Welcome back to the House, Members. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the Arctic Winter Games team selection process which was held January 12th to 15th. Fort McPherson, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Ndilo and Yellowknife successfully hosted the territorial trials for 17 sporting events.

As my colleagues are aware, the 2006 Arctic Winter Games are being hosted this year by Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, from March 5th to 11th. I would like to extend congratulations and best of luck to the 300 plus Team NWT athletes, coaches, cultural delegates and chaperones who will be travelling to Kenai Peninsula. Our athletes will be joined by delegations from Alberta, Alaska, Greenland, Nunavut, Nunavik, the Yukon, the Russian province of Yamal, and the Saami from northern Scandinavia.

I look forward to following the progress of our athletes and celebrating their successes as they compete in their respective events.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to extend my thanks to the Sport North Federation, the territorial sport organizations, regional coordinators and the many hard-working volunteers who are leaders in our sports system. Without their hard work and the thousands of hours they spend helping make our events a success, the Arctic Winter Games and many other sporting events would not take place.

I am pleased to announce that this year saw a 33 percent increase in the number of athletes who participated in the regional trials. This increased participation has resulted in six more NWT communities being represented in the 2006 games than in 2004. I am proud of this increase as it shows that our sport and recreation system is promoting the development of athletes in all the NWT communities, large and small.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will continue to work with our partners to ensure that youth from all communities have an opportunity to participate in sport and recreation programs. The Arctic Winter Games are also an important component of our sport system. Our youth look forward every two years to the opportunity to share in friendly competition and cultural exchanges. I am confident that our youth will once again benefit from this experience in Kenai Peninsula. I know that numerous friendships will be formed and our young people will return with many lasting memories.

As the Minister responsible for sport, it will be my pleasure to attend the games and watch our athletes compete. I invite all Members to join me in wishing the best of luck to Team NWT and all the participants in the 2006 Arctic Winter Games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2005, the Accountability and Oversight committee decided to hold pre-budget consultations in communities outside of Yellowknife. This was a new process that was never done before by previous assemblies. To my colleagues of AOC, I thank you for having the foresight to visit communities outside of Yellowknife to hear firsthand some of the concerns people have with the lack of human resources and infrastructure in our smaller centres.

Mr. Speaker, this brings me to a concern heard by the AOC members that visited Paulatuk. An income support worker appeared before the committee to discuss the location of the income support office. The office is located in Angik School, Mr. Speaker. Students are able to see who comes and who goes from that office. The worker indicated that it's difficult for parents or students who required income support assistance to go to that office. Why should students be able to see their parents or see which classmates' parents have to access income support?

The people of Paulatuk are proud of their culture and heritage. As a government, we should not be belittling people, whether intentional or not, by making them apply for social assistance in full view of their children and their neighbour's children.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will soon be administering the rental of social housing. This will mean even more people having to go to the income support office in Angik School.

The department is also considering setting up centralized government service centres. I don't want to see the centre located in the school, and urge the Department of ECE to look for alternate rental space in the community of Paulatuk, possibly in the hamlet office or the local housing authority office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the track record of this government when it comes to spending. Prior to division in 1999, the entire Northwest Territories had an annual budget of just over a billion dollars. It only took us five years as a stand-alone territory to increase spending back to over a billion dollars in 2004-05. Five short years to increase spending by over half a billion dollars.

In 2006-07, our spending habits remain alarmingly high. This year, we are set to spend a record $1.1 billion, and I would equate our current government's spending habits to an out-of-control locomotive that just keeps steaming ahead.

The two-and-a-half years I've been a Member of this Legislature, I have not seen one initiative designed or brought about to effect any substantive cost savings. Saving money remains a foreign concept to the Government of the Northwest Territories. They seem to only know how to spend money and not to save it, Mr. Speaker. Efficiency and effectiveness are two things that government should always try and achieve, and the GNWT always seems to think that achieving effectiveness and efficiency means spending more money.

One hundred forty-seven new positions in this budget alone. We currently spend approximately $440 million on our 4,500 employees; soon to be 4,657 and counting. Forty-three percent of our spending is immediately taken up by salaries and benefits. I know the government does not have an overall plan, nor do they pay the least bit of attention to the out-of-control growth of government.

We need a plan, Mr. Speaker, a strategy, a concept, or some type of idea on how this type of growth can be sustainable over the long run. In my estimation, forced growth brought on by increases in the collective agreements with our unions will cost us an additional $60 million over the next three years. Where are we going to get this money from? I would suggest that the Finance Minister may need to take up farming, as in money trees, Mr. Speaker, to balance our books. Any opportunity I've seen to cut costs and get more money for things like day cares, treatment centres, schools, et cetera, is never taken. The government has absolutely convinced itself that it has to let the tail wag the dog, and meanwhile our people are demanding more, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about access to dental care and travel assistance for dental referrals. Healthy teeth are an important issue on a number of fronts. Dental hygiene and regular dental care is important to a person's health. This government has extended health care benefits, to assist with dental coverage, to Metis, Dene, seniors, and many employers provide dental care insurance benefits for their employees. Then there are those who do not fit into any of these categories and get no assistance for dental care, and I have a huge issue with that.

Another problem is that even people who are fortunate enough to have coverage, Mr. Speaker, that does not address the issue of northerners getting to and from dental services when specialized services are required outside of the area in which they live. We have an excellent pool of highly qualified dental care professionals in the Northwest Territories; however, since many of our communities are small and remote, and sometimes specialized services are required, travel assistance becomes an issue. There is a definite distinction drawn between medical care and travel assistance, which we recognize the need for and support financially as a government, and access to and travel assistance for dental care. I must say, Mr. Speaker, I find this very peculiar. Healthy teeth and gums are important to the digestion of the food we eat. Diseases of the gums and tooth decay, abscesses and infection can affect the whole body, so why are teeth treated differently and distinctly from any other part of the body? We don't say if you break your finger and need medical attention, don't worry, you've got nine other fingers so you don't need medical attention. But if you break your tooth -- and this could lead to all kinds of pain, decay and infection -- I'm sorry, that's not a medical issue.

Mr. Speaker, healthy teeth are important, as I said, to how we digest and get proper nutrition from our food. Their health can affect the rest of the body. Healthy teeth play a large part in our personal appearance, and how others perceive us, and how we see ourselves and even feel about ourselves. I don't think that dental care should be treated any differently than any type of medical attention required by the people of the Northwest Territories. I don't understand why dental care is not a service covered by our universal access to health services. By extension, I certainly don't understand why travel to receive dental care is not treated exactly the same as travel for any other medical cause, because eventually, Mr. Speaker, when people have dental care issues, we do pay eventually. Perhaps later today, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services could explain to me the answer to some of these questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, sometimes the community MLAs sound like country singers with their concerns. They sound like a broken record. But the only broken record here is this government.

---Laughter

For example, previous commitments with the equalization of health services for all are just continually deferred. This government must provide flexible and adequate respite care assistance for all residents in the Territories, whether it's in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Simpson or Trout Lake. Most residents can recognize the financial implications and limitations of this government to have full services for all communities; however, if every community is too small to have a specific full-time health care provider, then why isn't some, at least some, assistance offered?

The most consistent and pressing health concerns for small and remote communities are the lack of access to various health care services for seniors and children. Very few programs can be legitimately described as accessible for all residents. Most of the funding, capacity, infrastructure and staff are allocated for the larger centres.

Mr. Speaker, respite care for seniors and others is one of the programs receiving considerable criticism from the Nahendeh residents as non-accessible. Respite is not just for seniors, it is also for families with children who have serious disabilities requiring considerable attention, or need special facilities. Families are often separated for long periods of time because the only care is in the larger centres, or have enormous responsibilities with little or no relief while caring for their loved ones in their home communities.

There is a malady often described by our residents as care burnout. There seems to be no middle ground. I am suggesting that this government adopt a "let's keep our families together" program for this coming spring and summer, whereby we aggressively review the various options to provide health care to our communities and to our people. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will speak to you about the IBA agreements...(Translation ends)

...for the impact agreement payments and the Income Support Program. When a person on income support receives an IBA payment, the government takes it away by reducing their income support. The net result is that the beneficiary gets nothing -- nothing, Mr. Speaker -- and the GNWT saves money on the Income Support Program.

When our leaders negotiated IBA agreements with the diamond mines, I am sure this is not what they had in mind, Mr. Speaker. They wanted to make sure our people, especially our elders, receive some direct compensation for the use of our land and resources. IBA payments are not the same as money a person might receive as a gift or by winning a lottery. It is compensation for use of the land, in accordance with our rights under Treaty 11 and the Tlicho agreement, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The diamond mines are taking something away from the Tlicho people and they are compensating us for that. People who receive IBA payments do not profit. They are just being compensated for what has been taken away from them, Mr. Speaker. It is the same as if your home had a broken window and an insurance company pays you. You have money instead of a window, but you do not have any more than what you started with, Mr. Speaker.

The social assistance regulations already exempt money received in accordance with the treaty or land claim agreements from being taken away under the Income Support Program. They recognize that these payments are a form of compensation, which is different from income. It is clear to me that IBA payments fall under this category. If it is not clear to the Minister and his department, then I think this could be very easily fixed with a small change to the regulation, Mr. Speaker.

On June 6, 2003, in a letter to then-Minister Jake Ootes on impact benefit agreement income from Minister Dent, then chair of AOC, Mr. Dent stated, I quote, Mr. Speaker, "The committee does not feel that income support should be reduced as a result of IBA payments." Charles, you believed it once; believe it again.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Members' statements. The honourable from Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to talk about a couple of policies this government is currently considering eliminating or revamping. The two I want to talk about are the business incentive policy and the negotiated contracts policy.

Mr. Speaker, I do agree that both of these policies need some changes made to better suit our changing northern economy. What I do not agree with, Mr. Speaker, is the view that these economic changes are happening in all communities across the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, many small communities in the NWT only have one or two small businesses located within the community. It may be a development corporation which relies heavily on government contracts to keep the corporations operating. Mr. Speaker, we all know that many of these large contracts can only be acquired through a negotiated contract process or by the inclusion of the business incentive policy for these small communities' development corps. Mr. Speaker, this government has to start looking at two different versions of these policies: one version for the larger centres with

the large economic bases and development activities, and one version for the small and more remote communities with very limited development opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that one policy does not work for a diversified economic environment, and I think it's time to make the required changes that meet both the needs of the large urban centres and the requirements of our small northern communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. One of the great compromises of our modern age is the workers' compensation system, Mr. Speaker. It's a no-fault insurance program that was originally arrived at in the 1920s. It ensures, Mr. Speaker, that workers, if they're injured on the job, get medical and financial care, while it protects employers from potentially devastating lawsuits. It is paid for, Mr. Speaker, by employers. It is not paid for by employees or the government.

The government, on that principle, should not, Mr. Speaker, interfere with the daily operations of a WCB, but we do play a crucial role. Governments, such as ours, across Canada play a crucial role because we have the authority for the oversight and lawful governance of our WCB. We set the stage; we appoint the citizens' board to implement the rules; and it is on the implementation and the application of these rules, Mr. Speaker, that we see success or failure on behalf of the stakeholders.

Here in the NWT and Nunavut, we have seen our WCB fall down badly in its mistreatment of some injured workers. Some, Mr. Speaker, like Ivan Valic who was injured in the 1980s while working on a swimming pool here in Yellowknife, are still involved in legal issues involving fundamental discrimination and bungled appeal tribunal processes that have kept him on a bureaucratic treadmill going on 20 years.

Our WCB is not faring well in the eyes of some employers, Mr. Speaker, like restaurant owners who have seen rates jump the maximum for the last years, but can't get a respectful hearing before the WCB. We've seen the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Speaker, develop a corporate culture shielding itself from difficult decisions such as how to deal with chronic pain diagnoses, something that Alberta, for instance, has recognized and helped workers with since 1997.

We anticipate in the near future a report from the Auditor General of Canada on the WCB's performance. We're anticipating resolution of the Valic case soon, and revisions to the appeal process. We're looking for the board of governors to investigate chronic pain options and catch up with the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, we will not shy away from our responsibility to probe and challenge the operations of our WCB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. I'd just like to draw Members' attention to a couple of minor infractions happening the House where Members refer to other Members by their first name, and also referring to Members that are not in the House from outside this House. Thank you, Members. Members' statements. The honourable Member from the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the last couple of days I've gone back to my community in Tulita to be with my family. Mr. Speaker, in the last six months or so I've lost many members of my family: two of my aunties and three of my uncles. Mr. Speaker, when the family calls for you, you go as a member of the family, you go for your community. Especially when your mother calls for you, you go right away. It is our belief, Mr. Speaker, and our culture as aboriginal people that we go right away when you're called.

You know what, Mr. Speaker, my mother called for me when she was in Edmonton. She said come down, your uncle's not going to make it. Then she called back a little while later, she said no, maybe you should stay. Maybe you should stay here, you're working. When I heard the cry in my mother's voice, I said I'm going right now. My uncle gave me good values. He said if you're going to work, you work for yourself, don't depend on anybody. He extended the values of do it yourself and work with other people. But most important, Mr. Speaker, the value he told me is that when you do your job, you do it the best you can.

Mr. Speaker, when my uncle passed away, it was really hard. I struggle with that in my mind and my heart. When my other relatives passed away...(inaudible)...sometimes I question myself. Mr. Speaker, the heart won out of this matter when we're asked to go back home and be with our people. They remember that. As an MLA, you're there with the people during the hard times and the good times. They remember you for that. That's why they voted for you, to comfort them, have heart. This stuff will keep on going in business, but the people will be gone.

So our role as MLAs is difficult sometimes and we struggle with the heart and our mind, and the heart always wins and the people always win, and that's who I'm accountable to and I'll always be there for them. Mr. Speaker, that's what I want to say today. Thank you very much.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to draw attention, once again, to the unfairness of WCB rates being charged to food franchise operations. As I said in my Member's statement yesterday, this group of businesses have seen a serious increase of 25 percent of their WCB rates over the last several years. This despite the fact that the food franchises follow high national safety standards set by their head offices.

The explanation for high premiums, Mr. Speaker, is that they are paying for the poor safety practices of other businesses in their rate class. Mr. Speaker, although technically right, this explanation is not acceptable or fair, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not penalizing the establishments with bad safety records, through hefty fines or even closure, instead of making the other good businesses pay for their mistakes? How does punishing businesses with good practices, who promote work safety, how is that fair, how does that increase safety by punishing them with high rates?

Mr. Speaker, not only are the rates themselves unfair, but the process by which they are set also leaves much to be desired. Mr. Speaker, they are not asking for this; they are begging for fairness.

In the past, premium increases have been imposed on businesses without any explanation or justification; increases of 25 percent. The WCB is clearly out of touch with small business. As one step to improve communication and a working relationship, I would suggest to the WCB Minister to make it a standard practice of holding a meeting with any class that has a rate increase that year of 10 percent or more, Mr. Speaker. This way it would be a fair way to discuss the reasons associated with such a rate spike.

It is the very least, and a reasonable suggestion, Mr. Speaker, and I can't understand why the WCB wouldn't embrace this idea or something very, very similar. Good communication is a very basic customer service. We have to keep in mind the WCB works for the businesses and it's not the other way around. If WCB is not willing to take up this challenge and formalize consultation, I think it will be time for this House to pass legislation to make them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause