Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to offer my congratulations to you on your new duties as Speaker of this esteemed House. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is well known for its natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable. In recent years, we have seen the world arrive on our doorstep to exploit our diamond resources. Soon, with the construction of the Mackenzie gas pipeline, our energy resources will be exploited to meet the needs of the foreign nations. The cornerstone of the agreement to allow this kind of development has been the negotiation of socioeconomic agreements with affected communities.

There are impact benefit agreements, access agreements, and northern hiring quotas. It has not always been like this. Developers have not always been required to provide benefits to the people who live here. Many of you will recall the experience of the Norman Wells pipeline. Developers were not required to provide impact benefits, they paid no access fees, and they were not required to hire local people. Fortunately, that situation has begun to change, and it will continue to change as we take our rightful place in this world as masters of our own destiny.

But the situation has not changed in all sectors of our economy. In the renewable resource sector, southern business interests are still allowed to operate without recourse to the needs and aspirations of our communities. This is certainly the situation in my riding of Nahendeh where we have a number of big outfitters operating on traditional lands. It is time that the outfitters also are required to provide meaningful benefits to the people who live here. Giving away a little meat as a charitable donation does not qualify as a meaningful benefit. In my riding, the confrontation has grown between outfitters and the Deh Cho First Nations, and a solution needs to be found. Since all outfitters must be licensed by the Government of the Northwest Territories, the government has a key role to play in negotiating a solution.

Mr. Speaker, there is a new way of doing business in the North, and it is time that all businesses and all sectors of the economy subscribe to this new regime. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Item 3, Members' statements. Honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Tuesday, May 25, 2004, Ms. Anne Buggins, a great northerner and prominent elder of the Hay River Reserve, passed away. She was the eldest person on the Hay River Reserve. Anne Buggins was born at Buffalo Lake to William and Madeline Buggins. As a young girl who lived on the land in the area of Buffalo Lake, she became a very skilled hunter and became very efficient in the ways

of the Dene. She was also known across the Northwest Territories for her kindness and generosity. Anne never married and, although she did not have any children of her own, after her sister passed away, she took her sister's children in and raised them up and also adopted three other children. Anne is survived by her brother, Pat Buggins.

Mr. Speaker, last month, I had the opportunity to watch Anne being interviewed on television. She spoke of many things that happened throughout her life. What stood out in my mind is the fact that she had a very deep concern about people and especially her people, the people of Katlodeeche. She talked about how happy she was to see certain ceremonies revived, especially the feeding of the fire. She was also very happy to see drummers once again in her community. She also spoke about finding a young man lying in the snow bank because he had too much to drink. She stated about how concerned she was about today's youth and the toll that alcohol was having upon them.

Mr. Speaker, many people relied on this lady for her advice. Many people went to her when they did not have any place to go and no one else to talk to. In many cases, they went to her when they did not have a place to stay. In the last couple of years, she dedicated a lot of time to the aboriginal Head Start program, sharing her language, skills and culture. She was also very dedicated to her family. Mr. Speaker, Anne was a vibrant, active lady who was loved by her community. On Saturday, May 29, 2004, the community, friends, and family said goodbye to Anne. On behalf of the people of Deh Cho, I would like to send our condolences to her family and let them know that she will be very deeply missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. Honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to congratulate you on your new role as Speaker of this House and also send out my congratulatory notes to the new Minister-elect of the Executive Council, Mr. David Krutko. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome my colleague, Mr. Zoe, to this side of the House. Hopefully he will fit in well.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the success of four of my constituents of Deninu Kue, who have graduated and shown a lot of progress from various educational institutions, both in the NWT and Alberta this year. I want to publicly congratulate Mr. Dennis King, who is graduating from the management studies program at Aurora College; Kristen Boucher, and Ms. Leanne Boucher, for both graduating from the office administration program also at Aurora College. Finally, I want to congratulate Mr. Kevin Giroux for completing the second of the three-year civil engineering program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. It is my privilege to not only acknowledge the hard work and dedication that these individuals have displayed thus far, but also their remarkable achievements given circumstances and surroundings that they all come from. I believe these achievements will not only benefit them each personally, but also have a positive rippling effect on all the younger people of Tu Nedhe, those in schools and to those who may not be in schools who may now consider returning to school after seeing that these local individuals succeeded in their endeavours of higher education.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I again wish continued success to all of these individuals in their future endeavours and aspirations. I look forward to personally meeting and congratulating each one individually in the near future. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Item 3, Members' statements. Honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I rise, I would like to wish congratulations to you for your new appointment to your station. I know you will do a great job. I wish to say, for the record, as a senior, you certainly put up a good fight. If you suffer from any bruises, I am sure they must have been the affliction of Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, as a territorial government, we are in a particular strategic position with our federal leadership yet to be determined. I would like to talk to you about a northern agenda today. Candidates for the Western Arctic riding in the upcoming federal election are looking to us, our current leaders, to share some of our northern views with them. It is important that they know them. Mr. Speaker, we have the opportunity, if I may say, we truly have the obligation to engage in these candidates to ensure that they realize and understand true northern issues and make sure that these concerns are brought forward at a national level. Mr. Speaker, issues such as health care needs, resource sharing, environmental, cultural awareness, and devolution. I can go on endlessly, but it is important that we ensure that these candidates, our potential new Member of Parliament, understand these issues.

Mr. Speaker, this new Member of Parliament will be an advocate, so it is important that we make sure that they are truly educated on our needs. However, some of these needs and issues may seem similar to those in the South. I demand that they bring forward the issue and understand, in the sense that they educate the South of the higher cost of living and the higher cost of delivering these basic services that should be enshrined to everyone. Mr. Speaker, it is incumbent that the rest of Canada truly recognizes the Northwest Territories as a distinct society. As I stated yesterday in the debate with regard to a motion on provincehood, I would encourage our potential candidates and hopefully someday our new Member of Parliament to make sure that the rest of Canada knows that. Mr. Speaker, as they are recording us presently, the commitment should be on us to bring forward a strong message and educate them on northern priorities.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will further be asking more questions to the Premier with regard to possibly educating our candidates for the Western Arctic riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 3, Members' statements. Honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My congratulations and compliments to you, Mr. Krutko, and Mr. Zoe for your new views and new perspectives on your respective seats in the Assembly. I look forward to working with all of you.

I don't like to miss a chance at least once in every session, Mr. Speaker, to talk about housing. Like my colleague, Mr. Hawkins, who has reflected on the opportunity before us with the federal election campaign, I think this is an opportune time for this Assembly and, indeed, for everyone in the NWT who is affected by housing issues to bring this to the floor, and make sure that it is on the campaign trail for the candidates in the June 28th federal election.

Housing, especially social housing I believe, Mr. Speaker, is the most critical issue facing the NWT today. I know working as an MLA that just about every issue that constituents come to me with when there are family and personal issues, have some kind of connection to an inadequate housing situation. In fact, in just the past few days in the small community of Colville Lake we have had a tuberculosis crisis, and this is a classic symptom of inadequate and overcrowded housing situations.

Here in Yellowknife, to bring it closer to home, transitional housing and emergency housing needs are staying relatively consistent, Mr. Speaker, and that means that there is a tremendous demand continuing for them even though hundreds of new units have been built. Federal programs that used to come under the auspices of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have been dramatically cut since the 1990s, and I think it is time that we really got this back on the federal agenda and got it restored.

I don't want to get partisan about it in this House this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, but I would urge every federal candidate, and every federal party, and everyone in the NWT who carries housing as a concern, to take this into this election and make sure that it gets to the top of those federal agendas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 3, members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of my constituents in Inuvik Twin Lakes and all of the people of the Northwest Territories, to offer congratulations to you as our new Speaker. I want to extend our well wishes and convey our confidence in your role as the Speaker of this Assembly. Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Mr. Krutko, the newly-elected Cabinet Minister for the north region of this Assembly. I look forward to working with Mr. Krutko on a number of issues that impacts or affects the Mackenzie Delta region.

Mr. Speaker, the democratic process we have in Canada is a world envy. It is known that we have the ability to speak freely and without fear of retribution. Therefore, I know you will require us to uphold this level of excellence. Again, I congratulate both of you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent of mine, and a local businessman, also president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Mr. Lloyd Lush; and to Mr. Lush's left, Mr. Lorne Power, general manager of the Royal Canadian Legion. I have one more person up there, a former business mentor of mine, prominent northern businessman Mr. Ray Anderson from Matco. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize one of our esteemed seniors in Yellowknife Centre, the Right Reverend Sperry.

---Applause

I would also like to recognize as well, as you did earlier, Mr. David Hamilton and Mr. Glen McLean.

---Applause

As well as Mr. Ramsay, I would like to also recognize Mr. Lloyd Lush and Mr. Lorne Power. Finally, I would like to recognize a constituent of mine, Sue Glowach. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm also pleased to recognize Ray Anderson, president of Matco. Ray was one of the strong supporters when we had the business coalition working with us in the last government. With Mr. Anderson is Anne Martin, president of United Van Lines. I recognize her as well. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize my constituent, Major Karen Hoeft from the Salvation Army. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize several people who will be joining me for the launching of our new veteran's licence plate today. We have two veterans, Brock Parsons.

---Applause

We also have Bishop John Sperry...

---Applause

...and the president of the YK Royal Canadian Legion and also the representative for the Alberta/Northwest Territories Command, Lloyd Lush.

---Applause

We also have with us Gary Walsh from the Department of Transportation, motor vehicles and licensing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the former mayor of Rae-Edzo and former Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Dan Marion, and his daughter Gizelle Marion. Welcome to the House, but I believe they just left the gallery. Thank you.

---Laughter

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome everyone who has been recognized, I am not going to repeat names, but one who wasn't mentioned is Ms. Lydia Bardak who now is with the Salvation Army. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.