Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member's statement will be addressing a concern brought to me by one of my constituents earlier this year. This concern has brought me great concern. This issue is about the hunting and trapping industry. It has been designated as a sustainable industry, and it gives a stable livelihood to people in the North. This reflects northern traditions, which is a very important issue in the Northwest Territories.

One of the many keys to the success of this industry is security due to the government funding and the ongoing support when the fur markets go up and down. These safeguards protect the vitality of this industry. This encourages people to pursue centuries-old traditions, knowing that it's economically stable. This is the choice they make with their heart.

However, I am very sad to say there is no ongoing support of this kind for the sewing and craft industry. This traditional industry is on the brink of being put on the endangered list. This industry needs government intervention.

Mr. Speaker, once a northern culture, a northern industry, is lost, it's almost impossible to bring it back. You cannot infuse modern-day thinking into centuries-old traditional values. This government needs to act to create a sustainable, stable industry in order to ensure that this is viable for tomorrow. It needs to show and demonstrate that this industry has worth. We need programs that establish ongoing support for this industry, just like the programs that RWED operates for the hunters and trappers.

Mr. Speaker, if you bead gloves, if you make birch baskets, if you do moose hair tuftings, some of those people out there are working for pennies, and that's not fair. We need something that stabilizes the market forces to encourage these people and to protect these people. Even sadder, there are no existing programs at this moment to ensure raw materials are out there so that this tradition can continue.

Right now, there is no program to ensure that people get dollar for value of work. This inequity needs to stop and it's time for change. This government must focus on northern traditions before it's too late.

Mr. Hawkins, your time is up.

Mr. Chair, may I seek unanimous consent to continue my Member's statement? Thank you.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank my colleagues, as well. Mr. Speaker, there are many traditions that make the North unique. Cultural traditions go far deeper in value to the people than just dollars. We must do something to sustain this industry before these traditions are lost and no longer practiced, or by the next time I see beaded gloves they're only at the museum.

Before I close my statement, I want to mention a quote brought to me by my constituent. She says this industry is not supported. But it seems that this government, when we have dignitaries travelling to the Northwest Territories from across Canada, from across the world, it's this government that runs out and buys those birch baskets and those beaded gloves and talks about our traditions. So in her words, this government needs to buck up its support and demonstrate that.

Later today, Mr. Speaker, I will be addressing my questions directly to the Minister of RWED with regard to this important and urgent matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 4, Members' statements. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that we will be spending the next two to three weeks discussing our budget, but I just want to offer my initial comment on what we heard earlier this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, from where I sit, the most significant thing that I noticed in this budget was a black and white statement that it is highly unlikely that we will see any money from the federal government on resource revenue sharing until at least 2007. I have to commend the Minister of Finance in accepting and recognizing that reality, because I was here in the last Assembly and I was always not very comfortable and I always argued that we had to operate our budget under the realities that we're living in. While it is commendable and it's desirable that we should all be out there lobbying for more money from the federal government, we shouldn't be budgeting ourselves on dreams. In many ways, that's what we were doing. I mean, it's good to be optimistic and good to be lobbying for money, but we had to be more responsible with what we were doing. So I think it's very good that the Minister of Finance has put it out in black and white that we have to deal with the situation as we find it.

Another thing that the Minister said is that he would like to see our operating budget books balanced by 2007. So he has really set himself a huge task here. He's saying we're not going to see resource revenue sharing, but we're going to have a balanced budget and all by 2007. That should really give us a warning that we have our work cut out for ourselves, that we are dealing with so many more restrictions than we had in the last Assembly, where it seemed like we could just spend our way through anything on the notion of optimism and dreams and what seemed to be a bright future that was as bright as a diamond itself.

Mr. Speaker, I think there are a lot of other things we did. We lowered the corporate tax when it was actually

penalizing us, we spent the windfall money that I always thought would not penalize as much. So I don't want to go back to where we were, but I think it is really good that we are starting off on our budget with the reality of where we are, and that the priority still is to make sure that whatever money we have is spent in the best way we can, and that all essential programs and services are protected. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 4, Members' statements. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Zoe.

Mr. Speaker, as Members may be aware, municipal governance legislation is coming into force on April 1, 2004. The new Cities, Towns and Villages Act, the Hamlet Act, and the Charter Communities Act have been modernized into more useful, relevant tools for our community governments to use as they work to address the many opportunities and challenges that they face. In partnership with the NWT Association of Communities, my department has worked over the past nine years to bring these positive changes about.

Mr. Speaker, the partnership has continued as we work together to assist community governments get ready for the implementation of this new legislation. For the past two days, 16 senior administrative officers from communities across the Northwest Territories have been meeting in Yellowknife to prepare for the implementation as of April 1st. Mr. Speaker, they have taken a break from their meeting to visit the Legislative Assembly today and it is my pleasure to recognize a number of them who are here today including Jackie Coulter of Sachs Harbour, Troy Jenkins of Fort McPherson, Nellie Gruben of Aklavik, Debbie Raddi of Tuktoyaktuk, Jerry Veltman of Inuvik, Tom Matus of Wha Ti, Susan Christie of Fort Providence, Bernice Swanson of Fort Simpson, Loretta Bouwmeester from the City of Yellowknife, Terry McMullon of Fort Resolution, and John McKee of Fort Liard. Mr. McKee is also the president of the Local Government Administrators of the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize Yvette Gonzales, the CEO with the NWT Association of Communities and Eleanor Young, executive director of the Local Government Administrators of the NWT, along with a number of my regional staff from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all of you and thank you for your tremendous efforts as you work to support our community governments. Welcome to the House. Thank you.

---Applause

Just to remind the Minister that under our rules, 36.1(2), introductions made under this rule, section 36.1(1), shall not exceed 30 seconds. So just for reference in the future, you have 30 seconds. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my constituency assistant from Deline, and John Kenny, sub-chief, wise man and he is helping out with my office this week. Also to Gina Dolphus from Deline who is president of the Native Women's Association. Fred Rabesca who is with Henry's group there, and Barry Harley who is the superintendent of MACA and Tony Grandjambe from Norman Wells. These are the guests from the Sahtu. Mahsi.

---Applause

Welcome to the House. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have in the gallery someone from the Canadian Landmine Foundation in Toronto. He is in Yellowknife to educate the community on the global fight of land mines and how Canada has led the effort to eradicate the world of these devastating tools. He will be speaking tonight at the Capitol Theatre at 6:00 p.m. If he is up there, his name is Kevin Keane. He is a youth mine actions ambassador. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is always a pleasure to see somebody from my riding up in the gallery, and I would just like to recognize Mr. John McKee; as well, Liza McPherson, Ron Hardisty, and Bernice Swanson. Thank you very much.

---Applause

Welcome. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the president of the NWT Native Women's Association, Ms. Gina Dolphus.

---Applause

Welcome. At this time I would like to draw your attention to the visitors' gallery. Former Premier, Minister and now retired MLA, Mr. Jim Antoine, welcome to the House.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a number of people from my community of Fort Providence, my home town. First of all, Trinette Constant, if she is still here. She is starting today as my CA and she is down for some training. Along with her is Stephen Farcy and the SAO from the Hamlet of Fort Providence, Susan Christie. Welcome. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize some constituents and some others in the gallery. I would like to recognize Mr. Jack Poitras, the superintendent for MACA; Ms. Cec Heron from the Native Women's; Marilyn Napier from MACA; His Worship Eddie Koyina from Rae;

and, Alphonse Nitsiza, the Chair of the Dogrib Community Services Board. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before my colleague Mr. Delorey gets a chance to recognize my constituency assistant, I thought I should jump up and do it.

---Laughter

I would like to recognize Wendy Morgan in the gallery. Wendy was my assistant in part of the 13th, the 14th and now in the 15th Assembly. So I want to thank her and recognize her today. Thank you.

---Applause

Welcome. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Pokiak.