Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Minister has already made this commitment. As to timelines, he tells me we believe we can have it for the Members on Monday so that we can take up this discussion further, and we will endeavour to do that. Thank you.

Item 7, written questions. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

For each of the schools in the Sahtu region:

1. How many students are enrolled in K to 12 by grade?
2. What is the pupil/teacher ratio?
3. What mixed-grade classes do they have? Classes which include students at different grade levels.

Thank you.

Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written question. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report that the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight has reviewed Bill 2, An Act

to Amend the Income Tax Act; and, Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Income Tax, No. 2, and wishes to report that Bills 2 and 3 are ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled NWT Power Corporation, 2003 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 13, tabling of documents. Mr. Zoe.

Item 13, tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Second Year Activities of the Maximizing Northern Employment Strategy, March 8, 2004. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 13, tabling of documents. I wish to table the official voting results from the general election of the 15th Legislative Assembly held on November 24, 2003. The official voting results are published in accordance with section 162 of the Elections Act.

Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2004, I will move that Bill 5, Tlicho Community Government Act, be read for the first time.

Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2004, I will move that Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Payroll Tax Act, 1993 and the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 1, Appropriation Act, 2004-2005; Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2003-2004; Committee Report 1-15(3), Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight Report on the Review of the Draft 2004-2005 Main Estimates; Committee Report 2-15(3), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the Draft 2004-2005 Main Estimates; and, Committee Report 3-15(3), Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development Report on the Review of the Draft 2004-2005 Main Estimates. By the authority given the Speaker by Motion 2-15(3), the House will resolve into Committee of the Whole to sit beyond the time of adjournment until the committee is prepared to report, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. The Speaker has read out the list of items before us, and I would just like to ask what is the wish of the committee. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee would like to continue the consideration of Bill 1, with a recommendation that we review and conclude the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the Department of Justice, in that order. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Is committee agreed?

Agreed. Thank you. I'll ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs if he has opening comments. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am pleased to present the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs main estimates for the fiscal year 2004-2005. The department is requesting $77.4 million in operating expenses for the 2004-2005 fiscal year, and approximately $7.5 million for capital acquisitions. This represents a slight decrease of one percent from the 2003-2004 main estimates.

This budget strives to balance current fiscal reality with the important role that community governments play in serving the needs and interests of the people of the Northwest Territories. Operating funding is provided to community governments to assist them in ensuring quality municipal programs and services are available to all residents. By working in partnership with community governments, the department strives to support good governance and enhance the quality of life for all residents in the Northwest Territories.

Now more than ever, Northwest Territories communities are facing great opportunities and significant challenges. These include negotiation and implement of self-government; implementation of new municipal legislation

with broader powers; increased resource development activity, including the Mackenzie Valley pipeline; challenges in generating revenues; and, pressures to ensure quality municipal services, including safe drinking water and fire protection.

The department plays a significant role in supporting community governments to meet these challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.

The lion's share of the operating budget goes to community governments through contributions. These contributions include formula funding for ongoing community government operations and additional funding for areas like sport and recreation programs, water and sewer infrastructure, municipal insurance, senior citizens and disabled persons property tax relief, grants-in-lieu of property taxes, infrastructure projects and community development. In total, 74 percent of the operating budget goes to community governments. Even with an overall budget reduction of one percent, contributions to community governments have risen from 73 percent of the 2003-2004 budget to 74 percent in the proposed 2004-2005 budget. In this time of fiscal restraint, the priority is to ensure that community governments are adequately funded to deliver their legislated responsibilities.

A key goal for the department over the next year will be to continue to support and nurture strong collaborative relationships with key partners, including community governments, aboriginal governments, the Government of Canada, industry, the private sector and non-government organizations in order to aggressively pursue shared goals and interests. The department has successfully leveraged additional funding from the federal government for community infrastructure projects, and will strive to explore more options like this to help deliver funding and much needed capital projects to communities.

Through partnering with key stakeholders, the department will be able to advance community interest with a positive, productive, win/win approach.

The department's budget includes a request for forced growth of approximately $1.3 million, which will help to better serve the interests of community governments of the Northwest Territories.

One significant area where the department requires forced growth funding is to support our responsibilities related to the implementation of the Tlicho final agreement. The budget includes $471,000 to support the community governments established pursuant to the Tlicho agreement. Upon effective date, the four Dogrib community governments as we know them today will cease to exist. Replacing them will be four new community governments established under the Tlicho Community Government Act, which will combine aboriginal self-government with public government. Currently, under the department's community government funding policy, Wekweti and Gameti are funded as band communities. When they are established as Tlicho community governments, these communities will be funded for the increased authority and responsibility they are assuming. This increased funding will flow directly to the community governments through formula funding.

There is $495,000 in forced growth is being proposed to keep pace with rapid growth in the property assessment function. The Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development has raised concerns about this proposed investment in their report, and I would like to address some of those concerns.

The department has worked hard to maintain current property assessments, particularly for the tax-based communities who rely on these revenues to fund their operations, but it has reached the point where it is not possible to keep pace with the growth in the larger communities and with the rapid increase in resource-based activity.

The department has worked closely with the Department of Finance to ensure that this is an appropriate investment, and that additional revenues can be realized in the short term, which will more than offset the costs of assessment. Not only the Government of the Northwest Territories, but tax-based municipalities will benefit from this initiative.

With regard to the standing committee's suggestion that other alternatives need to be explored, the department is completing the first stage of a review of property assessment practices in other jurisdictions, which may led to recommendations for improvement.

The standing committee has also raised concerns about the timeliness of the process of transferring Commissioner's land to municipal governments. Improvement is needed in this area, and the department is taking aggressive action in this regard. Funding in this budget will help to complete a comprehensive review of land-related policies, and support the development of recommendations for streamlining and improving these processes.

The budget also contains funding to complete the development of a geographic information system that will provide community governments with an effective tool to streamline the land administration process.

The standing committee noted that it is not enough to invest in community infrastructure, but it is equally critical to invest in proper maintenance and upkeep. Resources in this budget will support expanded training opportunities for community government staff in infrastructure maintenance and management to address this important need.

These are just some of the areas where the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is working to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our program delivery.

Community governments are key partners who want to work with the government to address challenges and opportunities. The investments that the government makes in communities are essential to ensure good governance throughout the Northwest Territories and quality of life for all residents. Madam Chair, I look forward to any comments and any questions that the committee may have at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Zoe. I believe at this time Mr. Delorey is going to read the Governance and Economic Development committee's review on the main estimates for MACA. Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Public Works designs, constructs,

acquires, operates and maintains buildings, works and equipment and implements energy efficient projects in the Government of the Northwest Territories; buildings and works required for the Government of the Northwest Territories to deliver its programs and services.