two northern-owned airlines is not doing much to serve this market, at least in terms of curbing increases to air fares. The high cost of air fare remains one of our key cost drivers. It is one of the big problems people point to when they consider making the Northwest Territories their home. It is a significant barrier to realizing real growth in our tourism industry. It is one of the things we wish we could change and help make living and working up here more manageable.

Mr. Speaker, a quick survey of air fares on principal routes tells the story. Today, a full fare return flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton is $1,708.50. In 1997, five years ago, it was $1,180. That is an increase, in five years, of 70 percent. If we go back 10 years, Mr. Speaker, the cost was $830. That is over 100 percent increase in 10 years.

Let us compare that to the consumer price index for Yellowknife. Since 1995, on all goods and services, Mr. Speaker, 6.5 percent. Over a 10-year period, 11 percent. I understand economies of scale and high overhead costs as well as anyone, Mr. Speaker, but we are so far off the dial that it defies logic.

Mr. Speaker, I am told this has driven one of the North's diamond mines to subsidize their own program. 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 your statement, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. As I said, this increase in air fares has driven one of the North's diamond mines to subsidize their own program. It is limited to their own employees and contractors, but this system gets their people from Yellowknife to Edmonton and back for $300. Who can blame them, Mr. Speaker, when you compare $300 to $1,700?

Our complacency in not addressing high air costs is hurting us, Mr. Speaker. We lose the chance to capture a few more permanent citizens and satisfy tourists. What do we need to do in terms of innovation, creativity, maybe even some old-fashion risk taking as airlines, as governments, perhaps even as passengers, to help reduce air fares? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak on a problem that has come up several times in this House, the new initiative that is in place to harmonize income support and housing. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to go home this weekend and I think the majority of the concerns I heard were raised around this subject from people who are on income support and our elders.

Many of our elders were left with the impression that they were told they would be better off in public housing than if they had their own place. They would not have to take care of their rent, their power and there would be no rent to pay. Mr. Speaker, through this harmonization program, a couple of years after many elders moved into public housing they are now being told that the rules are changing, that they will have to pay, though right now they do not. The rent will be based on anything over $500.

Mr. Speaker, many of our seniors and elders in our communities have earned their pensions. They have earned their way, they have paid their way, they paid their taxes and they have lived to a point in time where we should allow them to enjoy their pensions and the remaining time that they have with us.

What do we do here? Implement a regime that I see as just another form of a claw back to take money away from our seniors and people in need in our communities. Mr. Speaker, another area of concern was with regard to the initiative that we have under income support. If you are on income support and you find employment, you cannot get back on income support for two months after you apply. You have to wait two months until you can be reassessed and back on.

With seasonal employment in the Northwest Territories, where the majority of the work takes place in the summer or in the winter between December and March, those are the two periods of time that you will have to work. If you received employment in those two times of the year, you will not be able to get back on income support for four months out of that year, which means you will have to pay for the rent based on that notion for four months of the year because you will not be classified as an income support client.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask this government to seriously consider what this harmonization program is really going to do to people in our communities, our elders and people who presently are on income support.

Mr. Krutko, your time for your Member's statement has ended. Mr. Krutko.

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 your statement, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is also important that we look at the economics of our communities, the economic opportunities that arrive in our small communities. There is no real economic base in a lot of our communities. Those people who have jobs in our communities basically have jobs either with government or with people in the private sector where there are very few of those jobs to go around. You can probably look at the number of people we have in our communities with good paying jobs, the majority of them are government employees.

There is a large portion of our population who have a hard time accessing work in our communities where we do not have a strong economic base. If anything, this government should look at developing our economic base in our communities so that people can have jobs that are meaningful, not just part-time work here and there. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister responsible for the harmonization program questions on this matter. Thank you.

-- Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that affects a large number of my constituents, that being our fishermen. Mr. Speaker, for many decades fishermen have eked out a living for themselves on Great Slave Lake. Fishing is an honourable, traditional lifestyle for a large number of our residents. Mr. Speaker, commercial fishing in the Northwest Territories is a longstanding, viable industry and I believe that our government should firmly support our fishermen.

Mr. Speaker, our fishermen are strong contributors to our northern economy. I am a little disillusioned when I do some research and discover certain areas where I believe that fishermen have been under-funded or not funded in the same manner as other harvesters, that being hunters and trappers.

I want to make it perfectly clear, Mr. Speaker, that I do support our government's effort in providing financial support to trappers. I would like to see a more equitable funding arrangement for fishermen in the same manner as trappers. Mr. Speaker, in my research I discovered that in November of 2000 the former Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development stated in this House that in the year 2000, RWED spent $2.5 million in support of harvesters. Of this funding, the Minister stated that roughly $1.8 million went directly to trappers.

Documents recently supplied to me by RWED, Mr. Speaker, with regard to harvesters' contributions for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 indicate that $1,704,000 is earmarked for the hunters and trappers program and only $390,000 has been allocated to fishermen's programs.

Mr. Speaker, my reaction to this is one of concern. I did note, Mr. Speaker, that of the current RWED funding to hunters and trappers there are contributions to disaster compensation for hunters and trappers. In addition, RWED pays the WCB premiums and claim costs for hunters and trappers if they are injured while hunting or trapping. Mr. Speaker, neither of these programs are provided for fishermen. The apparent inequities are very disconcerting to fishermen.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the NWT Fishermen's Federation will be hosting a two-day conference May 10th and 11th in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is imperative for our government to lead by example and to that end I strongly encourage the Minister of RWED to consider attending this very worthwhile conference. At the appropriate time, I will have further questions for the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important accomplishments in one's life is that of being able to provide a home for our families. Mr. Speaker, our home is where we nurture our children, where we provide guidance to them as they grow, a place that provides protection, a place that helps strengthen family values and a place that gives hope.

Mr. Speaker, I have received numerous concerns from a number of my constituents in Fort Providence who have either been evicted, are about to be evicted or notified that they will be evicted from public housing. The reasons for eviction vary from rental arrears to problem tenants.

Mr. Speaker, what is happening to these people is unacceptable and is bordering on cultural discrimination. Mr. Speaker, all these people being evicted are Dene or Metis. These people make Fort Providence their home. This is where their families have lived for many generations. They are not about to move outside the community to find alternate housing. They are being forced to become a homeless statistic.

Mr. Speaker, I have to raise the question, what option do these people have upon being evicted from public housing? Is it to move in with family members and add to the overcrowding that already exists, or is it to put them out on the streets in the dead of winter?

Mr. Speaker, I find this matter to be very serious as it affects not only the life of the tenant who has signed an agreement with the NWT Housing Corporation, but each family member in the whole community. I find this even more appalling when part of the NWT Housing Corporation's mandate is to assist communities to assume the role of providing housing to residents of the Northwest Territories and not that of throwing people out on the street.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, it is also the responsibility of the NWT Housing Corporation to ensure aboriginal satisfaction that traditional knowledge and values are respected in the corporation decision making process. This, Mr. Speaker, does not appear to be a real consideration for the NWT Housing Corporation, when we know that many of these aboriginal people who are being evicted for non-payment of rent take the position that treaties with Canada give them the right to a home, that being a small benefit for the lands and resources that have been wrongly expropriated by Canada. Now, Mr. Speaker, we as a government want to expropriate their homes as well.

Mr. McLeod, your time for your Member's statement is ended. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I seek 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. McLeod, you may conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the NWT Housing Corporation has developed a policy that directs them to provide counselling services to the tenants. This counselling includes issues dealing with all aspects of being a tenant. I understand this counselling service is provided on a very limited basis, if at all.

Mr. Speaker, to be fair to the housing staff in the communities I recognize the work load they are under and influence that family members can have on those administering public housing in the communities, but more importantly I recognize the negative impact and emotional trauma eviction has on those tenants and their families when they are faced with eviction or are evicted.

Mr. Speaker, if problems exist I would ask that the NWT Housing Corporation, through an independent review, visit communities like Fort Providence and identify housing problems that exist in the community to determine and identify solutions that are beneficial to the tenants and to this government. Mr. Speaker, what we need is more housing in the communities and not more evictions. This is supported by the 2000 housing survey conducted by the NWT Housing Corporation that confirms that Fort Providence has 101 or 40 percent of households in core need.

Mr. Speaker, now that we are responsible for social housing should we not be using legislation and policies developed from that legislation to better serve the people who comprise our small aboriginal communities and not compound the problems faced by people in those communities? Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister later on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. Honourable Members I would just like to draw your attention to the rules on Members' statements, that they are on one subject for two-and-a-half minutes. Unanimous consent is sometimes sought to conclude a statement, not to continue for an additional two-and-a-half minutes. It takes away time from other honourable Members who wish to make their important statements as well. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

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