Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister for Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, since the events of September 11, 2001, the Department of Transportation and all North American jurisdictions have participated with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to development new national standards with respect to drivers' licences and identification cards.

Mr. Speaker, the current NWT driver's licence was developed 15 years ago and does not meet the current standards for document security. I am pleased to advise that the Department of Transportation will be introducing a new secure digital driver's licence this year. We are working with Canadian Bank Note, a world-renowned company, to develop an NWT digital driver's licence. This licence will be fully compliant with the new national standards and will feature the latest advancements in security measures.

We are developing a plan to introduce this licence in a seamless and effective manner. It is our intent to ensure everyone needing a licence is given the opportunity to obtain one, even prior to the expiry of old licences. The routine of obtaining a new licence will change in that a temporary licence will be issued and then the new one will be sent in the mail. Written reminders of licence renewal dates will also be sent to drivers in the mail, in advance of licence expiry. We will be visiting every issuing agency to ensure the proper training and equipment is made available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Financial Management Board, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the amalgamation of human resource services.

The decision to amalgamate human resource services into regional service centres was made in August 2004. The actual implementation commenced in May 2005 and continues today as office relocations, recruitment and training proceed. We anticipate that it will be at least another year before implementation activities are completed and we have the staff, organization, business processes and systems operating at the level of efficiency and effectiveness we need. This time frame for full transition was anticipated and is much more ambitious than what other jurisdictions have indicated as their experience with the establishment of service centres.

The amalgamation of human resource services has resulted in the creation of seven full service centres in all regions. Service centres are located in Inuvik. Norman Wells, Behchoko, Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith. These service centres are supported by two corporate units, employee relations and corporate human resources. Services that were provided to employees from Yellowknife are now available from the regional service centres in each region.

There were many reasons why we amalgamated human resource functions:

1. to improve consistency and fairness of staffing processes;
2. to improve the quality of service being provided to existing staff;
3. to improve our human resource planning and recruitment and retention strategies in light of national and international labour shortages;
4. to increase our efforts in achieving a representative public service; and
5. to improve our ability to effectively respond to rapid changes driven by globalization, resource development, self-government and technological change.

We knew at the outset that addressing these issues would not be easy and we expected that the change process would be difficult and it would take time to achieve the efficient and effective level of service employees and the public expect.

Staff have worked very hard and faced many challenges and after nine months in operation, we believe we are starting to see progress in the quality and consistency of the human resource services we are providing in following government-wide policies and procedures. Human resources staff are collaborating with managers to meet each department's organizational need while maintaining a consistent GNWT approach. I would like to thank our human resources employees for their efforts to date, and

encourage them to continue striving for excellence as we proceed with full implementation.

The human resource amalgamation has had to cope with additional issues over the last nine months:

1. the challenge in recruiting qualified northern human resource practitioners;
2. the long timelines in obtaining the office space necessary to house the service centres;
3. the backlog of pay and benefits transactions that the new organization took over; and
4. the volume of other changes that arose over the year, such as negotiating and implementing two collective agreements, integrating six pay offices into one location, implementing a relief worker system, the conversion of employees to the Tlicho Community Services Agency and many others.

Although there were many highly qualified human resource practitioners who became part of the consolidated human resources, there were also many vacancies to fill. With these new employees comes a correspondingly large learning curve for the first year or two and a slower move to a full level of service in all locations. In keeping with our policies and practices, as many northerners as possible have been recruited for those positions. There has been an intensive effort to provide all human resources staff a common base of knowledge and then build on that base.

Mr. Speaker, while we often focus on the problems that arise when we go through change, it is important to recognize the positive things that are happening. Because of the amalgamation, we have been able to dedicate positions to conduct workplace investigations and to address employee health and wellness. Investigations into workplace issues are now dealt with in a more timely and consistent manner, with better support to managers and employees in these situations. Because of the employee health and wellness position, there is now a resource available to assist managers and employees with difficult situations, such as employees who return to work after an extended absence due to illness. Finding ways to address workplace accommodations to deal with disabilities has also improved. Individuals interested in GNWT employment can now find information about jobs, including job descriptions and tips on how to apply, in one location on the GNWT web site.

There has also been a significant improvement in the clarity regarding employee entitlements to different types of leave. The amount of GNWT-wide staff training has also gone up. These are not changes obvious to most individuals, but they begin to address the basic concerns which lead to the amalgamation in the first place.

Employees in human resources are committed to achieving service excellence. The amalgamation of human resources is still in its early stages. There has been significant progress, but we also recognize the need to continue to improve service levels to better support excellence in human resource management. I look forward to reporting further at our next session in May-June on this important shift in our approach to human resource management in the government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the cager basketball tournament being held this week in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report, for the first time in history, the Mangilaluk School senior boys have entered a team to compete in the high school basketball tournament.

---Applause

The team and coaches left Tuktoyaktuk this morning at 7:00 a.m. and their first game is at 6:00 p.m. tonight. It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, they will not be in the gallery today because of the team's schedule.

Mr. Speaker, during the regional trials for Arctic Winter Games, the Mangilaluk School boys made the Tuktoyaktuk residents proud by taking top spot. I should add that some of these young athletes made it to the territorial trials, but did not make the team to represent the Northwest Territories. I am proud of their accomplishments. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to recognize these young athletes who will be competing this weekend in the tournament. These athletes are Codey Felix, Carl Klengenberg, Joshua Teddy, Logan Gruben, Noah Gruben, Darren Pokiak, Derrick Felix and Amos Teddy. They are accompanied by their coaches, Mr. Joshua Mackenzie and Skip Wilson. Mr. Speaker, I know they will be good sportsmen but, most of all, good ambassadors for the residents of the Tuktoyaktuk. I wish the team all the luck and I will be cheering them on this weekend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've heard many times before, the Northwest Territories is at a very important time in our history. Leadership of today have an opportunity to ensure that future generations will be looked after. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to that leadership, and that includes us and the Assembly. We should be deeply concerned that money flows out of our territory to Ottawa. Last year alone, $270 million left the NWT in royalties and we didn't get a nickel.

Yesterday, my AOC colleagues and I spoke of the need for regional treatment centres. Think of the services, Mr. Speaker, we could provide with even half of that $270 million, but we want more of it.

With the chance of a pipeline being built increasing, there will be even more money in royalties. Mr. Speaker, depending on the flow of gas, Ottawa stands to gain 12 of $15 billion in the next 21 years. We, as leaders, can't allow this to happen. Are the people of the NWT not the rightful owners of this land? Even the new Conservative government agrees with the principle that northerners should be the primary beneficiaries of development of our resources. We should hold them to that.

Mr. Speaker, leaders in the NWT have a duty to represent those who elected them. If they get a good deal for their region, we should be glad for them. But we, as leadership of the NWT, have to look at the big picture, put our differences aside, go to battle with Ottawa's united front and get what's rightfully ours, then we can go back to squabbling amongst each other.

Royalties that should be ours continue to go south and we get next to nothing. Mr. Speaker, we are elected leaders; let's start acting like it and let's do what's best for the whole of the NWT. That way, Mr. Speaker, that will ensure that my little niece Kelly, up in the gallery, and her generation will be well looked after. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in many of my Member's statements, I include the triple A description regarding programs and services; adequate, accountable and accessible. Today I would like to add one more, appreciation for our dedicated and committed health care staff all over this territory.

In the recent federal election, health was the number one issue for most Canadians. So what puzzles me is why our health care system is so poorly funded and the staff not recognized. While many organizations and governments review, discuss and resolve various health care related issues in the Northwest Territories, it is equally important to commend the hard work and dedication of our health care staff. Whether in small communities or regional centres, health care providers are working very hard, day after day, in very stressful and under-funded environments.

Long wait times and waiting lists compound the patients' and families' anxiety creating an often stressful work environment for our health care staff. Having a shortage of qualified nurses is nation-wide, and difficulty in recruitment also adds to the already strained health care system. I believe health care staff appreciation must not be only a once-a-year function or special event, but must be practiced and highlighted by the people of our community and government continuously.

Additional resources to the small and regional centres for health care service and infrastructure must be addressed. These additional funding initiatives would dramatically alleviate the enormous stress currently placed on our communities' health care staff.

I commend the commitment of all health care staff and service providers throughout the territory, whether in Yellowknife or the small communities, with their tireless efforts to bring comfort to our sick and healing to our wounded.

Difficulties exist in the Northwest Territories with the implementation of equitable and accessible health care as increasing costs and complexities of our northern geography and medical coverage must comply with national medical standards. I am adamant in the overall improvements of health care services and funding increases while remembering the hard work of our health care staff, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, almost two years ago to the day, the NWT Department of Health and Social Services introduced the NWT action plan for persons with disabilities. In talking to some disabled persons and NGOs, I am told that there is work, there is progress on this file. It has not been all that visible or all that high profile, Mr. Speaker. One part of this framework was that there would be a review and a monitoring program undertaken, which we have yet to see any action on, Mr. Speaker, or any sort of reporting back on the progress or the status of implementing this framework. It's in quite a contrast, Mr. Speaker, as one of my discussions brought out, especially with the accent on big development, on big pipeline, on big money in the Northwest Territories, that the interests of the, shall we say, the little people or the citizens of the Northwest Territories tend to be taking a back seat, Mr. Speaker. This is especially the case in the area of our social safety net, the consequences and the impacts of big development on our societies and communities, especially in the social services area.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for Health and Social Services is also the lead Minister for carrying our government's message to the Joint Pipeline Review Panel last week. The question that's coming up now, Mr. Speaker, is, while our government is making a very serious, concerted, heavily funded and highly resourced move to make sure our development and our environmental word is heard at these hearings, where, Mr. Speaker, is the word of the social services for the disabled, for the people who can't look after themselves? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Laurie-Anne Fabien who has been working with us this week as a Page here at the Legislative Assembly.

---Applause

Laurie-Anne is a member of the K'atlodeeche First Nations from the Hay River Reserve. She is a college graduate with two certificates from Fairview College in Alberta...

---Applause

...one in transition/vocation and another in disabilities. Laurie likes to keep very busy in the community of Hay River Reserve. She works as a classroom assistant at the Chief Sunrise Education Centre. I would like to thank Laurie for all her hard work this week and the excellent job that she has done for us. I also hope that she enjoyed the experience. We certainly enjoyed having her here.

I would also like to thank her mother, Georgina, and also Walter Brown, my constituency assistant, for his efforts and all the people here at the Legislative Assembly who have been so accommodating and helped us out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Indeed, Laurie has been doing an excellent job for us this week. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the funding levels for community justice committees, many of which do a lot of exceptional work in addressing community justice concerns, tackling youth crime head on, and diligently working with community and government organizations to make the Community Justice Program work. But the funding levels which the government provides to the 32 communities are seriously out of balance, Mr. Speaker.

Out of the $652,000 that this government provides to these 32 communities, 14 percent, or almost $100,000, goes to eight communities which have not had any directly related justice activities. Four other communities which handle approximately 45 percent of the 1,275 justice committee activities here in the NWT received only 18 percent, or $122,000, of the total justice committee budget.

To me, Mr. Speaker, it does not seem fair for the communities which are fully engaged and participated in the justice committee programs but are seriously under-resourced by this government. I am curious if the Department of Justice is aware of how the communities that receive funding and do not take on any activities are spending these so-called limited resources. I feel that these limited resources should be redirected or reallocated to other communities that have active committees that take on 100 or more activities per year but operations are seriously under-funded, therefore, jeopardizing the success of the justice program.

The Department of Justice must gather the historical data which clearly shows that local justice committees work in the activities that they carry out. I think that the funding arrangement should reflect that information. Mr. Speaker, I will have some questions to the Justice Minister at the appropriate time about these funding levels. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member's statement is about the Liquor Act review. It is with great anticipation, Mr. Speaker, that I have awaited the release of the final report of the Liquor Act review. This review has been long overdue. The last time the GNWT took a look at this legislation was back in 1994, but, at that time, nothing was changed. I had an opportunity to look through the report. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some initial thoughts on things that I saw.

Mr. Speaker, I am very much in support of this proposal where we increase maximum fines for bootlegging individuals up to $25,000 or 12 months in jail, and $50,000 or two years in jail for subsequent offences. For corporations, the proposed fines are even higher: $50,000 for first offence and $100,000 if caught again. Bootlegging is a serious concern across the NWT. I agree with these findings in this review. It is time to get tough. Let's give this legislation some teeth. What we are missing here, Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, is clear minimums to make sure people know we truly do mean business.

Mr. Speaker, from a constituent point of view, I do have some reservations about Sundays and holiday openings. The concern, Mr. Speaker, is the disruption of intoxicated people spilling out of the bars that are in my residential areas of downtown. Mr. Speaker, I tabled a document in the House last October which outlined concerns of some constituents about the proposed Sunday openings. The residents of Northern Heights already contend with negative factors such as noise and public drunkenness. Sunday openings would only add to this concern. Mr. Speaker, what about the day of rest also known as Sunday?

Mr. Speaker, I was glad to see that the recommendations of Sunday openings, though, also note a strong support that stakeholders should be consulted through the bylaw process. So I am in extremely strong support of that recommendation because this is a decision that could be made by the city realizing that they truly know what their community is like and how these effects will spill out into the details. Speaking of details, Mr. Speaker, the devil is in the details. I would like to hear more about recommendation 19 which talks about the peace officers and the three-strike rule, or recommendation 22. It says non-beverage liquor. I am not sure if this is forward thinking or creative writing by this liquor review, but I look forward, again, to those details.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of Finance for bringing forward this work that has been called for by the Accountability and Oversight committee on several occasions. Again, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to reviewing this legislative proposal when it does come before review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) My Member's statement will be on the elders' senior home in Behchoko regarding the back-up generator. When the power is out, they have a back-up generator. (Translation ends)

...operates at Jimmy Erasmus Seniors' Home in Behchoko. It is a residential facility that accommodates eight elders whose needs are classified as level two and level three care. This means that, although they are considered to be somewhat independent and mobile in walkers or wheelchairs, they can still be very fragile requiring 24 hours of medical care.

The facility is owned by the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Speaker, which is responsible for maintenance of the building. There is no accelerated power source or generator in the elders' home in the event of an emergency, Mr. Speaker. During the past month, ice damage to power transmission lines affected power to both Yellowknife and Behchoko. In Behchoko, the power disruption was potentially very serious, with one disruption lasting over 10 hours, Mr. Speaker. Other disruptions followed almost on a daily basis and there is a significant uncertainty over whether this disruption would be of a shorter or longer duration; consequently whether it would be necessary to evacuate the elders, Mr. Speaker.

Actions taken during the last incident to keep the home warm have been vetoed by the fire marshal for future occurrence, and the elders' home will need to be evacuated for the safety of the elders in the event of any extended power outage.

Opportunities for evacuation in Behchoko are the health centres, the Elizabeth Elementary School, the Chief Jimmy Bruneau regional high school in Edzo and the residents, all which have back-up power generators. However, none of these are appropriate for a number of fragile elders requiring oxygen and 24-hour medical services.

Mr. Speaker, Tlicho Community Services Agency staff have expressed concerns for the NWT Housing Corporation that the home does not have a back-up generator.

Mr. Speaker, I 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, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. The response today from the NWT Housing Corporation has been that the Tlicho Community Services Agency should transfer the elders to facilities in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. This is not an option at all, Mr. Speaker. Stress on mental and physical capability of elders during evacuation could be worse than an initial power failure, potentially resulting in fatalities, Mr. Speaker. In storms, transportation to Yellowknife is always problematic and there is never any guarantee that Stanton and other elders' facilities in Yellowknife, which operate at full capacity, could handle an influx of elders from Behchoko, Mr. Speaker.

Finally, facilities for elders in Hay River and Fort Simpson are equipped with emergency back-up generators for safety of their patients and elders, Mr. Speaker. Later, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to raise the issue of the community capacity building fund. Last August 16th, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs announced this one-time funding with the emphasis on community level control and priorities. In some communities, the expenditure of the money and the projects proposed need to be agreed upon by more than one community government body. This has caused considerable debate and comment from communities as this is a new approach to decision-making. Some of the concerns raised related to whether or not this would set a new precedent for financial resources and funding received by communities from the GNWT and whether consensus could be reached on what the priorities in the community actually were.

This one-time funding in the case of Hay River is $1.964 million. It is intended to be spent on projects that benefit the community and would not result or require ongoing O and M support from this government. I am sure every community, including Hay River, would have no problem coming up with a wish list of projects that are above and beyond what the community or the GNWT normally funds.

To date, I have heard a number of suggestions as to how Hay River could put this money to good use; everything from upgraded equipment for Hay River's public parks and playgrounds, to extension of the sidewalk infrastructure, to alternative schooling options for youth not currently attending school.

Mr. Speaker, it is the intention of the Hay River MLAs to convene a meeting in March to bring the Hay River town council, the M‚tis local government and the West Point First Nation to a common meeting to discuss prospective projects to benefit our community and its residents. In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage people of Hay River to turn their thoughts to how this money could be best put to use. We will be in communication with the leadership to set a time and place for this meeting. We very much look forward to the ideas and input that will come forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today again about addictions, especially services that should be provided to our youth. How important is the issue of youth addiction services to this government? Judging by its actions to date, I would have to say the record is absolutely abysmal. Prior to becoming the Minister of Health and Social Services, the current Minister referred to the Department of Health and Social Services as a department of perpetual planning. Mr. Speaker, he loved to call it that. I guess he doesn't like to rock the boat much as under his leadership the department continues down the road of the "study it to death" attitude. Meanwhile, our residents and youth continue to demand action. No question, Mr. Speaker, our youth need help.

In 1998, the Department of Health and Social Services shut down the NWT Youth Addictions Program that was operated by Northern Addictions Services, which at the time had a budget of $584,000. The department stated that by April 1, 1999, it was going to develop a new, more effective, they liked to call it, program. Here we are, Mr. Speaker, seven years later. Where is this program? How many youth have we lost from your perpetual planning department? Every Member of this House is well aware of the problems and addictions our youth face on a day-to-day basis. With more resource development, more money, there are more problems today in the Northwest Territories than in 1999. The Minister is really good at saying he'll look at it or it is being dealt with, but his department is very short on action.

This government has to wake up to the issue of mental health and addictions for our youth. They are the next generation and we must have the programs and resources in place to give our youth every possible chance at leading a well-rounded and productive life.

When Regular Members are speaking about addiction services, we mean it. Is it too much to ask for the Minister and Cabinet to actually pay attention to what we are saying?

It seems the only time they do pay attention, Mr. Speaker, is when someone over here is asking for their job. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up with the statement made by the honourable colleague Mr. Ramsay in terms of the support that we need in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, I want to say something from my heart in terms of the help that our people need in terms of addictions, mental wellness and, basically, effective programs.

Mr. Speaker, our communities are suffering. Mr. McLeod indicated that it takes leadership from us, as MLAs, who are sometimes on the constant standby on the phone, as the Minister indicated numerous times, as a job as an MLA is 24/7. Mr. Speaker, I didn't really get it until after a couple of months in terms of my role as MLA. I think all of us here are all truly affected by things that are happening in our small communities. We have such large families. Sometimes it even hits really close to home in terms of things that are happening. We get to really see how the programs are administrated and how they are dealt with. Sometimes it causes us to wonder if we are making any difference.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of our role as MLAs, I say again, sometimes we get so caught up with all the things that are happening, sometimes we just want to deal with them and get them out of the way. Sometimes things get really hard. Sometimes it is hard trying to wonder if you really are making a difference in the life of the people that we represent. I think we are, Mr. Speaker.

All the MLAs here know the disease of alcohol and how it affects not only the person but the families, the whole communities are affected. People are always saying take the people to the land. Mr. Speaker, it can't get any simpler than that. The elders are saying this for a reason. We want to talk about alcoholism or addictions. Bring the people out there. They know. They survived on the land for thousands of years. For anybody to do those types of programs on the land will be wonderful. I am not too sure if enough studies have been done to work with people who have issues that can work on the land.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to really see the government take this approach and get towards a better society for everybody in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity today to draw attention to the need of the Minister and the governance council of WCB to take a strong leadership role. Mr. Speaker, the latest issue to hit the public attention is the plight of the franchises in Yellowknife who are in the maximum 25 percent assessment rate increase for the last four years in a row and are still looking for much needed reprieve prior to the deadline of February 28th, Mr. Speaker. This is just one big issue, but there are a lot more that needs attention of the leadership. Mr. Speaker, in reviewing the annual reports of the corporation over the last 10 years, it really shows a very alarming picture.

Mr. Speaker, we see that the assessment revenue has been steadily going up, but their investment revenue is going down drastically. We need to know why. We see that the assessment's steady decrease. Even the subsidy had to go up, Mr. Speaker, and the rates going up, the profit and loss statement shows a loss in 2003 and 2004 for the first time in the last 10 years, this coming from an over $20 million profit in 1997. Now, they saw a loss of $10 million in 2003, or I think it is more than that. They

are still showing a loss. Mr. Speaker, this is not because there have been more claims than before. In fact, the claim numbers have been going down. The costs of claims have been going down, but the rejected numbers of claims have been going up. There is a very alarming picture here because it appears that the employers are being asked to pay the cost of something that is not going right in this corporation, in my view, by looking at the annual reports. We need to find out from the Minister and governance council why it is that the WCB is in such a terrible financial situation. If they don't fix this, they are going to see that the employers are going to be continued to ask to pay for this. I would like to see the action on that front immediately. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to recognize the senior management team from Aurora World Corporation, present Daryl Dolynny, as well as Kaz Morita, and Chris Johnson who are here with us today. Most importantly, I am very proud to recognize a special guest, Mr. Tatsua Tanaka, who is a world-famous Aurora photographer who has taken over 100,000 photos of the Aurora.

---Applause

Mr. Tanaka was gracious enough to accompany us at NWT Week in Aichi, Japan at the recent Expo. Members Ramsay, Villeneuve and Menicoche were also in attendance. We had a wonderful time. We are very thankful of the great work that Mr. Tanaka does. I am very proud to have him visit us. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like Minister Bell, I have a couple of people to introduce. I have a very small description on each of those two people. First, I would like to, as well, introduce Mr. Tanaka and say thank you for attending our Assembly. Mr. Tanaka is a very famous photographer in Japan. He is extremely well known for his photography. To make it quite short, Mr. Speaker, to call Mr. Tanaka an aurora ambassador would truly be an understatement for what he does for the Northwest Territories, but I think it is well suited. The other person I would like to mention is Mr. Kaz Morita. I would personally like to say that his reputation throughout Japan is second to none. I have had a chance to meet with him and have dinner with both him and Mr. Tanaka while I was in Japan. I quickly realized that these were top-notch gentlemen who certainly know their business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize a person from Tulita, Danny Horassi. He is also with his wife and his child. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Indeed, welcome to everyone in the gallery today. It is always nice to have an audience viewing our proceedings. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) My questions will be directed....We are talking about a back-up generator for Behchoko...(Translation ends)

...responsible for maintenance of seniors' home, as I indicated in my opening statement.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he believes that the elders in Behchoko deserve the same consideration for their safety as elders in Hay River and Fort Simpson. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I do.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I was expecting that answer. Good. For the record, it was the right answer.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, it is clear, from my recent experience in Behchoko, the loss of power in a community for 10 hours, a back-up generator in the elders' home is definitely required now. It is absolutely important to ensure elders to continue to live in the comfort of their home. Will the Minister commit to the safety of the elders in the Jimmy Erasmus Seniors' Home in Behchoko by ensuring that a

back-up generator is installed as soon as possible, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will definitely look into it, but we also have to realize that communities do have emergency measure plans for these types of incidents. We have to work with the municipal government of Behchoko to also ensure that we are working with the MLA. We have to see exactly what happened here and exactly how we comply with the emergency measures plan that is in place. Again, I will work with my colleague from MACA, the MLA and the community to resolve this problem. Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given our recent experience with the elders' home in Behchoko, will the Minister commit to meeting with myself and a community representative to discuss the overall maintenance of the building and the safety of the residents? It is not just a generator, Mr. Speaker, it is the overall maintenance of the building. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member to do that. I believe we are going to be doing a tour of the Member's riding at the end of March, so we can maybe add this to our agenda for discussions while we are on the tour. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation just with respect to the new home concept from ABC Company. I have been getting inquiries from constituents. They are concerned about their previous experiences with trailer-type homes, the quality of construction and just the life expectancy of trailers in general. They are saying if the government is going to be supportive of an industry that has previously poor workmanship, how are our constituents going to know what these homes look like without having a show home for them to look at? Does the Housing Corporation have a plan in order to display or show these homes in more of the public of the NWT other than what was depicted in the news media? They showed quite a concept there. Is it different?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are developing a promotion plan where we are looking at establishing these units in different communities. We are looking at putting one unit in Inuvik, Norman Wells and Fort Simpson. We are hoping to deliver these over the summer months; so we are hoping to have them in place by this fall. Again, it is all dependent on where we go with our proposal and exactly if it's acceptable or not. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that is all we can ask the Housing Corporation, is that you are embarking on a very good initiative that is supported by many people in the communities and the regions, but they are not going to know more unless we show them more. Once again, what was the timing, again, of displaying this product in the North? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are hoping to have them in place this summer. Again, the company we are working with will be the one putting these in place. It is their dime that is going to be spent on this. So it is their schedule. They are looking at where we are going to locate these in the different communities and work with communities on where they would like them to be located. Again, we will be consulting those communities on exactly how we are going to lay out these three units.

I also want to mention that we are also looking at Fort Providence in conjunction with the Deh Cho Bridge as part of the pilot. We were looking at there and also have one of these show homes in Fort Providence, also. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from what could be described as the Yellowknife quick QSR food group services and the concern that some of the responses are not going to be returned by the president of the WCB. I know Minister Dent, who is the Minister of WCB, has received the e-mail because it was directed to him. Can the Minister tell us today that the WCB will be responding fully to the questions raised at that meeting held with the president of the WCB? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that this morning the chairman of the governance council has responded to that e-mail offering to meet with the people who are on the e-mail list this coming Thursday afternoon or evening at their choice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe I didn't say clearly, I didn't say meet, I said answer the question. So, Mr. Speaker, I was at that meeting, I think it was two weeks ago. That was the one that I was late to attend the start of session, but I thought it was important to be there while all those questions were asked, and there was a promise to respond to the questions that were asked and that's what I'm asking. Will the WCB, through the president or the chair, be responding, as promised, to the concerns raised by this Yellowknife QSR group? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The chair of the governance council has, in his e-mail, offered to meet with the group to respond to their questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're getting really close and I like this. I guess, Mr. Speaker, all I need really is a yes or a no, not a meet to discuss to see about responding. Will the WCB, as agreed upon at that meeting that I was at, they agreed to respond fully to the questions raised. So would the Minister confirm today that the WCB will be fully responding to the concerns raised that day at that public meeting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll quote from the e-mail from the chair in which he says I will be happy to share the results of that discussion with the group. So I think that the question has been answered. Yes, the chair is going to meet to answer their questions. Thank you.

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

No, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. The honourable Member from Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this morning is for Mr. Miltenberger as the Minister for Health and Social Services and, coincidentally, as the Minister for Energy and Natural Resources and the function that he carried out a few weeks ago, or a few days ago, presenting the GNWT's position on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline project to the Joint Review Panel. Mr. Speaker, the message that he carried was very much one of the business and environmental and regulatory flow, but the position of our government on how the pipeline project is going to relate to social services, and the impact and the delivery of good programs of care and support among the social service community is something that has not received very much profile. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise what position was expressed or outlined to the Joint Review Panel in relation to the social impact of the pipeline on the NWT, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the document, the general submission contains 73 recommendations that we've made to the panel that we would like addressed and offering our suggestions and raising our concerns in a host of areas. The ones on the social envelope side covered the whole range of issues from the training issues, to the social impact issues, to the potential health issues. It's fairly comprehensive and I have a copy here and, if the Member hasn't received a copy, I would be happy to share it with him. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Among the listing of social priority or social program issues, Mr. Speaker, what would the Minister say are the top two or three priorities, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, clearly we have infrastructure in place in all of the communities already. We are the biggest service provider, along with the authorities and boards, where we have a $260 million budget. The immediate concern, of course, is if the pipeline or when the pipeline moves forward, there's going to be an immediate impact with a lot of traffic increase, work camps, people coming into the North and putting possible

pressure on communities in a number of ways, both on infrastructure and in terms of the social infrastructure be it with the added incomes or with new people coming to town. So getting a good sense of what that particular impact will be, how fast it will move and making sure that we are ready to address that impact as it moves through the territory from the north and south is going to be probably the most important initial piece. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do we have an effective program or plan laid out for monitoring and reporting back on how these impacts are being realized and how they're being measured? There's a correlation here, Mr. Speaker, to the program outlined in the disability framework, which called for a review and a reporting mechanism. So is there something that we can count on, as well, to keep pace with the impact and how we're managing it, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working with communities. We've held some initial workshops, in anticipation of the pipeline moving forward, to look at what are some of the concerns and recommendations. There was an agreement reached with the previous federal government for $500 million that would flow to the aboriginal governments and communities up and down the valley in the affected areas to help offset social impacts that could come, and it's through that process that we were anticipating dealing with the issues of social impact, and the monitoring, and being able to respond to what pressure may come to bear as a result of the pipeline going ahead. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, that, too, has been an area of interest and of some concern. A lot of significance has been put on this $500 million socio-economic impact fund, but it is still really only a concept; a good one. I'm wondering if the Minister could report on what his next step is going to be to make this $500 million impact fund a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The $500 million was, in fact, agreed to by the previous federal government. What we have now is a new federal government that is taking the time to step back and look at that particular pot of money and what was agreed to, and give us their political read on that. The most immediate step, of course, as the Member knows, the Premier is now down in Ottawa and is meeting with the Prime Minister and will be meeting again with him tomorrow. A number of issues like this are on the agenda to have initial discussions with the Prime Minister to get a sense of what the new federal government sees in terms of that issue and many others. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for perpetual planning, the Minister of Health and Social Services. I'd like to ask the Minister, first of all, about the NWT Youth Addictions Program that existed in 1998 and was taken away and had a budget of $584,000. The Department of Health and Social Services had promised a new program to be up and running by April 1st of 1999. I'd like to ask the Minister, what happened to that promise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague is prone of late it seems to political hyperbole and sweeping generalizations where he has now quite routinely denigrated and devalued the work of the hundreds of people that work in the addictions field, and in the communities, and on the planning that's been done over the last years that laid out a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, that sees us working with Education and MACA with youth initiatives and in the schools with Get Active campaigns, training northerners. So we have done a lot of work since 2002. We have an action plan that has laid out 40-some recommendations that have been acted on and are critical to the development of the health and social services system.

Addictions has had its own plan. We've laid out clearly our investments, the strategy, the direction based on significant feedback across the North, based on the State of Emergency document back in 2001. We've added 77 positions; we've trained northerners; we've taken the alcohol and drug program that was clearly identified as sitting in the shadows and not being properly attended to and made it an integral part of how we do business in the Northwest Territories. So I think the Member is inaccurate in his characterization of what's been done here, unfair to the people doing the work and I'd be happy to have the discussion and I'm very happy to stand here and defend and hold up, for clear scrutiny, the work that has been done because I think what we've done with the resources is we have done a good job. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I'm denigrating the job the addictions workers are doing out there in the field. Mr. Speaker, what I'm doing here today is standing up and questioning the Minister on what, exactly, actions have been taken by his government. I know he's been the Minister of Health and Social Services for the past five years. Why are our constituents still screaming for addictions programming for youth? Why do they keep knocking on our door asking where is the action? He talks about the action plan. What replaced, and specifically, Mr. Speaker, what replaced this NWT Youth Addictions Program? What replaced it and why are we here today questioning the Minister again on what programs are out there for youth with addictions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. There are a couple of questions there. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have taken what we think is a comprehensive approach to try to deal with addictions. We're focusing on the community level. We've put our resources in with wellness workers, mental health workers and clinical supervisors. We have some services available through Nats'ejee K'e for treatment facilities. We also have connections and facilities available down south that we have and make access for and to. We're working on a proposal to bring and repatriate some services back to the North that we think can be delivered in the North by northerners with some assistance through some local consulting groups and for service providers that now exist up here. So we are doing a number of things. We've invested millions of dollars. We've broadened our approach to include setting up a ministry responsible for youth, our involvement in the schools, the education programs that we've delivered for healthy living, active living in a whole number of areas, Mr. Speaker. We are working and it always comes back to the fundamental issue of personal choice and of working with the families, as well. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister, what does that have to do with addictions? I'm talking about real addictions that families are faced with. What programming is available for youth that are addicted to drugs, alcohol and other things? What programs are available? Back in...

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. We'll let the Minister answer that question. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's clear from the work and the research that now exists that addictions is no longer seen as a single presenting problem, that it is only one of many of often concurrent presenting problems, and that's the way it's being treated. Addictions by themselves are not the only problem. They come with other presenting problems that tie into maybe FASD, maybe family situations, maybe behavioural. So we have to look at all those and we're trying to do that. You can't look at the youth separate from the community and the family and we do have facilities down south when it comes to residential treatment. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that. Back in 1998 when the program was shelved and shut down, the deputy minister at the time, or the assistant deputy minister, said it's expected that youth would have to be referred to programs or that were referred to the program would either be sent down south for treatment or offered services in the NWT on a case-by-case basis. This new program was supposed to be up and running on April 1st of 1999 and it wasn't. So we're still following the same edict from the Department of Health and Social Services seven years later, Mr. Speaker. It's unacceptable and I think we need some type of residential program to treat youth addictions here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2002 we came out with an action plan, very shortly after that we came out with a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy. The Member seems to see residential treatment as a panacea for all the issues related to addictions and I'm saying it's not the only issue, it's not a panacea, its one piece of a service delivery system. We have access to it, but it's clearly tied to the communities first and that's where we've invested our resources to date. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oral questions. The honourable Member from the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the honourable Minister Miltenberger regarding the situation with Colville Lake with little Ashley Kochon. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister what type of plans is he putting together with his department to let the good people of Colville Lake know that this type of meningitis is under control? The people are fearful. So what are his plans to deal with a situation like this in

Colville Lake so they know that the health care of them is being taken care of in their small community? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.