Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, it will be my pleasure later today to introduce a bill to amend the Workers' Compensation Act. There have been no major amendments to this act since it became law over 25 years ago. This bill will be the first of two phases of amendments that will give the people of the NWT an entirely modern and effective workers' compensation system.

Members will recall that a legislative panel was appointed in 2000 to make recommendations for changes to the Workers' Compensation Act and the Safety Act. Made up of representatives from both the NWT and Nunavut, the panel's report Act Now, was received by me and the Minister responsible for the WCB in Nunavut the Honourable Kelvin Ng in January 2002, a little over one year ago.

The Workers' Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut is unique for both jurisdictions as it is the only remaining shared institution between the NWT and Nunavut. Although we have a shared board of directors, however, both jurisdictions maintain their own legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it is no easy task to develop legislative amendments for the workers' compensation system. First of all, as mentioned, the WCB serves two jurisdictions. In order for the board to maintain a unified legislative base, all amendments made to one government's act, should be reflected in the other jurisdictions. Secondly, by its nature, the legislation also serves two main interest groups - employers who pay for the system and employees who must access the system when an unfortunate incident occurs.

I would also like to note that this bill presents a first for both our Legislative Assembly and that of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. The content of the legislative proposal was developed with input from both governments. The bill itself was drafted by the GNWT Department of Justice, with French translation provided by the Government of Nunavut. I am also pleased to report that the Honourable Kelvin Ng and I were able to discuss and agree on a number of issues, which have been included in the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise the House that the amendments I will be introducing later today, address over 70 percent of the 85 Act Now recommendations calling for legislative change. Many of the remainder of the panel's recommendations addressed operational and other issues not requiring legislative change.

Accountability is key for any system to work effectively. These amendments will clearly establish the roles and responsibilities of all the players in the system so that the public will know how it is to work and who is responsible for making it work.

The amendments will also establish, in legislation, the office of the worker's advisor to help injured workers with their claims. The appointment of the workers' advisory will change from the board to the Minister, as will the workers' advisory's reporting relationship. This will create a direct line of communication and accountability from the workers' advisor to the Minister.

When workers are injured, they need quick access to effective treatment so that they can return to work as quickly a possible. The proposed amendments will mandate the workers' healthcare provider, the worker and the WCB to cooperate in the process of the worker's recovery through early assessment, diagnoses and the development of a treatment plan.

From time to time, Mr. Speaker, there can be differences of medical opinions with respect to the treatment plan for an injured worker. The proposed amendment mandate is a cooperative, consultative approach to help resolve these differences. This will remove some of the adversarial nature of the current process.

The proposed amendments will also clarify major sections of the act and make it easier to read and understand. The amended Workers' Compensation Act will be much more user friendly.

As I mentioned earlier, this bill will address over 70 percent of the recommendations that were made in the Act Now report. These amendments will go a long way to improving the workers' compensation system in the NWT and Nunavut, but the bill we will introduce this afternoon is not the end of the process. A second phase of legislative amendments, including a complete rewrite of the Workers' Compensation Act, is needed to address the remaining Act Now recommendations. I expect these amendments to be ready for introduction early in the life of the next government; and I hope that the Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly will continue to support the completion of this important work.

I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, who spent a great deal of time reviewing the legislative proposal. Our discussions with AOC were constructive and helpful and I thank them for their contributions to this bill. In closing, I would like to thank the members of the Legislative Review Panel who provided the foundation for the amendments that will be introduced later today. Mr. Speaker, they are Louise Vertes, chairperson; Shona Barkley, Dan Halldorson, Steve Petersen, David Simailak, Alex Stuit and Don Yamkowy. I would also like to thank the board and staff of the WCB and the Department of Justice for their diligence in developing this first set of amendments and the Government of Nunavut for their cooperation in ensuring that his bill would be ready to go forward during the life of our respective governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House for the remainder of the week to attend the Ministers of Social Services meeting in Toronto. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Colleagues, before I proceed to the next item on the order paper, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize in the visitors' gallery some members of the Esteem Team North program. They are touring the Northwest Territories, particularly the Beaufort-Delta region a little later on in the springtime, this week perhaps. With us, we have Mr. Joe Dragon, former Pittsburgh Penguin draftee, Ms. Sharon Firth, an Olympic cross country skier from the Delta; Mr. Jamie Taras, former BC Lions football player; Chris Wilson, Esteem Team Canada executive director; and, Mr. Rob Meckling, the Esteem North coordinator for Sport North. Please welcome them to the Legislative Assembly.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all know the importance of infrastructure in our communities, especially our recreation facilities. Mr. Speaker, we've heard a lot about ensuring that we protect the government's assets, infrastructure, protection of people and assets, but, Mr. Speaker, coming from a small community, sometimes we lose sight of how important our recreation facilities are, especially with regard to the community of Aklavik. The Sittichinli Recreational Complex is an important place not only for meeting, dancing and other activities such as hockey programs. This facility is presently under threat because of the condition of the building. The roof is leaking and also they have done an in-depth report of the Sittichinli Recreation Complex in Aklavik with regard to the technical status evaluation. In that report, they've found there is damage to the recreation complex and there is violation of the fire marshal's code and the Canadian Building Code we have to follow.

Mr. Speaker, we heard a lot in the House about certain reasons this government had to replace certain buildings and also accommodation for certain constituencies. Mr. Speaker, I think it's important that we have to keep in mind that we do represent some 30 communities and that we have to be fair. Mr. Speaker, it's important that we know, as a government, we are not above the law and whenever we find ourselves violating building codes and are in contravention of the fire marshal codes and orders, that we follow them. I feel that in this report that has been done with regard to the Sittichinli Recreational Complex, it's important that this government does something to not only protect this asset, but to ensure we extend the life of this asset in the community of Aklavik. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about the Sittichinli Recreation Complex in Aklavik.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1993, the Minister of Renewable Resources stood in the Assembly and said that a comprehensive review of the Wildlife Act had been underway for a year. Here we are, 11 years since the review started and a new Wildlife Act has not been introduced. In fact, Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development told the House, in answer to a question by Mr. Krutko, that a new wildlife bill would not be introduced during the life of this Assembly. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Mr. Speaker, since the last election, no fewer than three Ministers of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development have promised we would see new wildlife legislation done in a timely way by this Assembly. After the last election, the consultation process was started again by Mr. Kakfwi, who was the first Minister responsible for RWED. It was carried on by Minister Handley after he took over and lastly by Minister Antoine during his tenure. Mr. Speaker, all three Ministers have noted that one of the main driving forces behind the need for revision was to deal with provisions of settled claims. Well, as Mr. Krutko noted, it's nearly 10 years since the Gwich'in claim was signed, nine years or so since the Sahtu Dene-Metis claim and here we are, nearly at the end of another four-year Assembly mandate with no legislation coming forward.

Mr. Speaker, last year, I brought forward a private Member's bill that would have reduced the waiting period for NWT residents to apply for hunting licences. That bill was killed by Cabinet when they refused to let it come out of Committee of the Whole. The reasons? The Minister said it was because a comprehensive wildlife bill was coming forward within the life of this Assembly and items like my amendment should be dealt with as part of the overall review. So, since the review was underway and it would result in new legislation in the fall of 2002, the private Member's bill should not receive consideration. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Krutko noted, the government has promised for a long time that we would see a new Wildlife Act. Now, they say we have to wait for a new Assembly. I have tried to deal with the issue of a two-year for resident hunting licences in the 12th, 13th and now the 14th Assemblies, to no avail. I am always told that, since a new Wildlife Act is coming forward, I should be patient and wait for changes as part of that new act. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Krutko expressed the frustration that he and his constituents feel over the time it has taken to see this new legislation. My constituents are frustrated as well. It's now been more than 10 years since I raised the issue. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his Member's statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Dent. You may conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, honourable Members. Mr. Speaker, the only positive note that I can point to is that in the latest progress report on new wildlife legislation sent out by the Minister of RWED in January, I see the government proposes to reduce the residency requirement for a hunting licence to one year. A flicker of hope, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I am going to have to confer with my colleague from Mackenzie Delta on this issue. Perhaps we should collaborate on a new private Member's bill to move the whole process along. Perhaps we could bring it forward in June. At least one Cabinet Minister said he would support my private Member's bill if a new act wasn't going forward. It may be time to put that commitment to the test. Mr. Speaker, given the speed with which this process is moving, that may be the only way that we will see any action on a new Wildlife Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have already expressed concern about the desperate housing and cost of living situation faced by low and middle income families many times in this Assembly. I believe it is shown by the almost 500 signatures on the affordable rental housing petition that we do need a better way of looking at the skyrocketing cost of rent and the cost of living. In these replies to the petitions that I've tabled, I'm looking forward to the Minister's positive and hopefully innovative approaches to dealing with the crisis, not only here in Yellowknife but in other NWT communities.

Mr. Speaker, in this Assembly in the last few days, we've been grappling with other aspects of housing, namely the harmonization proposal. The redistribution of wealth is an important part of government's job and is very much at the core of this initiative. It is clear that subsidies and supports such as income support and housing are an essential part of our work and these are principles that I won't abandon. This government clearly needs to look at how we support those citizens with the greatest need and balance that with those who can pay accordingly, so that we won't break the bank.

Speaking of banks, Mr. Speaker, housing isn't the only signal of the sustained and increased economic pressure on low and middle income families. Here in Yellowknife this is evidenced by the growing lines at our food bank. Where there used to be about 60 families coming in every two weeks, there are now over 100. Mr. Speaker, this is more people than the population of a number of our smaller communities. Where the food bank spent about $3,500 a month, it is now spending about $4,500. The volunteer board says that at this rate they will run out of funds by June. Is the government's social safety net meeting the needs as it should? What's happened to the increases for the food allowances that we worked so hard to establish?

Mr. Speaker, work goes on to try to address these issues. In fact, in Yellowknife there is a seminar that is put together by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation which is going to look at the current and future situation of housing in Yellowknife. I'm going to be going there, and perhaps tomorrow I will have some more things to say about this dramatic need here in the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the continuing challenges facing the recruitment and retention of the health care professionals in the North and in particular, the nursing staff at the Stanton Territorial Hospital. During this budget session, Mr. Speaker, this Assembly has already approved an additional $8.3 million and we will be asked to approve more money under the supplementary appropriations bill later on today. What concerns me is that all of this additional money may not translate into an increased number of positions at the hospital. I must say, Mr. Speaker, it is highly frustrating when, as an MLA, you push hard to get more money to a certain program area and see no visible benefits.

Mr. Speaker, the information I have is that there continues to be a real deficiency in the retention area of the government's recruitment and retention strategy. In fact, the health care professionals have dubbed the latest strategy from the government as the "recruitment" strategy because it lacks the element of retention. Mr. Speaker, we should feel alarmed about this because logic would dictate that, without a meaningful retention effort, any recruitment effort will be fruitless. This is affecting all areas of staffing at Stanton, whether they be doctors, nurses, physio and occupational therapists, X-ray and other imaging technicians or lab technicians.

Mr. Speaker, in the case of the nursing staff, the government's guarantee of jobs for new nursing grads coming out of the school have been a mixed blessing in practice. No one can argue that this is a good thing for those new grads and I appreciate that we will benefit as a society from having northern nurses in our midst. What the government has failed to do thus far is to recognize fully and compensate appropriately the experienced nurses who are already there. Unless the government takes care of retaining the experienced nurses with proper compensation and benefits, we will not be able to rely on them to train and mentor the new grads.

I don't believe, Mr. Speaker, that it is fair and it is not right for the government to expect the experienced nurses to continue to fill overtime shifts and mentor and train the new grads without being properly compensated and recognized for that extra work. Their compensation, as it is, is not competitive in comparison to their counterparts in other jurisdictions. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that the government's objective of guaranteeing all nursing grads placement is laudable in theory, but it must come with the government's commitment to recognize the extra burden it is asking the experienced nurses to take on. Mr. Speaker, I would like unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I conclude by saying, the government's objective of guaranteeing all new nursing grad placements is laudable in theory, but it must come with government's commitment to recognize the extra burden it is asking the experienced nurses to take on. Reclassification of current positions is one thing, Mr. Speaker, but this is taking way too long and this will not move far enough to get the nurses to be competitive when it comes to retaining the experienced nurses we have. I know the government is aware of this problem, Mr. Speaker, and I want to put the government on notice that I will be paying very close attention to this area in the coming weeks and months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an old saying "red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Mr. Speaker, the Good Ship NWT had better look towards the horizon to see if it's a red sky in the morning. Mr. Speaker, I say that because in the budget we've been dealing with, we are just over $2 million from cresting $1 billion in expenditures throughout the NWT. One billion to 43,000 people in the NWT.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, we heard of concerns that health care issues aren't being dealt with, that education issues aren't being dealt with, that economic activities and demands are placing greater demands on our transportation infrastructure and so on. We are having difficulty meeting those needs. Mr. Speaker, as we've gone through this term as the 14th Assembly, we have indeed set high expectations and the residents of the NWT will now look to see if the government can continue to spend as it has spent in the 14th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, in the Finance Minister's Budget Address, he spoke of initiatives we are doing and potentials we had of our deficit situation. In his Budget Address, Mr. Speaker, in appendix B5, it shows a fiscal framework operation summary. Mr. Speaker, it shows that by the end of the fiscal year 2003-04, total debt will hit $214 million. The 15th Assembly will be looking potentially at a $370 million debt by the first year they are in the government. Mr. Speaker, is this what we have been planning for? We've taken from where we are, we are saying we are leaving the next government better off than the way we found it. Well, we are still close to the debt wall, but the demands out there are going to be higher than ever.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that we have looked to the horizon and said that it looks good, but from where I am standing, I see this picture, although they put a rosy lens on at the start of the 14th Assembly, I think we should have been looking to see that "red sky in the morning, sailor take warning." So watch out, Good Ship NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So often in this House, we look at things so pessimistically and at problems and so on. I want to follow Mr. Nitah's example and talk about a real success story. There are a lot of good things happening out there.

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity, along with other MLAs in Yellowknife, to visit K'alemi School in Ndilo. That is one successful school. In fact, I would venture to say the best school in the Northwest Territories. It opened in 1998 with 14 kindergarten to Grade 3 students. Today there are 68 students in kindergarten to Grade 7 and they will be adding Grade 8 next year, up to 80 students. These are all Ndilo children who have chosen to go to that very exciting school. They also have the Aboriginal Head Start Program, which opens a full Dene kindergarten for 10 students in that community.

Mr. Speaker, the children attending the school know that it's their school, they believe it's their school and they identify it as their school. I want to say the teachers do an excellent job, a super job. The principal, Angela James, and her staff are some of the best educators. They are voluntarily at school at 8:00 in the morning, allowing children to come in if they wish and spend time in school before the school day opens. They stay there voluntarily until 5:00 in the evening, all of them, in order to have an atmosphere for the students.

The program in the school is exciting. It's based around Dene language and culture, academics and technology, virtual education, physical and active living. They are very successful with their culture-based and on-the-land program. The atmosphere in the school is warm; it's welcoming and is full of love and a perfect place where children want to spend the day. The teachers are a committed, caring group of professionals that exceed any expectations that we may have generally.

The community of Ndilo is a small community, but it's a community that has long believed in having the school next door, the school across the street, and they have shown a lot of success. I think we have to say congratulations to the Ndilo parents, the students and the staff who have worked hard to have the best school in Canada. Good government should reward success. This school, the way it is going, Mr. Speaker, is going to be bursting at the seams within two years and I think that as a government, we have to use this as an example for all our educators and provide them with the resources, the space and so on that they need.

Mr. Handley, your time for Member's statement is over. Mr. Handley. Okay, the honourable Member has concluded his statement. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Braden on March 5, 2003 regarding annual reports of the rental officer and the status of the government as a landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act.

There is no statutory requirement for the rental officer to file annual reports. The rental officer's contract requires him to make annual reports to the Department of Justice. The reports include information on statistics, trends, issues, recommendations and the activities of the rental officer I would be pleased to make copies of the reports available to the Member if he wishes to see them.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT and its agents, the NWT Housing Corporation and local housing organizations, are subject to Residential Tenancies Act.

In the NWT, subsidized public housing is the responsibility of the Housing Corporation and either it or an LHO is the landlord.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct that there are some provisions of the act which do not apply in the case of subsidized public housing, the main one being the requirement to give a three-month notice of increasing rent. In essence, if an individual qualifies for subsidized public housing, the guidelines of that program apply. The rent paid is based on income, and when that income increases or decreases, the subsidy is adjusted immediately, not three months later. In such circumstances, the giving of three months notice would make no sense.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the act provides that a landlord can increase rent only once a year. This does not apply to subsidized public housing. If it did, it would obviously be impossible to adjust the subsidy and, in effect, the rent, on an ongoing basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize five very important people in the gallery today. First of all, Bob Haywood with the Federation of Labour; Steve Petersen and Dan Halldorson, who are on the Act Now panel; Andy Wong, the chairperson of the Workers' Compensation Board; and John Huffman, an injured worked who has provided me a lot of good advice over the last few years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

(English not provided)

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to welcome from Ecole Allain St-Cyr the 6th and 7th grade with their teacher Mr. Pierre Ouellette.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the Legislative Assembly and enjoy your visit. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish my youngest son, Ian, happy birthday today. It's his 32nd birthday.

---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question concerns my Member's statement and is directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to follow up on a letter I wrote to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to urgently request repairs to the Sittichinli Recreational Complex in Aklavik. Mr. Speaker, the technical assessment commissioned by his department states the water damage to the recreation complex brings the facility into violation under the fire marshal's code. The community has also expressed concerns about the safety of this facility and the implication to the residents. The community wants to ensure that it is up to certain standards and there is not a potential danger of the ceiling falling in and hurting residents.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of MACA to please confirm that the protection of people and the protection of assets are high priorities of this government, especially the corporate capital planning process. How does a community like Aklavik meet this criteria and see something done when it comes to their recreation facility?

Thank you. The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a request to MACA, Public Works did an assessment in February 2002. The recommendations from the report for Public Works recommended that an inspection on the roof be done by a qualified engineering firm and that the department get an assessment of the amount of damage to the roof. MACA, as a result of that report, notified the hamlet that if the cost to repair the building was under $100,000, the community would have to bear the cost themselves. They were funded for that type of project. If it was over $100,000, then MACA would put it into the capital planning process. The community informed MACA that they would be using the Housing Corporation in October to do an assessment of the roof. However, to date we have nothing back from the community or been advised that the Housing Corporation was involved at all in the inspection because they said it couldn't really be done until May. So MACA is waiting for a report back from the community.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the recreation facility in Aklavik represents a central infrastructure for the community and it's very important that the community have access to this and they don't want to see it shut down. So I would like to ask the Minister, knowing there is potential danger and a hazard to its users, the residents of Aklavik, the community and myself would like to know, will the community receive the necessary funds and resources to repair the complex so that no one is hurt by the roof caving in?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before I could commit to any kind of expenditures, I would have to have a report from Public Works or the community on what the actual cost of repairs is. Like I said, MACA informed the community if it's less than $100,000, they will have to do it themselves. If it's over $100,000, then we will consider putting it into our capital plan.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am in a haze with the Minister's comment. If something is over $100,000, his department will look at it. He is also the Minister of MACA. This is an infrastructure that is owned by the government and the people of the NWT. What has to happen here? Does the roof have to cave in? Somebody has to get hit in the head before this government does anything?

The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA has already advised the community that there is nothing that Public Works can do until May. Up to now, the community had given the impression to MACA that they were going to be doing an assessment on the roof themselves using the Housing Corporation. That was in October, so we didn't do anything. MACA didn't request any more from Public Works because Public Works recommended that the assessment of the roof damage be done by qualified engineers. Without the funding to do it, Public Works could not do the assessment. So MACA has to have an agreement with the community that either the community is going to do the assessment or we are going to have to go back and ask Public Works to do it again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been continued repairs and replacement of community facilities in the NWT. We hear from the Minister's riding, all of a sudden, bang, a project pops up because of fire code violations. This is a fire code violation. Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to ensure public safety in government facilities. This is a government facility. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain in this House what efforts are being made to implement the plan of this government to ensure that we protect the life of the residents of our community, protect the public and protect the assets? This is the criteria we hear from this side of the House day in and day out. So why is it in the community of Aklavik they don't meet that criteria when it comes to their recreation facility?

Thank you. The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am trying to give the Member assurance, Mr. Speaker, that after May, MACA will have an indication of whether or not we will put the project into the budget. We can't do anything until we get the report back from Public Works or the community agrees that Public Works will do it rather than them. The last indication from the community was they would do it. That's what I am waiting for.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Colleagues, before we proceed to the next question, I would like to direct your attention to the presence in the Speaker's gallery of Mr. Robert Vandersanden, of Hewitt Associates of Calgary and Sean Macaulay of James P. Marshall, a Hewitt Company from Vancouver here to assist Board of Management with some of their work. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, the progress report that the Minister has issued recently notes that the current Wildlife Act is 20 years old and outdated. It doesn't report that consultation has now gone for more than 10 years on a new act. During the 14th Assembly, we continually heard from Ministers that new legislation would come forward and now we are hearing that it won't. Mr. Speaker, my question is, what happened? How did this get thrown off the rails and why is it that legislation is now only going to be tabled instead of being introduced?

Thank you. The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last time the act was amended was done to reflect the Inuvialuit claim. It took several years for that to come forward. It's been more than 10 years since the Gwich'in claim and almost 10 years for the Sahtu Dene-Metis claim. Why has nothing been done to accommodate those two claims?

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as things have progressed, it's taken this long to look at dealing with settled land claims. Does the Minister believe the legislation that's tabled will be able to be passed by the next government if we haven't seen settled land claims in all regions? Can this legislation go forward before all land claims are settled in the Territories?

Thank you. The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we've spent a lot of time and effort on consultation on this. I think one of the problems is clearly that some areas haven't settled their claims. Why will the Minister not consider bringing forward legislation that deals with those areas of settled claims only and look at subsequent legislation as claims are settled throughout the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Colleagues, with your concurrence, I would like to direct your attention to the presence in the Visitors' Gallery of Ms. Penny Ballantyne, president of the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

As well, colleagues, we have Mr. Dave Grundy, the senior policy advisor for WCB; and, Michael Triggs, legal counsel for WCB.

---Applause

I hope they are here as visitors and not expecting any accidents here. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you. The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

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

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Your final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier and it's with regard to the extra dollars that we were able to receive from the federal government. Mr. Speaker, there were discussions and questions on this area earlier in the session, but at the time details had not yet been worked out. I am beginning to get suggestions and advice from health care professionals in my riding as to where best this money should go. So I would like to ask the Premier where the government is in terms of what it's planning to do with the money. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health would be in a better position to answer that. As I understand it, it is work that is ongoing with the federal government. We have set up some process and assigned some officials to work with the federal officials over the next few weeks and months. The secretary to Cabinet has just returned from Ottawa and reached agreement on how we would like to proceed. I will be writing a letter, an information item, to Members in the next day or so to outline those, to keep Members informed. As well, Cabinet will be developing an overall strategy on how to advance these issues and other issues regarding funding programs of the federal government that will become available over the next few months. So Cabinet will be developing a strategy on that as well. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a little puzzled. There is a lot of information there that the Premier has given. I pursued questions in this area and I was told the details were still being worked out and that we would be advised in due course. I wasn't aware that the Minister was travelling to talk about this. I would have thought we would have had more advice. Mr. Speaker, could the Premier confirm whether or not the Minister of Health is travelling right now to work out the details of this agreement? Is that what he's travelling for? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister Miltenberger is chairing the meeting of the Ministers responsible for social services in Toronto. They are dealing with some of the programs that were announced in the recent budget such as early childhood development and it is not to do with health dollars specifically. If the Member will recall, earlier in this fiscal year, we gave a supplementary amount to the Department of Health of $8.6 million to deal with additional costs that were not budgeted for at the beginning of the fiscal year. Some of the money that we are receiving from the federal government is, in fact, probably already spent. It's the Minister of Health that can better articulate how that money will be used and received. So we will just wait for him to give that answer to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was thinking that we were putting in $8.6 million extra into the fund, plus we would get some money from the federal government. But it seems the money has already been spent and we really have nothing to be excited about in terms of new dollars for health care. I guess I will have to ask the Premier, do we have any reason to think that there is going to be any new money going into our health care system within the next little while other than that $8.3 million?

Thank you. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the money that we were allocated from the recent First Ministers' meeting is what was allocated on a per capita basis. As Members recall, as a Premier, along with the premiers of Nunavut and Yukon, we rejected the notion that we should receive funding only on a per capita basis. The Prime Minister agreed that per capita does not work. We agreed that we need more than what was allocated to us on a per capita basis. The Prime Minister and his staff indicated that they are prepared to allocate an additional $60 million over three or five years for the three territories. This amount will become available in the new fiscal year and it is to be seen as a floor that raises the prospects for us, and those additional dollars will be available in the new year. We have had some meetings involving all officials and the federal officials to assign a process and assign some people to begin that discussion. As I said earlier, the secretary to Cabinet just returned from Ottawa a day ago. So we will be drafting a letter to inform Members exactly where we are in that process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my point is that I, along with many Members in this Assembly, have brought up a lot of issues about health care, issues concerning health care delivery and the health care system, and I am fully expecting that I will be involved in that process of deciding what to do with that money. I realize there are other policies that the government and the Premier have to work out with other governments but could I get a commitment from the Premier that, even though we will be out of session and going in all different directions, that we as Members and the other stakeholders in the medical professions and everywhere else will be full participants in deciding where this extra money will go? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, it is the Cabinet and the Minister that have primary responsibility for proposing how dollars and resources are best used for health. At the same time, it is true that the Members are involved. The recent $8.6 million supplementary allocation late in the previous year was, I think, attributed in part to lobbying and the concerns shown by Members as well as the public, and we responded to that. We are committed to working on a cooperative approach with Members of the Legislature and always being accountable and for taking advice on how best to use our limited resources. So I have no difficulty... in fact, we are very interested in working with Members to ensure that the public and Members of this House are comfortable with the way we make use of the existing annual resources for health. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of FMB. It sounds like a very complicated question that would probably be better as a written question but I will allow the Minister to respond to it if he wishes. Mr. Handley.

No, Mr. Speaker, I don't have numbers, I don't even have a really good estimate of how many people work in the various institutions we have around the Northwest Territories. I told the Member that I would try to get the information for him; I know my people are working on it and we'll get it but, now that he's asked for it by institution, I'll add that to the mix as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of FMB, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, definitely there is a lot of benefit to the communities each time we have another person who has a job in that community, both directly and indirectly in terms of the spending that person is able to do from the wages that they earn. Whenever possible, Mr. Speaker, we try to hire people locally, if we can. If there are people with the qualifications or even people who will take the training, then we try to fit that together so we do hire as many local people as possible in order to maximize the benefit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of FMB, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I think the suggestion is a good one. Wherever we can break down a contract and offer it in the community, then we want to do that. We do have a lot of sole-source contracts that we do through negotiations with community organizations in order to give them the benefits. As a government, we have to keep our eye on the bottom line but, at the same time, we want to maximize the benefits to the community. If I take some communities, Yellowknife for example, Mr. Speaker, of all the government spending in Yellowknife, it works out to about $6,000 per capita in Yellowknife. If I take another community, for example Fort Liard, it works out to be $12,000 per capita that we spend. In Lutselk'e we are spending $17,500 per capita. So there is a lot of benefit going into each of the communities from the system, and we are making our best effort to break it down so that maximum benefits stay in those communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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