Good afternoon, Members. Welcome back to the House. Before we begin, I will now provide my ruling on the point of order raised by the Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee, yesterday during oral question period.

Ms. Lee rose alleging that earlier, during oral questions, the Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen, contravened Rule 23(c), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m).

Firstly, Ms. Lee alleged that in referencing a previous decision to close the Dene K'onia facility, Mrs. Groenewegen contravened Rule 23(c) in rising on a matter that had been decided by the House during the current session. On this point, I find that there is no point of order since the matter had been considered and decided during the budget debate of the Third Session and we are now in the Fourth Session.

With respect to the matter of 23(h), alleging against a Member; 23(i), imputes false or hidden motives; 23(j), uttering deliberate falsehood; 23(k), using abusive or insulting language; and 23(m), offending the practices and precedent of the Assembly, your Chair will deal with these together.

To establish the context of Ms. Lee's point of order, I will quote Mrs. Groenewegen's comments from page 875 of unedited Hansard in her question to the Honourable Brendan Bell, Minister of Justice, "Would the Minister of Justice consider reopening the Dene K'onia Young Offenders' Facility? I maintain to you today that if we had an ounce of support from the Yellowknife MLAs to keep the Dene K'onia operating for all these same reasons, we wouldn't be having this discussion today." Before we go any further, I will rule no, that the Member for Range Lake does not have a point of order under rules 23(h), 23(j), 23(k) or 23(m). I find no explicit allegation, charge of uttering a falsehood, abusive language, or an offence against the practices and traditions of the House in these statements. The question remains, however, whether Mrs. Groenewegen's comments constituted an imputation of motive on the part of the Yellowknife MLAs.

First, your Chair is not interested in whether there was support or not from Members of any previous question before the House or any Member's perception of support or non-support. The question before the Chair is whether Mrs. Groenewegen's comments bring in the motives of other Members.

In allowing debate to the point of order, Mrs. Groenewegen attempted to clarify her comments. I refer

to page 911 of unedited Hansard, where Mrs. Groenewegen explains, "I am saying if we had, and if that had affected the decision, I am saying we would not be having this discussion today, because we wouldn't have an empty building to be moving TTC into." Your Chair finds these remarks helpful in determining that the honourable Member for Hay River South did not intend to impute motives in this matter and, therefore, on the final matter of Rule 23(i), I find the Member for Range Lake does not have a point of order.

I would like to thank those Members who shared their thoughts during the debate on the point of order. It serves to illustrate that during the often highly charged proceedings of this House, there are often conflicting opinions, points of view and interpretation of what is said and done. Your Chair recognizes this fact of parliamentary life, and I encourage all Members to recognize it, as well.

Colleagues, with your indulgence, I would also like to take this opportunity to make a comment on the use of question period generally. Given what I have observed over the past few days, question period, Members, is not an opportunity for debate. It is a forum for seeking information from the government. It disturbs me that, increasingly, Members are using preambles to questions to make statements, argue points of view, comment on other Members' references, and generally debate the merits of one position or another.

While your Chair has been lenient and permitted a great deal of latitude in allowing meaningful public debate, the result, as illustrated by Ms. Lee's feeling on a need to rise on a point of order, is not in the best interest of the House or the people that we serve. I don't have to remind Members that the public does pay attention to the debates in this House. Our rules are in place to ensure the dignity and the importance of the work done here. Therefore, I will ask all Members to use question period in the manner intended, and to review the rules and guidelines we have in place and conduct yourselves accordingly. Thank you, Members, for your attention.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to provide an update on the negotiations for the Devolution and Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we continue to focus our attention on the benefits from resource development that should flow to the Northwest Territories to address the immediate pressure and impacts resource development is

having on our communities. We remain of the view that the long-term solution to this issue is the negotiation of a fair devolution agreement that provides NWT governments with the resources and authorities to mitigate these impacts.

It is for this reason we believe that northern control of northern resources is the principle at the heart of our participation in the Northern Strategy. Any effective, sustainable strategy for the North must be based on the transfer of responsibility for northern lands and resources from the federal government to northern governments. Equally important, this transfer must be accompanied by an agreement that makes northern governments the primary beneficiaries of the revenues generated by these northern resources.

After the last formal negotiating session last spring, several issues remained outstanding, the most important being the language describing net fiscal benefits in the agreement-in-principle. A resolution to this issue has been made particularly difficult, given the position taken by the federal government that a final determination on this matter cannot be reached until the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing has issued its report.

As I noted in the sessional statement, it is for this reason that we worked, over the summer, to ensure the expert panel and the Panel on Fiscal Imbalance established by the Council of the Federation fully understood our views on the fiscal issues facing the Northwest Territories. We expect both panels will make recommendations on the treatment of resource revenues for provinces and territories, recommendations that will profoundly impact on devolution negotiations.

Mr. Speaker, we have also been working to resolve the remaining issues frustrating the negotiating process with federal Ministers. Since last spring, Minister Roland, Minister Bell and I have met with the Deputy Prime Minister and other federal Ministers. At my last meeting with the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, the Honourable Andy Scott, at the end of September, I proposed a number of potential solutions to resolve the remaining issues and move us toward an AIP. Minister Scott agreed to consider these proposals as a basis for resuming negotiations, and promised to respond to us in the near future. It is our hope that the federal government will respond in a positive manner and honour the commitment made by the Prime Minister to reach an AIP this year and a final agreement in 2006.

Over the summer months, I also had the opportunity to meet individually and collectively with aboriginal leaders to discuss these negotiations. We agreed to continue to work together to seek resolution of the outstanding issues in a collaborative way, resulting in a fair and equitable deal for the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, a Devolution and Resource Revenue Sharing Agreement is a crucial element to the continued development of the Northwest Territories and to increase investment in critically needed programs in our communities. It is a goal we must continue to work toward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. FASD is a lifelong disability. Early diagnosis, supportive environments and a range of special supports and services are necessary to assist individuals and their families in their journey toward self-reliance and well-being.

Today and tomorrow, the Department of Health and Social Services is hosting an NWT Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Conference in Yellowknife.

The theme for the conference is, Diagnosis: Creating a Path for a Healthy Future. Leading national specialists in the field of FASD, as well as northern FASD experts, will be giving presentations related to FASD diagnosis. The conference has over 75 participants, with representatives from every region in the NWT. The participants include a wide range of health and social services professionals including, among others, social workers, nurses, physicians, NGOs, counsellors, early childhood consultants, school principals and community justice workers.

The conference will focus on sharing information about the Canadian FASD diagnostic guidelines. We want to increase awareness of these guidelines and the necessity for diagnostic and community teams to address the needs of children and their families.

Through a number of break-out working sessions during the conference, participants will be able to provide input to determine what we need to do to utilize the guidelines, what the challenges will be, and how we will apply these guidelines in smaller community settings.

This conference will analyze different program models from across Canada. Participants will examine all levels of services from public health nurses to early learning, and from childcare consultants to NGO support providers. At the end of the conference, direction will be provided for the development of FASD teams and a communication mechanism to keep people informed.

As a member of the Canada Northwest Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Partnership, I recently met with the Ministers from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut and Yukon in Calgary. The partnership is an alliance of seven jurisdictions working toward the development and promotion of an inter-provincial/territorial approach to prevention, intervention, care and support of individuals affected by FASD. At the meeting in Calgary, we discussed the progress and development of the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network and the need for more collaboration between the federal government and the partnership jurisdictions.

This weekend, the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network is conducting a research forum in Yellowknife, initiating a research network to promote the development of evidence-based practices in supporting adolescents and adults with FASD. This is the final of three forums that the network has been conducting this fall; the previous two took place in Winnipeg and Calgary in September. Approximately 35 participants will engage in

the discussions related to FASD research with representatives from each of the seven jurisdictions of the partnership, including physicians, psychologists, researchers and those who work in the areas of social services, justice, FASD and mental health.

Mr. Speaker, solutions lie in the networks of community supports available to at-risk women and their families, and we believe that every community can make the commitment to the next generation of children so that every baby in the NWT has the potential to enjoy a healthy life. We are committed to preventing FASD in our territory. It is an important task and, with conferences such as this, we are working together to achieve this goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to provide Members with an update today on the NWT Games Program. As Members will recall, the first NWT Winter Games were held earlier this year in Fort Smith, from March 18th to 21st. The first NWT Summer Games followed in Inuvik, from July 8th to 10th.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share some of the highlights from these events:

• • In total, there were 28 of 33 communities represented at both games.
• • In Fort Smith, a total of 257 youth and coaches participated. In Inuvik, the number increased to 272.
• • Fort Smith featured 17 events, including curling, cross-country skiing, speed skating, biathlon, tae kwon do and gymnastics. The Inuvik games included 16 different activities, including trap shooting, swimming, canoeing, softball, tennis, lacrosse, wrestling and more. Both events included Dene and Inuit games.
• • As part of the cultural component, the Fort Smith hosts arranged sessions on making medicine bags and carving, and in Inuvik, the host community welcomed the Fort Good Hope Drummers, who performed over the weekend, and held sessions on beading and drumming.
• • Fort Smith wowed the participants with a tobogganing party that included fireworks and a bonfire. In Inuvik, a major highlight was the recently opened Family Aquatic Centre. For many youth, this was a real treat.

Mr. Speaker, the primary objective of the NWT Games Program is to create opportunities for youth to participate in a multi-sport event, and encourage them to make healthy choices, such as getting involved in sport and physical activity.

The NWT Games Program was made possible through a unique funding arrangement between our government, the Government of Canada, and Sport North Federation.

Mr. Speaker, events like the NWT Games are not possible without contributions from a large number of people, and I would like to publicly recognize the following:

• • all members of the Legislative Assembly; in particular, my colleagues who were able to attend both events;
• • the Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of State for Sport, and the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Western Arctic Member of Parliament, for their support and contribution;
• • volunteers and staff of the Sport North Federation, who were responsible for managing the program, and who had a significant presence at both events;
• • Municipal and Community Affairs staff from all regions, who supported both games through a significant contribution of time and effort;
• • the Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Western Arctic, the Mackenzie Recreation Association, and the Beaufort-Delta Sahtu Recreation Association, for their collective support;
• • the departments of Health and Social Services and Education, Culture and Employment, for funding support and assistance with healthy choices events that took place;
• • finally, and most importantly, the volunteers in Fort Smith and Inuvik, who took on the monumental challenge of staging these incredible events, and for giving our youth the experience of a lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, now that these two events are completed, Municipal and Community Affairs is conducting an evaluation to assist in discussions with Sport Canada on future initiatives, and for consideration in our own long-term sport and recreation planning. Once this evaluation is completed, I will report back to the Members with an update on the long-term plans for the games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 2, Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is Small Business Week in Canada. Since its inception in 1979, Small Business Week has become a nation-wide celebration of entrepreneurship, organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada.

This year's theme is: "You're the Power Behind the Canadian Economy, Let's Share the Energy!"

Entrepreneurs have become the primary driving force behind our national economy by identifying and supplying market demands, responding to change, and being prepared to take risks. Nowhere, Mr. Speaker, is this

more apparent than here in the Northwest Territories, where 91 percent of our business community have annual sales under $1 million.

These small businesses are the foundation of our smallest and vibrant sectors, and key components of our emergence as a leader in resource exploration and development.

I would like to pay tribute today to the men and women who, as northern entrepreneurs, are transforming their ideas into solid business plans and providing the energy and innovation to fuel our competitive and prosperous northern business environment.

Our tourism industry, Mr. Speaker, is a prime example: built almost entirely on the commitment, hard work and endurance of small enterprises and their owner/operators.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, through its support of the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation, and the Canada/NWT Business Service Centre, is committed to supporting and promoting small business in the NWT. We recognize small business is, and will continue to be, the backbone in the development and diversification of our rapidly growing northern economy.

The NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation facilitates access to capital for small businesses in the NWT by promoting business financial programs and assistance available from the GNWT, other governments, government agencies and the private market.

The Canada/NWT Business Service Centre offers a combination of products, services, publications and expert referrals to help clients get current and comprehensive business information on a wide range of topics, such as writing a business plan, starting a business, finding new markets and preparing for exporting.

Together, we are working to build a prosperous, diverse and sustainable business environment for the benefit of all residents of the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in this session, Mr. Speaker, I started off with a statement on energy related issues, and I would like to continue on that same theme today. In fact, it was just today, at noon hour, that I had the pleasure of, at the invitation of the NWT Architects' Association, having a brief discussion with them about energy related issues. They are having a work-up here in Yellowknife, on best energy practices in designing northern buildings.

Mr. Speaker, this organization is made up of professionals in the design, architecture and engineering practices from both the public and the private sectors. They have years of good work behind them in designing and building structures here in the NWT. Something that I have learned more about, and this Assembly should be paying a lot more attention to, is not just how to build a building so that it looks good and functions well, but that in the years that it will be up and running, we are paying attention very closely to the lifecycle operating costs of that.

It is politically expedient in this environment, Mr. Speaker, to want to build something big, build it quick, and take advantage of maybe being there to help cut the ribbon and take the credit for it. But we have got to be much more cognizant of stepping back and making sure that the departments and agencies include our boards and agencies in this, because they are big consumers of building space and utilities. They have got to be incorporating the very best practices in building design and operating costs.

One of the messages that the architects would have for us, Mr. Speaker, is that, in the NWT, if we had incorporated best building practices and technology for everything we built in the last five years, we could have saved enough money to build a whole school. If we add about five percent on to the upfront costs of putting up a building, it will pay for itself many times over.

Mr. Speaker, we need to look at policy and, potentially, legislation to help reinforce what is already going on in our design and build world. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the effects of the rising energy costs on the lifestyle that this territory and this country was built on. That lifestyle I am speaking about, Mr. Speaker, is our ability to continue to live a traditional lifestyle. We still have many people in the NWT who continue to try to live off the land. Even with the cost of everything going up, residents will still continue to go out and live on the land, because it is just the way of life in the NWT. Fur harvesters are still trying to earn some kind of living by trapping. People go to whaling camps, go fishing, and continue a tradition that has been carried on for generations. Not much is going to prevent these harvesters from trying to earn a living off the land, Mr. Speaker.

When all the harvesters return to their communities, now they have to contend with the high cost of fuel to heat their homes, and the high cost of power and food. There was a time when it was cheaper to go out on the land to harvest for food. Now it costs less to go to the grocery store and buy pork chops. The former RWED had some good programs to help the trappers with the fur harvest industry. But more needs to be done with all the harvesters who are battling the high cost of living. All they want, Mr. Speaker, is a chance to be a little more independent. They are not looking for handouts; they just want a good break.

We live in a territory that is absolutely rich with resources, yet people in Inuvik probably paid more for natural gas than southern Canada would have to when the gas is shipped there. Now it is time for this government to share some of these rich resources with the people of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

(Translation) Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am concerned about the welfare of hunters and trappers in my region. Because of the rise in fuel costs in my region, hunters and trappers are finding it very difficult to continue their long-standing way of life.

Mr. Speaker, hunting and trapping is not a hobby; it is a way of life for aboriginal people. It is a way of life that has been seriously threatened by resource development, climate change, the missing caribou herds and, most recently, the price of fuel. Gas prices have gone up so high, it is putting the cost of hunting and trapping in jeopardy. The cost of living is constantly rising and is very difficult.

Mr. Speaker, as a provider of food, the farmers are very important to the development of civilization. In other provinces, like Alberta, farmers get tax breaks on fuel they use for farm equipment. Mr. Speaker, the hunters and trappers in my region are the farmers. Their harvest provides us with food and some of our clothing. It allows our culture to be preserved and our traditions to continue. In fact, from all the aboriginal cultures in the NWT, the Tlicho traps the most. There are 300 trappers in my region. Forty percent of us hunt and fish. We can see where we benefit from using our land for food, but it takes fuel to get us out on the land in my region. Now we have to pay $1.31 to $1.56 per litre for gas. That is not reasonable. Again, Mr. Speaker, the government should recognize the importance of hunters and trappers to the aboriginal culture by providing them with a tax break in terms of road gas rates in order that they may continue to live their traditional way of life. At this time I would like to say thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be addressing heating and fuel, affordable fuel for all residents and fuel subsidies for our elders. Last week, many of us identified and discussed the skyrocketing costs of fuel. I have reservations as to the Minister's approach to these problems, Mr. Speaker, by launching another information campaign to the residents to reduce their usage of energy as an immediate solution. Most changes such as these require time and start-up costs. The Arctic Energy Alliance has been campaigning on these issues already. Thirdly, who really benefits from these campaigns? Mainly communications and consulting firms; not our residents. Rebates can be delivered to the residents in many ways across the territory: lower retail fuel costs in the communities, not higher; more flexibility in the home heating subsidy programs; and additional funding for smaller communities to assist with fuel expenses.

I would like to reiterate, Mr. Speaker, that no one should ever have to choose between food and heat. Mr. Speaker, that is happening today in our communities throughout the Territories. Seniors often need special care, and in response, family members assist and live at the elder's home permanently or temporarily. During this time, benefits and programs must not be denied to them. Without this very important program, the extraordinary heating costs experienced in the North would be overwhelming for the elders and others with limited income.

This year, the GNWT will be increasing the cost of fuel in many communities. The rationale given is external conditions. If the GNWT purchases and delivers the fuel once or twice a year far in advance, then the current market conditions should not influence the overall price.

Secondly, if, and only if, the GNWT is projecting a revenue surplus to offset the operating costs, then why are small communities bearing the brunt of this change? Why are we raising our fuel costs when everywhere else in the world is dropping, Mr. Speaker? We need to maintain our comprehensive strategy, not recover the costs from the little communities and the people who have no long-term fixed incomes, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.

---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 had a Member's statement ready to go today about energy, but, after hearing the interview on CBC Radio this morning with the president of the Housing Corporation, I am sorry, but I have to come back to the Housing Corporation again.

How can this corporation have the audacity to go on the radio and try to defend itself by contradicting the observations of the Members of this House? As far as I am concerned, the gloves are now off. I will make it my personal mission to point out, in painstaking detail, the tabled documents and the information in this House that will back up my comments. Obviously, the president doesn't get my point. I have no problem with investing money. I have no problem with spending money. I have a very big problem with wasting money. I also have a problem with lack of transparency and accountability.

---Applause

In the interview, it was stated that there are three units occupied in the Tuktoyaktuk seniors' complex. I am telling you, Mr. Speaker, that I, and almost all the Regular Members of this House, toured that facility with the

caretaker this spring, and I could see with my own eyes that the units were not occupied. So let's not split hairs over whether there are now three occupied units. One is the caretaker and his wife, for sure. My point, which seems to be getting missed here, is that the NWT Housing Corporation has limited resources. We have a critical shortage of housing in the North. We cannot afford to build multi-million dollar facilities, operate and maintain these, and accumulate costs of tens of thousands of dollars per year with no one in it, even if we had the money to throw away, which we don't. Sure, we can reprofile after the fact, but that is not the solution.

The other point of bringing up this facility is that it is not an isolated occurrence. I said that if the seniors' complexes in Deline and Fort Resolution have not yet been profiled, they also missed their target audience of housing seniors in those communities. Surely, with all the consultation and surveys about poor housing needs that the Housing Corporation has undertaken over the years, they can do a little better than this. Consultation in the community should have revealed whether or not there would be uptake or buy-in from the seniors. Admittedly, there are some cultural issues that needed to be taken into account, but those concerns should not be foreign to this government. We have a critical housing shortage. We have a budget. Is it too much to ask that we try to match those resources to those needs? If we don't have...

Mrs. Groenewegen, your time for your Member's statement has expired.

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

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Is it too much to ask that we try to match those resources to those needs? If we don't have a housing shortage, then we need to ask ourselves if we have a housing mandate. If public housing has been turned over to ECE, and our local LHOs and district offices are doing a good job of delivering local social housing and regional housing programs, what do we need the NWT Housing Corporation for? Let's just roll them into another department.