Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, evidence from traditional and scientific sources show that barren-ground caribou herds are declining across much of North America. Barren-ground caribou, like other species, follow cyclical population patterns. Factors such as climate change, predation, hunting, development, disease and fire can impact these cycles. Recent surveys show herd declines ranging from 40 percent in some herds to as high as 86 percent in others.

Given this trend, the Government of the Northwest Territories, along with co-management boards and harvesters, must act in the best interests of preserving our barren-ground caribou populations.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is responsible for the conservation and protection of our environment and natural resources. To achieve this objective, the department uses the best information available. When wildlife population trends suggest there is a serious concern, the department applies the "precautionary principle." This means that management decisions shall err on the side of caution. We know that caribou numbers are declining and we must take reasonable conservation measures now to prevent serious or irreparable damage to this resource.

The actions we take over the next five years will have a profound impact on the recovery of barren-ground caribou. Our first step will be to institute interim management measures aimed at reducing harvest levels. The second phase will involve further information gathering on caribou numbers, predation levels and subsistence harvest counts. To guide our actions, the department has developed a Northwest Territories Barren-Ground Caribou Management Strategy 2006-2010. The strategy will steer our work in this area through the coming years. Later today, I will table a copy of this document and look forward to receiving feedback on the activities and plans it outlines.

Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Bathurst caribou management plan and recent herd surveys, we have, over the past year, been meeting with groups to talk about caribou management. In addition to meetings with the Inuvialuit, Sahtu and Gwich'in co-management boards, we discussed the declining caribou numbers with leaders from the Tlicho, Yellowknives Dene, Dene Nation, Northwest Territory Metis Nation, barren-ground outfitters, as well as representatives from the adjacent jurisdictions of Nunavut, Yukon, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The first interim step is to reduce harvest levels. To meet this goal, a number of immediate actions will be applied across the Northwest Territories in the next six months. These include:

• • developing a major public education campaign, including television, radio and print media;
• • increasing monitoring and enforcement patrols;
• • reducing caribou tags for resident harvesters from five to two;
• • allowing resident harvesters to hunt bulls only;
• • establishing a new management zone for the Cape Bathurst herd;
• • delaying the public release of maps showing the locations of satellite collared caribou by two weeks; and
• • investigating ways to mitigate impacts on harvesters.

Other immediate actions will be herd-specific and will include reductions to resident and commercial harvests recommended by co-management boards. Caribou tags for outfitters on the Bathurst fall range will return to 1999 levels. This will be done over a two-year period and reductions over the first year will only involve those tags that go unused. In addition, wolf tags for non-resident harvesters will be increased from one to two, and voluntary harvest limits proposed by the co-management boards will be accepted.

These changes will not happen overnight, Mr. Speaker. A number of the actions planned will require amendments to regulations. It is our intention to work with our partners to make the required changes as quickly as possible and we will notify the public through media announcements as these changes come into force.

As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, these interim measures are the first step. Over the spring and summer months, we plan on gathering up-to-date herd information and will be conducting a study on caribou predation. Once this information has been collected, we will consult with our partners and stakeholders, reassess our position and will work with co-management boards to develop the

longer-term steps necessary to ensure healthy and sustainable caribou herds for today and the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Education Week is February 20th to 24th in the Northwest Territories. It is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the roles education plays in enriching and improving our lives.

The theme for Education Week 2006 is "Get Smart About Energy." We are encouraging communities to celebrate Education Week by learning different ways to practice responsible energy consumption.

Schools throughout the NWT have been given a list of energy learning links. These web sites provide access to a wealth of information about energy. For example, students can discover how their use of energy contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that result in climate change. They can also find tips to get smarter about the power they use everyday.

Research indicates the Canadian Arctic is already experiencing serious and wide-ranging impacts from climate change. Melting permafrost, declining water levels in our lakes and rivers, changes in our air quality and uncommon weather patterns are all signs that climate change is currently taking place in the NWT and that action is required.

We know that education is one of the first steps towards improving energy consumption patterns. Posters, teacher resources and energy-efficient nightlights will be distributed to schools to promote informed decisions about energy use in the classroom, home and community.

Our annual celebration of Education Week is an excellent opportunity for each of us to reflect on the impact we have on our environment. It is important to acquire as much information and knowledge as possible and then take action to preserve the NWT landscape that we know today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Members, I would like to draw your attention to the third Monday in February of each year is set aside for Heritage Day. Heritage Day is an opportunity to celebrate the architectural, heritage and historic places of Canada. Canada has a wealth of cultural heritage places including First Nation longhouses, concert halls, opera houses, bandstands, cinemas, community halls, museums and art galleries, et cetera. It is nice to see some of the Members have chosen to celebrate Heritage Day by wearing traditional clothing in the House today.

---Applause

Orders of the day. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday was the first anniversary of the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. This is an agreement signed by Canada and some 150 other nations, and it calls for a five percent global reduction of greenhouse gases by the year 2012. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of two organizations here in the NWT, the Arctic Energy Alliance and Ecology North, for the initiatives they are taking in heightening awareness of effective greenhouse gas reduction and what we can do to make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is number four -- and that would be fourth worst -- on the list of 32 OECD countries for our generation of carbon dioxide. Canadians have the dubious distinction of producing 16.7 tons of CO2 per capita. We, in the North, are particularly energy dependent, and with increasing diamond production and the prospect of pipeline development, we will be even more energy hungry. So, Mr. Speaker, what are we doing here in the NWT about finding alternatives to fossil fuels? What is our government doing to develop our vast hydro potential? What is our government doing to ensure that communities on the pipeline route are going to be able to replace dirty diesel with cleaner burning natural gas for their energy needs?

Mr. Speaker, the 1980s and '90s were the warmest decades on record; 1998 so far the warmest year. From the University of Manitoba comes a startling find that the polar ice cap is disappearing at the rate of 74,000 square kilometres a year, an area the size of Lake Superior. It's too late to reverse the trend, Mr. Speaker, but many, many people believe, and I am one of them, that at least it can be slowed.

Part of the solution is individual responsibility, and action, and certainly, Mr. Speaker, a big part of it is how government can show leadership and take concrete action as our government has when it joined others this December in signing a declaration on climate change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Before I go on, Members, I would like to draw your attention to the gallery to the presence of a former Member of this House, Mr. Leon Lafferty, former Member of Great Slave; or North Slave, rather.

---Applause

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

Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, in March 2004, the federal government announced new funding of $90 million over five years to the three territories for strategic investment in northern economic development, or SINED. Well, Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of people out there who would like to get signed up, but, unfortunately, the status of this fund in the

Northwest Territories is a bit of a mystery, especially following the recent federal election.

Mr. Speaker, the announcement of the $90 million was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm for good reason. The NWT has been without an economic development agreement with the federal government for years and we are paying for that lack of investment today.

Resource development works quickly and it is difficult for small businesses to keep up in order to take advantage of the opportunities. Other sectors such as renewable resources and tourism also need help so we can diversify our economy. Unfortunately, the payoff has been slow in coming. Other than $150,000 for five projects that was announced in March of 2005 and last November's announcement of $2 million for geoscience activities, we have heard very little about how this fund is being used. By now, two years after the original announcement, I would have expected a lot more. Why wasn't this fund tapped into more and sooner? Where has the money gone? Is it still a sure thing with the change of the federal government? Have we been signed off? Mr. Speaker, I hope this is not like the case of the old lady who went down in the Titanic taking her jewels with her to the bottom of the ocean. If we don't hear anything soon, this government might have some luck in hiring some divers to search the bottom of this mysterious lake, because those jewels are desperately needed in the NWT today. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to weigh in today on the discussion regarding the business incentive policy and the support, I believe, this government must continue to provide to northern businesses.

I am glad to hear that the government is not moving ahead with its intended plans to scrap the BIP and that there is room for the government to look at where we go from here.

I have heard from a number of constituents over the past week with regard to the BIP. I do share their concern that the policy must not be dropped and, in fact, that the Government of the Northwest Territories has a perfect opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to open up the policy and strengthen it even more, so that true, 100 percent owned northern businesses can be treated with the preference that the original BIP was intended for.

As for the two percent tax cut for small business, this should just happen; no question. Small business remains to be the engine of our economy and they should be given every opportunity to succeed and the tax cut should take place. I am interested in hearing from the Minister what exactly the government's plans are for the BIP and whether or not strengthening is an option.

In my opinion, what we have to do is put more teeth in the BIP. The benefits must accrue to true, 100 percent owned northern businesses. Employees must live here; ownership must live here; taxes must be paid here. We can't continue to allow for absentee ownership or companies whose workforce just don't live here. We can't allow them to continue to benefit from the BIP. Mr. Speaker, it does a disservice to those who are true, 100 percent owned northern businesses. As a government, we have to take the guesswork out of who is really northern and who isn't. Once this is done, I am certain the Minister can hope to cut down on the cost of administrating the policy. To me, it's quite simple: Either you are 100 percent northern or you're not. The criteria, Mr. Speaker, can be easily arrived at.

We certainly do not want to lose more companies, people and economic opportunity to the South. We have to protect our own and no one else is going to do this for us, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last October, this Assembly passed the Personal Directives Act, which I understand is now in force as of January 1st. Personal directives, which are sometimes referred to as living wills, allow people to give advance instructions about how their personal matters will be handled should they be unable to make decisions for themselves. An individual can provide advanced direction for their medical care and also other personal matters such as where they would live, who would be allowed to visit them and who would make decisions on their behalf. Many people make their wishes known to loved ones and caregivers anyway, but the act will now make it possible for their instructions to be legally binding on health care professionals and family members. The act complements the Powers of Attorney Act, which allows people to leave advanced directions about how their financial matters will be handled if they become incapacitated.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation was welcomed with open arms by advocates for seniors and persons with disabilities as long overdue. It gives individuals dignity and control over their own private matters by allowing them to make critical decisions in advance of becoming incapacitated. A personal directive can also lift the burden of difficult choices from loved ones who need to focus on providing support to the incapacitated person, or on grieving.

For people who are growing older, or who are living with conditions that they know will eventually leave them unable to make decisions for themselves, personal directives can give them the security of knowing that they will be cared for as they would wish. Also, although we don't like to think about it, Mr. Speaker, the fact is that any of us could be suddenly incapacitated by a serious accident or injury. For this reason, any adult, young or old, should seriously consider taking advantage of the new legislation and making a personal directive for themselves, along with a power of attorney.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased this legislation is now in force and, later today, I will have questions for the Minister about how it's being implemented. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I want to make a statement on caribou management. (Translation ends)

...fish for a living. In this way, we practice our traditional lifestyle and eat a healthy diet rich in our country foods. For the Tlicho people, hunting is not a hobby; it's a way of life, Mr. Speaker. The caribou herds are declining and it's getting harder and harder to find them. The Cape Bathurst herd has declined from an estimate of 17,500 in 1992 to an estimate of 2,400 in 2005. That's a huge decline, Mr. Speaker.

The Bluenose herd has declined from an estimated 104,000 in 2000 to an estimate of 66,600 in 2005, Mr. Speaker. Because the caribou are disappearing, wolves and grizzly bears are becoming a problem in our communities, as you have heard in the latest news. It's becoming a huge problem.

Wolves are attacking pets and dragging them off. The wolf population is probably stressed from not finding enough caribou to eat as a source of meat for them, so they are coming closer in contact with humans, Mr. Speaker, into communities.

Residents can kill as many wolves as they want. ENR is proposing to double the tags for non-resident wolf kills. Predator management plans will help us save our caribou, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ENR needs to sit down with the Tlicho communities and discuss the best way to handle the predators that are moving into our communities, Mr. Speaker. We need to discuss the shrinking caribou population and how we can manage this situation together. For the Tlicho, Mr. Speaker, the caribou are much more than a sport; they have always been part of our way of life and they will always be, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since I couldn't even find adequate temporary day care services for my son this morning, I felt compelled to talk about the high demand for day care services and the lack of response from this government to address day care issues.

Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues have talked about the imbalance in funding and other services that day cares in Yellowknife are experiencing, but I want to point out that this imbalance is even more obvious in our remote communities where the number of young, single parents comprise a greater segment of the whole population.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to see a greater lobbying effort with the federal government to find a better financial arrangement to make some real differences for day cares in the NWT, a service that seems to come and go, and people not knowing whether operations will continue from year to year in many of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, the government also has to be creative in their approach to address day care concerns and not always leave that requirement at the local level, like we hear all the time from our Minister when answering concerns about day cares. Mr. Speaker, these day cares are creative. That's their job. Ours is to be cognizant, resourceful and effective. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, providing quality health care and supplying health care workers should be a priority of this government. We train northerners to become nurses to staff our hospitals, yet we have to continue to bring up nurses from the South. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that we need these nurses to come north and they are well compensated for their time up here. Until we can staff our hospitals with northern nurses -- and hopefully that day will come soon -- we have to continue to use southern nurses. The message we have to send to our northern, long-term nurses is we will compensate you as well as we do the southern nurses. We have nurses who have come north years ago and decided to make the North their home, and for that we thank them.

The point I am trying to make, Mr. Speaker, is that northern and long-term nurses should also enjoy some of the benefits as their southern counterparts. We should have a retention bonus paid for every few years of service in the North. It could be two nurses, Mr. Speaker, working side by side, one from the North and one from the South. The one from the South will be making more in benefits than the one from the North, and they can go back home and enjoy a lower cost of living than the one from the North having an extreme high cost of living and they are paid less than their southern counterparts.

So, Mr. Speaker, we need long-term and northern nurses in the North and let's do what we can, as a government, to make that a reality and compensate them as they deserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment was one of the first departments to transfer to the territorial government when the government came north from Ottawa in the late 1960s. At the time, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education was concerned with the education of our children and providing adult vocational training. Over the years, the department's mandate has expanded to include the following: arts and culture; heritage and museums; languages, aboriginal and French; colleges, including the granting of university degrees; employment programs; income security programs; and Labour Board.

As you see, Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a fairly extensive list of responsibilities and I strongly believe that amongst these competing priorities, culture, heritage and language are getting the short end of the stick. This is somewhat understandable, given the support most northerners have for quality education in our schools and post-secondary programming. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is because the sheer size of the department and the many roles it is expected to pay in defining northern society. The areas of culture, heritage and languages do not have a true champion at the table, Mr. Speaker. This is not the fault of the current Minister. I feel for him, having to make choices between competing priorities, but I cannot fault for choosing to improve education for our children and making sure that those who are less fortunate have the income security programs they need over increasing funding for culture, heritage and languages.

The Government of Nunavut has recognized this need, Mr. Speaker, and created a Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. I believe we should be looking at their model in developing a department that is focussed on culture, heritage and languages. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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