Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the story on page 3 of the Yellowknifer today about the teenage girls who were violently attacked by other youth. Mr. Speaker, I do this because I am concerned that the readers may mistakenly draw two conclusions from reading it. One is that if you mind your own business and do the right thing,

this could never happen to you. Two is that this is not a serious situation of youth violence that needs a real focus and action.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that I know the victim and her family very well. I have a first hand account of what happened. The victim was, in fact, minding her own business doing all of the right things. She was not alone. She was with her two close friends in broad daylight after school. They came out of Breakaway after exercising and decided to go to Reddi Mart to get a drink. They were followed by a group of three other girls. The victim was pulled out of the group by these girls and attacked. She managed to get away from them and ran into the store to escape them and seek protection, at which time the three girls followed her into the store where they continued to beat on this girl. It was also reported that the girls who attacked the victim smelled of alcohol. As the owner of the store said, if the people didn't stop them, they would have been even more seriously injured.

We should be very alarmed, Mr. Speaker, that such a brazen act of violence can be perpetrated by our youth against other youth. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, these girls who did this were completely unknown to the victim and the fact is they are still swarming the mall. They are familiar to the security and the merchants at the mall. In fact, they were heard telling others about how they beat up this girl, and they continued to cause trouble without any repercussions, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I don't believe these girls are an organized gang, but there are serious youth crimes being perpetrated by youth against other youth. This needs to be taken very seriously. The worst thing to do is to blame the victim as though she caused this to happen, or to underplay the seriousness of this situation. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that the RCMP is doing the investigation. I do hope that the charges will be laid and the girls who did this will receive necessary consequences and some help in order that they are not left to keep on doing this to other victims.

Ms. Lee, your time for Member's statement has expired.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important that we take this seriously and have these girls account for their actions in order that they are not left to keep hurting others and hurting themselves, because obviously they are in need of help themselves to be that violent against others and that doesn't come from without having issues and having hurt themselves. Mr. Speaker, I call on the RCMP and the schools and parents and everyone involved to act on this so that we don't have this happening again. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After listening to Members of this House talk about Alberta depleting our water resources, talking about the disappearing caribou, talking about our changing climate, we know that our resources are not endless. We know that we do not have a bottomless pit to draw from. We need to talk about conserving and protecting, Mr. Speaker, and we need our leadership to set the example and encourage everyone to follow.

If Canadians eliminated inefficient lights, in eight years we could save enough energy to heat 100,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to the annual emissions produced by more than one million automobiles. Compact florescent bulbs use 66 percent less energy than standard incandescent ones and last as much as 10 times longer. In your home, the toilet uses the most water, accounting for approximately 30 percent of indoor water use, while many first generation six-litre toilets did not perform well, today's six-litre toilets have been re-engineered to flush, in many cases, better than the 13-litre counterparts.

Energy efficiency saves consumers money, helps the NWT maintain a competitive economy and reduces the impact on our environment. Most importantly, energy conservation is easy to practice. However, our stores hand out plastic bags by the ton, our downtown streets are littered with plastic bags and disposable coffee cups, but, Mr. Speaker, the B.C. government has come out and made the commitment to meet half of the province's future energy needs through conservation by 2026. Australia has announced that it will make it illegal to sell items that do not meet energy standards, citing incandescent light bulbs as the prime example. By 2010 they will have banned and replaced them with florescent. The Aussie Environment Minister says that the move could cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 800,000 tons by 2012. California is looking into this and so are Canadian provinces like Ontario and Nova Scotia. Even the state of New Jersey, where in a few years Edison, New Jersey, will have made the change.

It's the little things that make the difference. Massive strategies take time and money to enact. We need to promote simple and constructive things everyone can do in their daily lives to help save the planet. The government has produced what I would call an energy savings strategy, but has done little to strongly encourage consumer businesses to implement energy conservation initiatives. Mr. Speaker, at this time may 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. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. What I'm saying is where is the discussion about replacing plastic bags with canvas bags or reusable bins? Where is the discussion to say the sale of florescent light bulbs is to be no longer legal? Where is the discussion about banning certain non-recyclable containers? Energy conservation is about a practice about decreasing your energy use. It's not about losing anything; it's about conserving it and using it wisely. Mr.

Speaker, in closing, if the Governor of California is moving in this energy solution direction, why aren't we? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Members' statements. The honourable Member from Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker...(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the passing of a well-known elder, Vedor Poncha -- Victor Boots -- of Willow River, at 90 years old. Vedor was the last of the Boots brothers who lived in the small community of Willow River along the Mackenzie, 70 kilometres south of Wrigley. The family has a long history of hunting and trapping and living throughout Wrigley, the Willow River area and in the mountains west of the Mackenzie River. Joa Boots, an older brother who died a few years ago, said from the time they were very young they built and lived in 18 different houses in the bush before they settled in Willow River. Vedor was a quiet, gentle man who stayed close to home looking after wood, water, snare lines and generally doing chores around the house. In the last year, up until his death, he cared very much for his pets, Pusia, his cat, and two dogs.

Early in his life, once while he was visiting rabbit snares, he came upon a moose. He had only a 22 and one 22 short shell, Mr. Speaker. He shot the moose in the heart and ran home to get a bigger gun. When he returned, the moose was dead. So with a 22 short shell he killed a huge moose. So was life then tough, but simple. Today I'd like to send my blessings out to his family, his cousins and his loved ones that took care of him up until his passing. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on February 15, 2007, regarding the Canada Winter Games hockey team that held a clinic in Fort Good Hope. Mr. Yakeleya had asked for information on the support the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs provided for this event.

Mr. Speaker, Fort Good Hope hosted the Canada Winter Games NWT men's hockey team on February 2 to 4, 2007, as part of a celebration marking the involvement of a young man -- Mykle Grandjambe -- on the team from Fort Good Hope. I am pleased to advise that the department has provided funding of approximately $7,500 from the NWT Youth Corps Program to support this event.

The NWT Youth Corps Program provides funding to community governments and organizations for programs that offer a structured and varied program of outdoor, cultural, or related personal growth experiences that challenge, engage, reward and recognize youth.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today it gives me great pleasure to recognize Superintendent Tom Middleton. He will soon be the new commanding officer for G division in the Northwest Territories. His last posting was Edmonton. Accompanying him, as well, today is Superintendent Rick Roy, who filled in ably after the retirement of Pat McCloskey a couple of months ago, and, as well, Bronwyn Watters, ADM of Justice is with them today. I want you to welcome Tom Middleton to the gallery. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure today to recognize in the gallery Mr. Jerry DeMarco, who is our representative of Tamerlane Ventures, who is looking at getting some economic mining activity going on in our area again. We welcome him to the House. Also, my constituency assistant, Wendy Morgan.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recently met two wonderful people from Montreal, Quebec -- they are here visiting in the Northwest Territories -- Celine Goulet and Albert Brierley. I apologize if I said the name wrong, but they were here, physically. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Superintendent Rick Roy. He's not only a constituent but he's also an excellent neighbour. Thank you very much.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the chair of the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Denny Rodgers; the interim president, Mr. John Doyle; and Mike Triggs, the corporate secretary and legal counsel, along with them, Jeannee Johnson. Thank you.

---Applause