Good afternoon, Members. Before we begin the regular orders of the day, I would like to provide my ruling on the Point of Order raised by the Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee, during question period yesterday, June 10, 2003. Ms. Lee rose on a Point of Order under Rule 23(h),(i) and (j) with respect to answers given by the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, to her earlier questions. Stating her Point of Order, Ms. Lee said, and I quote from page 2087 of the unedited Hansard: "Minister Miltenberger in answering my questions stated that I was sending out misleading information or falsehood or words to that effect, that I was unduly scaring the public out there when I was making a statement about what my constituent had said and she was interviewed in the paper."

Ms. Lee went on to reference a response Mr. Miltenberger made to a question from Mr. Bell. I, again, quote from page 2087 of the unedited Hansard: "he said there was a concern raised by the general practitioners about the specialist locum and that he has just dealt with that issue at noon today. So the Minister just admitted that there was a concern expressed."

Specifically, as clearly as the chair was able to ascertain from a review of the unedited Hansard, Ms. Lee contended that Minister Miltenberger had contravened Rule 23(j), which states that a Member shall be called to order if the Member charges another Member with uttering a deliberate falsehood. As I indicated, the chair has carefully and thoroughly reviewed the unedited Hansard and to put this matter into some context, I will refer to a number of quotes.

On page 2073 of the unedited Hansard in responding to Ms. Lee's question about the locum contingency for obstetrics and gynaecology, Mr. Miltenberger stated: "Every locum we hire who is qualified to practice in the Northwest Territories is registered as a medical doctor. There has been misinformation, deliberate or otherwise unfortunately it would appear, that leads people to believe that that is not the case. We've also had the unfortunate occurrence last week during Seniors' Week to have a locum's reputation and capability questioned because of his age."

On page 2074, Mr. Miltenberger went on to state: "I would just hope that people would put out the best facts they have, and not cause alarm and not make statements questioning the locums when we know in this House that we don't hire anybody but qualified doctors. We can't. Our rules are very clear. We should not be causing needless apprehension among patients and people, women and pregnant women."

On page 2074 and 2075, Ms. Lee asked the following supplementary question: "My question to the Minister is that we know, and I know, that he's been getting e-mail and correspondence that I have, that says that the family doctors in Yellowknife and the parents who are expecting babies have no faith in the locum contingent. I'd like to know what he has done, since this has been revealed, to accommodate their lack of faith in the locum contingent."

Mr. Miltenberger's response is found on page 2075 of the unedited Hansard, and I quote: "...first let me be very clear. I do not know these people Ms. Lee refers to. My comments were directed specifically at the Members here who have been making comments, who have been making these comments in this forum, in this House." Mr. Miltenberger furthered stated, again I quote from page 2075 of the unedited Hansard: "...there are a lot of forces at play here, and to come into this House and call into question the credibility of all the locums is, I think, unfortunate."

Very clearly this is a highly charged issue and it may be safe to say that at the very least, the facts may be in dispute. This is not an unusual occurrence in our line of work. In fact, it happens regularly because the facts of any matter are often in dispute, the parliamentary authorities recognize this and make allowances for it. I refer respectfully to Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms, 6th Edition, Citation 494 on page 151: "It has been formally ruled by Speakers that statements by Members respecting themselves and particularly within their own knowledge must be accepted. It is not unparliamentary temperately to criticize statements made by Members as being contrary to the facts; but no imputation of intentional falsehood is permissible. On rare occasions, this may result in the House having to accept two contradictory accounts of the same incident."

It is evident to the chair, from the comments made by both Ms. Lee and Mr. Miltenberger, that there is a divergence of opinion and that the facts of the matter are in dispute. It is not for the chair to ascertain who is right or which interpretation is correct. Therefore, the chair will confine itself to a determination of whether any of the comments made constitute a breach of any of our rules, specifically Rule 23(j.)

In carefully reviewing unedited Hansard, I note that while Mr. Miltenberger does make a number of references to the dissemination of information contrary to the information in his possession, he does not go so far as to name any particular Member until he states that his comments: "Were directed specifically at the Members here who have been making comments, who have been making these comments in this forum, in this House," as taken from page 2075 of the unedited Hansard. This point causes the chair some concern in that while Mr. Miltenberger did not refer to a particular question, his comments did call into question whether a Member or Members were uttering falsehoods. When this is coupled with the fact that Mr. Miltenberger earlier, on page 2073 of the unedited Hansard stated, and I quote: "There has been misinformation, deliberate or otherwise, unfortunately, it would appear, that leads people to believe that this is not the case."

Taken together, these comments infer that there has been a deliberate attempt to disseminate misleading or inaccurate information by a Member or Members of the House and, therefore, I find that Ms. Lee does have a Point of Order under Rule 23(j.)

---Applause

Order, please. I am not finished. I want to take this opportunity to remind all Members, and to caution you, that while the House is prepared to accept more than one version of events or issues, or more than one set of facts as Members believe them to be, the House is not prepared to accept charges from Members that any misinformation is brought to the Chamber deliberately. I urge all Members to choose your words carefully and wisely, especially in dealing with emotionally-charged issues.

I am also going to take this opportunity to make a rather important point about your duty and responsibility to protect persons who are not Members of this House by refraining from making comments that could cause injury to persons outside the House.

I would like to quote a short passage from page 524 of Marleau and Montpetit's "House of Commons Procedure and Practice."

"The House has ruled that Members have a responsibility to protect the innocent, not only from outright slander, but from any slur directly or indirectly implied and has stressed that Members should avoid as much as possible mentioning by name people from outside the House who are unable to reply and defend themselves against innuendo."

The chair is aware that a member of the public was not named directly. However, it is also very clear that we are a small constituency and the medical community is a smaller one still. Naming a particular individual is not necessary for serious damage to result. I want to strongly advise all Members to refrain from further reference of this nature and encourage you to be extremely vigilant in this regard.

Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the past two days, I have been away meeting with my colleagues at the Western Premiers' Conference which was held at Kelowna, British Columbia. Before I left, I indicated to you there were three issues of particular importance to our government and the Northwest Territories: diamonds, devolution and federal economic development funding in the North. Today I would like to report on the progress made at the conference.

I am pleased that we secured the support of the western Premiers to work together to launch a national diamond strategy for the expansion of Canada's growing diamond industry.

In an effort to ensure that Canadians receive the full benefit of Canada's diamond resource, Premiers agreed that a national diamond strategy which addresses exploration, mining and value-added is required.

We also agreed to invite the federal government to join all the provinces and territories in the development of a Canadian diamond strategy including the open exchange of issues associated with the promotion of a Canadian secondary diamond industry.

Another important topic of interest to all Premiers was how to improve the provincial and territorial relationship with the federal government. We agreed that improvements could be made without constitutional change. For example, annual First Ministers' meetings with jointly negotiated agendas would be an important first step to improving federal/provincial/territorial relations. I am proud to report to you that my colleagues have lent their unequivocal support to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to negotiate a fair devolution agreement with the federal government, which includes a fair share of resource revenues. All Premiers agreed that the territories, like provinces, should manage and control their resources and benefit from their development. Premiers also agreed upon initiatives on Senate reform and participation in international negotiations.

The three territories continue to be the only jurisdictions in Canada without a federally funded economic development program. Premier Fentie and I lent our support to Premier Okalik, who succeeded in securing western Premiers' support for northern economic development agreements.

A major issue for the western Premiers was BSE, mad cow disease. Premiers recognized that the closure of the American border has had an impact not only on the cattle industry, but also on the outfitting industry as the export of wild meat to the US has been banned. Premiers called upon the federal government to take immediate action to open the border as soon as possible. Our Ministers, federal/provincial/territorial, of Agriculture will meet in Vancouver on Friday, to continue discussions.

Mr. Speaker, healthcare funding also continues to be a priority issue for western Premiers and they called upon the federal government to increase its share of healthcare funding in line with what was identified in the Romanow report.

I was encouraged with the sense of cooperation among western Premiers to deal with difficult issues. I look forward to further advancing the interests of the NWT at the annual Western Premiers' Conference next year in Inuvik and as well at the beginning of July at the Annual Premiers' Conference which will be held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, most of us do not give a second thought to starting a vehicle, running up a set of stairs or picking up a few groceries. These tasks, along with many others, are part of our everyday life, but that is not the case for 13 percent of NWT residents who are living with a disability. People living with a disability may often feel a loss of independence. However, proper programs, supports and services can help meet the challenges of daily life.

Mr. Speaker, June 8th to 14th is NWT Disability Awareness Week. This week's theme is Access Benefits Everyone. We know people with disabilities have a right to access the same services and facilities as non-disabled individuals. To ensure this is being done, I ask Members of this Assembly and NWT residents to consider what they can do to enhance the lives of the disabled in their community.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is also taking action to address the needs of persons living with disabilities. The Disability Steering Partnership was created in 2001 to develop a draft NWT disability framework and companion action plan. This partnership is made up of representatives from the departments of Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and Municipal and Community Affairs, as well as representatives from non-government agencies including the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, Yellowknife Association for Community Living and the YWCA of Yellowknife.

The partners prioritized key areas to guide the development of effective programs and services for persons with disabilities in the NWT. Those five building blocks are: education; employment; income; disability supports; and, housing.

The draft framework was released in November 2002 and subsequent focus groups were held in Yellowknife and Inuvik in December to review the framework and action plan. The feedback has been positive and the working group has been lauded by non-government agencies and steering committees as a model of a successful partnership.

Mr. Speaker, the framework and action plan will be ready for final approval this fall. These two documents will be our guide to ensure people living with disabilities in the NWT enjoy greater independence in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to update Members on the government's plans for addressing the recommendations put forward by the Special Committee on the Review of the Official Languages Act in its report, One Land, Many Voices.

First of all, I would like to thank the Members of the committee for their efforts. The committee's report provides many recommendations on ways the Government of the Northwest Territories can help preserve and strengthen languages in the Northwest Territories. Some of these recommendations will be relatively easy to implement during the remaining term of this government. Others are more complex and will require further study.

One of the recommendations we believe we can accomplish now is to amend the Official Languages Act. The committee included a draft bill in its report for this purpose. Many of the proposed changes would clarify terminology and more clearly establish roles and responsibilities relating to the Official Languages Commissioner.

We recognize that the current act is over 10 years old and needs some updating. I would like to advise Members that the Government of the Northwest Territories will introduce a bill to amend the Official Languages Act and that this bill will adopt those recommendations that can be implemented at this time without further study. Minister Ootes will be introducing this bill for first reading later today.

Some other legislative changes may be required to implement some of the committee's recommendations. These include some of the recommendations related to education, which may require changes to the Education Act. The Government of the Northwest Territories believes it is important to address these changes in an orderly fashion and will consider further legislative initiatives as it considers how to implement the committee's recommendations.

Not all of the committee's recommendations will require legislative change. Many of the recommended changes can be accomplished through existing government programs and processes. However, some of the committee's recommendations are relatively complex and may have financial and organizational implications for the government. They may also affect the services and programs of a number of different departments.

Determining how to best address these recommendations will require an interdepartmental approach. It will also be important to address these in a careful and orderly fashion. Taking the time to study these changes will allow us to fully understand their potential impact before we undertake them.

Changes that will require significant reallocation of or new financial resources or changes to programs and services may best be dealt with through the government's business planning process. This will allow the government and Members of the Assembly the opportunity to consider how to best implement and finance changes recommended by the committee in the context of overall government priorities and our financial position.

Mr. Speaker, there is a Minister responsible for each piece of legislation passed by this legislature. Currently, responsibility for the Official Languages Act rests with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Jake Ootes. Minister Ootes will continue to take the lead in responding to the report of the Special Committee on the Review of the Official Languages Act and its recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important to preserve and support the growth and use of all the NWT's official languages. During the remaining months of our term, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to strengthen our commitment and work on ways we can do this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, 2002 was the first year of the fire service merit awards program.

This program was designed to recognize important contributions of community firefighters and fire departments in protecting individual residents and communities from the devastation caused by fire.

The department recognized the contributions of four individual firefighters on October 10, 2002, with the announcement of the first regional winners of the individual fire service awards, as well as the first territorial service merit award winner.

The department also called for nominations for the 2002 community fire service merit award. The community fire service merit award is presented to one community to recognize the efforts of the fire department and the entire community to improve the local fire protection system. The deadline for this award was extended to December 31, 2002, to ensure all nominations for communities could be included in the selection process.

Five communities have been nominated for this award. They are: Fort Smith; Fort Resolution; Hay River; Fort Simpson; and, Norman Wells.

The process of determining the winner of the community award involves completion of an assessment by the office of the fire marshal in cooperation with regional fire service officials.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce at this time that the 2002 winner of the community fire service merit award is the Town of Norman Wells. The Norman Wells Fire Department was nominated for improvements to its training program, its organizations, command and control, emergency planning and public education activities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of this House please join me in congratulating the Norman Wells Fire Department for being awarded this prestigious honour in the first year of the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. I would just like to ask the Members of the House, if you have a conversation you want to carry on, do it in another room. It's difficult to hear the speaker, and the chair is interested in what all Members have to say, except those in private conversations. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in early May of this year, we had in this Chamber the NWT Youth Parliament. I think this is a great program. I congratulate the Legislative Assembly staff for the work they do in putting this on. During the NWT Youth Parliament, the constituency of Frame Lake was represented by a young gentleman from St. Pat's by the name of Matthew Harvey, who is today in the audience. He made a statement on teenage homelessness. Mr. Speaker, I think this statement is extremely appropriate and I would like to read his statement into the record.

Mr. Speaker, incidents of teenage homelessness in Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories are becoming more and more frequent. Many teenagers are forced to leave home for various reasons, two examples being violent and abusive parents or parents who are alcoholics or drug addicts.

These teenagers are having to live out of backpacks either on the street or moving from house to house, trying to find friends willing to give them a safe place to sleep. If no such place is available, then the teens have no alternative other than to sleep on the streets. As a result of existing in this way, numerous teens drop out of school to work so they can afford food, clothing and housing. This is a less than satisfactory outcome as we are losing valuable human resources for the Northwest Territories' future. However, Mr. Speaker, those who drop out to seek jobs can be seen as success stories, as the other side of the coin is that many of the others resort to less favourable choices of income such as prostitution, theft and drug dealing.

Mr. Speaker, many of us have heard the term "throw-away generation," and maybe thought it referred to materialism and possessions, but it also aptly describes how Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories actually view and treat abandoned teenagers. Mr. Speaker, these "throw-away" teens are between the ages of 16 and 18 years. The reason for this is that once a young person turns 16, child protection services no longer classifies them as a child. They are classified as an adult and are, therefore, too old to fall under the Child Protection Act. The catch-22 comes in when the young person who has now been labelled an adult attempts to find shelter in an adult homeless shelter. The shelter has no option but to turn them away. Why? Because under the act that the adult shelters fall under, persons under the age of 18 are classified as children and children may not be housed with adults who are not relatives. Mr. Speaker, I seek consent to continue my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking 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. So, Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, what do we do with these non-adults who are no longer children? The answer is nothing. We pretend they do not exist. We hope someone else will deal with the problem. In fact, our laws allow them to slip through the cracks.

Considering the emotional devastation, humiliation and aimless void that is caused by these appalling circumstances and the feelings of utter worthlessness and abandonment, we should not be surprised when these castaway teens turn to drugs, alcohol and violence themselves. Is it any wonder that these teens feel like nothing and have little respect for the older generation when in reality they are treated worse than garbage? You see, when you throw garbage away, it at least goes to the dump. But when we throw away these young lives, where do they go? The sad truth, Mr. Speaker, is that they have nowhere to go and that is completely unacceptable. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about the value of a diversified economy. Hay River, which is definitely not a one-industry town, is a good example of this principle, although some of those small sectors do need government attention from time to time. We have all heard of small mining or fishing or factory communities in other parts of Canada which completely shut down when the one industry that they depended on collapses. Indeed, we have an example here in the NWT, the former town of Pine Point.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford either to be a one or two-industry territory. Just as smart investors diversify their portfolios to maximize returns and minimize risk, we need to look beyond the diamonds and hydrocarbons to other areas of potential growth. We must heed the advice of the old saying, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Oil, gas and mineral prices are susceptible to changes in global supply and demand. Today we are fortunate to enjoy a relatively high barrel price for oil, and the diamond industry is expected to turn a profit for many years to come, but what if the winds of change begin to blow sooner than expected?

The government hasn't done as much as they should for commercial fishing, agriculture, hunting and trapping, timber harvesting, trophy hunting and ecotourism. These industries, if properly handled, could also bring greater economic rewards to the Territories. Though these are all relatively small industries alone, taken together they will help the NWT's economy to flourish and they will all become more important in the future when, as is bound to happen, some of our non-renewable resources are used up.

Mr. Speaker, it is not my intention to focus on the negative and forecast a downturn in any sector of our economy, but I want this government to make every effort to ensure that our territory's prosperity continues to grow in the future. However, I am concerned that if we become fixated on only large-scale, non-renewable sectors to the exclusion of others, we are placing our economic future at risk.

The GNWT can begin by simplifying a process, removing unnecessary obstacles and assisting with access to regulatory process when necessary for some of the smaller businesses. It will also be important to develop viable management practices for our renewable resources because perhaps the single most important factor for renewability is how the resource is managed.

Mr. Speaker, the economy of the NWT is doing very well right now and every effort must be made to ensure that our current prosperity only continues to grow in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. On May 26th, I was pleased to present, on behalf of my colleagues from Range Lake, Yellowknife South and Frame Lake, our position concerning the 237,000 tons of arsenic trioxide stored underground at the Giant Mine site.

As Members of the Legislative Assembly, we place the safety of our people and the security of our environment as our number one and number two priorities.

Mr. Speaker, we told the Giant Mine Remediation Project Committee that in our view, it has done a very satisfactory job in respect to the processes that its mandate covered in the technical, scientific areas, and in communication with the community.

From the start, Mr. Speaker, many Yellowknifers believed that because this was a problem that was created mainly in our lifetime by our generation, that we should be the ones fully responsible for solving it. That meant, for at least some of us, digging this stuff up, rendering it harmless somehow, and then putting it away so that no future generation would ever have to deal with it again.

Mr. Speaker, through the committee's work, a number of us have been convinced that that is not possible. As desirable as it might be, it is just not possible. We are convinced, Mr. Speaker, that any handling by workers or exposure to the surface of the arsenic material is risky, unwarranted and unneeded. Our position is that we reject any surface treatment or management option for the arsenic and believe that only the underground method of freezing it in place can be acted on.

We recommend that the door remain open for further evaluation of other alternatives, but we temper this, Mr. Speaker, with the concern that we may end up in a perpetual research project. The recommendations that the panel has developed and that the peer review group has gone through gives us reasonable assurance that freezing in place is the most responsible and viable approach to recommend to the Government of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, we know how difficult it can be to get on and remain on the federal radar screen. There are many pressing environmental issues that attract Ottawa's attention and we should be mindful of this. The arsenic is, after all, not an immediate threat to the health and safety of the Yellowknife region. Mr. Speaker, I would like to request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, colleagues. As I was saying, this is something that, while it is not an immediate threat to our environment, we need to keep this at the priority level with Ottawa. As we look at the ever-changing political environment in Ottawa, we need certainty that this issue will continue to hold its current priority status with DIAND and Canada, even if recommendations involve further study and commitments of time and resources. We rely on Canada's commitment to see this problem through to an effective resolution. It appears that we have or are within reach of an approach that could be acceptable to the community. We need our federal government's commitment to follow through. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Delorey, your time for Member's statement is over. Mr. Delorey.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a serious issue in the communities with respect to the property taxes being levied against aboriginal peoples and the negative impact it is causing to those First Nations people who are refusing to pay. Mr. Speaker, many of these First Nations people are refusing to pay because of the fact that land ownership is in question on non-settled claim areas. As we are all aware, the Government of Canada recognizes and acknowledges that First Nations people have rights distinct from the non-aboriginal population of this country. This is confirmed through various historical treaties signed by Canada through the land claims agreements entered into and through Section 35 of the Constitution which provides protection of treaty rights.

Mr. Speaker, although the federal government recognizes First Nations rights, there is continued disagreement on what those rights are. Taxation is one of them. What I am attempting to convey here is that many First Nations people residing in the communities are being forced into making a decision on whether or not to exercise their rights as a First Nations person. These very people are being forced into a very difficult situation while at the same time trying to earn a living in order to provide for life's necessities. They have to decide to exercise the rights of the First Nations people such as not paying property taxes. They are then penalized and stopped from accessing various government programs.

Mr. Speaker, with ongoing negotiations between the federal government and First Nations, which include negotiations with respect to land ownership and taxation matters, this government should consider the position of those First Nations people. We must keep in mind that significant agreements have been signed by the Deh Cho, such as the interim land withdrawal and interim resource management agreement, and such agreements are taken seriously by First Nations and viewed as an important step towards resolving outstanding issues within Canada.

Mr. Speaker, considering the complexity of issues facing First Nations people in our communities, I would recommend that this government consider a moratorium on the imposition of property taxes until such issues between First Nations and Canada are finalized or, as an alternative, set aside in trust, any property taxes paid until issues are dealt with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of all the development out there on the pipeline, oil and gas, mining and the diamond industry, one of the biggest challenges that we face in our communities is to ensure that we have the capacity to take advantage of these business opportunities by ensuring that the majority of the wealth that comes from these projects and activities arrives at the doors of the small communities. Mr. Speaker, the Norman Wells oilfield is a good example of what we have seen happen in the past. There is a pipeline which runs from Norman Wells to Zama, Alberta. Mr. Speaker, there are 33,000 barrels of oil flowing through that pipe every day, in excess of $300 million a year. Yet, Mr. Speaker, few benefits have flowed from that pipeline to the people of the Northwest Territories. It is the federal government that benefits most.

I feel that when we talk of a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley, we cannot use the excuse that we are not ready. We as a government have a responsibility to ensure that we assist in building capacity in our communities through education and skills training programs, and that the communities are involved in the flood of information and land use permits and activities that are happening around them. What we find in the small communities is they do not even have the capacity to take on the meaningful role of hiring enough people in their offices to look at land use permits. We must respond to the environmental challenges that are out there and build the human resources to ensure that the jobs that will come from this major development are going to be filled with people from the Northwest Territories and not elsewhere.

I know that a lot of people, especially in my riding, would like to work in the diamond mines during the months of the year when there are no activities in the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea area, but because of social and economic agreements with other parties there is a reluctance to hire people from the North. Instead we are importing people from the south to fill those positions, even though people in the North who want to go to work elsewhere...

Mr. Krutko, time for your Member's statement is over. Mr. Krutko.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest challenges we face in our communities is the cost of transportation from our remote communities to where the activities and developments are taking place so that we can get people from the workplace back to their homes and ensure that we as a government are able to assist there. One thing that I am very annoyed about is that this government seems to be off there talking with people in Ottawa, talking to the provincial leaders. But when it comes down to the people in our communities they are the ones that at the end of the day are going to feel the social and economic impacts that come with this. Where are they in this picture? For some reason, in talking to people in the communities I have heard that they feel they are being left out. These decisions are made at the top and whatever decision is going to be made, the people at the bottom will be the ones impacted.

I think as a government we have a responsibility to ensure that we maximize the benefits of these major developments. We have to do more to ensure that the residents of the Northwest Territories and people in our small communities are a part of it.

With that, I will be asking the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development questions on this matter later. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that hockey season has once again come and gone, I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of a group of volunteers here in Yellowknife. Each year, the Yellowknife Oldtimer Hockey Association hosts a tournament called the Canadian North Balsillie Cup. The tournament is held here in town and it's starting to be considered one of the North's premier sporting events. This year's, Mr. Speaker, was one of the largest ever. I think there were 21 teams that came to participate, and 11 of the teams came from such far away points as Iqaluit and Inuvik. I understand, Mr. Speaker, our own -- I believe he's a defenseman -- our own flying defenseman Floyd Roland participated in the tournament for one of the Inuvik teams.

---Applause

---Interjection

That's right, good Members. It is almost a month later, Mr. Speaker, and I think he's now just starting to recover from all the ice time.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to commend a major sponsor of this event -- Canadian North -- and there were another 40 local businesses that contributed toward the tournament either through money, promotional material, equipment or other prizes. A major reason, as I said, for the success of this tournament is the countless hours of work the volunteers put in and dedicate to this fine event.

So I'd like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank the many sponsors and the volunteers for supporting the tournament and making it the successful event that it has become. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about the urgent need to bring the government and the specialists' negotiators back to the negotiating table. Today I would like to speak about the cost of not settling this issue, and the important obligation of this government and this legislature to closely examine and understand the overall cost.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the salary figures floating around are so big it's beyond what ordinary folk can comprehend. If anyone goes to the Web site on health information -- www.hisa.com -- we see a range of salary figures for specialists across the country in any given field, and in it we can find something as low as $10,000 or over $1 million a year. It only speaks to the complexity of this issue.

While this might make an interesting debate outside, I believe we have to do more of an in-depth cost benefit analysis in this House. Mr. Speaker, in the end, if we as a legislature decide that we no longer can afford specialist services north of 60, I'm prepared to accept the will of the House. But, Mr. Speaker, in order to get there, we need to have a lot more information, and my constituents want more information as well, Mr. Speaker, because so far the math doesn't look very good.

For example, we need to know how much we expect to pay for the locums we'll have up here to fill in for specialists, how much for flying patients from all of the NWT to south of 60 instead of to Yellowknife, all of the money we'll lose for not taking in Nunavut patients, all of the premium fee-for-service costs we'll pay to hospitals in Edmonton, High Level and Grande Prairie, the cost of operating Stanton Hospital that doesn't run at full capacity, any potential job losses at the hospital arising from it, just to name a few, Mr. Speaker, and the list goes on and on. Are we ready to pass supplementary after supplementary to make up for this cost, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, I did some more math on the impact of 12 specialists leaving the North. Assuming each of them is a family of four, we will lose the local income spending and the tax dollars from them. Furthermore, we will lose $17,000 a year federal transfer payments for 48 northern residents, which my elementary math tells me amounts to $816,000 in just the first year.

May I please end this statement, Mr. Speaker, by suggesting to the Minister of Finance that he starts calculating the financial cost of losing these valued northern residents from our government's coffers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements'. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, News/North describes them as the Edison twins of Tuk. Travis Anderson and Ryland Anderson, two of our school students, won honourable mention at the National Science Fair held in Calgary. These cousins, both in Grade 7, came out ahead of almost 500 young, amateur scientists with their project. The boys decided on this particular project after coming across a model of Edison's Reproducer in a science book. With some help from their teacher, Sharon Dyck, and materials they managed to scrounge at home, they created a sound system out of matchboxes, a needle and juice cans. Connecting all this and an old record player, they created their own set of crude, homemade speakers.

Mr. Speaker, everyone at Mangilaluk School is very proud of the boys' achievements. Their principal, Steve Moseychuck, says that Travis and Ryland are real role models for the rest of the children, as they have demonstrated how you can obtain great recognition and rewards in return for hard work and determination. Mr. Speaker, no doubt the proudest people of all are the parents of these bright students, David Anderson and Lynn Julian and Francis Anderson and Dolly Felix of Tuktoyaktuk.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to these two young scientists, good news no longer has to rely on the moccasin telegraph to travel fast to Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, I wish to congratulate Travis and Ryland and thank them and their parents and the staff of the Mangilaluk School for such a great effort to bring recognition to the Mangilaluk School at a national level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is with great pleasure today that I stand in this House to acknowledge achievements of the graduating class of 2003 from the Samuel Hearne Secondary School in Inuvik.

Mr. Speaker, the graduates from the riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes make me stand proud in this Assembly today. They have fulfilled the initial step in the lifelong learning process, and are much deserving of praise in doing so.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my people in the riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes, I want to congratulate the following students who made such an impression on us over the last year. They are Mandy Day, Angus Dillon, Christiana Elias, Allison Lennie, Chris Lennie, Melody Kimikisana, Corine Lindsay, Jan Otto, Brian Wood, Crystal Debastien, Nellie Elanik, Philip Jacobson, Ashley Lennie, Amanda Jones, Leah Kuptana, Nigit'stil Norbert, Candace Smith, and they also had Stephen McKay as an honourary graduate.

Mr. Speaker, these young adults definitely have a bright future ahead of them, so please join me in wishing them every success in their post-secondary education pursuit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Let me join the rest of the Members in congratulating both you and Celine for this memorable occasion. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was not going to wade into this discussion that's been going on in this House by Members about the current predicament we find ourselves in with the specialists in the Northwest Territories but, Mr. Speaker, I feel that it must be said that residents across the Northwest Territories have come to expect a certain level of care. It's taken a long time to get to that level and when it drops, there is much concern raised. But I think we must all, in this arena, think about other communities in the Northwest Territories that do not have the same level as we do in the larger centres, and I must even refer to my community of Inuvik where we have a lot more services than in Tuktoyaktuk or Holman or Sachs Harbour.

Mr. Speaker, with all the information that's going to and fro in this House and outside this House, I think we have to ask ourselves seriously what we're trying to accomplish. Are we trying to ensure that the government keeps its fiscal situation in tact, or are we trying to ensure that we give the best dollar to those potential specialists that would come and work in the Northwest Territories at any cost?

Mr. Speaker, we've already heard that negotiations have broken off. We have heard that the government has laid a certain percentage down to try to ensure that we're competitive across the country. We've heard or been presented information from the doctors' side that they would like to ensure that they are among the best remunerated across the country. But, Mr. Speaker, those discussions are no longer happening. The timing couldn't be better, and in our life, Mr. Speaker, timing is everything. That the break of negotiation happens just when this session gets underway, and resumption could potentially begin three days before we lose the specialists as it has been identified.

But, Mr. Speaker, we have to ask ourselves, has everything possible been done? Well, I think if both parties can't agree, as we found out throughout the world in a democratic society, governments have put into a place a process of arbitration. If parties cannot agree, then go to arbitration. So, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest, as has been suggested, that both parties go to binding arbitration as soon as possible and put the people back first where they belong, not behind closed doors. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Lafferty on March 11, 2003, regarding the Bathurst port and road project environmental review process.

The Department of RWED is funding this review and shares your concern regarding the impact on the people of the Northwest Territories, and most specifically to those in the Akaitcho, Tlicho and Yellowknife areas.

On March 12, 2003, at the 6th Session of the Legislative Assembly, Minister Antoine referred to a letter he had sent on March 6, 2003, to the Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. The letter asked him once again to review the Bathurst port and road project under the broader part 6 of section 12 of the Nunavut land claim agreement. This letter was a follow up to his initial letter sent to Minister Nault on August 19, 2002. A copy of this initial letter was also sent to the Nunavut Impact Review Board to be placed on the public registry.

Both letters stated similar concerns to those that you have expressed and also noted that our people depend on the wildlife of the area, especially the Bathurst caribou herd, and that many residents of the Northwest Territories, and other parts of Canada, benefit from business opportunities in the area. The notion of marine shipping in the Arctic has been raised as well, and is of particular concern to coastal communities such as Holman.

In mid-April 2003, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development referred the proposal back to the Nunavut Impact Review Board to request a new project proposal so that the department could make its decision based on current information. The Minister of the department cited various reasons for doing so, including transboundary issues such as marine transportation, the Bathurst caribou herd, and the established economics of the Western Arctic. In turn, the board referred the letter back to the proponent suggesting that a new project proposal be submitted by May 12th. The proponent was unable to do so.

When a new project description is received by the board, it will be referred again to the Minister of DIAND. In the interim, RWED staff have contacted the Nunavut Impact Review Board and requested to be listed as an interested party and receive regular updates. RWED staff have also shared caribou data with the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee to investigate the number of route crossings that might occur in the vicinity of the proposed road. RWED can also provide similar technical assistance to other organizations that are reviewing impacts of the project.

RWED will continue to monitor this project and take action as required. In the meantime, I welcome comments from Members of the Assembly. As with all environmental assessment processes, our residents and agencies are encouraged to participate directly. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize representatives from the Council of Persons with Disabilities who are in the gallery today: Ms. Cecily Hewitt and Michelle Peltier.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the author of my Members' statement today, again the Youth Parliament Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Matthew Harvey.

---Applause

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize Mr. Matthew Harvey. He has been around here so much that either he's going to become an MLA or a speech writer pretty soon. Mr. Speaker, he was Member for Frame Lake for Youth Parliament, but he's my constituent. He lives around the corner from me and I would like to welcome him to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say welcome to everyone who is here that has come to see the Legislative Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with my Member's statement today, I would like to address my questions to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories now there are fewer fish being caught, fewer trees being cut, if any, fewer furs being harvested, there's less agricultural activity now than there has been in years gone by. I would like to know to what the Minister attributes this decline and diminishing non-renewable resource sector. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister concur that there is still a tremendous amount of potential in these various sectors that he's spoke to and that I have questioned him about? Does he think there is a greater potential than is being realized today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. It may be an opinion, but a professional opinion. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that we are not realizing the potential that is in these various renewable resource sector businesses, I would like to ask the Minister if he and his department, even on a prorated basis... You know, down scale it versus what they spend on promoting diamonds and oil and gas, even on a lesser scale. Does he and his department pay enough attention to this potential which is not being maximized at this time?

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from a health perspective, we are very aware that respiratory problems are an issue in the Northwest Territories. Bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer. One of the major contributing factors, of course, is smoking. The issue of particulate matter and dust control is not an issue that I am fully aware of. I have listened to the debate with Transportation and MACA, but the Department of Health doesn't measure that type of figure in the communities. It's something we rely on other departments to do and if there are problems, we will assist in remedying them. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately even many of us who are non-smokers suffer the ravages of second-hand smoke. I will commit to the Member that I will take the time and check with the authorities and heath centres to see if they can give us an indication of any kinds of allergies or calls to the nursing stations and health centres that may be related to dust problems as an indication. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are talking health issues, health concerns. Very clearly the evidence is there in terms of respiratory problems. Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer and those related illnesses, there is a direct correlation to cigarette smoke. The Member has raised the issue that in his mind dust is a factor that affects the health of people. He has approached the Ministers of Municipal and Community Affairs, Public Works and Services, Transportation, and the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development just recently made a statement about clean air in this House. I know there are some monitors here that were put up 20 years ago. There was some discussion about possibly relocating those to other communities, possibly Lutselk'e, to see in fact if there is any substance to the concern, the point being that they have been there for 20 years and they are just now starting to look at and analyze that data. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First let me be very clear that the issue of personal choice and smoking and drinking, exercise, what you eat, are issues for all Northerners. Wherever you live they respect no age, no colour, no boundary by community and they are something we all must be clearly aware of. The health of the Northwest Territories residents is of concern across the land, not just small communities versus large communities or vice versa. The Member has indicated that in his opinion dust is a significant health issue in his community and we have indicated that we are going to make efforts to see what options there are to remediate the dust and I have just committed to checking to see if there are, in fact, any significant health indicators by visits to the community health and nursing stations that would give any kind of verifiable substance to the Member's concern. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What assurances do we have that DIAND will keep this project at the top of its priority list, Mr. Speaker, regardless of the kind of recommendations or terms that the committee is suggesting? Can the Minister advise just how the federal government is going to maintain the significance and the importance of cleaning this place up? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, a few short weeks ago there was a news item to the effect that the surface cleanup initiatives at Giant Mine, which our government has been deemed to have some responsibility in, have stopped. They have been stalled because of some kind of a dispute with DIAND over jurisdiction and responsibility for surface cleanup of mines in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister give us a status report on this apparent dispute? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. I just want to remind both the questioner and the Minister of the full slate of people wanting to ask questions. If the answers such as you are asking there are lengthy, it does cut into the question period, so perhaps some of these things would best be written questions and responses of such nature. However, I will let the Minister use his discretion. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Your final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, if progress is minimal that is disappointing, at least until the Minister advises what steps are being taken to get a resolution to this issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.

Thank you, Minister Antoine. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. It is in regard to my Member's statement on the activities and developments that are taking place in the North and ensuring that as a government we do everything we can to ensure that the maximum benefits flowing from these developments go to the people in the Northwest Territories and the residents of the small communities. I would just like to ask the Minister, what are we doing as a government to ensure that industry maximizes employment opportunities in northern communities during these development activities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has been getting into agreements with the mining industry and also has talks with the oil and gas industry and we have social and economic agreements in place. But I would just like to get some assurances from the Minister that those agreements are open to all residents of the Northwest Territories, regardless of whether they are from the Mackenzie Delta or the Beaufort Sea or the South Slave or the Deh Cho. The opportunities that are open and available should be filled by northern residents first, rather than having people come from the south to fill those positions. What is the government doing to ensure that the residents of the Northwest Territories have the advantage to take on opportunities in those industries?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Minister Antoine.