Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I would like to offer congratulations to Mr. Fred Carmichael on his induction into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame.

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Mr. Speaker, this occasion will be commemorated at a gala dinner in Toronto tonight.

Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of aboriginal business leaders who have built full and rich careers by expanding the frontiers of aboriginal business. Nominees serve as strong role models for their communities and give hope and encouragement for future generations of aboriginal businesspeople.

Our government was pleased to nominate Mr. Carmichael for induction into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, as all of us are aware, Mr. Fred Carmichael has had a long and distinguished career serving the people of the North. Following a very successful career as a pilot and airline company owner, and when most people would be going into retirement, Fred began a second career as president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council. He has recently been elected on his second term in this role.

One of his greatest achievements is the creation of the Aboriginal Pipeline Group. This group, under his leadership, has negotiated a one-third ownership of the pipeline, ensuring significant, long-term benefits for northerners. Mr. Carmichael continues at the helm as the current chair of the APG.

Mr. Speaker, from his excellence in business leadership, to his contribution to the community, to a renowned commitment to building capacity, Fred's work on behalf of northerners has been tremendous. I have no doubt that he will continue to lead with the same determination and persistence he has shown to date.

I cannot think of a more worthy candidate to be inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Fred Carmichael.

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Thank you, Mr. Handley. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide my colleagues with an update on the Gas Tax Agreement which was signed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada in November 2005, and witnessed by the Northwest Territories Association of Communities.

The Gas Tax Agreement will provide additional funding of $37.5 million over five years to community governments for investments in environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure. This funding is in addition to the federal Municipal Rural Infrastructure Program of $16 million over five years that is reflected in this year's budget and the enhanced Government of the Northwest Territories commitment to stable funding for community public infrastructure of $28 million per year. This injection of infrastructure funding will go a long way towards addressing the infrastructure deficit in our communities.

Projects that are eligible for funding under the Gas Tax Agreement include environmentally-friendly public transit infrastructure such as bike lanes and walking trails. Gas tax funds can also be used by communities for the construction of new and more efficient community energy systems, water and sewage services and solid waste facilities. I am particularly pleased that the Northwest Territories was also able to negotiate the inclusion of dust control expenditures as an eligible cost.

Some communities have expressed concerns about the restrictions on what projects gas tax funds can be used for. As chair of the provincial/territorial Ministers of Local Government, I am working in collaboration with other provinces and territories to lobby for changes to the list of eligible projects. All jurisdictions would like to see more flexibility in how this funding can be used.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is currently working with all community governments and the

Northwest Territories Association of Communities to prepare for implementation of the agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, each community government must complete an integrated community sustainability plan by 2010. It will be up to communities, working with the department, to determine just what these plans will look like, but we do know that essential components will include capital investment plans and community energy plans. Although these plans are a requirement of the gas tax funding, the focus on capital investment planning will help communities as they prepare to take on increased responsibility for infrastructure under the government's New Deal for community governments.

Later this year, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will provide an opportunity for communities to meet and discuss development of sustainability plans. The conference will bring in resource persons from other jurisdictions who have experience in community sustainability planning and give communities a chance to share ideas and expertise.

With the assistance of the Arctic Energy Alliance, the conference will include information on the benefits of community energy planning; the sharing of best practices in energy planning and conservation initiatives; and the identification of resources available to community governments to develop their integrated community sustainability plan.

I will continue to provide my colleagues with information on our progress and activities undertaken through the Gas Tax Agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. The new Education, Culture and Employment, ECE, strategic plan for 2005-2015, Building on Our Success, highlights the need to improve English language literacy levels of adults in the Northwest Territories.

People who have low literacy skills are challenged to understand and use information from texts, such as newspaper stories, brochures and instruction manuals. These are important skills that help us manage our daily lives and enter into the labour force.

Data from the 2003 international adult literacy and skills survey, IALSS, was recently released by Statistics Canada. The survey showed that 42.6 percent of working age adults in the Northwest Territories had a literacy score below functional levels in prose literacy. This is about the same as the Canadian average, Mr. Speaker.

While our literacy rates overall are the same as the rest of Canada, the IALSS report revealed a significant discrepancy between aboriginal and non-aboriginal adult English literacy levels; 68.9 percent of working age aboriginal adults are below functional literacy levels. In comparison, only 29.8 percent of non-aboriginal NWT adults test below functional level.

This information confirms what we already know: although overall literacy levels in the Northwest Territories are improving, a large percentage of our population struggle with literacy challenges. It confirms the need to keep investing in training to address low literacy rates, especially among aboriginal adults. To this end, we continue to work on a number of initiatives.

We are partnering with Aurora College to revise the beginner levels of the adult literacy and basic education curriculum. We are also investing in curriculum resource development and adult educator training to strengthen adult literacy and basic education delivery. We are continuing our focus on family literacy by working with the NWT Literacy Council and communities to offer a variety of family literacy projects. Six new libraries opened in 2005-2006 to provide residents with more access to reading materials. We have invested in our schools through the student success initiative, many aspects of which focus on literacy. We have implemented achievement testing in language arts and math in grades 3, 6 and 9, so we see how we are doing as a system and measure the development of literacy and numeracy skills in our students.

An evaluation of the 2001-2005 Literacy Strategy is being undertaken in 2006. Following that, ECE will develop a renewed Literacy Strategy.

The new strategy will consider recent data, including the international adult literacy and skills survey, territorial and Canadian literacy rates and trends, and the lessons we have learned from the past five years of program delivery.

We must continue our work to improve adult literacy levels to ensure that all northern residents can achieve their potential and have the opportunity to participate in our booming labour market. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Dent. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take this opportunity, once again, to speak in support of the COP program in Yellowknife, otherwise known as Citizens on Patrol, which has been running in our community for the past three years. Mr. Speaker, this group rose out of a meeting back in a 2001 where hundreds of Yellowknifers showed up to protest and resolve to work towards some concrete actions together to move back the tide of ever-increasing violent crimes and the epidemic of drug use, drug trafficking in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, this happened when the community said out loud that we have had enough and we are not going to take it anymore. Mr. Speaker, in many ways, we have seen much progress since then. There have been a number of significant RCMP arrests that really put a dent in the criminal and drug trafficking elements of the community, but the RMCP cannot be everywhere all the time and this is where the COP volunteers come in. They are there to cover the gaps in communities, but they

remain highly under-resourced, overworked and under-appreciated. They do their job by driving around in gas guzzling surplus vehicles, but often they have to pay for their own gas and equipment. They also spend a lot of time looking for sponsors to cover their expenses for training and equipment.

Mr. Speaker, I believe very strongly that what they are doing for our community is very important and their work should be applauded and supported and, at minimum, they should not be put in a place of having to fork out their own money to cover very basic essential expenses that they need to have to run this very important program.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that this government has supported this program. They've understood the importance of it in the past and I would urge the Minister and the government to continue to do so. I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, these cops do not bite. Thank you.

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Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mankind has not been very smart and does not have a very good record when it comes to managing some wildlife species. We have a long list of grave mistakes, Mr. Speaker: the bison of the plains, the passenger pigeon, the codfish off Newfoundland and now we are looking at some management plans for one of the great resources here in the North and those are the herds of caribou.

Mr. Speaker, it's kind of early days yet, but the Minister, in releasing the plan yesterday, made it very clear that this is a rolling agenda and something that is open to input. I would like to offer a bit of comment from what I have heard so far, Mr. Speaker.

The overall decision to take a precautionary stance at this time and take some measures to reduce the harvest, I think, is a good one and is generally accepted among just about all sectors of the NWT. There are a couple of variances though, Mr. Speaker, and some gaps in our overall strategy and in the way we are gathering and collecting information. One of them, for instance, seems to be considerable variance, Mr. Speaker, on the impact of predators on our herds. We have numbers listed in the government's plan, for instance, that wolves may take as few as 20, while some traditional hunters are suggesting that a wolf may take as many as 50. I think we need some work done on that one.

I think also, Mr. Speaker, as some sectors have called for quite consistently, we need to look very carefully at how we monitor and assess the health and size of our herds. It's becoming more and more apparent, for instance, Mr. Speaker, that herds change, they shift and merge and split from each other and I don't know that there is a lot of confidence in this approach to really knowing what the status is. Mr. Speaker, the position to keep an open mind and get back together again in the near future to look at this strategy again is the right one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many residents in the Northwest Territories go to bed each night and take for granted an often overlooked but very important service: police protection. The other day, the Minister responded to comments raised by my Nunakput colleague with the possible arrangements whereby a police officer could be stationed in a small community with another peace or enforcement officer such as a wildlife officer. For years, this is exactly what the communities have been asking for: additional resources and flexible arrangements. This has been a long time coming. Now, will this Minister follow through?

Recently, as well, there were discussions concerning a pilot project in Gameti whereby two officers could be stationed there for the winter months until spring to offset the increase in drugs and alcohol from the opening up of the ice roads. This government and the RCMP recognize that there is a problem and it's only going to get worse. Without police protection, it is often the most vulnerable who are impacted, the greatest abused: women, the elderly and children.

Studies have shown that with police presence, the number of specific incidents could be less, depending on other conditions. Concerns were raised by my constituents and, as well, through pre-budget consultations in all small and remote communities with regard to presence of policing.

Last session in this great Assembly, I raised the issue of residents' safety being jeopardized due to response times and loss of policing positions. Mr. Speaker, as expressed, triple AAA is needed; adequate, accessible and accountable police services.

There is the opinion that community police funding from the federal government earmarked specifically for aboriginal people in the NWT is not all going to its intended purposes. Large portions of funding are going to central administration. Mr. Speaker, residents' safety should never be evaluated along with money. Police are often stationed in small and remote communities during special functions or circumstances such as the one in Gameti. This criteria should be considered for all communities. This growing perception of less police patrols is something this government must work at in regaining the confidence of our communities. Mahsi cho.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to make a statement regarding elders and their work. (Translation ends)

...to talk about the importance of elders in our culture. Traditionally, elders play a large part in passing on the

stories, traditions and knowledge of our culture. Many generations of family often live together, so that children can learn from their grandparents, Mr. Speaker. The elders are the teachers in our communities.

The experience and knowledge the elders bring to our people could be compared to our education system today. Many of our elders would hold Ph.D.s if we recognized their traditional knowledge for its value to our communities and ways of life. Industry has recognized the value of this knowledge, Mr. Speaker. They often call upon our elders for advice about the land or the animals when seeking permission to use our land, Mr. Speaker.

When we attend workshops or conferences, we often call upon experts to teach us about the particular subjects. We will pay these experts some large amounts of money for their consultant fees, whether it be hundreds or thousands, Mr. Speaker. Yet, we often expect our own experts to work for a nominal fee, or free of charge, Mr. Speaker. We expect our elders, our traditional knowledge Ph.D.s, to donate their time.

Schools and learning centres, community groups, often call upon the elders to teach the youth, Mr. Speaker. Funding for cultural activities does not allow these groups to pay for the elders what they truly deserve for their knowledge.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, this pay also affects the elders' pension. The money is essentially clawed back, Mr. Speaker.

Then to add insult to injury, Mr. Speaker, the government system requires that all cheques be processed through FMBS, the standard system. This means an elder may have to wait up to two or three weeks at the most.

This problem is just not in my community, but other communities in the North. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, is this the kind of respect we should pay those who give us life and are the bearers of our traditional knowledge? I think not, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of ECE at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is about the Deh Cho Business Conference taking place at the Chief Lamalice Complex on the Hay River Reserve this week.

The theme for this conference is preparing for the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline, and the event gets underway today and runs for three days. The conference will focus on how business can capitalize on all aspects of the proposed pipeline from exploration to construction right through to pipeline maintenance.

It is well known that the proposed pipeline provides an unprecedented business opportunity for the NWT. Being ready to take advantage of it is absolutely crucial. This conference is geared to provide practical, how-to information about how to make the most of the opportunities that will be literally on our doorstep.

Mr. Speaker, conferences are great for raising and bringing energy and focus to an issue, and I congratulate the Deh Cho Economic Corporation for taking the initiative to host this event, and the GNWT, and the Government of Canada, and the Mackenzie gas project for their support. This is a great example of what can be achieved when industry and government work together.

The agenda for the conference looks promising, Mr. Speaker. Today's sessions include presentations from key individuals from the Mackenzie gas project. They will provide information about the proposed pipeline and potential business investment opportunities. Time has been allocated for a question and answer period to facilitate a free exchange and dialogue. Specialists will be sharing forecasts for long-term oil and gas activity in the NWT, including five and 10-year estimates. Knowledge is power, Mr. Speaker, and the information available to the conference participants is exactly what is needed so that businesspeople can do what they do best: use their energy and imagination to make things happen.

Mr. Speaker, government representatives from the GNWT and the federal government will be in attendance to provide information about the roles and responsibilities and support that will be provided by government. The business potential of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline is enormous. Some of the possible business opportunities identified by conference operators are: communication; transportation providers; fuel suppliers and fuel storage; construction; equipment and office rentals; personnel requirements; safety and medical; drilling completion and well servicing; and the list goes on and on, Mr. Speaker.

The business potential of the proposed pipeline is as vast as our imaginations. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Economic Conference is a wonderful opportunity for businesses in the Deh Cho, and I am sure the event will be a big success. I hope as many people as possible will take advantage of what it has to offer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is about the interim measures that this government is considering to deal with the declining caribou herd numbers. Mr. Speaker, the issue of caribou harvesting policies or limitations, and who these policies and limitations should be applied to and at what levels, have always been a contentious issue with this government and with northerners.

The public reaction to government policy in an area as sensitive as harvesting rights and limits are always met with either a lot of uptake or with just as much opposition. Mr. Speaker, finding middle ground is not always

achievable, especially when we are talking about a wildlife resource which is regarded as a basic sustenance for many, cost-savings for some and a sport for others.

Mr. Speaker, this is why I want to stress the importance of finding a solution or a direction which will get us closest to this middle ground as possible. I do agree that we have to address the declining numbers of caribou issue before it becomes irreversible, but I do not agree with the process that has been taken to develop these so-called interim measures. We are all aware of the difficulty to get this government to change or revisit policies once they've been established or implemented; one main reason being that the government always says that they need to give it some time and see what happens, good or bad, and then make some changes after results are tabulated. Well, Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, I do not want to find out that these interim measures did not meet the government's or the public's expectation. Much to the dismay of many residents who did not have any input, they will be saying I told you so.

I want the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to do a thorough evaluation of what this policy should include or exclude, and very seriously consider traditional knowledge as an integral component to finding an agreeable and workable caribou management plan...