Thank you, Ms. Lee. To the motion. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm a believer that the citizens of the Northwest Territories should be finally taking control of their own destiny, Mr. Speaker, and that doesn't necessarily mean the revenues from petroleum or minerals, Mr. Speaker, it's about setting a course, a northern course, that we will guide ourselves by our own principles in relationship with the aboriginal governments, Mr. Speaker. I've been a supporter of that, I always have and I always believe that the Northwest Territories government will play a leadership role in that. As a council is, we build a giant council for our whole territory, Mr. Speaker.

But that council can only exist with fair controls given back to us that I think are rightfully ours, Mr. Speaker. It's time that we get control of our own destiny. Even things like land and water boards, Mr. Speaker, they report to the DIAND Minister. I mean it's our land and our water boards

that are talking to the Minister of DIAND, Minister Prentice. That doesn't seem fair, Mr. Speaker.

We've talked many times about not having a veto card or anything on any of this development or any process, but, Mr. Speaker, it seems humiliating the one person that should qualify for a veto card is the Northwest Territories. I'm not saying that lightly that we should have it, I'm saying it's something that we should be able to say. If this development or any development is working either environmentally or in a fiscal sense that benefits the Northwest Territories people, we should be able to stop it immediately and say wait a minute, we need to wake up. But that control, as we all know, lies in Ottawa. As I said even in my Member's statement, that it is ridiculous for whatever reason it is, they don't want to give up that control. If they've just had it so long, they're so used to having their own finger on the button of control, that they're not comfortable letting it go. I don't know.

A few weeks ago I was watching Minister Prentice on television and he was talking about the aboriginal claims and things he has to deal with, and he talked about them as files. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think the Northwest Territories is a little bigger than just a file. I think of it as true people wanting to follow its destiny and it needs the opportunity to do this. So when I talk about taking control of these things such as a land and water board, I don't mean in a sense of we have to be hard on people. I think it's about environmental stewardship. I think it's about economic balance that sets the course again and again about a northern course and about a northern destiny.

This motion says that we have self-respect, Mr. Speaker, and I don't think it says really anything other than that. It's time that Ottawa starts showing some respect back to this Legislature, because we are rightfully in control, we are a responsible government. You know, this creature clause given by DIAND or whoever it is, the bottom line is it is a ridiculous state that does not exist anymore.

The Legislature, a few years ago in the old Assembly, had given unfettered support to the pipeline. You know what? At the day that might have been the right decision, to ensure that industry knew what they were dealing with. I don't blame ministry wanting to have certainty when they want to spend millions of dollars in a region, Mr. Speaker. I certainly welcome that. But, Mr. Speaker, my concern is when this Legislature, the 14th Assembly, had given unfettered attention and respect and said yes, go right ahead, we're in support of the pipeline, all of a sudden our phone stopped ringing with the concerns and respect what can we do for you, how can we make this happen. I say this half jokingly, but I'm sure the Prime Minister doesn't care right now because he sees the territorial government on auto pilot. Well, I've got what I wanted. We know that they're in favour of the pipeline. We know they're in favour of resource development, and, by the way, we control the land and the water boards anyway, so they're on auto pilot so we don't care.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not saying that the territorial government should take stance about saying no more resource development, Mr. Speaker, but we have to find a fair way to have discussion that brings united groups together, such as the aboriginal governments, the territorial government, again to sing in a strong and united voice to say look, Ottawa, we need your attention.

Now, let's get to the next subject when we talk about our Premier being a nice guy in Ottawa. Well, Mr. Speaker, I like the Premier and he is a nice guy.

But let's keep in mind, nice is a balance. I don't want him to be nice in Ottawa, because that means he has to be less nice in the Northwest Territories, because I want him to be nice to our people and be tough on that Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker. Be tough on him. He's not going to cry, okay? I feel that the Prime Minister can shoulder a little criticism and I'd like to hear it from our Premier of saying put...Mr. Speaker, I want the Premier to put his foot down and say well, I can't say the right language in the House, but I can say that the Premier can say it in a nice or less nice way of saying that we demand these resources and control over our rightful destiny, Mr. Speaker.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has every right to have their rightful place in Canada, and you know what? I think this is an impoverished situation that's being created. It's not fair. They know it. And as long as we can't bring attention to it, they will continue to ignore us under those circumstances. This motion speaks to cleaning that mess up and it speaks to the fact that we want it done as soon as possible, regardless of whatever little games they're playing in advance of this next election. So, Mr. Speaker, I fully support this motion. Thank you and my colleagues.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion. I'll allow the mover of the motion to wrap up. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for the comments from the Members. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to conclude, saying that when you look at this motion Mr. Premier is right; it is a strong recommendation to his government to look at working with the aboriginal governments, working with business, working with other strong leaders is the North to bring home a deal that would benefit all of us in the Northwest Territories. So we're not quite home yet in our own home here, so I'd ask the Premier to really seriously consider our recommendation from this motion.

I will ask that all the leaders in the North, and urge the leaders in the North, and ask the people in the North to talk to their leaders in the Sahtu, the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in, Dehcho, Akaitcho, Tlicho, the Metis, the municipal councils. Really talk to your leaders and encourage them to get in touch with the Premier's people, the Cabinet, and say we've got to sit down on this one here.

We have, and has been said, an opportunity to get something done for our people. It's a blessing in disguise. We have the resources, we have the means. Our northern people may be small in numbers, but we're strong in our strength and for the land that we value so much. So I urge again that the leaders ask their people to come forward and stand together, united by a common bond of resources, development, oil and gas, mining, resources in terms of our environment, our land and water because our water is going to be a really valuable commodity in the future. People are not going to want our

oil and gas anymore, they're going to want our water. It's going to come; it's been prophesized by our elders.

Mr. Speaker, I say this so we can release the grip of the iron hand of the federal government on the Northwest Territories people.

We must join together, as the elders have said. We must join together like the arrow, and the arrowhead being us leaders and the stem of the arrow being our people. We shoot with the support that we have from them. And the bow being our elders to support us for what we're going to do for our people, and to guide us and to know who to work with. And our children being the people, as little as they are, but as innocent and honest as they are, shooting the arrow for us. They're a gift from God and I believe in miracles. I think miracles can happen. Look at your own children. They're miracles. Why not believe them?

So, Mr. Speaker, the recommendations to the Premier and his Cabinet to look at our elders' recommendations like a hunter who makes strong recommendations to other hunters to go where there's good moose and caribou to feed their own people. More importantly, to share the moose or caribou, which is a value in fairness and equitable and that everybody should be treated the same, certain parts have to go to certain people.

We in the North are hard workers. Right down the Mackenzie Valley we're not shy of work. Look at the elders' life. They've been here for thousands and thousands of years. We must, as leaders, plug the dam of the resources that are leaving the Northwest Territories.

I thank the Members for their comments and I have to thank the House for allowing us to have this discussion. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. To the motion.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

---Applause

Motions. First reading of bills. The honourable from Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 15, Elections and Plebiscites Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? Those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 15 has had first reading. First reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Jury Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried.

Bill 16 has had first reading. First reading of bills. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. A motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. All those in favour? Those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 17 has had first reading. First reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 18 has had first reading. First reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Archives Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? Those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 19 has had first reading. First reading of bills. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 20 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 6, Bill 7 and Bill 11, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I'm going to call Committee of the Whole to order. What's the wish of the committee with the number of matters we have before us today? Mr. Lafferty.