Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in the House I had questions for the Minister of RWED about the need to have a plan to diversify our economy, Mr. Speaker. I think it's critical that we ensure that we don't put all of our economic eggs in one basket.

But I think one of the things that can really be the pillar of a strong economy, and it's something that we've had a lot of discussion about, is the tourism industry. Unfortunately over the last few years there have been a cascade of events, starting with 9-11, the war in Iraq, SARS, mad cow; a number of events that have hurt tourism in North America, hurt tourism in Canada and certainly, by extrapolation, in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to international travelers, many of us would recognize that they don't simply leave their international jurisdiction and end up in the Northwest Territories. They have to come through southern Canada. So if southern Canada is having problems, if there are travel advisories out because we are dealing with a SARS epidemic in Toronto, people from overseas oftentimes don't make the distinction and don't realize that Toronto isn't in fact all of Canada. It affects us, certainly, Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories.

I know many of my colleagues and I have been working late recently, but if they've had the chance to look at the sky, they've seen a beautiful natural phenomenon that we're so lucky to have, and that's the northern lights. But, Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry that has been built up around this natural phenomenon can be a fickle one, and we have seen it seriously impacted and seriously affected by these events of late. It's important that government does what it can to work with industry to try to bring this and other tourism industry back to the Territories. We need to work with industry to make sure that we help to develop product. After all, we have to have something for people to do and to see and to partake in when they do come to the North. We know that if you look at other natural phenomenons like the Rocky Mountains, Mr. Speaker, there has been product, there has been an industry developed around something beautiful like that, but it doesn't happen by accident and it doesn't happen without government support.

We can ensure that the entire Northwest Territories is included because we can focus on destination awareness, we can focus on the Northwest Territories as a desirable destination to visit. I think it's timely and I think we have to keep the pressure on the federal government to recognize that we, too, have been seriously impacted by negative events; our tour operators, our hotels, our restaurants, our airlines. It hasn't been just Toronto. We need to continue to send this message to the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you and I can relate to, the trapping season is shortly going to be coming upon us. We won't be in the House to welcome the trappers back on the land, but today I would like to acknowledge a few of my constituents who rarely, if ever, get attention other than if they become involved in our community politics, socio-economic or cultural organizations that drive our institutions.

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes, we have a very large mixture of various ethnic groups who make many contributions to the economic and social fabric of Inuvik.

Mr. Speaker, I have to express my gratitude to my good friends such as Frankie Charlie, Big Ben Rogers, Michael Coyen, Joe Norbert and Mervin Firth, just to name a few. Each time I travel to my hometown of Inuvik, I get a chance to speak with them about what's important to them and others who they tend to represent. They often remind me of my role. Even though they don't say it out loud, they have a certain way of expressing what an MLA must do to keep people aware of our work.

So today I just want to say a huge hello to those quiet gentlemen in the riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes who often sit down with me over a cup of coffee and remind me of what we are here for, and sometimes we are underappreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've all returned from quite a long summer and quite a nice summer, at least in this part of the NWT. Part of the summer for all Northerners, Mr. Speaker, is a chance to attend the arts and music festivals that have become such an important part of the summer activities and the fabric of our culture and our lifestyle here in the NWT. Around the rest of the year, Mr. Speaker, we also enjoy in each and every one of our communities, some kind of a winter festival as well. It helps us celebrate the environment we live in and helps give us a break from it too. In the course of that, we have our own arts and crafts and drama organizations -- volunteer organizations mostly, Mr. Speaker -- that get together and try to do something for themselves, but also to show the community, friends and neighbours what they've got going for them.

I was just at a great evening this past weekend, organized by the Yellowknife Photography Club, where a noted Canadian photographer, Sherman Hines, was in to give us a demonstration and some tips on his craft. Mr. Speaker, this is also something that contributes to -- as Mr. Bell was talking about -- a tourism product that is so important to our economy here and the success of our communities. We have many unique things to offer to ourselves and to Canadians and visitors from around the world. It's in this respect, Mr. Speaker, that I continue to look forward, as I'm sure Members on this side of the House have for months and months, to the release of the NWT arts strategy. It's something that a lot of people have put a lot of work into, but we have not seen it materialize yet. I just put that out as one of the kind of end game anticipations that I have to see what our government is going to put forward in the line of a strategy for this very important part of our life as Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Antoine.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two people in the gallery, one being a long-term resident of Yellowknife, Mr. Fred Turner, and a long-term resident of Yellowknife and a constituent of Range Lake, Mr. Francis Chang. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Nitah.

Welcome to the House. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, plans are underway for the creation of the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority, which will somewhat impact the structure in Inuvik. There is also work underway up in the Beaufort-Delta to look at the current structure of the board and membership from the communities. That is also underway and it will hopefully be completed by February. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us as to when the plans to proceed were made by Cabinet? Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

The plans for the restructuring of the board in Inuvik, the representation and those issues have been underway and are tied somewhat to the self-government discussions with the request to improve community representation.

When I first came on as Minister about 18 months ago, we started to move on the creation of the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority that would bring into line services and program areas in the Sahtu region similar to what has been done with the divisional education council. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister wasn't clear enough on when the actual plan was approved. He did say that when he came on as Minister this work began. It's interesting he should say that. Mr. Speaker, is there a final plan, and has it been approved and what date was that approved? Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was one of the action items in the action plan that was put forward, presented and approved through Cabinet. We have gone to Cabinet and to FMB with submissions for funding, and the plan is unfolding. The new CEO for the Sahtu authority started yesterday. She will be continuing with work on the job to work with the Inuvik authority, to look at the allocation of resources from the Inuvik region to the Sahtu on the administration and headquarters side. So for the last 18 months this issue has been on the table and was approved through the action plan and approved by Cabinet. Thank you.