Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oral questions. Written Questions. Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Written questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment:

1. GNWT funds the Literacy Council about $440,000 this year. Can I request a breakdown of the funding and is it committed on an annual basis?
2. GNWT provides funds in the excess of $6 million towards literacy programming:

• • Can I request a breakdown of the funds?
• • Is the funding committed annually?
• • Can I get a breakdown of the communities that are benefiting from these funds - which community and how much contributed?

3. GNWT is providing some core funding to the Literacy Council. How much is our core funding contribution as GNWT?

Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Written questions. Returns to written questions. Replies to opening address. Petitions.

Colleagues, yesterday, the Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty, presented a petition to the House regarding community security services in Behchoko. I must rule this petition out of order as it does not meet the form and content required as specified in the rules of the House for the presentation of petitions.

The petition is intended for Members of the Tlicho Community Government. It does not contain material allegations calling for action on the part of a Minister or myself, as Speaker, of this House. The document can still be laid before the House in the form of a tabled document. This avenue remains open to Mr. Lafferty. Thank you, Members.

Petitions. Reports of standing and special committees. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a document that contains 116 signatures of residents of Behchoko. The document is for presentation to the Tlicho Community Government to petition the local government to deal with the issues of security services for residents of Behchoko. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a letter from the Mackenzie Recreation Association with respect to the federal funding cuts.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Tabling of documents. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following documents entitled Agricultural Products Marketing Council 2004-05 Annual Report and Agricultural Products Marketing Council 2005-06 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, October 23, 2006, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly formally revoke the pleasure of the Assembly from the appointment of the Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger as Member of the Executive Council; and further, that this Assembly recommend that a new Member be chosen to be a Member of the Executive Council.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will seek unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to deal with the motion he gave notice of earlier today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Deal with the motion, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS pursuant to section 61(1) of the Legislative and Executive Council Act, the Legislative Assembly recommends to the Commissioner the appointment of Members of the Executive Council;

AND WHEREAS pursuant to section 61(2) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, the persons appointed hold office during the pleasure of the Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the Assembly, pursuant to these powers, has selected the Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger to sit as a Member of the Executive Council;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly formally revoke the pleasure of the Assembly from the appointment of the Honourable J. Michael Miltenberger as a Member of the Executive Council;

AND FURTHER, that this Assembly recommend that a new Member be chosen to be a Member of the Executive Council.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. The Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am moving this motion today as a result of what took place in this House yesterday and I believe I have the right as a Member to speak my mind and to stand up for the constituents I represent. I feel very strongly that yesterday I was threatened and intimidated in this House. I don't believe that that should be condoned or tolerated in any way, shape or form. The Government of the Northwest Territories has a zero tolerance policy in place for workforce harassment or workforce intimidation and we should practice what we preach and we should lead by example in that, Mr. Speaker.

This is obviously not an easy issue to deal with. Again, I want to thank those who have stood up here courageously today in an effort to help me push this issue forward. I look forward to hearing what other Members have to say on the issue. I look forward to that. Once again, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. To the motion. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, am in support of the motion. Based on what happened in the session yesterday, I think it's really important that we be accountable to what we do in the House here, especially when you are...(inaudible)...on personal families and friends. It shouldn't be tolerated in an Assembly like this. I think we all agree that things like this shouldn't happen in our House. I was very disappointed, like I said, yesterday in terms of what happened in this House. So I will support the motion, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. To the motion. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say a few words on behalf of Cabinet on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, the work of Members of this Legislative Assembly is difficult. Often discussions become heated in this House and sometimes words are said that shouldn't be said. Clearly, the remarks made by the Minster were inappropriate. However, the Minister has withdrawn his comments and apologized without reservation for his comments and has asked Mr. Ramsay in this House to accept his apology.

I hope the House can accept Mr. Miltenberger's apology and look beyond this issue to the hard work he does as Minister and as a Member of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. I will allow the honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.