Good afternoon, Members. Orders of the day, item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to provide a brief update to Members of the House on meetings held earlier this week in Ottawa, including a meeting with Prime Minister Martin and Members of his Cabinet on October 24th and the First Ministers' meeting that the Honourable Floyd Roland and I attended on Tuesday, October 26th.

On Sunday, October 24th, the Premiers of Yukon, Nunavut and I met with the Prime Minister, Ministers Goodale, Robillard, Scott and Blondin-Andrew to discuss the commitment set out in the Throne speech to develop a comprehensive strategy for the North. The Prime Minister provided his assurance that he would work with northern Premiers on developing and implementing this strategy.

Mr. Speaker, in summary, we agreed the strategy must be jointly developed by the federal and territorial governments and in cooperation with aboriginal people and northern residents, should include joint priorities and would include short, medium and long-term objectives.

Mr. Speaker, an important outcome of this discussion was the commitment made by the Prime Minister that the strategy would be developed on the principle that northerners must have control over their resources and be the primary beneficiaries of development in the Northwest Territories.

Our officials met with federal officials a number of times this week to jointly develop a work plan on how to move forward with the development of this strategy. These meetings will continue next week. I hope that we will be in a position to formally launch this initiative with the Prime Minister in late November.

Mr. Speaker, a separate meeting was held in Ottawa between the Deputy Premier, the Honourable Floyd Roland, and federal Ministers Scott, Efford and Blondin-Andrew. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss resource development in the Northwest Territories and the need for the federal government to begin discussions with northern governments on an agreement that ensures northerners are the primary beneficiaries from the development of our resources.

This meeting follows the advice we received from the Members of this Legislative Assembly last week to pursue the negotiation of an agreement that provides northern governments with an equitable share of royalties from northern resource development.

Mr. Speaker, the focus of the First Ministers' meeting on October 26th was on equalization and territorial formula financing. These are the key federal transfer programs designed to allow all jurisdictions in Canada to provide reasonably comparable public services. The meeting on Tuesday focussed on three issues:

• • the total amount that Canada will dedicate to the equalization and formula financing programs over the next few years;
• • the allocation of those transfers amongst provinces and territories; and,
• • the mandate and makeup of the panel of experts that will be appointed to make recommendations on the issue of allocating equalization payments and territorial formula financing transfer in the longer term.

Mr. Speaker, I can advise the House that the First Ministers' meeting resulted in the following outcomes:

• • The federal government has committed to provide the three territories with a minimum funding floor of $1.9 billion in 2004-05 and $2 billion in 2005-06. This is an increase of $68 million in 2004-05 and $100 million in 2005-06 in new funding over the most recent federal estimates for 2004-05.
• • The total base funding amount will escalate by 3.5 percent on an annual basis starting in 2006-07.
• • The three territories have agreed on a funding allocation based on the average grant provided by the Government of Canada over the last three years. Under this arrangement, the Northwest Territories will receive 35.7 percent of this. This will result in increases of approximately $25 million to the Northwest Territories grant this year and $38 million next year.
• • An expert panel will be established to make recommendations on how equalization and territorial formula financing levels should be allocated in 2006-07 and beyond.
• • In addition, this arrangement includes an agreement that the federal government will not rebase the tax effort adjustment factor next year. The net result of this is a further increase of approximately $50 million next year.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, this new arrangement is a fundamental change in the way our formula arrangements have worked over the last 20 years. The base funding allocation to the territories will now be fixed, as it is for the provinces, and will escalate at a fixed amount of 3.5 percent annually starting in 2006-07. After the initial two-year period, the allocation of the grant amongst the three territories will be decided based on recommendations by an independent outside panel.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of outstanding issues with respect to the treatment of adjustments for prior years and other technical issues with respect to the territorial formula financing agreement. We intend to work with the federal government to resolve these issues over the coming months.

Mr. Speaker, in summary, the First Ministers' meeting and the bilateral meetings we had when in Ottawa were a good beginning. We are committed to work with the federal government to develop a forward-looking northern strategy. We are also committed to working with our aboriginal government partners to ensure that northerners benefit fully from the development of our resources. With respect to future First Ministers' meetings, we are looking forward to working on other critical issues facing the North and Canada, including the issues facing aboriginal peoples, childcare and post-secondary education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Minister's Statement 70-15(3) be moved into Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. There is a motion on the floor, the motion is non-debatable. All in favour? Opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Minister's Statement 70-15(3) will be moved into Committee of the Whole for today. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about the urgency for whistle-blower protection legislation in our jurisdiction.

---Applause

I appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that this was a topic of discussion nationally, prior to the last federal election, but it somehow fell off the federal agenda with the call of the June election. I do not know when this will get back on their agenda, but I don't believe we need to wait around for some other governments to do the job. I believe we need to do this ourselves, and the sooner we deal with it, the better, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the primary responsibility of an MLA, as I see it, is to be the voice of the people we represent. Our job is to listen to their views and to their grievances. We are to learn from their views and to work hard to help them resolve them, but this is very difficult when people are afraid to speak out. Even when they get enough will and courage to contact their MLA, we're limited in what information we can use as long as they are afraid of having their identities known.

Mr. Speaker, the fear is the greatest among those who work for the government, even if it is a legitimate issue that they are entitled to raise as a private citizen, regardless of the fact that they work for the government. The latest concerns being raised from employees from correctional facilities is one more example, but I've seen this from people who bring up concerns about their WCB claim, health care professionals, or those who are concerned about the split of RWED, goings-on at the Power Corp, and the list goes on and on, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we all understand deeply that democracy is a very fragile machinery, and that all of us need to be ever so vigilant in protecting her every day. Democracy means protecting its citizens from the authoritarian tendencies of their government, and undue powers of the people in the system who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Surely one of the most important things to protect in democracy is the people's right to speak out against the government in their private time and in private life. We need to make sure that the freedom of the citizens to speak out without the fear of retribution or fear of losing their jobs or fear of losing their livelihood is secure at all costs. I believe, Mr. Speaker, our very own whistle-blower protection legislation will make this possible, as well as providing safeguards and checks and balances for all the parties involved. I would urge the government to put this on the top of their legislative agenda immediately. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to use my Member's statement today to tell my colleagues in the government about an individual who is an employee at North Slave Correctional Centre. This story, Mr. Speaker, epitomizes the concern that many have, that something is definitely wrong with the way in which human resources are handled at North Slave Correctional Centre. I have heard the Minister of Justice stand up in this House time and time again and defend his department and insist that nothing is wrong. He is still not ready to admit that there are problems at North Slave Correctional Centre.

The story begins with this individual who has been a casual at North Slave Correctional Centre for three years. This person is one of the few casuals who work at the centre who has an education in the field, and they have a

diploma in law enforcement from a recognized college. They have applied for a full-time position on two separate occasions. The first time they applied, the department said sorry, you failed your interview. They appealed the decision and, to their surprise, they were denied the appeal.

The individual then went on to write the entrance exam for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. On that exam, they scored 92 percent, Mr. Speaker. Normally only 25 percent of applicants even pass that RCMP exam.

Another job competition then comes for a full-time position. Again, the individual applies on the position. This time, whether or not his previous appeal had anything to do with it or not, they didn't even get an interview. What they did get was a six-question aptitude test. They were informed that they could not get to the interview stage because they failed the first question on that aptitude test. The first question, Mr. Speaker, on that aptitude test was "Why are you here today?"

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I don't understand how human resources could fail anybody on that question.

This employee then went on to his interview for entrance into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and, Mr. Speaker, they passed that personal interview with flying colours.

How can the Minister of Justice still maintain that there are not problems in human resources at the North Slave Correctional Centre? This individual I'm speaking about is deemed worthy of protecting the interests of national security; however, they cannot get a full-time position at North Slave Correctional Centre.

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

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Ramsay.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, this individual is deemed worthy of looking after interests of national security, but they cannot get a full-time position at North Slave Correctional Centre, even after three years of service as a casual. The person was away and they are unable to be interviewed for the current review that's underway for the human resource issues at North Slave Correctional Centre. Mr. Speaker, this is an example of what is wrong. It has to be told, Mr. Speaker, and the Minister has to finally admit that he has some serious issues at North Slave Correctional Centre to deal with. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every Northerner watches daily, nervously, as the world price of oil rises. It looks more and more like it's going to settle in the $50 U.S. a barrel range, and that means yet more dollars out of pockets for essential heat and transportation and fewer dollars for the other necessities of life. We look at a world suffering more and more from the effects of pollution from fossil fuels, how it affects our health and the environment around us, and we know that our northern regions, Mr. Speaker, are going to take the earliest and the most severe hit from global warming.

We all know this is a no win, lose/lose situation. Yet here in the NWT we have one of the answers. It flows around us everyday, 365 days a year, and is as constant as the sun. The answer is our rivers. This government has been engaged for the past three years in a concerted effort to increase awareness of this potential among northerners, and to increase the understanding of the impacts and the benefits of hydro development. I believe these efforts are paying off, Mr. Speaker, as there seems to be a growing acceptance among aboriginal and community groups of the value of hydro power to our economy and there is an appetite to take the process to the next business steps.

Mr. Speaker, the further development of the NWT's hydro capacity can turn the energy future and fortunes of the NWT around. It can turn the lose/lose fossil fuel crisis into a win/win for us, for our environment and our economy. It will eclipse the value of the diamond, oil and gas resources that we have and, Mr. Speaker, we know how much we are getting out of that these days. But with hydro it's an economic resource that we control, that we manage, and that can be a legacy for many generations to come.

We have been producing hydro power in the NWT since 1938, Mr. Speaker. Sixty-five percent of our electrical energy comes from it today. We can be part of Canada's energy future and it deserves our continuing attention and investment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, Members' statement. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to what I consider to be a failing on the part of this government. I refer to the situation regarding alcohol and drug counselling services in the community of Fort Liard. The point I wish to make is there are no alcohol and drug counsellors in Fort Liard.

Until a short time ago, those services were available. There was a counsellor working in the community who was hired by the band through a program sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Services. The department, in an effort to consolidate alcohol and drug programs, decided to cut the funding.

The intent was to hire a new counsellor who would be a departmental employee and thereby standardize their service across the NWT. At the time the department first proposed the move, it created a lot of controversy amongst community residents. People were concerned about losing a valuable resource, a counsellor whom they knew and who knew them, in exchange for an unknown entity.

Well, the department finally made its move. Funding to the program was cut, the counsellor closed up shop and no one has been hired to replace him. The very thing people were afraid would happen has happened: they lost their alcohol and drug counsellor.

Mr. Speaker, we presume this is only a temporary situation, that one day the community will see another counsellor; that is what has been promised. But, Mr. Speaker, the community was also promised there would be a smooth transition and continuity in service as the government made changes to the program, and that didn't happen. I find that inexcusable, and I will be asking the Minister responsible to account for this during question period, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to go back a bit to October 3rd to 9th, which was Family Violence Awareness Week in Canada. I would like to recognize this special week in the importance of violence awareness in our lives.

There were many activities held across the North trying to raise awareness of family violence. In Hay River, as you are no doubt aware, Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Hub published a very informative seven-page section on family violence in their September 29th issue, which we both helped to sponsor. I thought this section was particularly well done. It focused on letting young people know what family violence is, what constitutes abuse, and how to recognize when you are in an abusive relationship. It also provided information on where to turn for help. It is important for all residents of the Northwest Territories to know that they have the right to say no to unwanted sexual attention, and that being hit, verbally abused, or degraded are not things that happen in a normal, healthy relationship.

Parents have a role to play in ensuring that they model what a healthy relationship is to their children. The studies are very conclusive that a person who has been exposed or subjected to abuse is very likely to become an abuser themselves. Parents also have to make sure their children are in healthy relationships and watch for warning signs, such as withdrawal or moodiness, that may signify something more than just ordinary teenage angst.

Teachers, family and friends all have roles to play in ending family violence. If you think a friend is being abused at home or is in an unhealthy relationship, talk to them or talk to someone in authority who can help.

Mr. Speaker, the statistics in the Northwest Territories paint a grim picture. The use of family shelters is eight times the national average. There were 221 spousal assaults reported between January and August in 2003, and there were 28 reported cases of sexual assault on young people under the age of 18. We need to all work together to help the victims, to educate young people and the general public, and to make sure that abusers get the help that they need to deal with their issues so that they can become better parents, partners and family.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and thank the staff of the Family Support Centre in Hay River who continue to work tirelessly towards providing a safe and secure environment to those in need in my home community and they are: Crystal Ball, executive director; Annette Rideout, administrative assistant; Jennifer Lennie and Angela Farnsworth, family violence support workers; and Melissa Beck, the youth activity coordinator at the Family Support Centre. Thank you for all that you do to help others. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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