The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I will read the last paragraph from the top.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to individually congratulate the donors, corporations, as well as a personal thanks to Mrs. Arychuk and all the people involved in the Flight of Dreams and this organization that has helped every year to bring a little silver lining to so many young clouds out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is about the status of affirmative action with the GNWT. Mr. Speaker, you will recall last week, I raised concerns about the future of the affirmative action policy in this government, especially with the centralization of human resources.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is a reason for all of us to be concerned about the future of our affirmative action policy. Last week when I questioned Minister Roland about the affirmative action, he assured me that his department is doing all they can at all levels to ensure affirmative action is applied as it should be. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Minister is aware that there are things happening that might suggest otherwise. For instance, Mr. Speaker, I have a newspaper article here dated March 27, 2002. It quotes an official from his department stating, "I expect that the affirmative action policy will be here for another two years at least." Mr. Speaker, I know that things can be taken out of context, and I am willing to allow for that. However, when I am advised that the affirmative action does not apply to one of our most important programs in the GNWT, which the GNWT has to advance its employees, I think there is reason for concern.

Mr. Speaker, the Management Assignment Program, which is believed by many to be an opportunity for northerners to advance in a management position in the GNWT, is also believed that the affirmative action policies apply to this program. Mr. Speaker, officials from the MAP program are quite open about how it does not apply to their program. Looking at those in the program and some of the candidates who have applied and were not accepted, it is obvious that the affirmative action policy does not apply to the Management Assignment Program. Mr. Speaker, how can this be justified? Last week when I questioned about the number of aboriginal people in management positions, the Minister said that people have to be willing to get an education. Mr. Speaker, many of the people who have been turned down for the MAP program have an education and are willing to learn, but, apparently, that is not enough. We have heard, Mr. Speaker, that affirmative action employees in the GNWT have been advised that employees in the MAP program have first choice for management positions. Is the department saying that affirmative action does not account for advancements into management? If a P1 employee is not able to apply for a management position because a MAP person gets first dibs at it, and if none of the MAP employees are affirmative action, how do we...

Mr. Villeneuve, your time for your Member's statement has expired.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's 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. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, if a P1 employee is not able to apply for a management position because a MAP person gets first dibs at it, and if none of the MAP employees are affirmative action, how will we ever change the face of the GNWT so that it is representative of the population that it serves in the NWT? Mr. Speaker, this practice is unacceptable and, in my mind, cannot and should not be defended by the Minister responsible for the program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on March 1st, the muskrat trapping season opened in the Mackenzie Delta. For years, families from the Beaufort-Delta travelled to their camps and continued to harvest muskrats. Many of us who grew up in the Delta always looked forward to ratting season so we could spend time out on the land. Mr. Speaker, schools in the Delta have elders who take students to the camp and teach them the traditional ways. With all the resource development that is going on in the Northwest Territories, it is good to see so many people still engaged in the pursuit of traditional activities. We must remember that, unlike oil and gas, the fur trade is a renewable resource and that the fur trade is what the Northwest Territories was built on. I am pleased that the Government of the Northwest Territories has programs like the Fur Marketing Program that help those residents who choose to continue with the traditional activity of trapping. I know many people who take advantage of the incentives and still enjoy the way of life that being on the land can provide.

Mr. Speaker, I have always admired and envied those who still go out on the land and make a living. Whenever we can, we try to get out and do some hunting and trapping because being out on the land is a part of us, and we will continue to go out no matter what we do for a living. I encourage the government to continue programs to allow people to continue with the traditional activity of fur harvesting. It is an investment of a healthy lifestyle that results in healthy people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send condolences to families and friends in

Tuktoyaktuk. Since December 2004, families and friends in Tuktoyaktuk have lost two elders.

I am sorry to report, Mr. Speaker, on Saturday night, I received word that another prominent elder, Mr. Edgar Kotokak passed away peacefully at the Inuvik General Hospital. Mr. Kotokak was surrounded by family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, last night around 11:00 p.m., I received another call about another prominent elder, Martha Kikoak, who passed away at the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. Mrs. Kikoak was the wife of my late uncle Roy Kikoak.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like, on behalf of my family and the residents of Tuktoyaktuk, to extend our deepest sympathy to families and friends of the late Edgar Kotokak and to the families of the late Martha Kikoak of Tuktoyaktuk. I cannot be there this week; however, my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. I am sure I can speak on behalf of all Members here in passing on our condolences, as well, on the elders who have passed away. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at 11:00 a.m. this morning, I had the honour of attending the launch of our very own fundraising initiative in the name of breast cancer, Run for Our Lives. Mr. Speaker, Run for Our Lives will replace the Run for the Cure in 2005 and will make it possible to use 100 percent of the funds raised by the people of the NWT in support of national research, programs, services, support and equipment purchases for NWT breast cancer patients and survivors. Mr. Speaker, I have been a supporter of this move, because I believe this is about taking an ownership of this beloved project to make it for the NWT people by the NWT people and of the NWT people.

Mr. Speaker, to symbolize the inclusiveness and the unique northern culture and heritage, the new ribbon designed for this event shows our very unique and very well-known Delta braid, which I see that all the Members are wearing. Mr. Speaker, I can also tell you that all things made and purchased for this event will be by the northerners and from the northern businesses and artists.

Mr. Speaker, when the Run for the Cure first came to Yellowknife in 1996, one of the main incentives for northerners to participate was to raise funds for a new mammography machine for the Stanton Territorial Hospital. At the time, the NWT run was considered a satellite of the national run and, therefore, 75 percent of the funds were eligible to come back to the NWT. Approximately $100,000 was granted to purchase a new mammography unit through this fundraising.

Since 1996, the NWT has raised almost $1.2 million for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation; more than any other region in the country on a per capita basis, but we have only been able to get about $265,000 back to the NWT. In 2002, new guidelines were developed by the national organization that really makes it impossible or very difficult for any of the projects for northern needs and northern research to be approved. Mr. Speaker, the people of the NWT are recognized as being among the most generous, and this new Run for Our Lives will give the owners and sponsors assurance that the money they donate will come back to the NWT. Any research being sponsored will be for the people of the NWT who have direct benefit.

Mr. Speaker, the new run will join forces with the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation...Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to just state that the new run will join force with the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation which will be able to provide the much needed and important administrative structure and support. I am also happy to see that one of the main corporate sponsors, CIBC, will stay with the run. I have no doubt that when the first Run for Our Lives is held on October 2nd of this year, the northern people will be out in full force as they always have done, especially now knowing that we are doing it all northern communities and literally all of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. 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 one of my constituents from Rae-Edzo, Mr. Peter Husky who is in the gallery. Welcome to the House. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Would he inform the House in terms of the University and College Entrance Program? This program provides funding for up to two semesters and prepares aboriginal people to upgrade their education skills to qualify for university or college programs. Mr. Speaker, this program is to assist aboriginal people; however, M‚tis people are not eligible to apply. Can the Minister update as to what the progress is in terms of having M‚tis people eligible for this program? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right; the program is a program that is offered by the federal government. We administer it on their behalf to make it easier for Northwest Territories residents to access the program, but the rules of the program do not allow M‚tis people to access the program. It is not just the M‚tis people that have had problems with it. We have a waiting list. There are more than 20 status people who, this year, are not getting served by the program because the program ran out of money so early in the year.

Mr. Speaker, I have written to the federal Minister on numerous occasions requesting that they give us some consideration for a change in the program. But to date, the federal government has refused to do that.