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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the RCMP for offering to take Ms. McPhee along on this research mission. I think we'll see in the coming months that this will have an impact like few other approaches could. I also want to thank the local paper for agreeing to send their reporter along to do the work. Clearly, she had to be out of town, there were other stories that she couldn't cover. There simply would have been a cost to a small business like the newspaper for doing something like this. I think as politicians quite often we like to criticize the media, feel that we're unfairly treated, and obviously that's because of the immense reach. Simply there are times, that to be honest, we'd rather they didn't have the reach when we're in compromising positions. By the nature of the media, you can see that this reach that they have is affecting our community, it is galvanizing support for this cause. I'm glad to see that. I wish the Community Wellness Coalition all success, and we'll continue to play an active role in this coalition. I think it's great to see something happening here. It's great to see members of our community mobilizing to find solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being Friday, I am pleased to make a statement on a good news story. Mr. Speaker, 29 competitors and 12 advisors from Skills Canada Northwest Territories and Nunavut, along with over 600 other competitors from across Canada attended the 9th Annual Canadian Skills Competition from May 29th to June 1st in Waterloo, Ontario. The two-day competition challenged participants through projects that tested their theoretical and practical knowledge in various trades and technology areas.

Skills Canada NWT/Nunavut experienced unprecedented success at these competitions, bringing home one gold, four silver and two bronze medals; a total of seven medals. Of the 29 NWT and Nunavut competitors, approximately 25 percent of the team placed in the top three in Canada. This is an enormous accomplishment that makes us all very, very proud indeed, Mr. Speaker.

The winner who received a gold medal in worksite safety is Isabel MacDougall from Iqaluit; and silver medal restaurant services, Joel Fortier from Iqaluit; from Team NWT a silver medal was received in heavy equipment mechanics by Reg Evans of Fort Smith; another silver medal in graphic design by Richard Walsh in Yellowknife; another silver medal in worksite safety by Mara Smith of Yellowknife; bronze medal in job interview by Amanda Johns of Inuvik; and a bronze medal in prepared speech by Mandy Lyons of Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, Allyson Stroeder, executive director of Skills Canada NWT/Nunavut deserves a lot of congratulations for this, but attributes the success of the team to the partnerships that the organization has been building in the North. For example, Mr. Speaker, this organization is the only one in Canada to insist that their competitors have completed the Workers' Compensation Board safety and the young worker program in order to compete in the worksite safety event. It is paying off, because the team won the gold last year and they won again this year.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that not only these medals, but the team spirit was so strong that this team tied with Alberta for the Spirit Award in the yelling and cheering contest at the closing ceremonies.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the NWT and Nunavut team have made their presence known to all other teams across Canada, and I'm sure everyone in the House joins me in sending our heartfelt congratulations for a job very well done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you very much, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, on March 5th of this year in the previous session, I tabled a petition of some 500 signatures from people in Yellowknife who are looking for answers to sustained and unaffordable increases in the cost of their rent.

Two days ago in this House, the Minister of Justice filed a response to that petition and in one area, Mr. Speaker, it was a fine answer, in fact one that had already been addressed where we were looking for more affordable housing to be built. Indeed, the Housing Corporation has assisted by making equity financing available to more builders, and much has been made of that and my compliments are duly given.

But, Mr. Speaker, on the issue of addressing affordable rents and the increases that many people have been experiencing, the Minister's response was a pathetic and flimsy and shabby and lazy attempt at taking the concerns of 500 people seriously. All the response did, Mr. Speaker, was dodge into the area of rent control. I'm running out of breath on this one, Mr. Speaker. I've said over and over and over, rent control is not something I want or the market wants. What we do want is a way for low and middle income people, who are seriously being hurt by rental increases, to be able to address this issue and find some way of resolving what is an unsustainable pressure on all sectors of our economy.

Mr. Speaker, the response demonstrated absolutely no innovation. It demonstrated absolutely no consultation, and it demonstrated absolutely no sensitivity to the situation that is affecting so many people here in Yellowknife and I think in communities that are also under the pressure of resource activity in the NWT. We're fortunate to have the kind of economic activity that we do have, Mr. Speaker, but the consequence of high rents is something that must be managed.

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. Mr. Braden, you may conclude.

Mr. Speaker, I reject that portion of the Minister's response to my voice and that of 500 other people in Yellowknife. With the resources that he has available as the Minister of Justice and as the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, I know he can do better. I would like him to go back and readdress the issue of affordable rental housing in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I got a letter from the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, responding to questions I asked in our last sitting about the Wildlife Act on March 12th. In his answer, Mr. Speaker, the Minister noted that rather than making amendments to the Wildlife Act -- because significant amendments were required to ensure consistency between the general provisions of the act and wildlife harvesting and management provisions of land claim agreements -- it was determined that it would be more prudent, timely and cost-effective to draft a new Wildlife Act.

But, Mr. Speaker, we've had, I think, one of the longest consultative processes ever undertaken for an act with our new Wildlife Act. Consultation has gone on for a number of years; very, very detailed consultation, in particular, for the last four years. In fact, we've spent, as a government, somewhere around $1.5 million over the past four years on the consultation process, and that was outlined in the letter the Minister sent me as well.

But, Mr. Speaker, if we don't bring this legislation forward in the life of this Assembly, this expenditure is put at risk. How many times have we seen initiatives get lost as elections come and go? Often, a new crew of legislators will have different priorities or may face a new rash of critical issues, and things that were higher up on the agenda of the Assembly before slip off and don't get done. I'm worried that what we have here is an opportunity missed.

We were first told by the Minister in the year 2000, when this process was started, that we would see new legislation by the fall of 2002 at the latest. Later on that slipped, and we were told that we would see it in the February/March session of 2003. Then later still, we heard, well, we'll certainly have it done by June 2003 so we can have it in the House and completed by October.

But now we've been told, Mr. Speaker, that we can't do it in the life of this Assembly. I'm really sorry to hear that. I know that I've had a look at the latest document that has been put out, which is called "Drafting a New Wildlife Act for the Northwest Territories - A Progress Report" and it's set out in there what would be included in the new act.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and honourable Members. Mr. Speaker, I've talked about what's in this document with my constituents. I know they were certainly pleased with what they saw. They thought it reflected a reasonable compromise between what I'm sure the department heard from different points of view, and they were prepared to accept the provisions set out in here as being quite acceptable. So they saw no reason for this not to proceed.

I know we've heard from other Members in this House that their regions felt that we should proceed with a new act. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm extremely disappointed that we have been told now that we won't see a new act. I really don't understand why, when the Minister last told this House that legislation could be tabled in this session. Why then, if that's possible, could we not table it in time that we could take it to second reading, get it to committee and have a chance of having it passed in October of this year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is National Seniors' Week and as a Member of the Legislature for the Sahtu, I wanted to add a few comments as well. In our language, in the particular dialect of Fort Good Hope, the word for elders or seniors is denehisha, which means somebody held in high esteem. In the other dialects of the Sahtu, it is odah, which also means the same thing. It's somebody held in high esteem. This is a value that is shared with the Inuit, with the Inuvialuit, with the Metis and all northern peoples. It's something that many of us have been raised with and this is something I believe that all of us should be very proud of and try to support this rather unique tradition.

Last night, there was a gathering elders, seniors, from across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, as well as every province across the country. They have a rather unique evening of entertainment. Mr. Speaker, as you know, no other jurisdiction in this country could possibly see an event take place like that where the Speaker of the Legislature would actually be the master of ceremonies. As well Members of the Legislature Jane Groenewegen and Mr. Paul Delorey were amongst the many people who came to show the seniors and elders that we are close to our communities, close to our people. The commissioner, Glenna Hansen, and I provided some entertainment, as well. The remarks were very well received that people across the country came to see that this is a very unique and different jurisdiction. I wanted to share that with people because I think this is one of the many elements as to why people will continue to come here.

If I could ask unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, to conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his wonderful statement. Are there any nays?

---Laughter

There are no nays, Mr. Premier. You may conclude.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to share something on a personal side. My father-in-law who has been coming here to the North since 1982, he came to Fort Good Hope in the middle of the winter, he's been here, Hay River, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson. We've taken a river trip down the Mackenzie River together. In 1998, Neil and his wife Ellen Wilson, brought for the first time Neil's younger brother Cec, along with his wife Lois, from southern Ontario. One day he remarked to his younger brother with tremendous pride and humour, he said, "Cec, here we are elders, back home we are nothing but a couple of old guys." I just wanted to share that with you because people have been picking this up, the rather high esteem with which we hold people who are in their senior years and elders in our society. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. I believe the comment was made that it was the first time a Gum Boots performance was opened by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories and the Premier of the Northwest Territories as leading acts. It was a great evening.

---Laughter

Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as seniors' week draws to a close, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the time and effort that Helen Gruben has contributed towards the seniors' society as a representative of the Delta area. Ms. Gruben has served now for four years on the board and has assisted, I am sure, with many decisions and recommendations to the government as to ways to improve services to our seniors, as well as ways to improve our social programs overall. Mr. Speaker, I know that Ms. Gruben has spent many days travelling to meetings that have taken her away from home and I would like to, on behalf of my constituents, thank her for all the time that she spent on senior society issues and bringing back senior society concerns and issues to the boards on behalf of the seniors in my riding. I would personally like to thank Ms. Gruben for all her time and effort, Mr. Speaker.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take the opportunity to wish my daughter Shannon a happy birthday for today and my son Warren a happy birthday for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Any other Members' statements? Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh.