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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member's statement is about the need to ensure that adequate housing is available for those people who need it most. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this government can be defined by how it treats its people. I fully believe that those actions are demonstrated, in essence, how we treat and take care of our sick, elderly and disabled. I've spoken a number of times on this matter and I feel very strongly that we need to do more for those who need assistance; that is, basic assistance, far beyond their personal reach, Mr. Speaker. I'm talking about assistance that they deserve.

I ask myself continually, are we doing enough. Are we making every reasonable effort that guarantees an enjoyable life for those who struggle day to day with the simplest of tasks? In many cases, I believe very strongly that this government cares; however, just caring isn't enough. Warm words are welcoming; however, actions are truly instrumental.

I've spoken on these occasions to bring forward the concerns of many constituents who struggle getting into their doors, washing basic simple dishes in their sinks, and even just getting home at the end of the day. I believe this government needs simple steps to guarantee a minimum level of care. I believe minimum level of care that can be measured only through a policy that enshrines standards of care for our sick, elderly and disabled people.

I've risen in this House to plead this case a number of times and to the good Minister who has worked with me on bringing forward a barrier-free housing in our city. But I believe our government needs a policy that shows that we seriously take this matter wholeheartedly and we want to do more.

I know this government is listening, Mr. Speaker, but I want to ensure that they are acting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member's statements. The honourable Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I thought I'd put on my rubber boots and wade into the Novel debate.

---Laughter

You know, we've heard the argument from all angles; concerns that the government's being used as a lobby group, to the Members saying that these homes are needed in their communities. They all have legitimate arguments and they'd just like some concrete answers and some action from the government. But today, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to speak on the training aspect of the project.

Ideally, we'd like to see the northern manufactured products being used; but if not possible, then we want to see all northern labour used. If they plan on using northern people and not just use them for cheap labour or to fill a quota, then I can support the concept. We have to know that at the end of the day, our workforce will benefit from the training and come out of it as qualified tradesmen.

We need to know that our qualified workforce will be responsible for the conversion, and not some company from the South.

Mr. Speaker, even though we don't all agree on the Novel project, some may support the project if it makes good business sense and northerners benefit from the supplying of all modular homes or the conversions. I will have questions for the Minister of Housing at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since we are reviewing the budget for the Department of Justice in Committee of the Whole today, I thought it would be appropriate to once again raise the issue of communities without an RCMP presence. I will speak particularly to the community of Sachs Harbour.

Yesterday on CBC Radio, the Honourable Brendan Bell, Minister of Justice, spoke about what the department is doing to address the needs of communities without RCMP officers, and that the issue was more than just putting an officer into a community. Also there needs to be fiscal infrastructure in place.

Mr. Speaker, I would like just to clarify, for the record, that the necessary infrastructure is in place in the community of Sachs Harbour to post an RCMP officer there sooner, rather than later. There is already dedicated accommodations available for the RCMP when and if they visit, and there's an operational detachment complete with a jail, garage and a vehicle. So you see, Mr. Speaker, there is the infrastructure already in place for a full-time officer in Sachs Harbour. The question is now, when will the department and the RCMP come to agreement that will allow for the posting of an RCMP officer?

In my last Member's statement on the issue, I spoke of the community having problems recently involving the dangerous use of a firearm. The RCMP were able to respond within three hours, upon receiving the complaint. But the weather will and can dictate the response time.

Mr. Speaker, will it require a person to die before the GNWT and the RCMP can manage to put an officer into Sachs? I would certainly hope not. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to speak today in regard to an issue brought to me by a constituent. My constituent, formerly of the community of Behchoko, is having a very difficult time dealing with the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. I have met with my constituent many times, trying to understand the reasons why they are not being treated fairly or in a timely fashion.

In 1997, my constituent received two separate letters from the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. The first on July 4th, at which time the Housing Corporation told her that her mortgage was valued at $139,000, and if she accepted the offer, her mortgage would be discounted by $84,000, leaving just a balance of $55,000 that she'd need to obtain from a bank.

Five days later she received another letter, on July 9th, that stated her mortgage balance was, indeed, $139,000 and that it would be discounted by $55,000, leaving a balance of $84,000 to obtain from the bank.

In 1997, my constituent was unable to arrange for a payout, regardless of how many different figures the Housing Corporation had provided to her. From 1997 onward, she pursued an education and is now in a position to arrange financing for the purchase of her unit in Behchoko. The problem is, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation want her to pay the full amount of $139,000. It would only seem fair that she'd be able to purchase the house for the same price in 1997, adjusted, if need be, to a present-day figure.

In pursuing an education, she had to come to Yellowknife. She had no choice in this. By removing the payout option and adding the penalty of paying the full amount, she's being unfairly penalized for advancing her education.

If my constituent is unable to pay out the mortgage, she will have no choice but to discontinue her education, resign from her employment here in Yellowknife, and the mortgage will revert back to a forgivable loan. This is not in anyone's best interest.

She's maintaining her studies part time while working full time, and I'd like to keep her as a constituent, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I'll have questions for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Members' statements. The honourable Member from the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, now the gloves come off.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the Sahtu region in terms of some of the history and culture that we have in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu, the word itself translates into bear water, which is the closest translation we can have in regards to the English language. It's more than that, however, that's the closest that we could have it said in the English language.

The Sahtu is comprised of 120,000 square miles without our settled land claim area. We have a total of 12,000 square miles of the world's best fishing: Great Bear Lake. As a matter of fact, I think the world's record for trout was caught in that lake there. The elders refer to Great Bear Lake as the heart of Denendeh, the heart of the land here. Also with the recent announcement of Deline being the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada, we can't get any better than that. I'd like to see an NHL official game be held where hockey was born. Hockey night in the Sahtu has a good ring to it there. Mr. Speaker, need I say more about Great Bear Lake?

Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu also has magnificent mountains on the west side of the Mackenzie River. To the west, we have world-class hunting areas in the mountains there. We have a world-class heritage trail that's being developed right now. It's called the Canol Trail that has huge, huge significance to the people in the Northwest

Territories. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, the world's rack for musk-ox was caught in the Mackenzie Mountains.

Mr. Speaker, we have lots to offer in the Sahtu region. We deal with many chiefs, many mayors, and many Metis presidents and land corporations. So our region is very diverse. However, when we put our mind together, we move things in positive ways. So I want to let the people know that in our culture, in Colville Lake and Fort Good Hope, there's stores of legends there. In Colville Lake they have story of creation and the...(inaudible)...of caribou, as one of people have indicated that we were once a caribou people and then we turned back into...So there's lots of history to the Sahtu that I think this government could benefit from and also the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I'll take the opportunity to welcome visitors in the gallery today. I hope you're enjoying the session. It's always nice to have an audience.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke to the training aspect of the Novel project and I think it's something that I have a great deal of concern with, and I'd like to ask the Minister of Housing a few questions. I'd like to know from the Minister of Housing, who would be responsible for the recruitment of the northern workforce to go down to get trained. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we haven't made that decision at this time. We are developing a human resource component of the Novel housing to see what opportunities will come by way of the conversions in the communities, and identifying the individuals that we're going to need. Also, Mr. Speaker, we will be working in conjunction with the Department of Education and training and try to implement these programs through our college program in the Northwest Territories so we can develop through our trades programs, either through the regional colleges or even though the local colleges in the different communities. So we are working with developing a human resource strategy to go along with the Novel project, and working with my colleague from the Department of Education to develop into a curriculum program through the college program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The human resource part of this project is something that we're probably going to have to get on with right away because it's going to take four years to have these guys as qualified tradesmen. That would be my second question, is who would monitor their progress and will they come out of it as qualified tradesmen after they're done working down in the factory? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Maybe two questions there, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are looking at the whole area of building capacity in the North, especially in our trades areas. We are working in conjunction with the existing housing programs we have. We're looking at trying to put 500 houses on the ground over the next three years. There again we want to ensure we start identifying these people so that they can get their apprenticeship tickets, and hopefully get the journeymen that will come along. So when Novel comes down the road, we're looking at four or five years down the road, that this will flow into that. So we'll develop it into our existing programs and moving it forward so that we can identify these individuals at the front end so that when we do the conversions for Novel we'll already have the people identified through that human resource strategy we're working on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Your final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.