Mr. Clerk, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that the Member for Hay River North, Mr. Paul Delorey, be appointed Acting Speaker. Thank you.

I am honoured to take the chair as your Speaker today, but unfortunately it is under very sad circumstances. I only hope that I am able to be as impartial as our honourable Speaker. At this time, I would like to say that our thoughts and prayers are with Elaine, Tony and their boys. We will now move to the orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The Honourable Jim Antoine.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to rise to speak on the issue of treatment of the government employees. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, a decision was made by the 13th Legislative Assembly that there would be mandatory days off during the Christmas period. Mr. Speaker, the employees were told they would have to do with five days less pay. It would happen between Christmas and New Year's and many Members of the Assembly felt it wasn't fair for our employees to go without a pay cheque or half a pay cheque during that critical time of year when expenses are high, especially around Christmas. So we urged the government to make the change necessary and felt that they had come to a reasonable compromise. Mr. Speaker, the government began taking off 1.92 percent from employees' payroll to cover off that one week, so throughout the year they would have an equal amount every two weeks of the year, so that five days of mandatory leave would not be harshly felt.

Mr. Speaker, it has just recently come to my attention that our government has dealt with the employees in a way that seems quite arbitrary and unfair. We know the 1.92 percent is taken off from salary they have earned throughout the year, but what I have heard is if an employee is to resign or step out of this government before they receive that pay cheque in December, that they forfeit that money, that one week's pay, if they have been employed all year.

Now I understand the union has agreed and signed this, but still, Mr. Speaker, it seems arbitrary that as an employee the government would take some of my own money and rebalance my pay cheque so that every two weeks I would have an equal pay cheque. Then if I leave the government, whether I go south or move to another job in my community, I am told, thank you for your money, you can go on and we are going to keep it and use it for something else. It's arbitrary and absolutely unfair. It's the employees' money, it's taken from their pay cheque and it should go to those employees that pay. I will be asking questions of the appropriate Minister during question period. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Association of Municipalities, now called the NWT Association of Communities, was formed in 1967 and has stayed the course by adapting to the changing political landscape by providing a forum in which member communities can discuss and exchange information on common issues.

Mr. Speaker, over the last several decades, communities in the NWT have had to focus on land claims and what impact it would have, not only on individuals, but also on the communities as a whole. As aboriginal claims are settled, and aboriginal self-government becomes a topic, the same communities must now become informed on the impact that will have on communities. It is stated in the document, Securing Our Future, that the Government of the Northwest Territories must work with the aboriginal and community governments to clarify new roles brought on by aboriginal self-government.

Mr. Speaker, the association wishes to put action to that statement by taking up the challenge to assist each of its member communities in understanding aboriginal self-government and self-government implementation processes at the community level. With encouragement from the Premier, the association submitted a proposal to MACA requesting funds for the purpose of employing a self-government liaison officer whose duties will include providing communities with the information and support required to better understand the impact of self-government and self-government implementation may have at the community level.

This government now has the opportunity to live up to its commitment by supporting the proposal submitted to the Minister of MACA by the NWT Association of Communities. It's an excellent and timely opportunity for this government to develop a partnership with the communities for the delivery and communication of information on self-government. Who better to have as a partner than an organization with member community governments that interact with local residents on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, self-government may lead to a change in the way community government is structured and delivered. Therefore, it is important that we provide every resource to the communities in order that they better understand aboriginal self-government. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this request from the NWT Association of Communities and I recommend this government show its support by considering this initiative, an initiative that will result in informed communities and individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to highlight a government and industry partnership that kicks off today across town, actually at Northern United Place, with the launch of the apprenticeship support materials. Mr. Speaker, we all know the northern economy is booming and with that boom has come an increased demand for skilled trades people. More and more people and certainly more young people, when we go around to schools that we have had a chance to talk to, are becoming interested in apprenticeships, but there is a major hurdle, Mr. Speaker. That is the trades entrance exam. In some communities, mostly the smaller communities, fewer than 10 percent of those taking the exam get a passing grade on their first attempt. That's not a big surprise, Mr. Speaker, when you consider that until now, there have been no support materials or training available.

De Beers Canada Mining has recognized this, Mr. Speaker. They knew it would be a problem to achieve the goal of having a northern workforce able to participate in meaningful occupations, but these materials, Mr. Speaker, should address that shortcoming. The focus will be in the areas of math, science and reading comprehension, all of the components required to be successful in the trades entrance exam. If you are wondering about the format, it will be available in the traditional paper-based format, but also in CD and web-based and that will allow it to be easily expandable and adaptable.

I know many of the Members will be wondering if you have to come to Yellowknife to access these materials and the answer is no, Mr. Speaker. Training is going to take place across the Northwest Territories. Training will be offered, I understand, at apprenticeship offices, career development centres, community learning centres, at college campuses and in high schools right across the NWT. I should highlight the partners, Mr. Speaker. De Beers Canada obviously have been very influential, but ECE and the federal government, various departments, Aurora College, Skills Canada, the NWT and Nunavut branches, and also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Genesis Group, a local firm who are very influential and were behind the development of these specific materials.

So, Mr. Speaker, I think we all look forward to good things that I believe will come from this partnership. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was with a sense of regret and surprise, Mr. Speaker, that Yellowknifers heard this morning that the Caribou Carnival won't happen this year. There have been hundreds of volunteers over the years who have put thousands of hours into making this truly unique northern event happen. We've watched the event flow from good years to bad, from stone to flood, from one quirky controversy to another, but this year it seems it was the final straw as the support the volunteers needed to build a strong committee, raise the money and carry through failed to materialize. This is not a time to point fingers. Indeed, it is the time to salute those who came forward this year and did their best to carry off the carnival. I also salute them, Mr. Speaker, for making a brave decision to cut the event loose and declare it lost for this year. They have accepted the reality that I believe, will result in this community taking a good long look at what we really value, what our identity is and what we do to celebrate it. I'm confident that what comes out of this will be the renewal of the NWT's biggest winter festival into something that reflects a new Yellowknife, new NWT or hopefully we will keep the values and traditions that we call ours. One of the values that have to change, Mr. Speaker, is how this community supports its volunteers. In the early 90's, I was carnival president for three years and I know what it is like to scramble together an event that takes months to organize, upwards of $200,000 dollars to stage with a skeleton crew and a cap in hand approach to generating support and finding people ready to roll up their sleeves. I also note the personal satisfaction, Mr. Speaker, that comes in seeing something that really works well and seeing smiles on faces and the relief we all got by having some fun after a long cold winter. With the weather we are getting these days, we are really going to miss it this year. I believe the business community, this city of Yellowknife and this government should all rethink the value of this event, the value we put in our volunteers and what this means to the pride and spirit of this community. Political and financial support are essential. Mr. Speaker, next year would have been the 50th year of this remarkable event, let's let it go. I appeal to the people of Yellowknife to resolve to start new, start fresh and create the first year of a winter festival that we can again be proud of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to draw the attention to, in particular the Minister of Justice, a deficiency that we seem to have in the labour standards process, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a constituent who took an issue to the Labour Standards Board because he was short changed on his wages and while it took him a long time in getting there, he did eventually succeed in getting a favourable decision to have his wage paid. This decision of the board was made back in 1998 and five years later, he still hasn't seen a cent of his judgment. I don't think that we should take lightly the possibility that someone could be out of their wages and then have to go through a process like this to win a decision and then not be able to collect it. I do believe the very purpose and the reason why we have a law that governs the labour standards process is for people like that to go to and to avoid the expensive court system. Something that is happening is not meeting this obligation, Mr. Speaker. I have been in touch with the Minister on this and what I see as the problem of not being able to collect is that the employer keeps appealing the decision, and the more the employer delays it, he doesn't have to meet the obligation of the standards board. What I have been suggesting to the Minister of Justice is to sit up, change the law, make the law whereby the employer, or whoever loses the decision, is forced to put a deposit of the money that they are supposed to pay to the employees. In other words, Mr. Speaker, if someone has been short changed in wages of $5,000 dollars, the employer should be obligated or to pay that money and put it on deposit so that we avoid situations where the employer keeps appealing the decision as a way to avoid payment. I have urged the Minister to look into this. I have been told that this will probably not make it to the legislative agenda because of the crowded situation. But, I do believe that this is a very important issue and one that should be looked at by the Minister as well as the Cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause