Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the point of privilege. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would really like to sincerely thank my colleagues here on this side of the House for their courage and conviction to speak to this very important issue. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to your ruling on this important issue. Thank you. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The issue before the Chair right now is to determine whether a prima facie has occurred to a Member. That is an issue that I, as a Chair, and other Legislatures across the country, have taken very seriously. I think that every Member in this House should also take it very seriously. So in wanting to try to do the best decision I can on this and taking the importance on this and having heard the Members' views on it, I would like to review everything that has been said. So I will take the matter under advisement and come back with my ruling on the breach of privilege.

I will now rule on Mr. Ramsay's point of order. Yesterday, the Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay, rose on a point of order under Rule 23(i) with respect to remarks made by the Minister of Health and Social Services. The Member claimed that the Minister's remarks imputed motive.

The initial remarks made by the Minister were not heard by the Chair, nor were they recorded in unedited Hansard. Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms, 6th Edition, on page 143, states that: "Remarks which do not appear in the public record and are, therefore, private conversations not heard by the Chair, do not invite the intervention of the Speaker, although Members have apologized for hurtful remarks uttered in such circumstances. The Minister, in an opportunity to speak to the point of order, did make reference to the alleged remarks and offered to withdraw the remarks if they offended the Member from Kam Lake.

Specifically on page 690 of the unedited Hansard, the Minister did state, and I quote: "However, my intention is not to threaten the Member, my intention is not to drag his spouse into this, but just to point out that there is a clear connection."

Had the Minister not made reference to those comments, I, as chair, would not have been able to find a point of order. I do, however, appreciate the input of all Members who offered their views when the opportunity arose. The Member for Kam Lake does, indeed, have a point of order. No Member should input false or hidden motive to another Member. I would like to remind Members that they are all honourable Members and I would ask that the Minister of Health and Social Services apologize to the Member and the House and withdraw the offending comments. I have heard the Minister do that, but I will, in a moment, give him the opportunity to do it again.

Further, I would like to remind all Members that they should refrain from naming family members and, for that matter, any members of the public who are unable to defend themselves in this House and are not protected by parliamentary privilege. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, for the record, I would like to stand before this House and unreservedly and in an unqualified way withdraw comments. I apologize to the Member and this House for those comments and indicate that I am sorry for any distress that I have caused to him or his family. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Orders of the day. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I presented my budget to this Assembly in February I spoke about a need to develop a broad macroeconomic policy for the NWT. Today I want to talk about how we will accomplish this.

We have all heard the statistics about the tremendous economic growth the NWT has experienced; 71 percent growth in gross domestic product since 1999, the highest employment rates in Canada and higher levels of income for workers. Much of this growth has come from investment in the construction of diamond mines and from exports of diamonds, with some growth associated with oil and gas exploration activities. Spin-offs from this growth have been experienced more strongly in the construction sector, manufacturing, and in the area of professional and technical services.

The labour market in the NWT is operating at close to full capacity. Higher incomes have resulted in increased

consumer spending. The NWT retail sector and even our population has grown since 1999, but at a slower rate than the economy as a whole.

Despite a healthy economy, the linkages between the key economic drivers and the rest of the economy are still not well established. The local impacts of economic activity in the NWT are lower than would be seen in other parts of Canada.

Economic activity in the NWT over the next decade is forecast to continue to be strong. Expansion of the diamond mining industry, the construction of the Mackenzie gas project, and other potential projects all contribute to a positive economic outlook.

As I stated in the February budget address, the Northwest Territories faces important questions as we proceed with economic development. What do we want the NWT to look like in five, 10 or 20 years? What does this mean in terms of the types of economic development we should encourage? Do some types of economic development provide a better return to NWT residents than others? How do we address labour force issues? What key strategies and actions are needed to meet our goals? What government expenditure and taxation policies will best help us achieve our objectives?

We know we need to make investments in our economy and in our people, but our resources are limited. We will need to make choices and set priorities. We need a policy framework that will help guide us in setting these priorities.

Over the next few months we will be seeking advice from northerners on what this framework should look like. These questions will be presented to NWT residents, aboriginal and community leaders, business leaders, and other organizations. Advice from recognized experts will be sought to complement the research and analysis of our own staff. Guidance from the Members of the Legislative Assembly will be an important element of these consultations. We will solicit views through public advertisements, by writing the key stakeholders and organizing a number of roundtable discussions. This process has begun. People will be receiving materials and information soon, and two roundtables are scheduled to take place in Yellowknife and Inuvik in November.

When I present the 2007 budget next February, the Assembly will be presented with a document that summarizes the consultation results and presents proposals for next steps. I plan to seek further advice after that before coming back with a final paper with answers to the questions posed earlier.

That, of course, will not be the end of the process; it is only the beginning. Over the coming years, as we need to make choices, those choices can be analyzed and examined to determine the net economic benefit to the NWT, and recommendations can be made in light of the priorities that NWT residents have identified.

Mr. Speaker, I have been told by people in southern Canada that the message they hear from the NWT on development is foggy. Do we want development? It is not clear to those who view us from a distance. The answer may be yes, we want development, but we want it to happen in a way that will provide long-term, sustainable benefits for the NWT. To ensure this occurs, we, as NWT residents, need to be clear about our goals and priorities and what choices we are prepared to make to achieve them. A macroeconomic policy will help provide that clarity and direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is Small Business Week across Canada.

Every year for the past 27 years, the Business Development Bank of Canada has championed Small Business Week to pay tribute to the contribution that small and medium-sized businesses make to our economy.

Approximately 90 percent of businesses in the NWT are considered to be small businesses. These businesses are the foundation of our most vibrant sectors and have been key components in our emergence as a leader in resource exploration and development.

In the NWT, it is small business that provides the energy and innovation behind our increasingly competitive and prosperous northern business environment. Our tourism industry, for example, is a sector built almost entirely on the commitment, hard work and endurance of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

In celebration of Small Business Week, Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to have the honourable Member from Thebacha join me on Wednesday in showcasing a new videoconference facility now available at Canada Business NWT here in Yellowknife and also in Fort Smith. Together, my colleague and I were able to talk face to face with the general manager and representatives of the Thebacha Business Development Services in Fort Smith.

The technology we were demonstrating will allow Canada Business NWT to deliver an expanded menu of small business information, training, and services through the Alberta Business Link to our northern entrepreneurs. For business owners, particularly in Yellowknife and Fort Smith, it's a venue through which to network with southern counterparts and those interested in and dedicated to small business and its development. We're working to expand this service to several other NWT communities.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, through its support of the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation and Canada Business NWT, is committed to supporting small business as the primary driver in the development and diversification of our rapidly growing northern economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In recognition of National Foster Family Appreciation Week, October 15th to the 21st, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the contributions our foster families make in the lives of many children and families in the NWT.

For the past several years, over 400 foster families have provided a safe, caring home for over 600 of our most vulnerable children who require this service. Some of these foster families provide short-term care in emergency situations, while others have been providing a service to the same children for many years and thereby creating permanency and stability in the lives of those children.

I am pleased to report that the majority of foster homes in the Northwest Territories are either extended family or provisional homes that means that the foster families are known to the children and their families. It is our intention to continue to promote families helping families within their own communities.

Every day our foster parents provide safe and loving homes to help children and their families overcome hardships. Becoming a foster parent can be a sacrifice and an act of true selflessness. It is important to recognize that fostering involves the entire family and not just the parents. As such, I would like to say a special thank you to the children of our foster parents as they too open up their homes and hearts to other children in their community who require an alternate home during a period of crisis within their own family. The commitment and compassion shown by the foster parents and their families will not be forgotten, especially in the memories of the children they have touched.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to report that the Department of Health and Social Services, in consultation with key stakeholders, is currently reviewing foster care rates across the territory. We are currently finalizing recommendations that would allow for an equitable and standardized foster care rate system for all communities in the Northwest Territories.

Foster parent recruitment and retention continues to be a challenge in some communities. It is essential that our children be provided with services that they require while continuing to recognize the importance of family, community and culture in their lives. Our goal is to address these issues through continuing to provide support, to provide standardized training to all foster parents, and to adequately compensate foster families by recognizing regional cost of living differentials across the Northwest Territories.

This week, activities are happening all across this territory to recognize the contributions of foster families. Acknowledgement in local newspapers, radio stations, dinners and gifts of appreciation are some of the examples of how our regional authorities are demonstrating their appreciation to our foster families.

I would like to highlight that in one particular community, Aklavik, the community social services workers and community wellness workers hosted a community radio show with generous support from the community. The radio show was both informative and entertaining, with local musicians giving of their time to recognize the important contribution of foster families in that community.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I wish to convey my appreciation to the foster families in the Northwest Territories for their continued dedication, commitment and compassion that they demonstrate in such practical ways to support the children, their families, their extended families and their communities. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year this Assembly was the first government in Canada to fully support May 26th each year as a National Day of Healing and Reconciliation for residential school survivors and impacted communities. Mr. Speaker, I was very proud of the honourable Members and this government to demonstrate to all of Canada and, more importantly, to the residential school survivors in the Northwest Territories, that we believe that the message was that we believe in them and we offer our support to them in their healing and their forgiveness.

Mr. Speaker, the devastating impact of living in one of those residential schools have profoundly impacted our family lives and destroyed our way of life in the northern communities, life for the Dene and the Metis and the non-aboriginal people. We even had the non-aboriginal people live with us. They were like brothers. But residential school had no discrimination. It impacted everybody in that institution.

Mr. Speaker, only now we are truly beginning to see the serious injustice that happened to the nation of people and the price that was paid for being taken away or forced to attend these residential schools.

Mr. Speaker, it is said that we, as aboriginal people, are a patient people, we're an understanding nation of communities and that we are survivors to whatever comes our way. We seem to adapt to changes, be they in the education system, learning a whole different way of life, just to make a living. Mr. Speaker, we are reminded that we are the fastest nation in the healing movement to get away from the abuses of the residential school. Given that only in the late 1950s that we as a nation of people were allowed to vote in this great democratic society called Canada, that's just over 40 years, and were still considered wards of the state under the Indian Act of 1876. Childlike characters, as we were once referred to.

Mr. Speaker, what does this have to do with the residential school? It speaks to the very core of who we are now and who we are as we were characterized by other people. Mr. Speaker, our people are healing from very painful, shameful, and hurting parts of our lives, and the toughest part is that you have to live each day, to reconcile with people in institutions that supported and implemented the residential school policy.

Mr. Speaker, we are once again faced with the various attitudes...

Mr. Yakeleya, your time for Member's statement is expired.

Mr. Speaker, 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. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable colleagues. ...faced with various attitudes by people that want to keep our hearts buried and so in sufferance, Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this government to fully support May 26th as the national healing and reconciliation day. I am one of the residential school survivors. Hundreds of them are in the Sahtu region and I will not go back to the dark places of don't talk, don't feel, don't trust. We need to free our people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Mr. Roland's fiscal update yesterday to the people of the Northwest Territories, there were two potentially positive announcements that could have a positive impact and a serious effect on our capital infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. The first was the $18 million increase in the operating surplus for the last fiscal year, and the second was the commitment by the federal government to respond to a request to remove the $300 million debt limit by the end of this year.

Mr. Speaker, two things arise out of this. The first one is, I'm definitely concerned that we may be overtaxing our citizens in an unnecessary way to have such a large surplus. The next one is, well, now that we have the money, what are our plans to do with it, this un-projected windfall?

The reason I raise this, Mr. Speaker, is there's a capital infrastructure project in Yellowknife that definitely needs serious attention from this government, Mr. Speaker. Of course, if anyone hasn't figured this out yet, I'm talking about the territorial dementia centre to be built here in Yellowknife in partnership with the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors. This would be a great godsend to the people of the Northwest Territories and Yellowknife that are struggling to care for their loved ones with these types of diseases.

Our present hospital and long-term care facilities do not have the equipment to deal with the demands that have arisen because of these problems. Advanced dementia in the hospitals and the costs associated with them are a difficult course that we follow and it's difficult to pay for those and treat folks in a proper and fair way.

Mr. Speaker, what I'm really saying is, we need a dedicated dementia facility today and we have heard yesterday that we have, potentially, the funds to do this. Mr. Speaker, we need this facility because our residents with these advanced cases of dementia need to be cared for in an environment appropriate to their specific medical needs and we cannot treat these folks in the manner that we are.

I know the government has to make tough choices, Mr. Speaker, and sometimes we have to advance projects over others, but now we have possibly identified a source to get this project moving. So I believe, as many of my colleagues do, that this was positive news yesterday. So let's do something positive with it. We have a territorial dementia facility plan. We have a group that wants to work in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services, or Government of the Northwest Territories, in a positive way to do constructive things for our citizens.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will have questions for the Health and Social Services Minister later today to expect some decisive action about ways we can help solve these problems. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address the limited availability of housing in Fort Liard. Many of our 27 small communities experience these problems. Fort Liard's situation is critical and requires immediate attention by this government. Time after time I have stood before this House and requested action to address the housing crisis in Fort Liard, Mr. Speaker, and very little has been done. For the past two years there has been only two houses built there and no one is living in them because of deficiency issues. This year alone we have five scheduled homes. These are replacement homes. It doesn't add to the community; it merely moves eight people out of a mouldy home into a new one without mould.

My leadership have been telling me that they have heard ideas and commitments from territorial and federal governments time and time again with no real action. We must not allow this cycle and circle of political merry-go-round to go on any longer. A new North has arrived, said the Prime Minister. Now let's complement this with new and decisive actions.

The availability of housing and the unsafe housing conditions, such as indoor mould, affects the community's ability to even recruit and retain professional staff, Mr. Speaker. How can we expect teachers and professionals and their families to live in motels for months at a time and still teach effectively, or, more importantly, to stay in our communities?

In the Nahendeh community of Fort Liard, the housing condition is at a critical point and we, as an Assembly and as a government, must take leadership and address these issues. Today we must take care of these needs, Mr. Speaker, not tomorrow. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Members' statement. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.