Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to provide Members with some of the details of a proposed new law that will promote community safety.

As Members know, drug houses and bootlegging operations can have a serious impact on a neighbourhood or an entire community. The proposed Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, also knows as "SCAN," would create a means to take action on properties where illegal drug or alcohol sales, prostitution, illegal gambling or inhalant use occur on a regular basis.

Under this new legislation, investigators look into complaints from individuals who express concerns about activities taking place on or around a property. If the investigation shows evidence of illegal activities that disturb the safety and well-being of the neighbourhood or community, the property can be closed, occupants can be evicted, and evidence can even be turned over to the RCMP for use in a criminal investigation.

This legislation is not new, Mr. Speaker. Similar laws are in place in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Yukon, and they all have the same goal: to stop harmful activities in their communities. The legislation does not provide a social safety net to people who are evicted due to their illegal activities. This sends a strong signal, especially to drug dealers and bootleggers, that we do not support their activities.

A question we have been asked, Mr. Speaker, is whether this legislation really makes a difference or simply moves the problem to another location. Other jurisdictions report that shutting down operations does make an impact. If the people engaged in the illegal activity move to another property, or even another community, they can be tracked and evicted again. Through this process, illegal operations are disrupted to the point they can no longer continue.

This type of enforcement is not possible under existing NWT laws. The criminal process focussed on individuals and the illegal activity can continue even after an arrest is made. SCAN investigators can complement the work of the RCMP. Their investigation can also contribute to a criminal file.

The Department of Justice is discussing this new approach with other agencies and we need to explore how we would design effective legislation for the NWT. The RCMP have indicated their support in exploring this new way to combat illegal activities. Discussions are also taking place with other government departments and agencies who will also have a role or an interest in this legislation; agencies involved in housing, social services, child protection, legal registries and community services, to name a few.

The Department of Justice is also beginning public consultations this month. Later today, at the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will table a copy of the consultation document. This paper will be distributed to a wide range of agencies and groups. Information is also available on the department's website, including an online survey, and officials will be visiting a number of communities to talk about how this legislation could work. We are fortunate to have the director of the Saskatchewan Investigation Unit join us in some of these community visits to describe how the process is working in that province. If consultations show support for this legislation, I will bring forward a bill during the February-March session that could see investigators working by the middle of 2008.

Mr. Speaker, we know that illegal activities are affecting our communities, and it is clear that Members are interested in examining this new approach to community safety. Healthy, safe communities have been central to the vision of this Assembly, and over the past three years, we have all been working towards realizing that vision. The proposed law would provide NWT residents with an opportunity to take action; to help make their communities safer by reporting suspicious activities in confidence to an investigator.

I invite Members to provide their comments on this proposed legislation. At the appropriate moment today, I will table the consultation document on the proposed safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Transportation is now issuing the new secure digital driver's licence and general identification card to residents of the Northwest Territories.

---Applause

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the Department of Transportation participated in a North America-wide initiative to develop and implement national standards with respect to driver's licences. The driver's licence is now the identification document of choice throughout Canada and the United States. I am pleased to say that our new licence and identification card fully conform to these standards.

With the introduction of the digital driver's licence, new procedures and security were implemented. Specific types of identity and residence documents are now required from clients when applying for a new driver's licence or general identification card to ensure a safe and secure system. The department has also introduced the option of obtaining a licence for one or three years, in addition to the five-year term that is currently available.

To date, approximately 4,000 driver's licences and 150 general identification cards have been issued with the Honourable Anthony Whitford, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, receiving the first new licence.

Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, a number of years ago the Department of Transportation stopped sending out notices to drivers that their licence was about to expire. This was part of a cost-cutting exercise. I am pleased to announce that the Department of Transportation has reintroduced the program.

---Applause

Renewal notices are now being mailed out 45 days prior to the driver's licence expiration date.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that the Department of Transportation has brought about some significant changes that will ensure the continued acceptance and recognition of the NWT driver's licence as a secure form of identification throughout North America. I would like to thank Members of this House for their support of this initiative. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this Assembly and this government has done a number of things over the past few years to lend support to families in distress. Mr. Speaker, we have passed the Family Violence Protection Act and we are engaged in a number of programs such as those that assist communities in avoiding and eliminating elder abuse.

Mr. Speaker, one of the consequences of relationships is that occasionally families break down. I am not here to judge or lecture about this, but to look at what government can do to help in these circumstances. Mr. Speaker, what aspects of our social services network come into play and where can they be relied on to help?

We have, of course, a network of mental health workers across our communities. We fund a number of different agencies that are involved in front-line family counselling. Mr. Speaker, although they are distinct and separate from the legislative division, there are the courts. Regrettably, in many cases when families break down, they are a last resort for couples seeking to resolve difficult relationships. This is the last avenue available to these people, Mr. Speaker.

So when the situation gets to that extent, I would really like to look for ways that agencies such as our courts, our social services organizations, can enable those families to maintain relationships, to continue on with lives and not to have barriers and roadblocks put up by bureaucracies, by administrations and by the courts as they implement the laws that we put before them.

This is a plea that I have heard from a number of people, a number of constituents, that we see in our communities. Mr. Speaker it's especially evident with the number of children in care in many of our communities. This is an area that we cannot allow to slide, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Braden. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the riding of Kam Lake is home to over 50 dog mushers and 600 highly trained athletes, the sled dogs. Most of these mushers act as ambassadors for the city of Yellowknife and for the NWT throughout Canada, the United States and Europe during the winter racing season.

Not only do dog mushers represent a healthy lifestyle, they also bring in substantial tourist dollars to our city and our territory. In the winter, the two things most tourists want to do while here is view the aurora and go on a dogsled ride.

Some mushers were born into the lifestyle while others have chosen it. By profession, mushers are an eclectic mix. They are municipal and GNWT employees, self-employed businesspersons, artists, accountants and military professionals, just to name a few. For many mushers in Kam Lake, dog mushing involves the entire family. Through dog mushing, children are taught the value of hard work, commitment to a passion, the love and respect for the dogs, how to work towards a goal and the appreciation for an amazing land and environment.

The history of the North and the history of dog sledding are very closely connected. The North was opened up by dog teams. For years, dogsleds were the main form of transportation around the North. In this respect, our present day mushers are a daily celebration of our northern history. Many current mushers still use their dogs to haul wood in the winter and some continue to trap with their dogs keeping traditions alive and passing them onto the next generation.

Many of the Kam Lake mushers take the time out of their busy schedules to offer educational talks about dog mushing to local schools and groups. This helps alleviate some of the misconceptions that exist about dog mushing.

These types of outreach and community efforts by mushers are changing public perception.

The Northwest Territories should have an annual sled dog appreciation day to honour the history of dog sledding here in the Northwest Territories. Dog mushers represent a piece of living history here in our city and in our territory. Please join me today in applauding the dog mushers in my riding of Kam Lake and in the rest of the territory for all the efforts that they make in promoting the sport of dog mushing not only here at home, but around the globe. Mr. Speaker, with any luck, there will be some snow soon so the mushers can hit the trail. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In our duties as MLAs, we have to listen to the people that elect us and what we are hearing now, and I am sure a lot of us on this side are hearing, is that the transfer of administration of housing assessments from the Housing Corporation to ECE is definitely not working, Mr. Speaker. We are getting feedback from the constituents that this is not working for them. It's not working for the LHOs and I am sure it's not working for ECE, through no fault of their own. I am sure the offices have 16 or 17 other subsidy programs to deal with without putting their full attention to the assessments for housing tenants. It's causing them a lot of grief, Mr. Speaker, to have to continually go back and forth and have to wait three weeks for their assessment.

A good example is, I was up in Inuvik this weekend and spoke to another tenant of the local housing authority. They said the same thing. They have to wait three weeks to get their assessments done. This is not right, Mr. Speaker. This is a program that's definitely not working. The government wants to have one-stop shopping, but I think the one-stop shopping is for the employees of the government, not the tenants. It's a shame, Mr. Speaker, that they have to go back and forth and are told to wait.

Local housing authorities, I am aware, are giving out more termination notices than they ever had to before, because the money is just not coming from ECE on time. Mr. Speaker, this government has to be big and admit to themselves, and to everyone, that this program is not working. They have to be big enough to admit they made a mistake and maybe it's time to go back to the way it was before, which worked for everyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I would just like to remind Members that they should not be speaking on an item that is up for discussion on the Order Paper for later on today. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about abuse, particularly sexual abuse. I understand just a little bit about the far-reaching and devastating effects of sexual abuse. Perpetrators, or sexual predators, are devious and subtle. It's important in achieving their goal that they appear credible or ordinary. They don't have a flashing sign to warn anyone as to their intentions. They prey on victims who are vulnerable, naive and often defenceless. They find ways to lure their victims that are deceitful and cunning. The tactics include playing to a weakness that they see in their victim, but if the victim lacks healthy affection, self-confidence or the protection of their parents, they use false pretences and hidden motives to satisfy their desires to achieve their plans.

Once past the point of return and involved, the victim feels trapped, confused, fearful and guilty. They question if they deserved this unnatural and destructive attention. Their self-respect and self-worth are destroyed. If the perpetrator is an adult and in a position of trust, they are afraid to tell anyone because no one would believe them and they will be the victim of ridicule. They buy into a conspiracy of silence. They keep their pain and their doubts to themselves, internalizing all those negative emotions.

In the absence of self-esteem and self-confidence, in a state of confusion and turmoil, victims often engage in risky promiscuous or acting out behaviour reinforcing and compounding their feelings of self-loathing. Their behaviour brings on the disapproval and judgment of the very people who would be their allies, defenders and protectors. Pretty soon they've convinced everyone, including themselves, that they are no good. Their normal, healthy interactions with peers, family and friends are diminished. The pain and shame turns inside them until they seek relief, even if temporary, by dulling their senses by abusing drugs and alcohol. Some reach the depths of contemplating suicide and they sense hopelessness.

Now an adult, they realize they were unable to comprehend or process what was happening to them. The abuse, although perhaps the root cause, may seem less relevant now and too painful to deal with in light of the failed relationships, the dysfunctional and self-destructive behaviour that may have lead to inappropriate or even abusive conduct on their part. How to heal, unravel the damage, and deal with the injustice becomes the pursuit of a person who now sees the abuse for what it was.

An opportunity presents itself to tell their story. It will take courage, but maybe there is justice, maybe there is vindication and maybe there is healing. After all, what has happened didn't only happen to them, it was immoral and it was criminal. They see the role of the courts of an impartial judge, so they muster the strength to tell their story knowing and understanding that it will be scrutinized in painstaking detail and will necessarily cause them to revisit the very issue that they have tried so hard to bury.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to 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, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, colleagues, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sexual abuse has

ravaged families and communities in the Northwest Territories. Our government has an obligation to do everything in its power to support the victims and survivors of abuse. There is no place for adding to the offence that they have suffered by allowing for the reinforcement of the very stereotypes that have kept them suffering in silence. Protection and fairness in our institutions must be upheld in word and action. Children and victims of sexual abuse must be protected under the law without regard for age, race or culture. Victims have the right to be heard without interference. They need to know that there are people who care and understand, who will stand with them and who will not be silent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House on many occasions to bring a lot of times bad news, but today I've got some good news, Mr. Speaker. Today I'd just like to pay tribute to a very respected elder in my constituency and send my and this Legislative Assembly's birthday wishes to Mr. Morris Lockhart of Lutselk'e who turns 96 years young today.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, the newspaper ad stated that Mr. Morris Lockhart turned 98 years old today and I just want to clarify that back in the early 1900s birth registration records were not always accurately kept up, thus creating discrepancies in the birthplace and actual age of many of our elders, many of whom often tell us that they have two birthdays: one on the day that they're actually born and the other on the day that the government said they were born.

Morris Lockhart was born in 1910 in the Hoar Frost River in the treeline of the barren lands. He was born in a teepee with an open fire, back when the weather was a lot colder and life was a lot tougher and there was no such thing as a wood stove. Morris said he didn't see canvas until he was 10 years old. Morris was educated at a very early age by his father, Baptiste Lockhart, who taught him how to hunt and trap and live off the land, and, above all, live a healthy lifestyle.

Morris lived in a time during the outbreak of disease among aboriginal peoples and he remembers bringing soup and food to many of the sick people. Morris lives strictly on food from the land and he never drank tea or coffee. Because of his healthy eating habits and physical lifestyle, Morris is living proof that one can maintain all of his original teeth without ever having a cavity, losing a tooth, or ever visiting a dentist in his life. Until today, Morris lives in his own house and he does all his own chores. Morris still has a good memory, still plays the fiddle and he still jigs, and he was still winning jigging contests up until he was about 85. The only physical problem that Morris experiences is a loss of hearing.

Morris is well respected by the people of Lutselk'e, and the young and the old often come to him for advice, wisdom and knowledge. Morris's family extends into six generations, from his youngest granddaughter being one year old to his oldest granddaughter being 50 years old. Morris Lockhart is a great-great-great-great-great-grandfather who continues to live a very healthy and productive lifestyle and is a perfect example of aboriginal healthy lifestyle living. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement is going to refer to homelessness in the communities. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to travel to Nunakput riding between the week of September 10th to the 15th with the former Minister of the Housing Corporation, Mr. David Krutko. During the public hearings, Mr. Speaker, there were many concerns raised with regard to the condition of the units, the overcrowding of the units, the rent scales, the allocation of units or, more specifically, regarding rental arrears. Mr. Speaker, with the transfer of the funds from the Housing Corporation to ECE, it has raised confusion to the tenants. Mr. Speaker, with the confusion comes along eviction notices to the tenants. Once a tenant becomes evicted, they become homeless and with the homelessness they feel hopeless without any unit to live in.

That is why many tenants are frustrated, Mr. Speaker. They wonder why government provides social housing when they end up getting evicted. They are wondering how we, as Members, can assist these people.

Mr. Speaker, the people who receive eviction notices eventually end up homeless, as I say. I think it's now the time to do something about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Fort Smith sits on the bank of the Slave River and is the regional centre for the South Slave and has been the regional centre for a long time. Being a single-source economy has caused some concern in the community and I wanted to indicate today that there is concern, but there are a lot of good things happening in the community; more to be done, but there are a lot of good things.

There's been a continued commitment by the government, like there has been with most communities, and there's been a greater government presence through position increases ever since 1999. The new college housing will be opened up this Friday. The new pool will be opened hopefully in January. Seniors' housing is now under construction and the health centre renovations are being planned for. On our doorstep, Mr. Speaker, we have the

Taltson expansion being discussed and actively pursued; and while it poses some concern, the feasibility study on the Slave River dam is also underway, which could have a huge impact whichever way it goes. We are surrounded by exploration on all sides as people look across the North for all the resources that may be out there.

But clearly there is more to do as we look to expand our economic base. We want to look to Wood Buffalo Park, we want to look to expansions in tourism, among other things, and part of the key to that is to have greater involvement of ITI in the community. Part of that involvement means taking it off the highway where it is distant from the people it serves and have it set up on a storefront operation where they're in closer contact with the Thebacha business centre and other business services that are currently in the downtown core.

The Minister and I have had the discussion about how do we move on this and I'd like to thank him for his commitment to in fact look at that relocation. That's a key piece as we look at trying to revitalize some of the sectors of the economy like tourism that have struggled in recent years with 9/11 and other concerns that have impacted the tourist trade, as well as the need to engage Wood Buffalo National Park.

So to the people of Fort Smith I'd like to say we have a lot of good things to be thankful for. Clearly there are things we'd like to do. But overall we're moving in the right direction and, along with the help of ITI, we intend to pursue some of these other factors that will allow us to do a better job for the people. I will have questions later today in question period for the Minister of ITI. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Arctic Energy Alliance helps communities create their own energy plans. This helps them to use energy more efficiently and use more renewable energy and less fossil fuels. The Arctic Energy Alliance says that community energy plans create more local jobs, save money, and funds new energy projects.

Mr. Speaker, in Whati, the Arctic Energy Alliance helped the community to develop plans to shut down their noisy diesel power plant in the middle of town and replace it with a small hydro operation. The community of Whati partnered with Ecology North in 2002 to create this community energy plan. When it was completed in 2004, it set a new standard for community energy plans throughout the Canadian North.

Whati's main focus is on building a runoff river hydroelectric plant, Mr. Speaker. They plan to construct it in 2007. Mr. Speaker, the community of Whati really benefited from their work with the Arctic Energy Alliance and came away with a lot of positive objectives, such as gaining more local control over energy management by becoming a partner in energy generation and delivery to the community.

Mr. Speaker, another object of the community is to produce extra electricity at a reasonable price to meet future needs for 20 years, Mr. Speaker, encourage local business development of possible export to nearby locations. Mr. Speaker, these are all very commendable objectives, however, the community has to pay to build the runoff river hydro power plant. The community has very many competing capital needs, Mr. Speaker, and cannot afford to pay them for all the cost factors. Mr. Speaker, if the government is really serious about helping communities be energy efficient, that we spoke about in this House on numerous occasions, cost effective when they need to, then they need to support the implementation of these initiatives and not just the planning. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we in the Sahtu, like other isolated communities in the North, struggle with the high cost of living. Let me give you an idea of what this means for people in my riding. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Public lives in a small isolated community. They work part time, live off the land seasonally, have five children ages between five and 15, only one store in town, food and products are flown in by air, the people are relying more on income support, husband or wife works at odd jobs if he or she can find it. Now, Mr. Speaker, Uncle Orville from Colville, a skilled hunter and trapper who lived off the land to survive many, many years ago and unfortunately now he needs help to sustain himself in his old age, yet can still jig like Mr. Morris Lockhart can. The government strongly supports the four essential food groups in eating healthy foods. The same program for most traditional harvesting of healthy foods like caribou, fish, moose and, of course, nowadays you need gas for your boat and skidoo to get these foods. In Colville alone, the cost of gas is $1.51 per litre, camping fuel is $3.43 per litre, and diesel fuel to keep Uncle Orville warm costs $1.60 per litre. Mrs. Public goes to the grocery store and, my goodness, a five-pound bag of potatoes costs $12.99. Enfalac for her grandchild, one can, 370 grams, costs $17.99. So now Uncle Orville and Mrs. Public are sitting in the dark with no food, but they think at least we can have a drink of water. Furthermore, the cost of potable water is also up there in price. The government encourages people to wash their hands, keep clean, and the Canada/NWT food guide promotes the idea of washing the fruits and vegetables. This is not realistic for big families living in single units. People in the communities are also asked to reduce their energy consumption. The high cost of living. What do you think the people are doing outside of Yellowknife and their regional centres when the government supports healthy living and promotes eating nutritionally from the four essential food groups? People in the high cost of living are paying the price. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of the new Minister of Health and Social Services about a long running issue dealing with the sleep apnea testing and treatment programs, including home oxygen and respiratory therapy treatment programs. Mr. Speaker, covering the cost of continuance positive airway, known as CPAC machine under the EHB program is one thing. This is already covered under the non-insured health benefits program and the previous Minister of Health and Social Services committed to doing this under the EHB and I urge the new Minister of Health and Social Services to follow up on this immediately.

Mr. Speaker, another important issue in this regard is the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea condition in general. The long-awaited RFP for provider for this has come out this week and this is a move in the right direction as it follows the guidelines of the National Health Insurance Benefits program as issued. But, Mr. Speaker, the government is still going in the wrong direction in regards to the home oxygen program and respiratory therapy program, which is crucial to treating sleep apnea.

Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of people in the Northwest Territories who need respiratory therapy, including home oxygen program, and instead of working with professionals available in the North to set up the programs and guidelines, the government has chosen to hire an expensive consultant to say that the government should spend upwards of $500,000 doing it in house when there is a critical shortage of staff at the Stanton Hospital and this service can be provided by the private sector. In fact, there are businesses doing this right now. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, many patients are put in jeopardy by services being provided without a comprehensive policy in line with the National Health Insurance Benefits policy.

Mr. Speaker, the situation needs urgent attention by the new Minister, because it is being mangled up by the interference and hodgepodge decisions being made by the department in Yellowknife and its insurance office in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, in the days to come I will be calling on the new Minister to clean up this mess once and for all and let the private sector take care of this program under the properly drawn policy guidelines in line with accepted national standards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk again about the $240 million that leaves the Northwest Territories annually with our fly-in workers who live in the South and fly here to work in the North. This is an extremely important issue, Mr. Speaker, in my riding because the NWT is losing revenue in real estate, municipal and territorial taxes, and goods and services; may the Finance Minister not forget, especially in federal transfer payments. The situation hurts northern businesses and limits the offshoot benefits these resources were supposed to provide northerners, Mr. Speaker.

We wouldn't be the first in Canada to act on this concern. Quebec has a highly regulated system with additional rules and restrictions applying to bidding on contracts and working on projects. Quebec also has more rules on where in the province a worker is allowed to work. As well, Quebec law effectively requires that all construction workers in Quebec must belong to a union or hold a prerequisite Quebec competency certificate, Mr. Speaker. This law has been upheld in Supreme Court.

Mr. Speaker, we talk and talk and talk about our BIP program, but it still lacks weight, teeth and effectiveness, Mr. Speaker. Although the mines are allowed to fly in workers, Mr. Speaker, it is truly hurting our northern economy. We need a fair agreement that we are simply being ignored with. As I've said before, we are losing numbers daily. Houses go up for sale. People are flying for free to work, Mr. Speaker. Something does seem wrong with this attitude. Maybe we need to insist that tradespeople who don't live here in the Northwest Territories have to get a special certification or belong to a northern union before they can work here, Mr. Speaker, because the jobs designed in those socio-economic agreements were designed for northerners living here. If you want to call them fly-in workers, you want to call this fly-in worker certification a head tax, so be it, Mr. Speaker. It's time that we're seen as doing something.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we need to finally exercise clause 8.5, as I said the other day, in the socio-economic agreement. I really believe that we need to finally go toe to toe with industry, drag them in here kicking and screaming, and finally deal and consult with this issue and find out why are northern people being missed out on opportunities, why are we allowing pretend northerners to live down south and work in the North and, finally, why are we missing out on local business opportunities to our people who really live here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to send condolences to the Francis and Koe family of Fort McPherson as they have suffered a sudden loss of family members. Last night, Mr. Ernest William Francis and Mr. Gary James Koe were snowmobiling and fell through the ice. This is a tragic loss to the family, the friends, and the community of Fort McPherson.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage community members to help the families by assisting them in their time of need, by visiting, cooking food, and talking with them, and also comforting them in their time of loss. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this time. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've got a number of people in the gallery today that I'd like to recognize. First I'd like to start with some constituents, also dog mushers that I have here with me today, Mr. Warren Palfrey, his wife, Kate, and John St. Louis. Welcome.

---Applause

Also, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize my brother who is in the audience, Duane Ramsay.

---Applause

Mr. Marc Bogan.

---Applause

Mr. Bogan happens to be on a hunger strike now for four days. Mr. David Pritchard.

---Applause

In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to recognize Mr. Richard Edjericon and his wife, Debra, who are with us today. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Laura Ettagiak, a former resident of Tuktoyaktuk who now resides in Yellowknife. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize a former constituent, the former chief of Ndilo and maybe a former Conservative now, Mr. Richard Edjericon and his wife, Debbie.

---Laughter

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a constituent, Mr. Marc Bogan, and with him Mr. David Pritchard and Duane Ramsay, advocates for fathers' rights in family custody situations, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to recognize Mr. John Hill, who is the chairman of the Public Utilities Board. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was also going to recognize in the gallery today Mr. John Hill, the chairman of the Public Utilities Board and a former constituent of mine from Hay River.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize former chief Rick Edjericon, my constituent, and his wife, Debbie, and any other Weledeh people, as well as all the guests. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although Mrs. Hache is not a constituent of mine, she is the executive director for the Centre for Northern Families and that is in my riding, and she's also been here every day just as Members have been slogging it out with the issues. She's been in our gallery every day working hard. Arlene Hache, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we've missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. Hope you're enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have an audience. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I talked about the high cost of living in the communities that I represent. I want to direct my questions to the Premier of the Northwest Territories in terms of I'd like to know what this government is doing in terms of dealing with the high cost of living and dealing with the high cost of food especially, and fuel in small communities such as Colville Lake that could identify with some of the prices that we pay up there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government has been very aware of this issue. It was one

of our initial objectives as a government and continues to be a high priority.

Mr. Speaker, it's not easy to reduce the cost of foods and energy and so on, but we are looking at a number of long-term things, including the highway extension program for up the valley. Mr. Speaker, in the short term there are other things that we have done. We have set up a committee that is looking at the cost of living and seeing if there are ways that we can reduce costs, particularly energy costs. Mr. Speaker, we continue to seek advice from constituents throughout the territory on how we can save these costs, reduce the costs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier made comments to the long term-goals of reducing costs and highway extension. I think that's going to be a long, long time down the road here. So in terms of what can the Minister do in terms of the short-term initiatives to reduce the high cost of living in the communities of the Sahtu, would the Minister look at the issues of the food program? In Country Canada it showed a documentary of Grise Fiord and, in there, the community or government brought down the prices by subsidizing the basic foods and increased the luxury costs by giving that a balance. Would the Minister consider that option? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to look at the Food Mail Program. I recognize that it is a federal program, but we will look at how it's administered. Mr. Speaker, I have personally had meetings with the Northern Stores and their people on the cost of food and how they go about using the Food Mail Program. We will continue to try to be creative on that one and try to figure out ways we can help.

Mr. Speaker, as well, we do regular updates on our food baskets through income support and through trying to ensure that the subsidies that we're providing are done in a way that meets people's needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I would like to ask the Premier in terms of supporting the community by bringing in a subsidy that subsidizes bread, milk, butter, the basic foods on the food core supplementary guide, and increase the luxuries -- pop, candy -- we can balance it out so that people in Colville Lake will not have to pay $17.99 for one can of Enfalac. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, certainly in terms of people on income support I think that we're working to try to keep costs and keep the subsidy we provide within reason. Mr. Speaker, in terms of looking at it in a broader sense and picking out those four main foods, that's something that we'd be willing to look at. We'd have to see what the cost would be to our government to do something like that, but, Mr. Speaker, as we said before, we want to be creative in how we continue to make living affordable in the small communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not all people in the Sahtu are on income support. We have people who work hard, people who are paying the high price, making a living to provide for their families. Again, would this government seriously look at subsidy programs in the communities like they did in Grise Fiord in Nunavut where the government came and helped the people subsidize the high costs of food? The Food Mail Program is a federal program. You know how the government is, especially with Ottawa, it takes a long time. Maybe even for ourselves. Would the Premier again look at this issue here that would make our lives more affordable and accessible, bring the cost of living down, and give something to the people in our communities that do not have the luxury of other centres like Yellowknife or Hay River or Inuvik? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we will look at it. Mr. Speaker, saying that, and again without putting in a lot of thought into how this would work, I would also like to look for the cooperation from the stores to work with us on that and keep the price of those basic, healthy foods down, even if it means they have to increase in some other areas on things that are more optional or aren't essential. So, Mr. Speaker, yes, we'll look at it, but again I would hope that the stores would work with us on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI and follow my Member's statement. I'd just like the Minister to confirm the commitment to work with the community and, of course, ITI and ENR, to arrange for the relocation of the ITI office off the highway to the downtown core. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, Thank you. We're doing a number of things in this regard and I thank the Member for the question and can indicate that he has, a number of times, approached me about the possibility of more of a one-stop shop for business programs in the community. It seems to have quite a deal of support in Fort Smith and I think that's important. I recently met with our BDIC together with my ITI officials to talk about how we might change some program delivery. We recognize it can't be done boilerplate across all communities. Some communities have different needs. The BDIC indicated that they were interested in looking at Fort Smith as an example or potential pilot. So I believe that there are discussions underway between ITI officials and the BDIC to talk about how there could be some collaboration. I can't say what the outcome will be, but I think the location they're looking at is the current Community Futures building. We do know or believe that ENR will need additional space and may need to take some of the ITI space out on the highway, but we're waiting for that to be confirmed and documented in terms of their actual needs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the mayor, the Metis president, the chief of the Salt River First Nations and myself are all in support, as I believe is the business community in Fort Smith, so the answer wasn't clear to me. Is the Minister confirming that yes, we're going to work towards this in the coming months and maybe the next business planning cycle to make it happen? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a couple of options. We're not sure if the approach will be to move all of the ITI staff to the downtown location with Community Futures. We may relocate some of the staff who deal principally with business development, with loans. There are a number of approaches, but I've asked the stakeholders in that community to get together and discuss best options. Some of the options, obviously, as the Member indicated, would require money and so would have to be brought forward in the business planning process. We're currently in a GNWT facility and if we were going to go out and fit up capital downtown in private space, leased private space, there would not only be capital costs, but there would be additional O and M costs. Now, we may be coming to that conclusion anyway, as ENR needs additional space, but it may be just a matter of which department incurs the bill. So I think it's important for us to work with ENR to know how much space they need and understand what the community thinks the best model is for program delivery. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm aware that ENR was contemplating some renovations which didn't make sense if we were going to arrange this move. I'd just like to ask the Minister if he could give me a timeline when he expects the report back from the community groups. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Bell.

I know that there's been a preliminary meeting of ITI regional staff with the BDIC. I'd ask my staff here in Yellowknife to get that report and also suggest that we needed another meeting, a follow-up meeting to sit down and talk some details. So I expect that that's happening in the next couple of weeks and I think we could have something, a recommendation back before Christmas. Important if we're going to be spending money, obviously, to get this into the business planning process. I recognize that, so we're going to move as quickly as we can. I think that there's a lot of merit in this. There's merit in having a consolidation of our business programming, but I think there are more than just GNWT people here that could be brought together and co-located. So we want to talk about all the various different options and we'll try to move forward as quickly as we possibly can. I understand the urgency. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member's statement about the need to be energy efficient, the replacement of diesel-generated power is most necessary in the community of Whati. Whati community leadership have done a lot of work towards this new initiative; a cleaner and environmentally friendly initiative. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I have a question to the Minister of the Power Corporation. What energy conservation initiative is the corporation pursuing with respect to energy efficiency? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been working in conjunction with the federal government to look at green funds that were available to the previous government. We were looking at assisting the community of Whati on a pilot project in regards to the mini-hydro initiative. We're also working with the community of Lutselk'e on the mini-hydro initiative also. Again, that was in conjunction with federal money that we were able to access from the planning of those projects. Again, we are still looking at working with the communities to move these projects forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if the Power Corporation has any plans in the long term to get rid of the diesel generators in most NWT communities and replace them with hydropower. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are looking at the possibility of expanding the Snare hydro system by extending the power from the Snare hydro site to the community of Whati. Again, we are looking at a possible capital investment of about $5 million to do that. But the work has been done in that area. We did the estimates and that's roughly what the cost is going to be to take on that initiative. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister indicated, there is a planning in place for Whati and Lutselk'e working on this hydro. I'd like to know from the department what stages they are at with the planning process, specifically for the community of Whati. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the project that is being taken hold of by the community of Whati is a community-based project. We are assisting them in regards to getting money for their planning and whatnot, but again we are, our plans presently are looking at the expansion of the hydro lines from the Snare Cascades to the community of Whati. That's the only planning we've done. The majority of the work on the mini-hydro has been done specifically by the community.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to get a commitment from the Minister. If he could come to the community of Whati with his department and possibly fellow colleagues on this new initiative of Whati hydro, when could that take place? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member of making that happen. Again, time wise, we're probably looking at December or January this year.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I proposed in my Member's statement today, I propose the solution to deal with some of the migrant worker problems that we have. I suggested that maybe we should be creating certification or something of that measure. Mr. Speaker, to further highlight, just for a second, we're losing $240 million in wages and that doesn't take into account lost business opportunities and any further resource money. So my question to the Minister of ITI is, what has he done to undertake this problem to deal with migrant workers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the Member. Obviously all of us in the House think the North is a desirable place to call home, but recognize that maybe one of its disadvantages certainly is the cost of living here compared to other jurisdictions. We know that we've got to take some steps to do what we can to bring that cost of living down, not only in the bigger centres but in all of our communities, small communities, taking a number of steps looking and developing this energy plan that talks about how we can get affordable energy to people. But it's broader than that, Mr. Speaker. I along with the Minister of Education have tasked our officials to come back to us with a discussion paper on these issues. Obviously there are no easy answers, but we do need to propose some solutions to this problem that appears to be growing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very strong issue coming out of my riding. There are deep concerns that we're not getting a grip on this problem. Is the Minister of ITI familiar with the Quebec regulations, as I proposed in my Member's statement, to deal with construction or trades workers and being able to direct where and when they are able to work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

No, not specifically, Mr. Speaker, but this is one of the things that will be considered in this work. Obviously we'll do an interjurisdictional survey to talk about what other

jurisdictions are doing. We know obviously, Mr. Speaker, as well, though, that there are mobility provisions in the Charter. It's very difficult to tell people in this country, who are free to move around, where they have to live. So I think the most important approach, as opposed to taking protection of steps, is to create incentives and make sure people want to live here. Reduce the cost of living, make sure land is available, affordable energy. But, Mr. Speaker, all of these issues I'm sure will be raised in the discussion paper. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, I may want to remind the Minister that this type of Quebec proposal is Charter proof. As I pointed out in my Member's statement, it was taken to the Supreme Court and upheld. So I don't think we need to do any new work on that issue. All we have to do is find the guidelines of how it works there and maybe sort of slide them and do a northern adjustment, if I may say. I am in favour of incentives, but we can't necessarily say that's the only way of dealing with this. So I'm going to ask the Minister, last week I proposed for us to open up and deal with section 8.5 in our socio-economic agreements. Is there also any way we can open up these agreements so that we can have any type of discussion and renegotiate the terms? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I don't believe it's a lack of willingness on the part of the mines to use local labour. It's obviously more cost effective for them to use people locally, they know that people who live here are more likely to stay here for a long term and there are huge costs to having staff turnover at mines or any other operations, Mr. Speaker. I think they have an incentive to work with us. They've been very cooperative. We have been discussing some of these issues and will continue to do so. You heard the Premier's answers last week in the House. We will have no problem asking mining officials to come before standing committees of this House on a number of occasions. They've offered to do just that. I have a request on my desk from DeBeers to come and talk about their socio-economic agreement progress. It's one year since the signing of the Snap Lake agreement now. They've got a number of highlights and done some really good things. So they're more than happy and prepared to come and talk to us. But I think we need to do this industry wide. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the Minister of ITI realizes this can't be an NWT problem alone. We've got the Yukon on one side of us and we've got Nunavut on the other side, and it can't be cheap flying those 737s all the way to Yellowknife and then maybe even beyond to those diamond mines. It can't be cheap to do that. So, Mr. Speaker, has the Minister taken the initiative to speak to our territorial counterparts in both the Yukon and Nunavut about maybe developing a northern strategy to deal with this problem once and for all? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, we speak continually about these issues. We do, though, have unique pressures here. Obviously with the diamond mining industry and burgeoning oil and gas industry we've got some pressures that the Yukon and Nunavut aren't facing currently. I think they will be in the future. They have tremendous economic potential and I think they will be able to realize that. Broader than that, we have discussions about these issues at western Energy Ministers, western Canada facing some of the same challenges, although given they have more capacity than we do to deal with some of these issues. But a very hot labour market right across western Canada, industries are poaching people from each other. It's unsettling, it's expensive and certainly a difficult way to deal with this issue, Mr. Speaker. So yes, it's of great concern to us as a government, to the people of the Northwest Territories. The commitment that I can make here is that we will certainly bring forward this discussion paper to committee and have some discussion about the potential solutions and possibilities that we might pursue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On June 8th of this year I had asked questions of the Minister of Justice in regard to what work was being undertaken to address the issue of equal shared parenting. Mr. Speaker, statistics show that 46 percent of marriages in Canada are ending in divorce. Mr. Speaker, a lot of these divorces also have the custody of children involved in them. Mr. Speaker, these can impact the lives of children for decades and decades after the fact. In June I had asked the Minister to advise this Assembly if he had had any discussions with the federal Minister of Justice, Mr. Vic Toews, in regard to advancing shared parenting legislation and I would like to ask the Minister today if indeed that discussion has taken place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I met with Minister Toews and as well Minister Day, and the Member has as well, and did have occasion to raise it with some of my provincial colleagues, some discussion around this also with Minister Toews. In terms of legislation they're developing, I think it's premature whether to say they'll be able to come forward with anything. They are discussing this informally with other jurisdictions, but certainly they recognize, as we do, that the court process is very adversarial and oftentimes

makes it very difficult for relationships to continue after these oftentimes quite vicious custody battles are waged in front of the courts. They recognize that as obviously not the best solution and are interested in doing something about that. What that will be remains to be seen, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.