I would like him to fight for our children like we fight for our resource revenue and devolution so far. We need a champion at the national level and we need to put this childcare agenda in a very aggressive manner.

Mr. Speaker, this summer, the Social Programs committee had the opportunity to visit Whitehorse and visit their early childhood development centre. That facility provides comprehensive care for the children of all learning spectrums, from regular learning needs as well as the college's speech therapists and audiologists. I don't see why we cannot have that sort of facility in Yellowknife and all major centres of the North.

If we could get the kind of money and support from the federal government and from this agenda, we could have this and double up the funding. I know the Minister has a very careful and quiet approach, but I want to see him on the national TV on national news and...

...I want him to fight tooth and nail...

---Applause

...like Premiers and Ministers did for health care funding, for road funding, for everything. So I'm expecting that, Mr. Speaker, and I'll be watching. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Member's statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know there are many health challenges in our territory and it's overwhelming for all of us at times, but one I'm not sure we speak about enough is diabetes. This is a very dangerous and debilitating disease and, unfortunately, we are seeing increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with it and they're getting younger and younger, Mr. Speaker. For aboriginal people a lot of this is related to the changes in lifestyle that have happened since we changed from our traditional ways to more non-active living and unhealthy eating habits. Years ago people lived off only the healthy foods provided by the land and there was no such thing as a non-active lifestyle. You did not see these numbers of diabetes back then.

Mr. Speaker, it's very important that the government have programs in place to teach people, especially youth, about nutrition and the importance of exercise and active living. Young people need to know the consequences of not taking care of themselves. It is also important that people do what they can to stay in shape and eat healthy. Many people, Mr. Speaker, do not know they have the disease, so it's important they go to their health centre and get tested so they do not go too long without treatment if they do have diabetes. Often, if it is caught early, exercises and changes in diet can be enough to reverse it. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to rise today to report on the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures' consideration of the Chief Electoral Officer's report on the administration of the 2003 General Election.

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures conducted a public review of the report of the CEO and the administration of the 2003 election over the course of three months, from November 4, 2004, to January 26, 2005.

The committee met first with the Chief Electoral Officer in November and solicited public feedback through extensive advertising in northern newspapers before convening again on January 26 to consider submissions. Mr. Speaker, there were no respondents.

The committee then met with the acting Chief Electoral Officer for a final consideration of the report and its recommendations.

These recommendations and the committee's comments and endorsements are as follows.

Recommendation

That the Elections Act be amended to provide that the first Monday in October be the permanent election day in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, there was broad support on committee for setting a permanent election date. There was some discussion on whether the first Monday of October was the appropriate date. But the advantages of better weather and daylight during the campaign, avoiding

conflict with municipal election dates and the certainty of a fixed election date for planning purposes for the GNWT and any prospective candidate outweigh the disadvantages.

The one downside that was identified by committee was that once every four years the Legislative Assembly would lose the ability to do a comprehensive review of the government's business plans.

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures endorses the first Monday of October as the permanent territorial election day.

Recommendation

That a comprehensive review of the Elections Act be undertaken and that a new act be presented to the Legislative Assembly for consideration; and

That the Plebiscite Act be repealed and the provisions for the administration of plebiscites and referendums be integrated into a new Elections Act.

Mr. Speaker, the committee noted the Elections Act has been amended several times and is in need of update and consolidation. The committee agrees with the recommendations to repeal the Plebiscite Act and consolidate its provisions in the new Elections Act.

Mr. Speaker, while the Plebiscite Act has been used rarely, the last time was in 1992, it is almost identical to the Elections Act. For administrative and reference purposes it's inclusion as a separate section of the Elections Act is recommended.

The committee endorses the rewriting of the Elections Act and consolidation of the Plebiscite Act into the new Elections Act.

Recommendation

That the Chief Electoral Officer in partnership with this Legislative Assembly and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment develop a web-based interactive educational site and curriculum on election preparation for use in the schools.

Members noted that electoral participation in the Northwest Territories is traditionally higher than mainstream Canada, particularly in small communities. However, recent studies in southern Canada show that young people's participation in the electoral process has declined dramatically. We need to encourage young people to vote and exercise their franchise.

The committee endorses the development of educational programs that encourage voter participation by young people.

Recommendation

That a review be undertaken to consider the efficiencies and sharing of resources that could occur with the office of Chief Electoral Officer assuming the administrative responsibility for elections of community governments under the Local Authorities Elections Act.

The committee notes that the expertise exists in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer to assume the administrative responsibility for the municipal elections. With the exception of once every four years, when the territorial election occurs, Members do not see a reason existing staff could not administer municipal elections.

The committee endorses the office of the CEO examining the potential of taking on the responsibility for the administration of municipal elections.

Other Issues Discussed

Many of the issues Members heard expressed during the last election campaign, such as lowering the voting age to 16, electing a Premier-at-large, and tightening up candidates residency and eligibility requirements, are outside the scope of this report and may possibly be addressed during the legislative process that will occur when reviewing the Elections Act.

Some Members noted the interpretation of the provisions of the current legislation relating to the access of candidates to apartment buildings during elections is too literal and needs to be clarified so that candidates' access to the electorate is not impeded during the campaign period.

Acknowledgements

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures gratefully acknowledges the advice, assistance and cooperation of the former Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. David Hamilton, and the acting Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Glen McLean, in the course of our review.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures on the review of the report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the administration of the 2003 General Election.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Committee Report 12-15(3) be received by the Assembly and moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Report 12-15(3) will be moved into Committee of the Whole. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees.

Members, before I go into the next item on the order paper, oral questions, I would like to bring the Members' attention to something that came out of the House proceedings yesterday. I watched the House proceedings on TV last night to reaffirm my suspicions or feelings when I came out of the House last night. I would like to take this opportunity to remind Members of a number of things that have tended to be forgotten over the course of the last few days.

To begin with, I would like to point out that your rules allow for one of the most generous question periods in the Commonwealth...

---Applause

...one that permits as many questions in an hour as you can fit in to any of the Ministers of the government on any matter within their collective areas of responsibility. Used efficiently, your question period could be unparalleled among parliamentary jurisdictions.

However, having said that, I would like to note specific patterns and habits that Members have fallen into that detract significantly from an effective, efficient and productive question period.

Members continue to initiate questions with extremely long preambles. Your oral question guidelines, found in your copies of the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, provide for a very brief preamble to the initial question only. In addition, parliamentary authorities define a question preamble as not exceeding one carefully-drawn sentence. Supplementary questions should not require, nor are they permitted, any preamble. I know Members are aware that almost every supplementary question asked in the House contains a lengthy preamble. Often, such preambles constitute points of debate and occasionally they could even be construed as Members' statements.

I have also been aware of a habit that has become prevalent among Members in the course of their questions of posing a recognizable question and then continuing with added comments and statements before posing the question again, or at times posing a very different question or questions. This leads to the practice that some Members employ for asking more than one question at a time. The Chair has several options or remedies in dealing with this transgression that I will relate to you in due course.

So as not to leave out our government Members...

---Applause

I would like to comment on some areas respecting responses to questions. I would like to remind Members that under your rules, a Minister has three options when responding to an oral question: he or she may answer the question as briefly and succinctly as possible; take the question as notice to be answered on a subsequent day; or say nothing.

---Laughter

---Applause

It is your Chair's considered opinion that answers, like questions, tend to be longer than they need be and Members often feel the need to respond to each other on the points of debate, which detracts from the true essence of question period: that seeking of information from the government. If all Members approach oral question period with only this objective in mind, I think the result will be for a far more productive hour for all Members and our constituents.

On the matter of Members asking more than one question at a time, your Chair has been lenient in merely reminding Members that more than one question was asked. Other options include treating each question the Chair hears as a supplementary question, referring only one question to the Minister, or ruling the question out of order.

Finally, I would like to note a recent yet fairly subsequent occurrence of Members standing to pose a supplementary question and using the opportunity to make a statement instead. The Chair reviews such abuses of the rules as a serious matter and a waste of time for the House and the Members.

Members, the value of your question period is up to you. As your chair, I will endeavour to remain vigilant, but I am sure you would all prefer a light touch rather than a heavy-handed approach. So I will leave it to you to observe your rules more stringently and exercise a greater measure of restraint in crafting both your questions and your answers. Thank you, Members.

With that we will go into the next item on order papers. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are directed to...Mr. Speaker, some of the Members have indicated they want to recognize someone in the gallery. Would you like me to hold on? That's my question gone.

---Laughter

My apologies, Members. I went out of turn on the order paper. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a long-time friend and constituent of mine, Peppy, more formally known as Philip Beaulieu, his common-law wife, Faye, her daughter Olga, who will be a familiar face here next week in the House, and his mom, Lizzie, and a friend of theirs Brendan Boucher, and last but not least, my constituency assistant, Dora. Welcome.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't see quite from here, but I noticed in the gallery a few minutes ago a constituent of mine and an advocate for the care of workers through the WCB, my constituent, Mr. John Huffman. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I'd like to again welcome my daughter and her family into the gallery today and any other Members that may not have been

mentioned during recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome to the House.

---Applause

Now, see if we got it right. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to issues of shelter, there are many concerns which face our communities. Emergency shelter is typically something temporary provided in unusual circumstances such as family violence. There's an issue of hard-to-house people who may have difficulty managing their finances or are undesirable tenants for some reason. There's the homeless. They are people who generally can't afford or find accommodation. But today, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister responsible about the issue of transients. We have had the situation in Hay River of transients showing up in the community and there is no protocol at this time to meet their needs for shelter and food. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, is he aware of any protocol that has been developed by this government with respect to transients? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, that question was more with income support, so I'd like to ask that be referred to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.