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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to comment on one subject. We had a celebration last week. There was approximately 12 graduated students last week. It's the school of Chief Jimmy Bruneau School. Every year we're having more and more success in graduating, which we are very proud of. Next week there will be a graduation of four students in Whati. (Translation ends)

...a very important event that just occurred last week. The Tlicho Nation celebrated a 13th high school graduation since Grade 12 became available within the region. It was certainly a huge day for the proud Tlicho Nation, Mr. Speaker. There were 25 graduates from Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School in Behchoko and four graduates from Mezi School in Whati early next week. This just as the growing numbers of high school graduates; Tlicho citizens pursuing post-secondary education, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Tlicho high schools are producing among the highest aboriginal student graduation rates in the North and are known across Canada for their achievement.

---Applause

The Tlicho leadership and staff of both schools deserve a big pat on the back. They have done a tremendous job since the inception of both high schools. With the addition of these new grads to our growing numbers of post-secondary students down south, we are proud to say that we have more than 100 students enrolled in post-secondary education, Mr. Speaker. Their dreams are being fulfilled and Tlicho Nation is watching their success with pride.

Mr. Speaker, it is our dream that one day these post-secondary students will come back to our region or even to other regions of this wonderful North that we're living in and pursue their careers as professionals and skilled workers. We will be looking up to these talented community members and we will continue to be there to support them through their journey, Mr. Speaker. Well done, grads, this is your big day. Congratulations to you all on behalf of the Tlicho citizens. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of activity in the North right now. Spring is in the air and there is excitement and optimism about our economy. At a recent Meet the North Conference in Edmonton, I have never seen more networking and deal making going on. There is an expectancy surrounding the possibilities of the Mackenzie gas project. The Joint Review Panel will be in Hay River next week to commence their hearings in our region.

Amid all this flurry of activity, though, there hangs a backdrop of uncertainty as to how northerners are going to benefit from resource development. The development agenda is out in front of the agenda on devolution and resource revenue sharing.

Some northerners say that we will benefit through opportunities for northern business and this will be assured through a comprehensive socio-economic agreement. Some say that we'll only realize long-term benefits through an equity position in the pipeline itself. Others say that levying a property-type tax is the answer. Still others would argue for regionally negotiated access and benefit agreements. These are just some of the ways proposed in which northerners could benefit from resource development. I say "could," Mr. Speaker, because we're arguably a long ways away from these avenues being nailed down.

So what would it take to conclude these discussions and negotiations? Well, it would take leadership and support of that leadership. It would be an understatement to say that anyone doing business in the North might be confused by northern politics. When our Premier goes to Ottawa to promote devolution and resource revenue sharing positions someone is sure to get their name and their picture in the media right after declaring to the world that he does not speak for us. Some support a unified voice for aboriginal government through the Aboriginal Summit, but then we've heard grumblings that the chiefs don't support their positions. The Dene Nation was another institution that was going to unify the voices of our northern regions, but one might wonder about the credibility of an organization that has been trying to remove their democratically elected chief since the day she went into office.

Development is coming and we can maximize benefit to northerners or not. It might be interesting to consider how much more effectively we could advance our agenda if we could support and respect the leadership that is in place and that has been elected to speak for us in all of our respective governments and organizations. If you think you can do a better job than the person who's doing it now, I'll tell you what, when it comes election time, you run and you show us. But in the meantime, in order to advance our agenda, let's support the people that are in office now. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An issue that's been really upsetting and unsettling for me is that of the proposed relocation of the Territorial Treatment Centre to Hay River. During both the June and October 2005 sessions, I questioned how it was that the Department of Health and Social Services could move capital dollars and a project from one community to another without any consultation with affected Members or committees.

Of course, Mr. Speaker, the government and Minister Miltenberger were adamant that every rule in the FAM directive was followed, but a very strange thing took place on the heels of questions about the project in June of last year. The government went out and made some very substantive revisions to that very same FAM directive. Coincidence? I don't think so. Did they learn anything, Mr. Speaker? Apparently not. It is clear that the decision that was made by the Minister and government to relocate the program was based solely on political motives. The only notion that gave any legitimacy whatsoever to the move was the fact that Hay River had a building, the former Dene K'onia facility that the department was looking to renovate.

The Minister said it himself last October, and I quote, "the fact that it was cost neutral, there was already money in the capital budget that could be used to upgrade Dene K'onia, the fact that there was a facility." Those were, as the Minister stated, key factors in making the decision.

This spring it came as an absolute shock that an ad appeared to demolish Dene K'onia. This shocked parents of the children at the Territorial Treatment Centre, the staff at the Territorial Treatment Centre and Members of this House who, last year, were told one thing and this year we are going to be force fed a different scenario.

How could it be that the Minister and government, for the second time in less than a year, ignore its own FAM directive, did not consult, communicate, or advise any Members of this House even though a substantive key element to this political shell game had changed?

I am finding it very hard to believe that demolition and construction for this project can be completed for the $3.1 million that is there. I am finding it even harder to understand why this program must even relocate, given the new circumstances that have arisen. If you want to put a new residential treatment program in Hay River, then go ahead. Plan for it. No one is going to stand in your way. But, Mr. Minister, please, I implore you, revisit the decision to relocate the TTC. The factors are obviously much different today than they were last year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome all the Members back to the 15th Legislative Assembly. I welcome all the people in the

gallery here today. I am looking forward to seeing some positive outcomes and results of this fifth spring session.

Mr. Speaker, my constituency of Tu Nedhe, some of the ongoing initiatives such as the Taltson hydro expansion project, the Snap Lake diamond project, the Gahcho Kue project and the remediation of the Hook Lake bison recovery project are just a few of this government's priorities in my region which I am glad to see are moving forward and will provide my constituents, along with many northerners, with new employment opportunities and improved living conditions. These, along with many other community-based initiatives like the Lutselk'e arena which is nearing its completion this fall, and the Lutselk'e tank farm initiative, and the Deninu Kue sawmill are also just some of the initiatives that I would like to continue to move forward on but are still very dependent on the unrelenting cooperation and support of this government and that this government has provided and hopefully will continue to provide going on into the future.

Although the future does look bright for my constituency of Tu Nedhe and many northerners in general, Mr. Speaker, with the many economic development projects being brought forward by industry, government and community organizations like the First Nations, Metis and community councils, there are also many other social issues that tend to get overshadowed by all of these big picture items. Mr. Speaker, it will be these issues and concerns and health, education, housing, capacity building and community governance in our smaller communities that I will be raising in this House during this Fifth Session. Many of these so-called social ills sometimes may seem insignificant and petty, but to the uneducated single mother or father living in a dilapidated two-bedroom public housing unit with their four kids, any opportunity and support I can provide through this government which offers them some sense of hope, dignity and strength to carry on, I will definitely take action on. I hope that our government embraces the same earnest desire and passionate enthusiasm of support.

We, as Members of this Legislative Assembly, will encourage our colleagues, our employees, our subordinates and our bureaucratic system to follow the same lead in addressing and resolving in a tolerable and dignified manner all of these reiterated but curable issues and concerns that are being raised in this House over the course of four years. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Merci, Monsieur President. Mr. Speaker, it has been three and a half years since Stanton Territorial Hospital last had a board. Since that time, this hospital has been under the direct control of the Minister, the Department of Health and Social Services and through a public administrator. In 2003, the Minister, and I have to say with some credible vision, established a Joint Leadership Council made up by the Minister, the deputy minister, and the chairs of all the health and social service authorities around our NWT. The mandate of this council includes providing advice, general guidance to the public administrator on the operation of the hospital. At the time, the establishment of the council was a positive step. Its side benefits included some increased opportunities of sharing information and coordination among regional health boards across our territory. But, Mr. Speaker, while the appointment of the public administrator may have been a good temporary solution for Stanton hospital, the isolated authority should have come with an expiry date. Therefore, the time has come to reinstate a governance board to ensure that public accountability and decision-making is made in a way that is representative of our Northwest Territories.

This paradigm shift could be easily made by simply formalizing the existence of the Joint Leadership Council that the Minister created several years ago, by giving them the governance authority and responsibility for policy development, oversight, planning and budgeting of our hospital. The existence of this council has the capacity to carry out this mandate. They also have the skills. We wouldn't need to create additional bureaucracy administration. Mr. Speaker, in a territory that is so short of financial funds, this would be a smart and wise use of our resources.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that this Minister take that strident leap and show some leadership and give the governance board back to the hospital. Mr. Speaker, I believe that a formal appointment of the Joint Leadership Council as the new board for Stanton would go a long way in strengthening public accountability and regional involvement in that hospital. Mr. Speaker, it is truly a territorial facility. Mr. Speaker, later during the day, at the appropriate time, I will have positive and reasonable suggestions for this Minister who, I am sure, will be very interested in cleaning up this lack of accountability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Members' statements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today to be able to welcome the Hay River Handbell Choir in the Chamber. I understand you are going to introduce them individually when they perform for us again in the Great Hall. I just wanted to say welcome. Thank you for coming. I would also like to recognize my constituency assistant, Wendy Morgan. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize there are lots of VIPs in the gallery and everyone else I would like to welcome them, but there are a group of people that are really important and they are the senior citizens from Aven's Court. It includes, of course, my mother and all her neighbours. I would like to welcome my mother, Taejeong Lee, and the lady who lives behind her, Sandra Taylor, the lady who lives next to her, Esther Braden, and the man who lives across from the field, Mr. Ed Jeske, and Vivian Squires who just started working for the Seniors' Society and is looking after all of them. I would like to welcome them today. Thank you.

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Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Today, I would like to recognize our leaders in the Tlicho region; our grand chief, George Mackenzie, and with him is James Rabesca. He is also with the Tlicho Government. I thank them very much for coming to listen to our meeting.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In addition to those who have already been recognized, I would like to recognize some of the RCMP leadership who continue to keep our community safe. Yellowknife Detachment Commander Roch Fortin; Superintendent Rick Roy; Inspector Jim Cunningham; and, Chief Superintendent Pat McCloskey.

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Mr. Speaker, in addition, on behalf of my colleague, Michael McLeod, I would also like to recognize his big brother Bob. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague Sandy Lee has already recognized a number of the seniors here. I welcome them all, especially my mother, Esther.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a special welcome to a young lady who is visiting us from France by way of Concordia University, Ms. Elsa Biais-Sauvetre.

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Elsa is visiting the family of Sue and Norm Glowach in connection from several years ago when her sister was here in Yellowknife as an international exchange student, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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