Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the House. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the vision of a diversified Northwest Territories economy -- providing all residents with opportunities and choices -- is one most often focussed on tourism.

The tourism industry has potential in the NWT to offer economic diversity and the development of viable and sustainable small business ventures in almost every NWT community.

While various organizations and businesses may have a role in support and developing the tourism industry, the government has a unique role: to take a holistic approach, incorporating the areas of general support, infrastructure development and territory-wide investment.

In its 2004 strategic plan, the 15th Assembly of the Northwest Territories identified the expansion of the NWT tourism sector as one of its key priorities.

Mr. Speaker, Tourism 2010: A Tourism Plan for the Northwest Territories outlines the investment and steps that this government will be undertaking to address this priority.

From 2006-2010, the Government of the Northwest Territories, through its Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, proposes to invest an additional $1 million annually over and above existing tourism-related spending.

This funding is intended to leverage an additional investment of $2 million per year from private and public sector partners, supporting the overall goal to increase total tourist spending in the NWT tourism sector to $145 million annually by the year 2010.

The Tourism 2010 plan identifies five key investment areas where our government and our partners propose to invest up to $15 million over five years. Investment will focus on: marketing, product development, infrastructure, human resource training, and research and planning.

Our plan includes additional marketing funds for NWT tourism and supports and promotes links between tourism

and sectors; most notably, the additional economy and the arts sectors.

The plan anticipates significant expenditures in regional product development and development of new regional attractions.

It will provide for valuable "tourism lures" in more remote locations targeting at least one new attraction per region.

It will allow for more NWT businesses and residents to benefit from opportunities in the tourism sector.

It will result in increased revenues for tourism and small business operators in communities. It will increase the number of tourism-based businesses in the communities and regions.

The plan, Mr. Speaker, will provide for training for NWT hospitality workers enabling the NWT to more effectively compete in the global tourism marketplace.

It will result in up-to-date information on industry trends and activity levels to guide industry planning and marketing.

Mr. Speaker, Tourism 2010 is a long-term commitment to developing tourism in the Northwest Territories. Investments outlined in this plan will generate returns well beyond the five-year focus of this initiative.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate point today, I will table the Tourism 2010 - A Tourism Plan for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Bell. Ministers' statements. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House today to attend the federal/provincial/territorial Ministers of Health meeting in Toronto.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Hay River is again experiencing, or should I say

still experiencing, a physician shortage. This is probably the worst outlook that we have had in terms of prospective recruits to fill the five funded positions for physicians than we've had in a long time.

Mr. Speaker, today, and maybe in the next few days, I am going to be talking about health care in Hay River, and today I would like to give a little background perspective in terms of the history of health care in Hay River.

In 1948, a young bible college graduate and his bride made their trek to Hay River. Ken and Sarah Gaetz wanted to start a church. In a small frontier town like Hay River in the late 1940s, you didn't show up, rent a hall and tell people to come to your church. No, instead they looked around for needs in the community. For awhile, Ken Gaetz was a Boy Scout leader and then he drove a garbage wagon. He did whatever needed to be done to help out and, in the process, he got to know the town and its people.

In those days, the government didn't have a nursing station let alone a hospital, so in the Old Town, Ken Gaetz set up a nursing station and recruited a nurse. Eventually he recruited a doctor who married the nurse, and that's another whole story.

Ken Gaetz and his fledgling nursing station and his little church were affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. It became known throughout the Pentecostal Church network across Canada of the work of this young couple in the North. A man by the name of H.H. Williams passed away in southern Ontario and his estate directed a gift to the health care effort in the Hay River, Northwest Territories. With that seed money, the hospital was built. More doctors and more nurses came over the years and Ken Gaetz became the administrator of that hospital. Concurrently with the work in Hay River, Ken Gaetz visited smaller communities up and down the Mackenzie Valley. There, the mission built homes and churches in these small communities.

When doctors and nurses were recruited by the Pentecostal Sub-Arctic Mission, they came to Hay River knowing that the mission would provide them with accommodation, and only a portion of the pay that they were normally entitled to and the bulk of their earnings would go to support the workers and the churches in the smaller communities. In exchange, the doctors and nurses would have an opportunity to travel throughout the North while offering their professional services in Hay River.

They would visit and support the mission stations and this successfully continued for many years. In 1975, the Government of the Northwest Territories built a hospital in Hay River. The hospital was then contracted to the mission to then operate.

Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my history of health care in Hay River with that, but tomorrow I am going to continue on and explain that maybe there is something we are missing here in terms of what we need to give people as a vision if we want to get them to come to the North. Maybe it is more than a job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The topic I would like to discuss today is one that is very timely seeing as we are within a few days of passing the 2006-07 appropriations act. Over the past few weeks and months, I continue to be amazed at just how irrelevant our whole budgeting process really is. I will have much more to say about this when Bill 19 comes before the House.

In the fall, we -- and I am speaking of Regular Members -- got wind of a $30 million corporate tax shortfall that the government was faced with. Instead of asking Regular Members or consulting them on what may be the best approach to cut spending, the government and Finance Minister set out to ask departments to reduce budgets by one percent. Why this approach was chosen is anyone's best guess. What it did was send deputy ministers scrambling, looking at their department's operations and making what, in my estimation, were Mickey Mouse reductions. The best approach would have been consultation with Regular Members on picking some tangible targets for reduction. All departments cannot be treated the same. Some have some room for reduction while others have ample room which gets me to the reason I am so upset with how it is that this government can just seem to find money on a whim. Case in point: $525,000 for caribou management and, just on Friday, this House learned of another $450,000 that FMBS just happened to discover in its operation. The $450,000 might end up being the best $450,000 we have ever spent, but again, Regular Members are the last to know what is going on.

I think the actions of this government on consultation leave much to be desired. Where are these pockets of money the Minister is finding? How much slush is really out there? Why go through reductions if you can just pull together $1 million overnight? Mr. Speaker, something just isn't right here. The more I see, the more angry I am getting. Mr. Speaker, I am a very patient man. However, my patience is wearing very thin when it comes to the way that this government is handling our spending and totally ignoring the fact that we are a consensus government. It seems to me that actions lately by this government would suggest that they believe they are beyond reproach.

Mr. Speaker, the cavalier attitude cannot be allowed to continue. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week, Minister McLeod and I had the honour to participate in the Deh Cho economic development conference forum in Hay River where I shared some of my thoughts with the delegates, and I would like to share some of these thoughts here today.

This economic development opportunity that is facing us today, namely the Mackenzie Valley gas project, is probably going to be the biggest single event that will impact our generation in the Mackenzie Valley.

In the past, the land took care of us. We hunted for our food. It sustained us. We trapped for our clothing. It sustained us. We gathered for our shelter. It sustained us. We also looked to the land for spirituality and it sustained us. Today, much has changed but the land still takes care of us through natural resources, economic development opportunities. In a way, the land still provides food, clothing and shelter.

Self-sufficiency means that we need little from others. We, as a people, must provide for ourselves. Once, many of our people used to live year round in the bush needing very little. This is our primary objective: to be self-sufficient once again.

I want to tell you a story I heard from a constituent. It was about two brothers who asked an elder what he thought about potential economic activity. When the first brother asked, the elder replied, what was your experience with your previous opportunities? The brother replied, it was awful. People were not working together. They didn't evaluate the impacts, made decisions without long-term consequences. The elder replied, this opportunity will probably be the same. The second brother asked days later. The elder replied, and what was your experience? The brother said, it was excellent. People had jobs. Communities grew. The people worked together to protect the land. The elder replied, this opportunity will probably be the same. Our elders work hard to try to give us all that we needed. The situation, although not perfect, has improved considerably since our elders signed a treaty. Today, socializing is also a business opportunity. As aboriginal businesspeople, we need to get out there. We need to reach out as much as we can. Our wealth is our lands, and we must respect it. We must make sure these lands are healthy when we pass it down to our next generation. We must have balance. It is not enough to say no to development. We must have an alternative. We owe it to ourselves, our ancestors and our youth. Every government needs an economy. If our communities with fixed economies continue to deteriorate for...

Your time for your Member's statement has expired, Mr. Menicoche.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, my statement today is regarding the Edzo Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School. They are having a celebration and he spoke of strong like two people, and we are still following his statement. (Translation ends)

We are celebrating a great Tlicho leader, the namesake of our school, today. Chief Jimmy Bruneau was a visionary. His words and ideas are quoted in Tlicho and throughout the North, Mr. Speaker. When opening a Tlicho school in Edzo, he spoke of the need for our youth to be strong like two people, to be proficient in a Tlicho culture as well as the modern world.

Mr. Speaker, the schools in the Tlicho region are recognized across the North for their culturally responsive teaching. They are often asked to host or mentor other schools and organizations, demonstrating how cultural programming can be truly integrated into our educational programming. Why, just this past week, Chief Jimmy Bruneau hosted the Yellowknife Rotary Club's exchange program to experience from around the world to their school's trapline and out for the afternoon on the land. Just last week, Mr. Speaker, Elizabeth Mackenzie School had all of its students out on a camp on Russell Lake. This week, the high schools experienced a winter camping and trapping on Marion village once again, hosting a school from Vancouver, Mr. Speaker. These are just some of the many activities that are part of the day-to-day activities in our Tlicho schools.

We are doing our best to live up to Chief Jimmy Bruneau's vision to raise our children to be strong like two people. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, this type of programming is very expensive. The schools in the Tlicho region have to write numerous proposals each year for outside funding to supplement the funding they receive for culture programs from this government. The benefit of culturally relevant programs, Mr. Speaker, is documented. Any kind of educational experience that relates to life for young people has been proven to be beneficial. This year, we are expecting about 40 graduates in our Tlicho schools. Two weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Yellowknife Centre spoke of a need for relevant programming in schools for northern students. I would like to reiterate the importance of delivering the programming in the schools, as well. Later, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel back to my constituency this weekend to go to Aklavik for the grand opening of the Sam Arey Curling Rink which was a long time coming.

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Mr. Speaker, the $1.2 million curling rink was constructed by a local contractor, A.C. Contracting of Aklavik, Andrew Charlie. I would like to thank Andrew and his crew for doing a great job. It is a beautiful building and for the many people that showed up for the opening, we had quite the crowd. I also would like to take this time to thank the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, my favourite department, the Department of Public Works and Services, and also the Hamlet of Aklavik in regards to the many people that have worked on this project over the last two years.

Mr. Speaker, it was a great time had by all. I also had the opportunity to test out the ice along with my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes, who was my skip. It was his privilege to be able to yell at me as the Minister to sweep, sweep, sweep, which I heard all weekend.

---Laughter

Anyhow, Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank the many people for showing up. I would like to thank the community, again, for their patience in waiting for two years for us to get back to curling in the community of Aklavik. I look forward for great curling over the years. Hopefully, we will see some great athletes as we know the Koe family who originates from Aklavik have participated in the Scotts and the Brier. I encourage all the younger people to get involved and also to be able to strive to be at the Brier and the Scotts in the future.

With that, Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank the people of Aklavik and also the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last Friday, I had the opportunity to witness a launching of a book called, Guts and Glory, by Sally Manning, on the success, I guess they call it, of his people from up in Inuvik and up where there are successful skaters up in the Gwich'in, the Beaufort-Delta and the Yukon.

We played hockey yesterday, Mr. Speaker, against the MLAs and media. I think they should have had a second book called, Guts to Glory, Part 2, for us here in that little event. However, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that this event recognizes the contribution of Arctic skiers in the Northwest Territories that represented Canada, the North, the people, schools and communities. Sharon and Shirley Firth, along with many other skiers, were recognized in this book here where the Department of MACA that, I think, had some dealings with in terms of recognizing these skiers in terms of support in this launching here and also with Outcrop, the northern publisher.

Mr. Speaker, the book tells a story of a territorial experimental ski training program called a test, that had seen that there is a lot of talent in the North. We had it here in the Northwest Territories that saw a young group of aboriginal kids that had a lot of talent, guts and glory that took this program, brought it up North by European skiers, coaches. Father Mouchet was one of them that put them in a program that they developed throughout the years of the ski life and put them in school. Mr. Krutko is well aware of these skiers. People on this side know about some of this ski program. It talks about the success in the name of the first twins, Lennies, Allens, that made it through this program here. It is a worthwhile program. It was a good launch. I would certainly support everybody to buy the book, From Guts to Glory. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to try again to reiterate my concerns regarding the government's plan for buying and converting used trailers. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this government is going deeper and deeper into this relationship without a plan for a detailed cost and benefit analysis on hard facts and figures by a third party. I am concerned that this government has circumvented a competitive process to find the best housing deal to come out of the pipeline development.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this government has not demanded or received a concrete and comprehensive long-term training program that would produce ticketed aboriginal and northern workers whose tickets would be transferable and marketable to other projects and industries.

I am concerned that this government has not demanded or received a specific northern training program or facilities for building or converting these units in our communities, whether they be in Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Hay River or wherever, Mr. Speaker. I am concerned that there is not a specific and well thought out pre-plan on how we are going to develop and deliver 1,420 lots in our communities. This would require specific negotiations and agreements with our aboriginal, regional and municipal counterparts and one that should be settled prior to getting into this deal, not after.

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this project foresees almost $62 million to $70 million to come from private sector buyers. This is an enormously huge and uncontrollable variable that has had questionable record. The latest example being the Housing Corporation's market housing initiative.

Mr. Speaker, this government has had trouble renting 22 new mobile homes in two years. Twelve of them still sit empty. How does this government plan to sell 25 percent? That is 355 of 1,420 units. What about the question of market interruption in places like Inuvik, Norman Wells and perhaps Fort Simpson and Fort Smith? If this is such a deal, why don't we let the private sector handle the projects from the beginning to the end?

Mr. Speaker, most importantly, I am very concerned that this government is assuming more liability for this project than the federal government, Imperial Oil or the trailer company, all of whom, without a doubt, have much deeper pockets than we do. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned that this government is going to spend all of their political influence and currency lobbying...Mr. Speaker, thank you. I think I will just end it there.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have been a very strong advocate for the interests of the injured worker and the treatment they get from the WCB. Of late, Mr. Speaker, issues have also come up regarding the other significant stakeholder group in the workers' compensation system, and that is the employers, restaurant owners and franchise restaurant owners, especially those based in Yellowknife. For three years now, they have been hit with a maximum of 25 percent assessment increase.

Mr. Speaker, subclass 76 now charges $2.93 per $100 of payroll. That is at least double every other equivalent WCB in Canada for that category. It is more than $1 above the average WCB assessment across all of the NWT and Yukon. Let's just take a moment and compare it to that much safer occupation of oil well drilling which gets assessed at about 50 cents less than a franchise restaurant owner. What is going wrong, Mr. Speaker?

Injuries have been costly in this category, but some business owners, especially these franchise owners, argue that they are taking a real hit from the more careless operators in this category against their own unblemished safety record.

Mr. Speaker, they are asking for their own category, claiming WCB rates are among many costs of business here in Yellowknife that are becoming unaffordable. What aggravates this whole situation, Mr. Speaker, is the response, or really we should say the lack of response from the WCB. These business owners have been trying for almost three years to get some response and only grudgingly it seems in the last few weeks has anything been forthcoming.

While these business owners may not get entirely what they want or expect, at least, Mr. Speaker, they deserve a courteous, professional, timely and thorough response from the WCB. They haven't been getting it. The corporate culture of the WCB, as I have experienced over several years on behalf of injured workers, is arrogant, aloof and closed door, Mr. Speaker. This cannot be sustained.

One major Yellowknife employer wrote me recently. "I was amazed that they were locked down tighter than the diamond sorting plants. In fact, you can't even use the washroom without getting a security pass. We watch in disbelief over the past years that this department has grown to an enormous size." Mr. Speaker, what is going wrong at the WCB? Thank you.

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