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

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. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will just repeat the last part of my statement. Mr. Speaker, given the poor way in which this harmonization program was developed and communicated, and given the fact that it does not begin to touch the more important public housing issues in the Northwest Territories, I recommend that this government scrap this initiative and start working on something that will benefit all Northwest Territories citizens. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two weeks ago I made a statement in the House regarding the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada and the need for Northerners to get involved, especially in the scheduled hearings in Yellowknife on May 16th. I rise again today to speak on the same issue.

Over the next few months the commission will be hosting public hearings all across Canada, Mr. Speaker, and the purpose of these hearings is to listen to Canadians and to hear what they have to say about the future of our current health care system.

We are fortunate that the commission is coming north on May 16, 2002, and will be hearing from us, the people of the North. I wanted to bring these hearings to the attention of this House and stress to the people of the North how important this is to our health care system. It is indeed a unique opportunity to provide input into what we view should be our future national health system.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada announced the release of a consultation workbook. It is designed to give Canadians an opportunity to provide their views on what direction they see the future of health care taking. This workbook is available to every Canadian online, Mr. Speaker, so that we can submit our views to the commission.

The workbook takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and asks for input on four possible scenarios to address health care sustainability. The four scenarios are:

1. more public investment;
2. more co-payments and cost sharing;
3. increased private choice; and
4. reorganized service delivery.

Additional information and reference material is provided, so if you do not have a full understanding of the options, a reference is available. The scenarios also provide potential positive and negative impacts that will have to be considered.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of my statement today is quite simple. I urge everyone with a vested interest in our health care system to get involved, whether it be through a presentation in May to the commission or by simply logging on to the commission's website and taking the 15 minutes required to give the commission your views. Your input is critical to the shape of our health care system in Canada.

For your interest, Mr. Speaker, the work book can be downloaded at www.healthcarecommission.ca. 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. Mr. Speaker, recognizing today is International Women's Day, I too would like to add some comment. I would like to reflect on this institution and those of every other elected office in the Northwest Territories and Canada.

Mr. Speaker, considering the significance and importance of women in elected office and in governments, I think it is especially fitting that one of the recipients from Yellowknife, Ms. Suzette Montreuil, was an opponent of mine, and a very formidable and a very worthy opponent, and she is indeed deserving of this recognition.

Having women represented at all levels of governance, I think, Mr. Speaker, is essential to the balance of decision making that we all undertake and the tone and the clarity of the work that we do. I think if we reflect back on our Youth Parliament last month, it seems to me that overwhelmingly, the number of representatives here from among the youth were young women. That gives me great hope that we will be seeing these young people, and others like them who follow their roles and their leadership, taking part in elected governments across the North.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage women to consider, whenever the opportunity comes up, to run for elected office, whether it is at the school board level, municipal level, band council level, the territorial level, even the federal level, to bring that balance up to where it should be.

I guess in that light, Mr. Speaker, I am hoping and wondering if we will ever see the day when International Women's Day will not be needed because we will be able to see that it is a quaint idea, a throw-back to an age when women were not reflected in their rightful place in society, and that they indeed have the representation and the role they should have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I start with my Member's statement, I would like to send greetings back to my wife, who has been a solid supporter behind me and helped me to stand in this place and speak to the many issues I have raised in this House around accountability and what we have done as a government, and how we present ourselves to the public. It is nice to know that I have that support, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, once again I find myself standing in this House and referring to our actions as government and how the people would view us, and how we uphold our commitment to be an honest and transparent government and carry on business that would be seen as being in the best public interest. After all, Mr. Speaker, that is why many of us stood up and took the challenge to run in elections to be representatives for the people in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, once again I find myself raising the issue of accountability as a government. The decisions we make, are they in the best interest of government or of the people, or of ourselves as individuals? Mr. Speaker, at times when we get so busy and we are wrapped up in the work around us and the many documents and papers that come forward to our desks, we sometimes forget why we are sitting here, why we came in and what the purpose was for our wanting to be here.

Mr. Speaker, later today in the House, during committee of the whole, there is an issue that will again be raised about how we as a government take care of the public interest and how we spend government dollars to benefit the people of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, on the issue of accountability and how we represent the people, I am hoping that this government, the ones we have chosen to lead us as Cabinet Ministers and the Executive Council, will be forthright with the people of the Territories, and will be open and accountable and transparent as to what they have put forward in decisions they have made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of International Women's Day. Mr. Speaker, this is a day to recognize the accomplishments of women and reflect on the challenges that still lie ahead. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, there are still far too many challenges. Family violence and violence against women are still among the biggest.

Mr. Speaker, in my constituency there is a women's shelter called the Alison McAteer House. In spite of our public pronouncements in support of zero tolerance for violence, shelters like the Alison McAteer House are busier than ever all of the time, year-round. Mr. Speaker, we must do more to stop violence. One of the most important steps we could take in this Legislative Assembly would be to move quickly to enact a family violence protection act. This would act as an important tool to allow women who are victims to stay in their homes in their home communities, where they have better support networks. Mr. Speaker, I hope we can see such a bill introduced in June.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the Status of Women Council for the Northwest Territories on their Wise Women Awards Program. It is important to celebrate and recognize those who are leaders in their communities and in the North. I would like to also extend my congratulations to the winners this year, especially Suzette Montreuil, who resides in my constituency. As Ms. Lee and Mr. Braden have already spoken about Ms. Montreuil, I think Members can see that her award is well-deserved. I look forward to attending the awards ceremony in the Great Hall today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today on behalf of my colleague, Floyd Roland, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, I would like to take this opportunity to honour an individual who was nominated for this year's Wise Women Awards. The criteria for judging the Wise Women Award winners is based on dedication and commitment to the community, benefits they have brought to women and/or to the community as a whole, and the positive role model they present to other women.

This year's winner for the Mackenzie Delta is Mrs. Elizabeth Greenland of Inuvik. Mrs. Greenland has devoted her life to teaching children dance since the early 1970s and at 81 years of age, she is still willing to teach. Elizabeth has also told many stories from the wisdom she has gained from living out on the land and from being a strong member of her church. She tries to keep the Gwich'in language alive by teaching her own children, grandchildren and others as well. She is an amazing woman, amazing mother, community leader and elder.

The award ceremony will take place during the International Women's Day luncheon on March 8th in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Mr. Roland and myself, I would like to ask the Members of this Legislative Assembly to help me congratulate Mrs. Greenland and the other recipients of this prestigious award. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Friday, March 8, 2002, International Women's Day, I want to acknowledge the contribution made by all women around the world to the betterment of ourselves. In particular, I want to congratulate the women who have received the Status of Women Council Wise Women Awards in the past and those who are receiving the awards today.

I want to give a special appreciation to one woman, with whom I entered into a negotiated, sole-sourced contract 36 years, six months, 15 days and about 20 hours ago.

-- Laughter

We have been through a lot of smooth water and a few storms. She can stir one up pretty quick if I get out of line. She is certainly one person who can get my attention very quickly right now if I get out of line. It is very clear to her that I may be Government House Leader, but that does not apply at home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. At the appropriate time, I am sure you will identify that individual to the House. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this day, it is really a special privilege for me to be able to recognize someone who many, many years ago made a great contribution to this particular institution. It was the Council of the Northwest Territories, as it was known in those days, some 32 years ago. A person who became, and she should be marked down in history for this, the first female elected in our Legislature to the Council of the Northwest Territories, the predecessor of this Legislative Assembly. It was Lena Pederson from Kuglugtuk who represented the Central Arctic. We are very privileged to have her with us today. It is a great day of distinction to have her here.

In those days, Mr. Speaker, the Council of the Northwest Territories was a little different than the makeup today. I believe it was nine Members and Lena was the second Member for the Central Arctic but, as I say, the first female representative ever of the Council of the Northwest Territories.

The history of the Council of the Northwest Territories, you must remember, goes back to the Assembly of the Assiniboines, which is almost older than the Parliament of Canada. It has great history, on our part, to have someone with us today who brings that distinction.

I understand she is getting an award today. I will not say what that award is, and she is aware of that, but Lena, we congratulate you for that. She is with us today with her daughter Nina, who is from Edmonton, as well as Peggy Welch. Please help me congratulate Lena for being with us here today and for the work that she did...

-- Applause

... as the first female representative.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, it does give me a great deal of pleasure indeed to recognize a former Member of the Assembly, the 7th Council from the years 1970 to 1975, Ms. Lena Pederson.

-- Applause

As well, colleagues, I take this opportunity to recognize in the gallery the deputy commissioner, Mr. Cal Mains.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize some special visitors in the House today. First of all, the board members and the staff of the Status of Women's Council. Vi Beck, Harriet Geddes, Theresa Etchinelle, Jean Ekpakohak, Tessi Gonzales, Lynn Brooks, Barbara Saunders, Theresa Handley and Roslind Minault.

I also want to recognize the recipients of the Wise Women Awards. Elizabeth Greenland of Inuvik, Laura Tobac of Fort Good Hope, Jane Dragon of Fort Smith, Terry Villenueve of Fort Simpson and Suzette Montreuil of Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize these special women who are in the Legislature with us today. Thank you.

-- Applause

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