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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is about what I might read about, opening a newspaper one year from now.

---Laughter

Premier Joe Handley has returned from another long devolution negotiation with Ottawa. When asked if we are now a province, the Premier replied, "The Government of Canada will not budge, so we are now a country."

---Laughter

"I will be known as President Handley. Everything here now belongs to its rightful owners."

Mr. McLeod and Mr. Roland issued the following statement from Mr. Krutko's trailer, "We are happy to hear President Handley saying the pipeline will now be built because, if not, we, in the Beaufort-Delta, were prepared to pass our gas somewhere else."

---Laughter

Mr. Pokiak was absent and was last seen with a wheelbarrow and chainsaw leaving Tuktoyaktuk, and heading for Inuvik, and saying, "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

---Applause

Mrs. Groenewegen, after unsuccessfully trying to have her new country named "Hay River," was appointed secretary of state. She has just completed her first international visit. The United States is now a colony of the NWT, and ANWR is off limits.

---Laughter

Mr. Hawkins, in his attempt to become the first person to drive a Winnebago from North America to Japan had to abandon his trip after sinking the motor home 30 feet from shore.

Mr. Dent, seeking an easier line of work, has decided to take up ultimate fighting, with his first match scheduled for next week.

Meanwhile, Ms. Sandy Lee, looking for another place to release her energy, is hoping to become the first woman to come back as a man in the ultimate fighting octagon.

---Laughter

It is rumoured that her first opponent is known as C.D.

Mr. Menicoche, frustrated with the lack of ferry services, spent this summer, along with Minister McLeod, rowing vehicles across the Liard River. Once a winter road opens, he plans to move to Nahanni Butte to teach aerobics classes with granny in the new gym.

---Applause

Mr. Bell and Mr. Ramsay, after doing the math and splitting their $2 million lottery win, were vacationing in Fiji, where they met Mr. Braden, who is now a member of that assembly.

---Applause

He tells them that they have no snow removal equipment, and he plans to make that his mandate.

---Laughter

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 may conclude your statement, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Yakeleya, upset because he was unable to get his ice roads paved, is now trying to start his own country, with himself as president.

---Laughter

He had hoped to have Mr. Villeneuve join him, but Mr. Villeneuve was too busy in his new position as chief of Lutselk'e.

---Laughter

Mr. Delorey, along with teammates, Mr. Lafferty and Mr. Miltenberger, curling in the Briar, called Alberta on a point of order, and was successful in having sixteen points removed from Alberta's score. As of press time, it is now 0/0 in the third end.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, although I have taken the opportunity to poke some good-natured fun at myself and colleagues, after being here for almost a year, I can assure residents that we all take what we do very seriously. We are able to do this, Mr. Speaker, because we live in a country, because of our veterans' Remembrance Day is...November 11th is Remembrance Day, and the House will not be sitting, so I would like to recognize the contributions of our veterans today. I would encourage everyone to remember and show their support to our veterans, not just on November 11th, Mr. Speaker, but every day. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise, once again, to raise an issue that is important to the Beaufort-Delta region. Mr. Speaker, I am sure Members in this House know what I am speaking about. I am talking about the proposed Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway, but, more specifically, to source 177; the big, exciting song called A Long and Winding Road, Mr. Speaker. I just need a 22 kilometre access road to a much needed gravel source.

Mr. Speaker, this road is in alignment with the proposed Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway. The Inuvialuit Final Agreement has a clause, where government and the Inuvialuit must identify gravel sources nearby to the Inuvialuit communities. Mr. Speaker, gravel source 177 is the closest gravel source to Tuktoyaktuk. Mr. Speaker, I understand ConocoPhillips intends to construct an airport like Parsons Lake. Why? Public Works Canada identified a new airport location for Tuktoyaktuk which is approximate to source 177, and along the proposed Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway. This government should sit down with ConocoPhillips and plan the shared airport.

Mr. Speaker, the Beaufort-Delta residents need some economic opportunities. If this government can provide $5 million for each of the next three years for the project, it will bring economic opportunities to the Beaufort-Delta. Mr. Speaker, this project will create employment, training, and business opportunities. People in the Beaufort-Delta rarely depend on income support, Mr. Speaker. If this access road to source 177 does not proceed, many residents in the Beaufort-Delta will be forced to rely on income support; therefore, Mr. Speaker, costing the government more money.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge this government to find and allocate the funds to start the 22 kilometre access road to gravel source 177, but, more importantly, Mr. Speaker, the start of the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk today about another file being actioned and being reported by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. That has to do with the problems with the Apprenticeship Program, Mr. Speaker. We are well aware of how important this program is in terms of training our young people to become part of the skilled workforce that we desperately need. But when you see the difficulties the apprentices and the sponsoring employers have to go through, you wonder if the Minister gets this point, Mr. Speaker.

A constituent of mine enrolled in the plumbing/gasfitter apprenticeship program at the Thebacha Campus for January 2005. Two weeks before the start date, he was informed that the course was cancelled. His employer managed to get him into the same program at the Fairview Campus. He finished that and assumed that he would continue on with the second year this fall, and made his personal plans accordingly until, of course, ECE interrupts and says they will not approve such funding for him to go to Alberta because the Aurora College and Thebacha Campus will offer it, but not until next January and he will have to wait for that. Given his previous

experience, Mr. Speaker, this apprentice was not sure if he could rely on going to this program in January. In responding to my inquiries, the Minister tells me that he is doing everything he can to guarantee that second year is available, but he cannot guarantee that we can have these programs available for the first year.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder how the Minister could expect that the students, who are forced to start their Apprenticeship Program outside the NWT, should be easily made to come back to the North, Mr. Speaker. Deciding who takes a post-secondary education is a very important decision. It takes lots of pre-planning and organizing personal affairs. I believe it is a competitive field, and if we are going to succeed in this Apprenticeship Program, we have to make sure that the first year program is available in the NWT, so that students start at the NWT campus and finish at the NWT campus. If they can't offer the first year, then the Minister and his department should not interfere when they make their own personal plans accordingly. They should be assisted to finish the program where they started. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on October 17, 2005, regarding student financial assistance.

1. How many people in the category of northern residents not schooled in the Northwest Territories have applied for student financial assistance from the government in each of the last three years?

Sorry, Mr. Speaker, I am reading the wrong question.

---Laughter

It may be a good answer, but it was the wrong question.

Go ahead with your return to oral question, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Braden on October 21, 2005, regarding employment insurance as income. Mr. Braden asked why the Workers' Compensation Board has not accepted multiple rulings from the Appeals Tribunal regarding employment insurance in pensionable earning calculations.

Mr. Speaker, currently, the Workers' Compensation Act allows for the Governance Council to disagree with the rulings of the Appeals Tribunal and to ask the tribunal to reconsider its decision. Under the WCB Act, the Appeals Tribunal is required to consider policy when making decisions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Norma Ann Jeremick'ca originally from Whati, who is here as part of my constituency. Beside her is Jonathan Simpson from Wekweeti. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize one of our Pages that have been here, a constituent of mine, a young lady by the name of Courtney Northrup. I know she is not in the House right now, but she is a taller girl with curly hair, so if you see her, say hello to her. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, in my Member's statement, I spoke about the percentage of net profits that should be linked to treatment of alcohol or substance abuse. I pointed out the $20 million that we receive as a net profit. Would the Minister of Finance please inform me if any suggestion of this nature has ever been made, or has ever come forward, to be considered that we start considering a piece of the percentages of the profit and use that to help solve the substance abuse problems we have? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of using the funds through the sale of liquor products for targeted spending in the area of drug and alcohol rehabilitation is something that has been discussed in many forums, and many times in this House. The response I will give is going to be very similar to what has been given before, which is the fact that we, as a government, already spend more than what we put back into general revenue from the sale of alcohol products into dealing with the problems we face as a government with drug and alcohol abuse. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will give the Minister credit for that. He is quite right. We already spend more than we probably do make in profit, but the fact is, in other places across Canada, they use the gaming revenues for their treatments of gambling problems. So, Mr. Speaker, it is about demonstrating that the problems -- and we are receiving profits from this -- should be dedicated to some of the solutions of the problem. Would the Minister consider going back and looking at this possibility? I know all the monies are going to be used to solve the whole problem, but would he consider going back and revisiting this policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the funds, as the Member pointed out, are transferred into general revenues. When we build our budgets, and the Department of Health and Social Services seeks funding for their programming, it comes out of general revenue so, in fact, we can say that that money does, in fact, go towards treatment of drug and alcohol problems. Thank you.