Please be seated. Good afternoon. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the excellent work of the emergency personnel from the town of Hay River and the Hay River Reserve during the flood of the Hay River, which occurred in both communities beginning on April 30th.

I visited both communities on May 1st, where I met with evacuated residents and viewed the damage caused by flooding. Seeing the affected areas in the West Channel area on Vale Island and in the Old Village on the reserve, showed me the difficult situation emergency workers faced evacuating the affected residents when it was realized the area would flood.

Mr. Speaker, the town and the Hay River Reserve's emergency response teams are familiar with responding to flood emergencies during the spring breakup period. However, every emergency response requires coordinated and speedy action.

Both emergency teams worked effectively together monitoring the flood, responding to the flood and organizing and carrying out the evacuation. Each community's follow-up with the residents, while they were displaced from their homes, ensured all were provided adequate emergency food and shelter.

Both communities also worked hard to assist the evacuees to recover from the flood by restoring their property to a livable state. I greatly appreciate the hard work and the concern shown by the emergency teams for ensuring the safety and comfort of the evacuees.

Mr. Speaker, emergency response work is difficult and trying. Emergency officials and volunteers must act quickly to ensure an appropriate response is mounted against every threat or situation. The threat that was posed by the flood required fast action on the part of both emergency response teams to keep residents safe.

Mr. Speaker, I have written to Mayor McNeill and to Chief Fabian to personally acknowledge the good work of their community emergency response teams.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as announced in the House last week, I attended a joint federal/provincial/territorial meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education and the Forum of Labour Market Ministers with the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada. Our meetings were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where I was joined by my colleague, MLA Steven Nitah.

This was an especially timely meeting for our territory. The focus of discussions centered on how governments can strengthen their priorities and ensure that Canadians are well educated and prepared to take their place in the global economy.

Ministers recognized that while people are our greatest resource, we need to focus our efforts to strengthen post-secondary education and labour market training. To do this, Ministers discussed the need for a cooperative approach with the federal government to secure additional financial resources.

As Members are aware, my department has been working with the federal government to secure financial resources to expand human resource development in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, this need is not going unnoticed in other areas of the country. In fact, the Minister of Education in New Brunswick made the comment during last week's meeting that the territories must have a more supportive financial arrangement with the federal government. It appears our message is getting through.

In Halifax, Mr. Nitah and I had the opportunity to meet with Minister Stewart. During this meeting, we were able to discuss the proposals placed before her department on oil/gas and mining training human resource development. Members will recall that these two proposals, requesting a federal investment of some $25 million over five years, were developed and submitted in partnership with various agencies, industry and aboriginal governments.

Minister Stewart was very familiar with these proposals and the need for significant investment in the NWT. During our discussions, she identified the recent federal government commitment of $25 million over two years for aboriginal skills and employment programs. While the amount of $25 million is allotted for the entire country, it is not unreasonable, after our meeting with Minister Stewart, to assume the NWT will receive a portion of this funding.

Minister Stewart advised us that any projects approved for funding must be results oriented and targeted to those groups where the need is the greatest. This expectation is not a problem for us. We have a mine training committee in place that offers training for guaranteed job placements for successful participants. As well, we can demonstrate results in our oil and gas sector.

Mr. Speaker, in anticipation of this federal commitment, I have directed my deputy minister, Dr. Loretta Foley, to continue working with HRDC and the mine training committee to ensure success in these collaborative training initiatives.

While these developments are indeed good news, Mr. Speaker, I want to stress that this is not the end, but rather the beginning. As a Legislature, we must continue to press the federal government for continued, ongoing and multi-year investments in this extremely important area. I look forward to keeping the House informed of our progress, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Minister. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a result of the tragic events in Walkerton, Ontario and North Battleford, Saskatchewan, governments across the country have focused on reviewing and improving the systems they have in place to provide safe drinking water to their residents. This government is no different.

While the front line for provision of safe drinking water is the local community government, a number of territorial departments also play a part. Health and Social Services establishes the health standards and monitors the quality of drinking water. Municipal and Community Affairs provides financial resources for reconstruction and operation of community water systems and provides operator training through the School of Community Government.

Public Works and Services provides technical support for the construction and operation of water system infrastructure. Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development contributes to the protection of our water sources. Together, the departments developed and in June 2001, received Cabinet approval for the safe drinking water initiative.

Under this initiative, the departments have completed a review of the roles and responsibilities the various organizations and agencies involved in the NWT drinking water system. They have completed inspections and assessment of all water treatment facilities in all non-tax-based communities with the exception of those where facility upgrades are already underway. They are nearing completion of a good engineering practices manual to guide the design and construction of northern drinking water and sewer systems. They have created a data base of drinking water test results and made those results available online at the Public Works and Services web site.

Municipal and Community Affairs is providing five training and certification courses this year for community water system operators in the communities of Hay River, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. Public Works and Services is providing onsite training and technical support to communities delivering water services. Health and Social Services is monitoring community drinking water quality test results to identify and address potential problems. Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is working with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in updating and developing national water quality guidelines to protect the sources of our drinking water.

Pilot testing of membrane filtration technology has been undertaken to develop cost-effective treatment methods for water plants. Projects are currently in the planning and design stage for Rae-Edzo, Tsiigehtchic, Colville Lake and Fort Good Hope. All these efforts are enforcing a water supply system that is blessed with good quality water sources and a lack of agriculture pressure such as those that contribute to the problems in Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Recent media reports might lead you to believe there are problems with the NWT drinking water. This is not the case. The system is working. However, we cannot take the safety of our drinking water for granted. We all have a role to play, whether it is to protect the community water sources from contamination, providing effective treatment processes, or as local building owners who have a responsibility to clean their water storage tanks.

Significant improvements have been made to the NWT water system over the past few years and it is working effectively to provide safe drinking water to residents. Health and Social Services, MACA, Public Works and Services and RWED are continuing to look at the structure of the NWT drinking water system to identify areas that can be further strengthened. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Any further Minister's statements? Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the grandfather of northern aviation, the late Mike Zubko, former resident of the Mackenzie Delta, Aklavik and Inuvik. This weekend, Mr. Speaker, Mike Zubko was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in Halifax.

He started his career in the North in 1942 with Canadian Pacific, flying into remote communities in the Northwest Territories and the Beaufort-Delta. In 1947, with experience as a mechanic and pilot, he started his own business based out of Aklavik, called Aklavik Flying Service. With a single engine, two-seater aircraft, he flew out of Aklavik, which was the only scheduled aircraft for year-round service. Previously the only service was through Canadian Pacific.

Mike Zubko changed the history of northern aviation. He was the first to offer service north of the Arctic Circle, even though that meant venturing into unmapped territory with no technical or communication support services.

Mike Zubko saved the lives of many people across the North, by providing the first northern medevac service that became essential during the late 1940s with the measles epidemic. In the 1950s, Dawn Smith was the first nurse to be posted in Fort McPherson, and later married Mike Zubko and raised six children. They later moved to Inuvik and Aklavik.

Mike Zubko was highly respected throughout the region and he will always be known for his kind-heartedness. He played a key role in putting Inuvik on the map, and in 1959 the town opened its first airport which is now known as the Mike Zubko Air Terminal, which is greatly recognized by such a distinguished person.

Fifty years later, his son Tom joined his father in the aviation field, and they worked together until Mike retired in 1985. After retiring, Mike Zubko remained grounded to the aviation field. 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. Krutko, you may conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. After retiring, Mr. Mike Zubko remained grounded in the aviation field. He sat on the federal Civil Aviation Tribunal, and was a member of the Northwest Territories Workers' Compensation Board.

The late Mike Zubko passed away in the fall of 1990. His widow Dawn and his family members were present this weekend to see the distinguished honour which is laid upon him by being inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fall in Halifax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to focus on what unfortunately continues to be a recurring health problem that affects far too many women in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, the health problem that I am referring to is the large number of women in Hay River who suffer from the ravaging effects of breast cancer. I am pleased to report, Mr. Speaker, that a number of women have gone on to beat this insidious form of cancer, but we have had to bury far too many women in Hay River as a result of breast cancer.

Mr. Speaker, while I was compiling research on the subject of breast cancer, I came across some very alarming statistics. In 2003, an estimated 21,200 women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 5,300 women will die of this disease. On average, 407 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week, and 102 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week. In addition, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canada in women today.

Mr. Speaker, I know from speaking to a number of Hay River women that the incidence of breast cancer amongst the Hay River women appears to be alarmingly high. I know of women in Hay River, Mr. Speaker, whose breast cancer went undetected for over a year. In this day and age that should not be allowed to happen, Mr. Speaker. Early detection of breast cancer is key to being able to successfully diagnose and treat this disease.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is imperative given the high incidence of breast cancer among women in Hay River, that a mammogram machine be placed in Hay River. In this way, early detection could take place for women throughout the South Slave region.

Mr. Speaker, the point was raised to me by a constituent of mine who is a breast cancer survivor. She stated that the cost to the Department of Health and Social Services for flying her back and forth from Hay River to Edmonton for her cancer treatments could have gone a long way towards paying for a mammography machine in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, we, as elected representatives, are very much aware of our fiscal situation in the Northwest Territories. However, I don't think that you can put a price on saving a life, as this machine would most certainly do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday I joined the members of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society and the Alberta Alzheimer's Society NWT Chapter for a Walk for Memory. The weather didn't cooperate with us, but the importance of this cause and the urgency did not go unnoticed.

As has been mentioned many times in the House, Mr. Speaker, the need for a facility that would provide programs and services for the elders who are inflicted with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is becoming urgent. I understand that the Minister has a proposal from the Yellowknife Association for Concerned Citizens for Seniors to expand the Avens Seniors' Centre to accommodate this need, and I would like him and the government to give this serious consideration and find a way to work with YACCS to see this proposal become a reality.

Mr. Speaker, the proposal is sound and it will not cost the government extra money. It's about having the vision and foresight to spend the dollars wisely, and I believe it speaks very strongly to the need for the government to work cooperatively and in partnership with community groups like YACCS to serve the section of the population who is most vulnerable, as well as their families.

The facts are very compelling, Mr. Speaker. The annual growth rate of seniors in the NWT is high at eight percent, higher than any other parts of Canada. By 2012, we will have 2,635 seniors. In 20 years, we will have 4,600 seniors. Sixty-five percent of seniors will be aboriginal and many are moving to Yellowknife to be closer to their families. We also know that one out of every three Canadians over 80 years of age is affected by Alzheimer's disease, and twice as many women as men have it. Currently, Mr. Speaker, 58 percent of all residents in long-term care facilities in the NWT have some form of dementia. A significant portion of that are in moderate to advanced stages.

Mr. Speaker, these numbers should steer us in the right direction. We will need to take care of these elders and a hospital setting is not the answer. It costs a lot more money and it doesn't give the elders the respect and quality of life that they deserve while living with this affliction, and we cannot continue to place all the burden on the families and on facilities not designed for this purpose. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of commercial fishing on Great Slave Lake has become a concern of many constituents in my riding. Firstly, Mr. Speaker, there appears to be no process for consultation, other than through the Great Slave Lake Advisory Council. As a result, communities in my riding do not appear to be consulted, nor is information getting back from the representatives sitting on the advisory council. People are questioning who is responsible for ensuring proper consultation with communities having claim to the lake's resources. Who is responsible for enforcement with respect to harvesting, and are current enforcement capabilities sufficient? Who is responsible for the overall management of the lake's resources, and does management include aboriginal participation? Is there a long-term management plan in place? Are there closed seasons for protection of fish during spawning? These are some of the questions being asked in the communities for which answers are required.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the Great Slave Commercial Fishery has been operating for many years, however the reality is that the aboriginal people have rights to resources and management of those resources in traditional territories. Although the Deh Cho process and other claims are not settled, this does not eliminate the territorial or federal governments' responsibility to consult with and include those communities in the management of the lake and the resources being harvested.

Mr. Speaker, when we hear about the closure of the cod fishery on the East Coast and Nunavut's concern with the allocation of the shrimp quotas, this government should also be concerned with our commercial fishery and the impact of the mismanagement of its resources.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of RWED during question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as most Members in this House are aware, this week, June 9th to 15th, is Mining Week. Mr. Speaker, today is Miners' Day. I would like to salute the significant contribution that miners and the mining industry have made to the northern economy and to this country's economy in general.

Mr. Speaker, mining has a special importance in Yellowknife. Mining was what led to Yellowknife being established and what keeps it growing into the thriving place it is now. Mining has put us on the world map.

Mr. Speaker, mining will continue to play a role in creating jobs and helping to secure the economic wellbeing of Northerners. Not only do we have mining jobs, but mining is leading to spin-off jobs as well, like we see right now in the secondary diamond industry.

Mr. Speaker, the mining industry in Yellowknife alone feeds roughly 300 families, and there are many more Northerners in many communities who also support their families through mining. So you can see that both the social and economic impacts of the industry are very important to the survival and success of the North. Mr. Speaker, miners are also part of the social fabric. They are hockey coaches and community volunteers.

I have great respect for miners who risk their lives to drill for ore and diamonds. They work in sometimes unbelievably difficult conditions to provide for their families and, in the process, improve the economic stability of our communities. Miners make up a good portion of our community, and their dedication, skill and hard work has made life better for us all.

Mr. Speaker, this week there are many community events to acknowledge the huge contribution and importance of miners and mining to our community. There will be street displays, mall displays, rock walks, movies about mining, a picnic and tours of Con Mine. I would encourage everybody to take an opportunity this week to express their thanks and appreciation for the mining industry and the important role that it plays in the North.

Mr. Speaker, even though today is Miners' Day, most miners are at work on their regular shift. Let's hope that today they know that we are thinking of them, and that we recognize the importance of mining in Yellowknife and throughout the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is in the area of regulatory reform. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Hay River North spoke about the regulatory issues that are affecting businesses in his community and will affect operations down the Mackenzie Valley. Mr. Speaker, we know that some time ago our government was involved with the federal government and other regulatory bodies in looking at streamlining the regulatory process used, for example, on the pipeline. We know there was some reporting back and forth, some work done, but I would like to know and will be asking questions later on during question period, what has become of that work and are they continuing to move forward, have they responded to the industry that had a look at that report and made comments back.

Mr. Speaker, in the Northwest Territories, being resource rich, we need to know and industry needs to know if we in fact have found a regulatory process that's going to be stable and that everybody can start looking at and counting on as being a final product. So during question period I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Merci, Mr. Speaker. For several days, approaching weeks now, we've been hearing about the frustrations in the beef industry from Alberta, resulting from the discovery of a single animal with BSE -- I won't try to pronounce the full name -- or Mad Cow Disease and how it's affecting the lives of many, many people across the Canadian farming and meat processing industry. Like a number of other issues of a national and international nature, Mr. Speaker, this is now starting to have an impact here in the NWT. Specifically it refers to the situation that some of our big game outfitters are finding because of cancellations or potential cancellations of US hunters coming into Canada because they cannot bring their trophies or meat byproducts back to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, there is a ban now on the import of ruminant animals and their meat and products. This includes things like the cape and the horns of trophies. Of course, our caribou, musk ox and bison are among some of the coveted trophies that these hunters come up here to seek. The value of hunting to the NWT is something in the neighbourhood of $18 million, and fully 80 percent of the hunters who come here are from the United States, Mr. Speaker, so we have something that's of considerable importance to our tourism and our outfitting industry.

I'm told that as of today there's some confusion at the Agriculture Canada level with the American government's position and with our Canadian tourism agency as well, and I'm going to be asking the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development the status of this situation during question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I wanted to talk a little bit about an issue that's starting to get quite a bit of attention and a lot of discussion both among members of the public and Members of this House, and that is the NWT recreation and sport board recommendations report, and specifically the recommendation to establish and create an NWT rec and sport board, to slot this extra layer of governance, if you will, Mr. Speaker, over and above some of the existing partner organizations like the Aboriginal Sports Circle and the Sport North Federation. It's getting a lot of debate. There seems to be a lot of concern. But one thing I will say, Mr. Speaker, is I think that intuitively all of us recognize that sports participation and opportunities in our smallest communities are not what they are in our larger communities.

We have to be very careful, and I think there's a danger here, that this issue can become very divisive. I think it's important for us to first look at the problems and try to identify and better quantify those problems. Do we have discrepancies in the areas of funding or program availability? Is it facilities, Mr. Speaker, or is it about the volunteer core and the volunteer base? I think it's important to fully document these issues.

Another question we have to ask is, are all small communities or large communities equal across the Territories, or are there pockets of participation, pockets of success, and possibly best practices that we can look at and build from? I think there are. I think if you look at something like the success that a community like Rae-Edzo has had in indoor soccer, obviously something is going right in that community and something is being very successful. I think we need to look at examples like that and build from them.

I think the real issue, Mr. Speaker, is not so much more governance, more bureaucracy; it's more money. I think what we've got is a small number of organizations fighting and scratching and clawing for the very few, meager dollars that they can get their hands on, and I think that's the real problem. The way in which we fund sport in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, pales in comparison to many of the other areas, many of the other files that we have, and I think it's time that was changed, Mr. Speaker.

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. Bell, you may conclude your statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just as an example of what we expect from our organizations in the area of sport with very little dollars, I wanted to highlight the efforts of Esteem Team North, which was recently created. It takes high profile athletes, some of them former Olympians, and tours around the North and have them present clinics and such to children throughout communities. They've managed to visit a number of northern communities this year. A group of five athletes going around with some staff from Sport North who are in Yellowknife, Inuvik, spent quite a bit of time up in McPherson and I think the MLA...I should know if the MLA, Mr. Krutko, was there. I think he was, anyway I'll give him credit even if he wasn't. I think Mr. Krutko was in McPherson with this group. I think there were also some presentations in Tsiigehtchic and Aklavik, and I understand they were very well received. I think they met something like 1,400 students, Mr. Speaker, on something like a $9,000 budget. What's that; $6 or $7 a student? We don't do anything like that in government, Mr. Speaker.

I think there's a real danger that we jeopardize the efforts of some of these organizations if we decide that we're going to gut an organization like Sport North. So we have to be very careful, and I think it's important that we fully analyze the situation, look at where we have successes and failures, be honest about those and seek to deal with that, instead of just adding another level of bureaucracy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of this House the achievements of some students from my riding of Nunakput. As the school year closes in some of my communities, or college programs come to an end for the year, graduation ceremonies were held and in some cases diplomas were awarded.

Mr. Speaker, graduation ceremonies were held at Helen Kalvak School in Holman on June 3rd for Lisa Alikamik and Jeanine Arey as they both completed their Grade 12.

In Paulatuk, graduation ceremonies were held at Angik School on May 22nd for Angus Dillon as he completed his Grade 12.

On May 9th, graduation ceremonies were held at Aurora College in Inuvik for John Lucas Jr. of Sachs Harbour who graduates with a diploma in natural resource technology.

Also, Annie Felix and Evelyn Cockney both completed their third year of the Aurora College teacher education program and can now look forward to entering their final year of training.

Mr. Speaker, as well, special graduation ceremonies were held at Angik School in Paulatuk on May 22nd for three Inuvialuit women who graduated from the early childhood development program, namely Irene Ruben, Mary Green and Molly Ruben. This was a four-year training program sponsored by Aurora and Yukon colleges and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, these Inuvialuit grads are some of the first graduates from this distance learning program. For the past four years, these three women have demonstrated strong Inuvialuit character while completing their distance learning assignments, attending to their individual family needs and working at the Paulatuk Child Development Centre on a daily basis. I wish to extend my congratulations and compliments to both the grads and the organizers for completion of a successful program. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to complete 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, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, on a more personal note, I am proud to mention here that earlier this spring, my boy, Warren Gus, completed his four-year apprenticeship course at SAIT and NAIT and is now a licensed journeyman automotive mechanic working in Inuvik.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, convocation ceremonies were held at the University of Saskatchewan on May 31st where my wife and partner of 34 years, Betty Elias, obtained her bachelor of education degree.

---Applause

I know I speak for every one of our family when I say we are really proud of her and look forward to having her home again. Mr. Speaker, honourable colleagues, please join me in congratulating and wishing all these people a successful future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Steen. From our most northerly riding to our most southerly riding, the honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger, Item 3, Members' statements.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend in Fort Smith saw the running of the 5th Annual Aurora Open, the main charity golf tournament for the community for the year. Mr. Speaker, this golf tournament has been a success because of the strong support of the community, but of equal importance has been the strong corporate support we've received over the years.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to acknowledge in this House the support from Canadian North, Northwest Air Lease, Diavik, NorthwesTel, BHP, Enbridge, TransCanada PipeLines, NTPC, Kaeser's Store and the Slave River Journal. Mr. Speaker, this particular golf tournament saw 104 golfers play in a tournament, but the real benefit is first to the charity that they have chosen and that's a non-profit organization that we all know in this House and that's the Western Arctic Leadership Program. For the second year running, we have been able to donate $5,000 to the Western Arctic Leadership Program as a result of the contributions of the corporate sponsors to this tournament.

I would just like to recognize the work of the college and thank the corporate sponsors. I would like to acknowledge that my colleague Mr. Delorey came over and through a day of fairly intense rain on Saturday, but a nice sunny day on Sunday, he put in his time on the land with the rest of us.

So, Mr. Speaker, this is a very big tournament for us. We started planning for this in January and it was a great success. We are very happy to have the Western Arctic Leadership Program be able to benefit. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Item 3, Members' statements. No further Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Blake Lyons, president of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's a great pleasure for me today to have you help me welcome my wonderful wife, Marg, in the gallery today.

---Applause

Is there any other kind?

---Laughter

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to say a special welcome to everyone who is here today. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I said in my Member's statement that most miners would be at work even though it's Miners' Day, but in the gallery today we have a constituent of mine who is also a miner, Mr. Dave Taylor. Along with him is my constituency assistant Allison McCambridge who will be leaving fairly soon for Sudbury. Taking her place is Sahara Pawluk who is also in the gallery. She will be joining my office as a constituency assistant for the summer. She is a student and will be going back to Victoria at the end of the summer. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome to all those folks who have come to see their Legislative Assembly at work. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of RWED a question as a follow-up to my Member's statement. Mr. Speaker, a number of my communities historically have depended on Great Slave Lake for fishing and for the last couple of years, there is a lot of concern being raised regarding fish stocks and management of the lake and the level of involvement. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the community of Hay River Reserve, Kakisa, Fort Providence and also West Point. I would like to ask the Minister if he can tell me what role RWED plays in the management of the commercial fishery, either alone or in cooperation of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I would like to ask the Minister then if he could explain what this government's policy is with respect to community and First Nations consultation when it comes to issues affecting the resource management when it requires consultation for Great Slave Lake? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest concerns right now to the communities is that there is very little opportunity for input into the quota or actual involvement for commercial fisheries. I am being told by the communities, that they have had no input for the longest time and it's run totally by an advisory council. The concern is with the fish stocks; we don't really know how stable they are. The reports that come out from DFO and RWED seem not to be very consistent. I would like to ask the Minister if he could assure us, in writing, if there is sustainability of fish stocks in Great Slave Lake for commercial fishing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the area of commercial fishing, especially in the deep area, for many years now since commercial fishing has begun, we no longer can catch trout. Historically we have always been able to catch trout there. Many of the communities are pointing the finger at the advisory council's desire to have open season year round. There are no closed seasons, not even during spawning. Why isn't there protection for the fish during spawning season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be directed to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development in line with my Member's statement on the regulatory regime for work done by this government to try to look at the processes and streamline them among the regulatory agencies out there. I would like to ask the Minister where that work stands now? Is it concluded or is there further work being done in that area?

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us if there is further work going on? A plan has been put out, but has the department had a look at that? Has this government looked at that and responded to it? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform us as to what role our government is playing in this process? At one time we went to the table and were quite involved and I believe we have sort of taken a step back and let the process work on its own. So, what role are we now playing in that process? Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us what time lines we might be looking at for a complete package? Is our government of pushing to bring this to a conclusion so all groups out there will know what they are looking forward to when it comes to the regulatory process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. 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. I would like to direct my questions to Minister Antoine, the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, on the issue of the impact on northern outfitters, big game outfitters, of the United States ban on products that may come from trophy animals that American hunters are up here to get. I think the first question that should be asked, Mr. Speaker, is can the Minister assure the assembly here that the Northwest Territories and Northwest Territories wildlife are unaffected by Mad Cow Disease? 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, are we doing any testing or taking any measures here in the Northwest Territories to confirm or monitor and ensure that our wildlife population stays free of this disease? Thank you.

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

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

So, Mr. Speaker, do not feed the animals is a good rule to follow and it sounds like we are staying on top of that one too. Further to the issue of how this is affecting our big game outfitters, Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise the assembly the status of this issue with the officials of the Canadian Department of Agriculture and American officials who are making the rulings? What is the status of this right now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the issue right now -- as the Minister has said, there are some dynamics going on -- is communication by American officials who are making this decision with American hunters who have trips on the line and, of course, with our outfitters here in Canada and the Northwest Territories who have their livelihood on the line. I am wondering if the Minister can advise, just what are the communication steps that we have in place with those audiences? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Minister Antoine. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier in my Member's statement it certainly appears that Hay River has an unusually high rate of breast cancer amongst our women. I do not actually have the figures here, but almost everyone that I know in Hay River has been affected by breast cancer in one way or another.

I am also aware, Mr. Speaker, that there is a mammography machine at Stanton Territorial Hospital here in Yellowknife. I would like to ask the Minister if there are currently any other mammography machines in place at any other hospitals across the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there are. There is mammography capacity in Inuvik. As well, we have a contractual arrangement for the South Slave with the Alberta Screening Program, which is a mobile screening unit. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is that mammography machine in Inuvik up and operating now? And are there any plans for putting mammography machines in other locations such as Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Miltenberger. Two questions there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The unit in Inuvik is operational. I understand they do have problems keeping qualified staff due to the low volume. We have no further plans at present to place any new machines in other communities. We are working with the authorities to come up with a pilot project to improve how we currently provide the services that we do. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister please inform the House if he is aware of how many women from the Northwest Territories are receiving treatment for breast cancer on an annual basis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can indicate to the Member that my understanding is we do about 1,500 mammograms a year. How many women are actually being treated for breast cancer, I do not have those figures at my finger tips, but I can provide them. Thank you.

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