My colleagues, I would like to direct your attention to the visitors' gallery, to the presence of former Speaker of the House, former Member of the House, Mr. Tony Whitford. Welcome to the House.

----Applause

Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a complex social problem. It does not lend itself to a simple solution or quick fixes. There are a number of departments involved in addressing different aspects of homelessness: Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services, Justice and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. To ensure that we move forward in the development of a coordinated response and to optimize scarce resources, I have assigned the lead responsibility to the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger.

A coordinated response to this critical issue must address the many underlying causes of homelessness. Addressing those issues in addition to ensuring an adequate supply of appropriate housing, providing options for employment, ensuring adequate income and dealing with the results of inadequate housing such as increased family violence and health problems is essential if there is ever to be a long-term solution to homelessness.

In recent weeks, the government has initiated steps toward the development of a comprehensive, coordinated, interdepartmental strategy for addressing homelessness in the Northwest Territories. A number of meetings have been held between the various Ministers and officials involved in the delivery of homeless programs, as well as with the chairperson of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, Major Karen Hoeft.

On Thursday, March 25th, the deputy minister of Health and Social Services attended a meeting of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition and confirmed the government's short-term priority to work with the coalition to provide adequate shelter space in the city of Yellowknife for next winter. We hope that the lessons learned from this work will assist in addressing homelessness issues in other centres such as Inuvik.

Over the next month, the Minister of Health and Social Services will work with his colleagues, other agencies, the homelessness coalition and other communities to arrange a workshop where issues and possible approaches to addressing homelessness can be identified. During the term of the 14th Legislative Assembly a draft homelessness paper was developed for discussion. This paper will be circulated for further discussion within the next month.

Mr. Speaker, these are some of the preliminary steps taken by this government to address the serious issue of homelessness. It is critical that we work together across government and with our non-government partners to ensure people across the Northwest Territories are able to access and sustain affordable, appropriate housing over the long term. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to recognize nine outstanding individuals who will receive the Language Leader Awards. These awards are especially meaningful as each of the award winners are nominated and chosen by their peers from the communities and regions. We need to ensure the grassroots work being done by leaders such as the people we are recognizing today continues. These people don't just talk about the importance of their languages; through their daily activities and lives, they demonstrate how important their language is.

I'm pleased to announce the 2003 Language Leader Awards:

For Chipewyan - the Deninu Kue Chipewyan Language Working Group for their work on a volunteer basis developing and promoting the Chipewyan language, including evening language classes, traditional sewing classes, a youth carnival and maintaining the Chipewyan Language Resource Centre.

For Cree - Mary Cardinal. Mary is a devoted individual teaching children in the Head Start aboriginal language program, parent's language and craft classes, and performing translation work for the NWT Cree Language Program.

For Tlicho - David Gon. David has been a strong advocate promoting language through music, singing, writing, recording and performing in the Dogrib language. As well, David has been involved in many musical programs with students in the Dogrib region.

For French - Ann Marie Vigeant. Anyone who knows this dynamic lady knows that she is always eager to promote her language. Ann Marie has been vital in teaching after- school programs, adult French conversation classes, and organizing all francophone cultural activities in Fort Smith.

For South Slavey - Philip Constant. If you have ever listened to the local radio in Fort Providence, chances are you've heard Philip. He volunteers his time transcribing the stories of elders for learning materials and assisting elders to understand and interpret local issues important to them.

For North Slavey - Lucy Jackson. Lucy has been very active in her community of Fort Good Hope translating for workshops, organizations and corporations in the area. She is very active on the local radio station scene and uses her language in her capacity as a community leader.

For Gwich'in - Ann Firth-Jones. Ann has been instructing Gwich'in on her own time and has made sure that everyone in her place of work is learning a Gwich'in word of the day. As well, she's an active contributor to the Gwich'in newsletter in Fort McPherson and has ensured that the traditional crafts and community events have thrived in her home community of Fort Smith.

For Innuinaqtun - the Holman Sing-along Group. This traditional group has kept their language alive through sharing their songs in Innuinaqtun, including translating hymns and singing traditional songs throughout their communities for special occasions and in times of hardship.

For Inuvialuktun - Mary Tatti. Working as a resource person for language officers at the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre in Inuvik, Mary has also been instrumental in working on the original dictionaries and subsequent updates. She uses and encourages others to use their language on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, through the work of these individuals and people just like them in each and every community of the Northwest Territories, we will ensure that all our languages not only survive, but thrive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a known fact and an embarrassing truth that our legislature is the only jurisdiction in Canada without representation of women in Cabinet. Our sister territory, Nunavut, has really shown us how they can do much better in this regard and I'd like to congratulate them on having chosen two women Ministers in Cabinet; both of them in senior portfolios. Mr. Speaker, I understand fully that under our system of consensus government the Premier does not have full control over who gets to sit on Cabinet, but he does have the power and responsibility to take actions that would show that he does not support that and to show leadership of inclusion.

In recognizing that, I made a statement in the House on December 12th -- the day after the Cabinet was chosen -- putting the Premier and Cabinet on notice and challenging them to do what is within their power to take strong measures to improve this situation. I suggested to the Premier that in all important senior appointments of the government and boards, I expect to see an increased number of women and aboriginal peoples being selected.

Mr. Speaker, there are 13 departments and corporations that report directly to the legislature. Of those there are currently only two women deputy ministers. In the last legislature it had increased from one to two and at some point we had three. In this Legislature so far it remains at two. But in the last government, the secretary to Cabinet, the most senior deputy minister, was female and the principal secretary to Cabinet, the chief political advisor to Cabinet, was female for a significant period of its life.

Rather than improving on this score, Mr. Speaker, we have taken major steps backward. With the appointment of a male principal secretary and Cabinet secretary and shuffling of all male deputy ministers in different positions, we are now faced with the real possibility where not only will there be no women Ministers, but all of their key advisors in the room will be men also. I must say, Mr. Speaker, the Premier and Cabinet Ministers should be ashamed of creating and condoning this wall of male club at the top.

Mr. Speaker, for the mainstream male operators, it might seem quite normal to sit around the table where all the players are men. They might not even notice that something is amiss when this is happening.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, for the mainstream male operators, it might seem quite normal to sit around the table where all the players are men. They might not even notice that something is amiss when this is happening. But I'm telling you this is not acceptable in the year 2004. I must say over and over again that we must have a government that reflects the face it serves. We expect the Premier and Cabinet to take intentional and deliberate actions to make sure this happens: that our decision-making body has real representation from the other gender and all of our different regions and socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

I realize it has only been four months in the life of this government, but so far the ratio of all senior government and board appointments has been 100 percent male to zero percent female. This has to improve, Mr. Speaker, and the Premier and every Cabinet Minister sitting on that side has a collective responsibility to make it happen.

I want to put the Premier and Cabinet Ministers on further notice that I expect to see a marked improvement by the

time we meet again in this House in May and June. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm here to tell you today that the Sahtu is open for business. There were four wells being drilled near Colville Lake and two wells drilled just south of Tulita from this past winter's drilling season. Altogether, that makes six exploration wells and geographical programs running for a total of $56 million and 200 hundred jobs that have been created as a result of this exploration. This doesn't even begin to recognize the potential, Mr. Speaker.

It is estimated that by the year 2009, if all goes well, more than 6,000 jobs will be created during the three years of construction of the pipeline. Once the pipeline is shipping gas from the Mackenzie Delta, billions of dollars will flow into the Northwest Territories.

Between now and then, however, four years will be spent in public consultation, technical studies, environmental field work, benefit plans and regulatory reviews. These are just the first steps to get the approval for the pipeline to be built. We have to get on with it, Mr. Speaker.

This government has a role to play and the government should be making it easier for these companies to get through all the consultations, environmental work and regulatory processes. Industry needs a one-stop shop, a coordinated approach. The government needs to train our people on how to negotiate with these companies to get all the benefits of exploration and development. We also need the government to encourage industry to work with us. We need help to form joint ventures so our people can get the training to build this pipeline and secure our future. We especially need the government to keep working on the settlement of land claims so all this development can proceed.

I can see an exciting future for our people, Mr. Speaker. We need the government's help. Thank you.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to respond to the Premier's ministerial statement today on homelessness. I was struck when I was listening to this today, Mr. Speaker, with all of the nice government and fancy jargon that goes with this and it just absolutely sometimes is amazing to me the words that we find to describe things. The average person must wonder what in heaven's name it means.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier said that homelessness is a complex social problem. It is a complex problem; I agree with him. However, I think the solutions might be a little simpler than what we are making. I think we are making the issue more complex than what it really is. He uses words like "as we move forward with a coordinated response." Now, these people are homeless, so I'm sure they're very interested in options for employment and adequate income. When I think of homelessness, I think of emergency-type situations. Surely there's some middle ground between somebody sleeping on the street or sleeping on someone's sofa and figuring out how to build them an entire home addressed to their specific needs. Surely there's, yes, a need for long-term solutions, but sometimes, Mr. Speaker, I just wish this government could just be a little bit more practical.

When I listen to this, it sounds like we're going to build a whole religion around this or something. They have initiated steps, they've held a number of meetings, they've confirmed the government's short-term priorities, the government's long-term priorities. They're trying to learn lessons from the work that they're doing, they're arranging workshops. They have drafted a homelessness paper for discussion, then it will be circulated for further discussion. Then they talk about preliminary steps.

So they are meeting with folks and NGOs and stuff in the communities who are probably more on top of this, but, Mr. Speaker, when I listen to this I just can't help but think that maybe there's a practical solution. Like maybe someone should take a crowbar down to the Akaitcho Hall building there next to the school and tear some of the boards off some of these buildings that are boarded up in town and put a big wood heater in there or something. Try and just take, for once, a practical approach to an urgent need instead of, like I said, building a whole department or -- I don't even know how to describe it -- a whole doctrine around it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts and dedication of Ms. Karen Polkoff of Inuvik. Ms. Polkoff is a tireless coach and a tireless volunteer with the Inuvik speed skating group. At a recent meet in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, the participants made a great deal of accomplishments which were made in recognition of Ms. Polkoff's efforts. On behalf of my constituency, the people of Inuvik and the speed skating community, a heartfelt gratitude is extended to her for her tireless efforts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honour a young constituent of mine from Fort Simpson who has joined the Canadian Armed Forces. I was honoured to be at his signing-in ceremony and he's in the gallery today. He's the son of a former MLA who served in our House and his father served time in the Canadian Infantry. His name is Mr. Arthur Lafferty. He

enrolled today, which is a pretty significant event for Nahendeh, and I'd just like to commend him on his efforts and following through on his dream to do something that he has always wanted to do.

He will complete his basic training at CFB St. Jean, Quebec. Following this, he will commence basic infantry training in Wainwright, Alberta, then join the ranks of the renowned Princess Patricia Light Infantry. Thank you very much and way to be there, Arthur.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue I want to address today is one that has come before territorial governments in the past and, in particular, the 13th and 14th Legislative Assemblies. The issue, Mr. Speaker, is the question of whether the Northwest Territories is the right name for our territory. The people of the NWT have spoken loud and clear on this topic and a vast majority have said leave it alone. Yes, there are a few individuals who -- for whatever reason, be it personal preference or leaving a legacy -- would like to see the name changed. Yes, there have been a few names tossed around. Names such as Denendeh, Deh Cho, and I can't forget the most popular of all: BOB. Mr. Speaker, the last one I heard comes from my colleague, Mr. Yakeleya, and he suggests that we should be called Robin Hood because the federal government keeps robbing from us all the time.

Whatever the name, consensus has not and will not be easy to achieve on this issue. Our Senator, the Honourable Nick Sibbeston, has stepped up to the plate and has decided to take his turn at swinging the renaming bat. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the pitcher is on target and the strikeout is fast and painless.

---Laughter

Mr. Sibbeston claims the time is right, that our territory is maturing and is stable. However, Mr. Speaker, with all the land claims and self-government negotiations taking place at this time which have the potential of fragmenting our territory even further, I question whether stable is the right word to describe our territory.

Mr. Speaker, on February 23rd of this year, Hay River Town Council passed a motion rejecting the proposal of a name change and received overwhelming support. They further stated that they are proud of the unique history, tradition, cultures and identity associated with the Northwest Territories the world over. Mr. Speaker, we have spent a lot of money over the last few years promoting the Northwest Territories in the world and what it stands for.

Mr. Speaker, I 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 have unanimous consent to conclude your statement.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sibbeston has taken an approach to this issue that I have a lot of questions about and I would like to ask our Premier some questions during question period as to where our government stands on this issue seeing that, in my opinion, we have some much bigger fish to fry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, March 21st, 2004, Edward Fabien, a former chief of the Katlodeeche First Nation, passed away. Edward Fabien was a resident of the Hay River Reserve and throughout his life was an active member of that community. Edward had a long, distinguished career as the chief of the Katlodeeche First Nation. He was first appointed in 1965 by the elders and served as a chief until 1971. He was also one of the founding chiefs of the NWT Indian Brotherhood, which later became the Dene Nation. Mr. Fabien continued to be involved in local politics and helped establish what we know today as the Hay River Reserve.

Former Chief Fabien is survived by his children: sons, Roy, Frank and Lee Fabien; and daughter, Jackie Gibb; in addition to many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Last Thursday the community, friends and family said good-bye to this great Dene leader, father and community supporter. On behalf of the people of the Deh Cho, I would like to send our condolences to his family and know that he will be missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

----Applause

Condolences go out to the family. Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.