Thank you. Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Item 2, Members' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last night I joined about 100 other people from Yellowknife, developers, financiers, politicians and officials with the Canada Mortgage and Housing presentation. I think this is the third or fourth on the Yellowknife housing outlook. I would like to compliment CMHC, Mr. Speaker, for taking the initiative to do this here in the Yellowknife market. They do a good job of analysis and the presentation.

It's a big subject, Mr. Speaker. It covers a lot of ground and, like a lot of things, there is some good news and some not so good news in the views that were given to us last night. The vacancy rates, as we know, are virtually nil. They are going to improve somewhat over this year and potentially next. Forecasts are that they will be in the 1.5 to four percent neighbourhood. That still doesn't translate into a lot of units, even at four percent. That's potentially about 40 apartments. So we are going in the right direction, but if the availability may improve, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't look like the affordability will. However, there are indications that the Yellowknife market is going to come off the double digits rates of increasing rates, but there will still be upward pressure. The time for investment in real estate is good across the country as investors flee the stock markets. So this is a good sign for this market.

On the not so good side are projections that inflation and mortgage rates are going to continue to rise, Mr. Speaker. Trades will be in short supply and building materials will increase in cost. The main barrier to affordable rental housing construction is going to be the availability of land, Mr. Speaker. Clearly all of us in government have a stake in resolving the main barrier to bringing more housing onto this market, Mr. Speaker. All levels of government have a responsibility to get involved and make a difference in this very dramatic shortage in our market. I would like to suggest, Mr. Speaker, that it doesn't stop with just this government. Mr. Speaker, I would like to request 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, Mr. Braden, you may conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues. Oftentimes eyes turn towards the territorial government and the city government to where the land situation can be solved, but I would suggest that the federal government and, Mr. Speaker, the aboriginal governments are major stakeholders, major interest holders in the land situation and all four levels of government have a responsibility and an opportunity to get together and make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, my final point is that the cost to the NWT of not acting on lands is going to be significant. I am quoting from a survey that was done last summer which suggests that between now and 2006, we stand to lose some $6.7 million because the housing stock, the trends that see housing constructed, is not going to keep up with the demand. It gets even more dramatic when we look between 2007 and 2011 when our failure to keep up with the housing demand could cost this government in lost federal grants as much as $67 million. The reasons, Mr. Speaker, for government to act on the land question are compelling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to speak on the issue of the breast cancer screening program being designed by the government. The Department of Health and Social Services is moving towards implementing a breast cancer screening program very soon and I would like to commend the Minister and the department for following through on this important area of prevention and treatment.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that the department will be placing a strict limitation on how women would be targeted for screening and it has given me cause for concern. In relying on research that has long been challenged by more recent studies and expert opinions in the field, it is my understanding that the government will not allow mammography screening of women under 50 unless she's in a high risk category. Mr. Speaker, this would be a big mistake and extremely short-sighted and I would urge the Minister to seriously reconsider this position.

In talking to a medical professional recently, he has indicated to me that he has seen increased incidence of breast cancer in young aboriginal women from small communities in the NWT that would have been easily treated had the cancer been detected earlier. He has also indicated that the technology in mammography is continually improving and it is a highly effective means of detection at the very early stage of the disease.

Mr. Speaker, this is a highly personal issue for me, not only because I am a woman and will be turning 40 shortly, but I have lost two very close friends from university to breast cancer and they were both diagnosed in their early to mid-40s. I know a number of women in Yellowknife who have been diagnosed with breast cancer as well, and none of these women belong to the conventional high risk category.

My point, Mr. Speaker, is that the evidence is before my very eyes. So to me, the government's insistence that the screening will only be available to women over 50 doesn't make any sense at all and, I would say, is even reckless. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that there is a need for a cutoff somewhere and I understand that the priority should be given to women aged 50 and over, however I must insist that women under 40 years of age be given the opportunity of screening if they so wish. At the same time, there should be a comprehensive public information campaign to let them know this service is available and it is advisable for them to take the test as soon as they turn 40. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I received a copy of correspondence sent by the Inuvialuit Game Council regarding the Wildlife Act legislation. It was sent to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, they are quite clear on their concerns about how they felt the Wildlife Act went, or didn't go, according to what was laid out. Mr. Speaker, it was long ago, just for this Assembly. When they first came in, there was a lot of hope and work being done to get the Wildlife Act done in the life of this Assembly during many committee processes, meetings, business plans, it was said that we would be able to get this done. Money was put aside to consult with aboriginal groups, so we could be prepared and have this legislation finished in the life of our Assembly. So it is with disappointment that we hear that there will be draft legislation tabled, but not pursued.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of concerns raised by the game council. They have been consulting with the aboriginal groups on areas they have issues with or the process used in trying to draft legislation and what was used or not used, who was able to come to the table and take part in that. I am aware the Minister, during the business plan or the draft main estimates portion of his department, referenced that they have come up with a system now that should be able to move it along. That's something that I will have questions on later during question period, trying to find out if it is something that will be addressing the issues of concern raised by the Inuvialuit Game Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about government support for the northern business community. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard Mr. Handley - actually many days - talk about the importance of jobs in our communities, in terms of how they contribute to the circulation of money, in other words the spin-off effect, where one job leads to another and another and so on. He's noted that the salaries circulate in local economies stimulating economic activity and growth. Mr. Speaker, the Minister and the government often talk about the need to support our northern business and the need for business development in the North. It's a constant theme we have heard, but is it any more than talk?

A few days ago, we spent a considerable amount of time talking about $1 million plus contract for computers that went south. Northern suppliers believe they could have filled the order. The Minister of Public Works justified the award in part because it would save money. He even complained that Members told him he should do things less expensively, so we shouldn't complain when he saves money.

Not long ago, Mr. Speaker, the government proposed changes to the BIP. When they were rolled out, the business community saw little to cheer about and told the government that. Nevertheless, the push to implement changes was brought forward, even though there was no economic justification for the changes presented. Again, we heard the new and improved BIP would save us money. At the last minute it was put off.

Mr. Speaker, last summer, the government waived the BIP on the second phase of the correctional centre, again to save money. When the smoke had cleared after the bids came in from that project, it is impossible to say there had been any significant savings. In fact, we may have lost money. Mr. Speaker, the government has never made a meaningful effort to figure out what the benefit of supporting northern business might be. Without quantifying the economic impact, how do we know which Minister is saying the right thing? We have Minister Handley talking about how important it is to support northern business and not even mentioning the $17,000 per person we get in transfer payments for every man, woman and child who lives here. Then we have Minister Steen suggesting that his top goal is to save money, even if that means sole-sourcing contracts to southern suppliers. Mr. Speaker, last year Cabinet approved waiving the BIP, again saying it was most important to save money. No wonder there is a crisis of confidence among business people in the NWT when it comes to the GNWT. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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, and honourable Members. Mr. Speaker, a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found a significant number of business owners in the NWT felt that the Government of the Northwest Territories did not understand entrepreneurship. Mr. Speaker, we need to get our act together. The government needs to do their homework, so we all know the value of supporting northern business. We need a cost-benefit analysis that is reliable. Only with good information will we be able to really prove that Mr. Handley was right when he talked about the importance of northern business in all of our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, rail transportation to the North is a topic we don't hear a lot about and it's not very often talked about in this House. However, today I would like to bring some attention to rail transportation in the North. As we all know, rail transportation in the NWT was put in place back in the mid-60s when Canadian National built a rail line to serve Pine Point Mine. It's kind of ironic that CNR would build a railway to service a CP mine, but that's what took place.

Back in those days, Mr. Speaker, the railway was known as the Great Slave Lake Railroad and I have many fond memories of the Great Slave Lake Railroad, having worked for them for some 30 years. Mr. Speaker, although Pine Point Mine no longer exists, rail transportation is still a very important link to our infrastructure in the Northwest Territories and the role that it will play in future developments that we have going on in the Territories right now.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of attending a meeting in Hay River on that very issue, rail transportation to the Northwest Territories and the role it will play in future developments, specifically the Mackenzie Valley pipeline or the mining industry, the role that it plays in the resupply of many northern communities and for the mines right now.

Mr. Speaker, there were many representatives at that meeting yesterday. There were representatives from Transport Canada; from Alberta Transportation; Northern Alberta Development Council; the economic development officer for the county of Grand Prairie; the mayor of Grand Prairie was there; the mayor of High Level; the chair of the Mackenzie Municipal Services Agency; the vice president of Mackenzie Northern Railway, which is now known as Rail America but operates under Rail Link in Hay River right now; the mayor of Enterprise; the mayor of Hay River; representation from NTCL and representation from our very own Department of Transportation. I would like to thank the Department of Transportation of this government for initiating that meeting yesterday and starting some talks between railway people and different businesses.

One of the very important topics that was discussed yesterday with the representatives from Alberta was the need to work together and the acknowledgment that whatever development happens in the North, whatever is good for the NWT, is also good for Alberta. It is very important that we are aware of everything that is happening and support each other in that endeavour. One of the other representatives there was a guy from Hay River, who is an entrepreneur promoting a passenger train to go from...

Mr. Delorey, your time for your Member's statement is up and, like railroads, we must keep on time. Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his Members' statements. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You many conclude, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. When I was involved with the railway, we tended to be a little over our time as well. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, one of the guys that made a presentation there yesterday is Mr. Glenn Pangborn from Hay River and he has been promoting a passenger train to the North from Edmonton to Hay River in the year 2004 to celebrate 40 years of rail transportation to the North. It would be a tourism venture that would transport some 300 passengers to Hay River via passenger train. I think it is a very worthwhile endeavour, Mr. Speaker. I know the government has showed some interest in supporting this endeavour and I would like to encourage Mr. Pangborn to continue with his endeavours with this passenger train and I would like to encourage this government to lend some support wherever they can for this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

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

Thank you. The honourable Member seeks unanimous consent to conclude his Members' statement. Are there any nays. There are no nays, you may conclude your statement, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today for a few minutes about an event that is going to be taking place in Hay River this weekend. We have a Youth Resource Center in Hay River, which is managed by a local youth council in conjunction with the Soaring Eagle Friendship Center. They have been funded for a number of years by some programs under the federal government and they are uncertain of their future. So some very well known musicians in the Northwest Territories have agreed to come to Hay River and put on a performance on Saturday night, which would raise funds and the proceeds would go directly to the Youth Resource Center in Hay River.

The Youth Resource Center performs a very important function in the community. It provides tutoring for students after school and has a fitness center and many other activities that give our youth something to do other than hanging out, perhaps getting into mischief that they shouldn't. So, it does provide a very worthwhile cause for people to get behind and get involved in. I would like to thank people like George Tuccaro and John Tees and John Landry, Pat Burke, Paul Andrew, Premier Kakfwi, Commissioner Hansen, quite a number of well known Northern performers that will be coming to Hay River on Saturday to have a jam session in the afternoon with the youth and then put on a performance for the public in the evening.

So, anyone in Hay River who is watching this, Mr. Speaker, I encourage them to come out, it's well worthwhile for the $12 ticket, and also I would like to invite my colleagues who happen to be in the South Slave this weekend to join us for this. We hope to be able to hand a fair amount over to the youth center. I also would like to thank the youth who named the music festival Northern Friends, and who also have been out distributing posters and selling tickets and very involved, not just waiting for somebody to do something for them, but getting actively involved themselves in fundraising. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a bit of a story to my Member's statement today so I will begin by saying this is a special time for many residents of my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes who engage in the art of trapping muskrats and beaver. Many enjoy the cold morning wind chill as they travel to the lakes of the Delta. Here they shovel the snow off the muskrat-pushup, and break open the door. If it's a live house, the trapper proceeds to set a rat trap. The trapper closes the push-up with lots of snow so it doesn't freeze. Later in the evening, it's time to visit the traps, and the trapper repeats this practice day after day.

Mr. Speaker, this is a familiar story for this time of year in the Mackenzie Delta. The people are out enjoying what is a custom for many of us. Mr. Speaker, it's not only about the trapping of muskrats that makes life so enjoyable, it's about families participating in this seasonal lifestyle. The trappers refer to it back home as "ratting season." If I may, Mr. Speaker, my friend would come home and talk about nothing but rat, rat, rat.

Mr. Speaker, there is also a nice history to this tradition. It's about being out on the lakes making a nice fire, having hot tea with bannock and Klik. Mr. Speaker, besides getting a nice windburn, we also have the wind that blows the campfire smoke into your face, which forces you to move your branches. Mr. Speaker, there is a moral to this story and there is only one Member in this House that can tell it and I am certainly not that one Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. You aren't going to tell us who that is? Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. The honourable Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with great pleasure as one of the co-chairs, that I present to you the interim progress report of the Special Committee on the Implementation of Self-Government and the Sunset Clause.

This is a story about the search for the "self" in "self-government". "Self" government has meaning for all of us. We all want to be self-governing. We all want to keep our identities as individuals and groups, but we live closely together. Together we make up the communities of the NWT and the governments that serve them.

In our committee's view, this is the starting point for understanding the systems of governance that have evolved in the NWT in the past, and for examining what potentially lies ahead as a result of negotiations to establish new systems of governance in the Northwest Territories in the future.

When the resident territorial government was established in 1967, it came with a federal government promise of greater self-government. However, as the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has documented, while the system of territorial government in the NWT has been better than most in Canada in responding to aboriginal peoples' cultures and values, it has not gone far enough. A central purpose of self-government agreements is to ensure that aboriginal peoples gain more control over decision-making on matters that affect them.

We have been working to understand the new systems of government that are emerging from self-government negotiations. We want to understand these agreements so that we have a sense of how things will change for the Legislative Assembly and GNWT, but more importantly so we can have a territory-wide conversation about what all NWT residents can expect in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions of a single self-government agreement are sufficiently complex that good forecasts about its implementation are not entirely credible. When two, three, six, seven or more self-government agreements are factored into the equation, the process of mapping out implications is even more difficult.

Even though self-government agreements are generally quite detailed, these documents, and the other legal and political side agreements required for their implementation, will in all likelihood only provide a framework, rather than a script, for governance in the NWT. The literal wording of every provision of self-government agreements will probably not be strictly implemented. This does not mean these agreements will lose their legal or political force. Simply put, over time practical approaches will need to be taken by all governments in the NWT if governance is to be effective, as has been the case with the Constitution of Canada itself.

So while the situation is not entirely predictable at this point, a clearer picture is emerging as each new agreement is concluded. These agreements will result in fundamental changes to many aspects of the way the Assembly and GNWT now do things, including:

• • law-making
• • policy-making
• • government decision-making
• • government operations, including program and service delivery
• • human resources management
• • land and resources matters
• • financial management including taxation and other revenues
• • capital assets and other facilities
• • intergovernmental relations.

There will be fundamental changes in the relationships among the community, regional and territorial levels of government. Responsibilities for law-making and for the delivery of several programs and services will change. Self-government agreements often involve systems for delivery of programs and services to all residents. The people we will hold accountable will consequently change. Governments will be required to consult more with each other and to coordinate and cooperate in their activities.

We have also been struggling to understand the practical issues surrounding implementation of self-government agreements. Again, the expression "implementation of self-government" can be misleading. Describing the evolution of a system of governance in this way can make it sound like a process that is done once or that can be completed in a specific time. By contrast we are unlikely to describe the political, economic and social processes that go on continuously in Canada as "implementing public government".

Government is simply the way we organize ourselves to achieve our common goals. Everyone is now talking about "partnerships", "stakeholder cooperation", "co-management", and "shared jurisdiction". We are all involved. We share responsibilities for finding common objectives and addressing competing interests.

We know that many people in many organizations and levels of government are thinking about these potential changes and are trying to find practical ways to manage a smooth transition. It is important to remember that change will occur over many years rather than completely and suddenly on a given date.

There was a time in the NWT and across Canada when communities were relatively self-sufficient and self-governing. One of the strongest trends of the 20th century has been the increasing involvement of many levels of government in virtually every aspect of our daily lives. How did this happen? One reason is that collectively we have chosen to organize ourselves in ways to improve the standards and conditions in which we live. Most of us now expect governments to deliver a broad range of important programs and services such as health, social services, education, transportation, housing and so on. If these roles and responsibilities are not carried out, we blame "government".

But again, who is the government? We are. In the NWT, with its small population and close-knit communities, the government is potentially every one of us, our friends and our neighbours. We, the residents of the NWT, make up all northern governments, whether it is the territorial government, bands, aboriginal councils, community governments, regional boards and agencies, and so on.

How can you help? In delivering this interim report, we want to encourage a full dialogue or conversation about how we can work together to make the NWT a better home for all residents. Most of us think we would do things differently if we were in charge, if we were the government. What would you change and what would you want to stay the same?

Imagine you have the opportunity and responsibility to make such choices...because in fact you do. This is what self-government involves, for all of us. Self-government agreements will place the emphasis back on the communities and the people. The futures of all NWT communities will be linked together even more closely than they are today. The new relationships that will develop among our northern governments will depend on our attitudes, and our relationships with each other.

Mr. Speaker, our committee welcomes your views on these important matters. That concludes the introduction to our interim report.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the interim report of the Special Committee on Implementation on Self-Government and the Sunset Clause be received and adopted by the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. We have a motion. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a very special person in the gallery today and if you will bear with me, I'd like to say a few words about her.

Heather Crowe worked for 40 years as a waitress in different cities in Eastern Canada. For much of her career, she worked 60 hours a week to provide for herself and her daughter. Ms. Crowe has never smoked and never lived with a smoker but, as Heather herself says, "the air was blue with tobacco smoke where I worked."

Ottawa's 2001 bylaw banning smoking in workplaces including restaurants came too late for Heather. In the spring of 2002, she was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. In the fall of 2002, she was awarded compensation from the Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board that accepted her claim that lung cancer was caused by life-long occupational exposure to tobacco smoke. She's now the subject of a powerful Health Canada advertising campaign calling people's attention to the dangers of second hand smoke. Ms. Crowe has said, "I want to be the last person to die from second hand smoke at work." She is now doing volunteer work with Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada actively campaigning to help create smoke-free workplaces everywhere in Canada. Along with Ms. Crowe, Mr. Speaker, are Neil Collishaw with the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada and also Shawn McCann, a public relations officer with the Workers' Compensation Board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Colleagues, I would like to direct your attention to the presence in the visitors' gallery and in the Speaker's gallery of Margaret Bertulli from WCB; and, Dr. Andre Corriveau, the chief medical health officer of the Northwest Territories. Please welcome them.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, rarely do I have the opportunity to introduce someone in the gallery from the constituency of Inuvik Boot Lake. Today I have the privilege of introducing Mr. Brian Campbell and Mr. Brian McDonald.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we all have people who work behind the scenes in our offices, not visible here in the Legislature. I would like to introduce someone today who is the daughter of Hilda Camirand; Andrea is visiting us today.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

I would like to take this opportunity again to welcome you all to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following my Member's statement on the Wildlife Act and the concerns raised by the Inuvialuit Game Council, I have questions to be directed to the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, correspondence from the Inuvialuit Game Council raises a number of concerns. I know it's very recent correspondence, so the Minister probably hasn't had a chance to look at it, but the council's concern is about the processes used. The Minister did state that they had come up with what he felt was something that could move this along. So I would like to know from the Minister what has been put in place that would move this process along and would be satisfactory to all partners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that this consultation has been ongoing for a couple of years now by the Department of RWED. In the correspondence from the game council, they use the Yukon's example saying they had managed to do that within six months and bring legislation forward. So is the model being used now? As the Minister stated, he just directed his staff to work with him. Is that Yukon model being used?

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister stated on behalf of their own legal counsel develop some of the drafting. My understanding is that even our own drafters have not been at the table when discussions have been ongoing. Is that correct? If it is, is that going to change so that we won't be able to bring drafters to the table? So that, instead of meeting one time to discuss issues, going back to the Justice department to discuss them, and bringing them back to the table and taking care of it in one sitting, is that process going to be taken into consideration now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question now is, when discussions are happening with the land claims groups, will the Department of RWED have Justice staff at the table at the same time so that they can speed the process along?

The honourable Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I think that we have come to understand that as we approach the end of this Assembly, there is major legislation that has fallen off the agenda. One of them is the major amendments to municipalities and it is raising a concern among municipalities and the Association of Municipalities that this is not going to make it in the life of this Assembly. I would like to ask the Minister to state for the record and make a public statement about why this legislative proposal and amendment fell off of the agenda. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the process MACA is using is to assure that this legislation is passed by this Assembly. This is the fastest process we have in hand right now. We table it in this session, we are hoping to introduce it in the June session, the committee will do their work over the summer and we could debate it and have the final reading in the fall session.

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That might be contrary to what the common understanding of the people is. Mr. Speaker, I think that all of us are operating under the assumption that any major legislation that has to see the light of the day has to get a second reading in this session, so that it could have a proper public consultation process to assure a third reading by June. If the Minister was prepared to table it as a tabled document, why did he not introduce it as a bill in the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, we did hope to introduce it in this session. However, we are having problems with the translation aspect of it and the amount of work Justice has because it's such a thick document. The best we can do is what we are doing right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going by the Minister's answer then, is it entirely possible that this legislation will see the light of the day and the Minister is still working to have it come into effect by the end of this Assembly?

The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. We are really hoping to see this legislation in place by the fall session, at the end of the fall session. As we've said, the draft legislation and initiatives have all been through the consultation process now since 1995. So there has been a lot of consultation done on it. The municipalities definitely would like to see this sped up because it not only saves them money, it saves the government money as well. We have to keep funding them any time insurance costs go up. This new legislation would put some brakes on what municipalities would be liable for. So there are definitely advantages to both municipalities and the government. The only piece of legislation that is not being introduced that would be part of the package in June would be the settlement legislation. We haven't completed that yet, so it would be ready for introduction in June and the whole package would then be taken by the committee to the public for consultation. But because so much consultation was already done, we expect that there shouldn't be any... We are not foreseeing any difficulties in putting the legislation in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, by the Minister's answers it appears he's well aware of the importance of the issue and the beneficial aspects of getting it into law. The only thing that's getting in the way of this law becoming law is getting translation done because all other aspects of the work have been done. May I ask the Minister for a commitment that he will keep working on it to make sure that bill is introduced in the June session? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have no problem making that commitment because we've been given some assurance by Justice that they have the ability to handle it by June. So I will make sure that I will work with my colleagues to make sure this is ready for introduction in June.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in my Member's statement this afternoon on support for northern business, I said, I believe and I think most Members of this House believe, it is important to support northern business. Right now, we really only have our gut feelings to go by. So we have programs like the Business Incentive Policy and we have the Development Corporation and BCC, and we have loan guarantees. They are all funded because we think it is important to support northern business. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of RWED. I'll start with the Minister of Finance. Has the Minister discussed with his staff developing a method to assess the net economic impact of government taxes and other economic measures like the BIP that some would call, perhaps, a macro economic tool. Has the Minister discussed developing that kind of tool?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I have discussed that with my staff. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Simple direct answers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister advise the House what the result of that conversation was please?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the results were very positive. Mr. Speaker, in all seriousness, we have discussed this for a number of years. In fact, very early in the life of this government the Member raised with me the notion of doing macroeconomic models for the Northwest Territories. Given our limited fiscal ability, given the limited ability for taxation and royalties and so on, it has to be somewhat limited. So, Mr. Speaker, we are working on a number of fronts on that. Trying to assess, for example, the benefits of BIP or even the benefits of a northern manufacturing policy and so on are pieces of it. Mr. Speaker, it is a very complex task and I don't have a document that says here's a macroeconomic model and its implications for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government puts a lot of money into economic programs and the Minister is always looking for new revenues. So taxes, tax rates, tax changes and new taxes are always under consideration. Has the Minister considered approaching the Minister of RWED and combining staff from Finance and Economic Development to see if they can't develop such a tool that would help us assess the value of our programs?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, not necessarily for the specific purpose the Member refers to, although we could have a good discussion between the economics people in RWED and our people, especially in the bureau of statistics. I know they work very closely on this kind of modeling and I would urge them to continue to work along those lines. I take the Member's suggestions very seriously. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's response that he sees the importance of this. Does the Minister hold any hope that he will be able to develop a tool that might be useful before the end of this government?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, as we look at the organization structure of our government, one of the things that we want to do is to ensure that we have maximum efficiency. Will we have a tool that is completed before the end of this government? I don't think we'll have a completed one. I think this is an ongoing exercise that changes as we change our fiscal relationships among ourselves, the federal government and aboriginal self-governments. As we're negotiating devolution, resource revenue sharing and all of those pieces keep changing any kind of model that we would be looking at. Will we have a completed model? Not likely, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister Responsible for FMB, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, certainly I will cooperate with all the Members and especially the special committee on small communities to try to achieve what Mr. Nitah is referring to. Mr. Speaker, I say that although knowing that we have given an interim response to the special committee's interim report and I understand that that committee will be reporting back in June. I've offered to meet with the committee several times and I'll do that. I'd like to work cooperatively with the Members of that committee to figure out ways we can achieve what Mr. Nitah is referring to, where we help people to become much more self-sufficient. I think our government has to work well with the committees of this Legislative Assembly on those kinds of exercises. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister Responsible for FMB, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the Member has asked me to provide him with a list of salaries by community that has been provided today. I don't know if he's seen it yet but it has been provided, and that outlines the amount that we are putting in salaries into each community. We have our deputy Ministers committee that is looking at the structure and organization of our government. Hopefully that will give us some assistance as well. Mr. Speaker, when we look at the terms of these special committees and so on, I interpret those terms as broader than just the financial arrangement. I'd like to look at how we distribute the wealth in the Northwest Territories more equitably as something we as a government and also the special committee would work together on. I'm certainly willing to work with the Member. I will bring forward what I can in terms of my thoughts on how we do that and how we can get jobs into the communities. I think we all have to work together on it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, certainly I would take that back to Cabinet. I'm not the government; I can't make a commitment on behalf of government. I have to talk to all of my colleagues on Cabinet to make any kind of commitment to table anything in June but I will review the Hansard and try to pick out exactly what the Member is asking, and refine it so we can agree on it and I'll take it to my colleagues on Cabinet. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister Responsible for FMB, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, if the Member wants this, instead of sending income support workers to the community, send someone to do job applications, we will do that. I don't think that's what he means and I think it's more than that. I want to speak with the Member more to understand what it is we want. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, the Minister for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development announced that a long-standing dispute had been settled with Sirius Diamonds Limited regarding the use of the polar bear logo. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance if he could advise me of some of the background to this deal. The business arrangement that was announced says that Sirius is going to be the only diamond manufacturer to hold a licence for a four-legged polar bear design for ten years. Could the Minister advise, Mr. Speaker, what was the business basis of this exclusive arrangement? Thank you.