Good morning, colleagues. Orders of the day. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

It is my pleasure to speak today about the recent accomplishments of staff from community governments and other community and regional organizations who have achieved program completion through the School of Community Government.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs' School of Community Government works with community governments and other national and territorial partners to design programs, write curriculum and schedule courses that provide meaningful theory and practical experiences to be used by students when they return to their workplace.

Since the School of Community Government was first established in 1999 as a response to training needs identified by community government and aboriginal organizations, more than 2,700 students, mostly community government staff, have taken part in training. Each year, the school offers approximately 100 courses in 15 broad program areas in communities throughout the Northwest Territories.

At the 2007 annual program completion ceremony held on April 12th, a total of 32 students of the School of Community Government were honoured, six students received their occupational certification as community finance officers and 26 received their completion certificate in the areas of land administration, community finance, community firefighter, firefighter instructor level one, administration, recreation facility operations or bylaw enforcement.

A significant highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the first School of Community Government program completion certificate for our water treatment plant operator to Ms. Mary Louise Nitsiza from Behchoko. This is a remarkable achievement for both Ms. Nitsiza and for the community government of Behchoko which supported her throughout the courses and exams. Six students received their occupational certificate as community finance officers under the Government of the Northwest Territories' Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations Act. This means there are now 18 community finance officers with occupational certification who are able to work in community governments. Occupational certification provides community government employees with a recognition of their competence in the skills and knowledge needed to perform their finance duties.

The program completion ceremony is an important milestone for the community government staff who meet the many challenges that face adult students in the Northwest Territories. This is the culmination of several years of work during which time students sacrifice time with family, time at work and their leisure hours to attend classes. The ceremony was an important opportunity to recognize this dedication and celebrate the successes achieved by these dedicated community government staff.

In closing, I would like to congratulate the students of the School of Community Government and all the community governments for supporting their employees and preparing for the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to draw Members' attention to the RCMP change of command ceremony that will take place later today in the Great Hall.

Chief Superintendent Tom Middleton will be appointed as the 34th commanding officer of the RCMP "G" Division. He continues the excellent work of his predecessor, outgoing Commanding Officer Pat McCloskey. Chief Superintendent Middleton is a 30-year veteran of the RCMP and will provide leadership to officers across the NWT. He will have a critical role in strengthening RCMP relations with communities, government agencies and institutions as well as non-government organizations.

Our communities are served by about 200 regular and civilian RCMP members. They work in the hardest of conditions to respond to crimes, protect public security and prevent criminal activity. The work can range from community patrols to disrupting the operations of organized crime gangs. I know that everyone in this House has the greatest respect for the work these officers do.

Please join me today for the change of command ceremony at 2:00 p.m. in the Great Hall. As Minister of Justice, I would like to welcome Superintendent Middleton to the Territories. I would also like to thank Pat McCloskey

and Superintendent Rick Roy for their leadership over the past few years.

---Applause

Thank you. We look forward, Mr. Speaker, to working with Superintendent Middleton to address the continuing policing and security needs of all communities. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Ministers' statements. The honourable Member responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, every year, we join together to celebrate North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, which this year falls on May 6th to 12th. This safety and health related week was first marked by an agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1997. In Canada, Canadian Occupational Health and Safety Week had been celebrated for 10 years prior to its international launching.

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week's goal is to focus the attention of employers, workers, the general public and all partners in occupational safety and the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace and at home. This year's theme, Start Today, expands on last year's theme of making a lifetime commitment to safety and health. It is never too early, or too late, to start learning about and practising safety.

As part of this year's activities, the organizing committee has several exciting safety and health related events planned. The Department of Transportation is hosting safety video lunches for GNWT employees in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River and Fort Simpson. All Yellowknife schools have been invited to explore the Workers' Compensation Board's Mine Safety Discovery Zone. The unions, including the Union of Northern Workers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, have organized safety video lunches and quizzes, complete with prizes.

Today, the WCB is holding the 2007 Ready, Set, Go Safe! Team Challenge, a community safety relay race with lunch provided at a community barbeque hosted by the Northern Territories Federation of Labour.

I encourage all Members to get involved in North American Occupational Safety and Health Week this year, by participating in or by attending some or all of the planned events and to strengthen their commitment to occupational safety and health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ministers' statements. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in celebration of National Nurses Week from May 7th to 13th, I would like to acknowledge the tireless contributions made to the residents of the NWT by our nurses.

This year's theme, Think You Know Nursing? Take a Closer Look, focuses on the expanded roles of nurses as leaders, innovators, pioneers, primary care providers, mentors, educators, researchers and administrators.

Mr. Speaker, the nursing shortage being experienced across Canada is also a reality here in the NWT. We are addressing this by training our own northern workforce through a four-year degree program at Aurora College. Each graduate northern nurse is offered a full-time job within the NWT health care system. We are supporting our current nurses through career development opportunities in community health nursing and other specialty areas.

We must continue to find innovative ways to deliver health care, and we look to nurses to continue their various roles in developing a strong and vibrant health care system, one that is responsive and reflects the priorities of northerners.

As Minister of Health and Social Services and on behalf of all northerners, I would like to express my gratitude for the many contributions each and every nurse makes on a daily basis. I invite the public and Members of the Legislative Assembly to join me in celebrating National Nurses Week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Minister Roland. Ministers' statements. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to speak today about nurses and draw attention to the fact that this week is National Nursing Week across Canada. Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, May 12th, is Florence Nightingale's birthday. In 1971, the International Council of Nurses declared May 12th International Nurses Day. In 1985, the council passed a resolution to begin negotiations with the federal government to explore having the week including May 12th proclaimed as National Nurses Week. A few months later, in recognition of the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession, the Minister of Health at the time proclaimed the second week of May as National Nurses Week. In 1993, the name was changed to National Nursing Week to emphasize the profession's accomplishments as a discipline.

The purpose of National Nursing Week is to increase awareness amongst the public, policymakers and governments, of the many contributions of nursing to the well-being, not only of Canadians but to northerners. It's also an opportunity to educate Canadians about health issues by providing information they need to make decisions about their health and to promote the role of the nurse.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the hard work, dedication and

conviction shown by our nurses here in the Northwest Territories. Many of them have been through trying times over the past few years and nurses, Mr. Speaker, are the cornerstone of our health care system. Nursing for me is very close to home as my wife, Amanda, is a registered nurse and I get to have a very close-up look and understand some of the challenges and demands that are placed upon our nurses.

Mr. Speaker, I have the utmost respect for our nurses and I am very proud of the work and care they provide to our residents each and every day, in our hospitals, in our health centres, in clinics and in public health units and in our senior care facilities, Mr. Speaker.

With that, I want to thank the nurses for all they do for us each and every day. Mahsi.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize nurses week being May 6th to the 13th. I also would like to express my congratulations to Gail Beaulieu on her completion of the Nurse Practitioner Program at Thebacha college last week.

---Applause

I would also like to see Ms. Beaulieu return to her hometown of Deninu Kue and continue to provide nursing services to the residents, because we do have a shortage of nurses in our community and people are encouraged to visit our health centre on an emergency basis only.

Mr. Speaker, the nurses here in the North have to be very dedicated, hard working and committed while working in an atmosphere that is very personal, sensitive and often borderlines on abusive in nature. The long hours and effects on their personal lives and health are often overlooked by many residents who use our health care providers on a regular basis. Mr. Speaker, this has to change.

We, as a government, have to fully support and recognize that there needs to be more emphasis on educating northerners about the positive, long-term effects that communities can realize when we start treating all our health care professionals, especially our nurses, with the respect and the dignity they so rightfully deserve.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage people to value, commend and thank our nurses at all times of the year and not just this week or on nurses day tomorrow, May 12th. I hope people will start doing that and then we can realize that our nurses will want to stay in our small communities to treat the people that they know personally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, May 6th to 13th is International Nurses Week and at this time I would like to acknowledge nurses week and recognize the work and dedication of nurses around the world, across the country and here at home in our communities in the Northwest Territories. It seems that with each passing year, there is more and more pressure put our health care system and in the face of shortages in our different, varying medical professionals that are being experienced across the country, sometimes in the absence of a doctor, it is nurses that will take on additional responsibilities, especially in our small northern communities.

Nurses are involved in the whole spectrum of health care, home care, health promotion, public health, diabetes care, emergency care. Our nurses provide service in long-term care, acute care, dialysis management, psychiatric care, prenatal, obstetrics, telephone advice via our Tele-Care program. This is quite a list of responsibilities in a wide spectrum of health care services.

To give a sense of proportion of staff that are nurses, roughly one-third of the staff at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority are nurses. They are professionals with a broad knowledge of care delivery and some go on to specialize in certain areas such as managing chronic diseases, dealing with infection control or becoming nurse practitioners.

In Hay River, we are very fortunate to have many long-term nurses and although there have been periodic vacant positions, I commend the hospital staff, the CEO Paul Vieria and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority for their efforts in managing, scheduling and filling these vacant positions in order to provide the level of health care that we enjoy in Hay River.

In closing, I would like to congratulate our nurses and health care workers for their excellent service to the public and thank them for the contribution they make to ensuring the health and safety of the residents that they serve. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, we will have the pleasure of joining with our health care professionals in Hay River, along with Minister Roland, to honour them in a night that is specially set aside to show our appreciation for them.

Mr. Speaker, not to change the subject, but I was figuring out a way that I could work this into my Member's statement. I would like to recognize my two daughters-in-law who are involved in a different type of nursing for many, many hours lately and they will be celebrating their first Mother's Day this Sunday as mothers of my two new grandchildren, and I also wish Happy Mother's Day to all the women across the Northwest Territories who are fortunate enough to be mothers. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The financial and community, territorial and federal governments, and

certainly the developers of the Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline project, are, I think, still trying to get used to the stunning news of a couple of months ago about the revision, cost and the timing of the pipeline. The cost is more than doubled to something like $16 billion Canadian with a completion date for the project now in 2014. One global energy advisor, a company called Tristone Capital, in a report just last week, said that the very high-risk project, in order to earn the high returns that would normally be required on a project of this nature, is not commercially viable and that it may need as much as $2 billion in government support or financial aid or incentive to make this happen.

Now, Mr. Speaker, many Canadians absolutely shudder at the thought of subsidizing ventures such as Exxon Mobile which had revenues of over $370 billion in 2005. Certainly, we have to take on an abundance of caution whenever we are starting to talk about government support or investment of taxpayers' money in projects like this. But we have to look at some of the significant barriers we have here in the NWT to our own sustainable development. That really involves infrastructure, the kind of thing we have been talking about of late here, the Deh Cho Bridge, hydro investment, ports and communication facilities. So we have yet to see, Mr. Speaker, any real legacy project arising from the already significant developments that have happened in the NWT. So here it seems is an opportunity for the federal government if they are going to come on board to invest and contribute to this project not through any equity position, Mr. Speaker, or direct subsidy or financial support but in the building of these very crucial, very necessary and I think very significant kinds of investments that will help this project to become a reality and indeed leave the kind of legacy that we need here in the Northwest Territories for generations to come, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin my Member's statement, I would like to send a birthday wish to my brother Frank Pokiak in Tuktoyaktuk and also to Therese Voudrach.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, just prior to me coming down to attend the Sixth Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly, a well-respected elder from Tuktoyaktuk spoke to me regarding the water quality that is delivered to the residents of Tuktoyaktuk. He is concerned with the chemicals added into the water; for example, chlorine and fluoride.

Mr. Speaker, this elder remembers long ago when everyone would haul water from nearby freshwater lakes for drinking purposes. As a young person growing up, I too remember hauling water from nearby freshwater lakes and getting ice from these lakes for dog teams. Mr. Speaker, years ago, water was delivered by trucks and pumped into 45 gallon barrel drums for daily use. Today, most communities have water reservoirs and the water is either trucked or piped into water reservoirs. Once the reservoirs are filled, the hamlet maintenance staff add chemicals to the water.

Mr. Speaker, I understand there are strict water policy guidelines to follow when treating water. The concern raised by the elder is that he is worried because, over the last number of years, people are becoming ill. It is not known if the chemicals added to the water may be a cause for these illnesses.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident the hamlet's maintenance staff are qualified to treat the water for safe drinking purposes. In closing, Mr. Speaker, as a government, we must ensure the water quality is safe for all the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Today, I would like to recognize some of our youth that play in soccer. Students from the Chief Jimmy Bruneau School travel south for tournaments. They recently went to Grande Prairie. They really tried to win those games. They will compete in other tournaments coming this fall. There is also another person that is recognized as a valuable player who was selected recently. They have played in a lot of tournaments last year. They have been trying for many years now. They are recognized as good players. I would like to recognize the 11 players and also their coach, Michael Botermans. (Translation ends)

Today, I would like to recognize all of our youth who represent our communities in sports. In particular, I would like to recognize some particularly talented athletes from Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko. Congratulations to Rae Warriors under 20 boys soccer team who put on a fabulous show at the 2007 Northern Lights Cup in Grande Prairie, Alberta, this past weekend. As a result of their fantastic talents, Mr. Speaker, four of the star players were identified and selected for soccer scholarships this fall.

---Applause

They will be playing for the Grande Prairie Regional College in September 2007. Congratulations to Marvin Migwi, Tyrone Fish, Rusty Mantla, and Almer Tinqui. Just as exciting, Mr. Speaker, Cordelia Bouvier, who was also given a soccer scholarship to play for the Grande Prairie women's team. She has shown for many years that she can play with the best of the boys. Her feisty play and strong defence are her strong qualities, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this year, the same team has been named the 2006-2007 NWT Team of the Year by the Sport North Federation. These young athletes earned it and deserve this recognition for years of dedication and hard work. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate this team. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member's statements. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about the success story of the Norman Wells Day Care. This is a great example of how a community can work to provide for itself. In the past, I spoke about the need for day care places in the Sahtu. The entire region had only 59 licensed day care spots. The new Norman Wells Day Care will add 20 day care and 10 pre-school spots thanks to the efforts of the Norman Wells Early Childhood Society. I would like to congratulate the society for the workers, the volunteers, Chamber of Commerce, the Norman Wells Land Corporation, the Town of Norman Wells, the corporate donors and all the GNWT departments that made this project possible.

This is a remarkable success story, Mr. Speaker, because people almost gave up on this idea. They could not find the estimated $500,000 fund required to build a new facility. What turned their fortune around was the Housing Corporation of the Northwest Territories agreeing to supply to surplus three houses for a nominal fee. The ownership was transferred to the Norman Wells Early Childhood Society and several community businesses chipped in to help out with the renovations and the relocation of a building to a site donated by the Town of Norman Wells. At the end, Norman Wells will one day have a day care opened this fall for less than half the original estimated cost.

The Norman Wells Early Childhood Society estimates that start-up costs were around $200,000. This success is a great example for a community for its driven solutions. I would like to congratulate the residents and businesses of Norman Wells for their endless efforts and the agencies for the collaborations for making day care a reality for the mothers. Maybe this is a happy Mother's Day gift to all the mothers in the Sahtu in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak today about something funny going on at our gas pumps in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, we know the rising price of gas has been on the national news because the prices keep going up and staying up. But what is an issue for a Yellowknife resident who called me last week is that the gas price went up by six cents per litre one day last week and there should be no reason to. Mr. Speaker, the ice bridge has been out for weeks. We know we have no permanent bridge over the Mackenzie River. This should tell us that the gas at the pumps has been brought here weeks ago if not months ago. So we have to ask why such an increase? We can't think of any reason other than to say it is just to be fashionable with the rest of Canada. I believe the word we use for that is gouging because it is just for more profit margin on the same old stock.

Mr. Speaker, the question about gouging has been raised in Yellowknife before and it is being raised in the rest of Canada. In the past, the old industry used major natural disasters like Katrina or the ongoing Middle East conflict like the Iraq War, but we haven't had a natural disaster like Katrina lately and there is no other war in the Middle East, thank goodness for that, but what is the excuse for the latest price hike?

Mr. Speaker, another line by the industry is that we don't have adequate refinery facilities in North America and they can't turn crude oil to gas fast enough to meet the demand. Well, is that an excuse or a conspiracy, Mr. Speaker? We know about the gazillion dollars in profits all oil producers make each year. Why don't they use some of that money to build refineries to bring the price down and create jobs? There has not been a new refinery built in North America in decades. Mr. Speaker, why do they keep allowing all the gas pumps to be built but not enough gas to keep the price down? Mr. Speaker, the last statement I heard from the president of the Petroleum Association based in Calgary on CTV is that he said the prices keep going up. We keep thinking the demands will go down, but that is not happening so the price can't go down.

Mr. Speaker, so they keep the price high, demand stays high and they laugh all the way to the bank.

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. Mr. Speaker, I have to say they surely have us where they want us. They know we can't make our own gas. Conveniently, every gas station, no matter what name brand except for the Co-op, keeps the price high so there is not even really competition in gas pricing. As the news said, we can continue to suck it up, but I think we should all try to reduce the use of gas so that we could try to make an attempt to reduce demand, but that is not going to happen fast enough. The real action has to come from the government. We need to demand the federal government and all the provincial governments to do something to even the playing field for the hapless consumers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I begin today by reminding all Members today is red Friday and I am wearing a red tie to honour our Canadian Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, in 1859, Florence Nightingale, the famous founder of our modern nursing profession, promoted the important role pets play in therapy. She said a small pet animal is often an excellent companion for the sick, especially those battling long, chronic conditions. Since then, many studies have proved the benefit of human

animal bonds. Medical and emotional improvements have been recognized as a result of therapeutic value found in pet therapy. Multiple sclerosis patients have found their pets to be one of the greatest comforts during their ups and downs of the disease.

A constituent of mine, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Carmen Tees who is in our gallery today, knows exactly what Ms. Nightingale advocated for almost 150 years ago and what studies have confirmed since then. My constituent suffers from MS and finally has the opportunity to move into a barrier-free home. Understandably, she was pleased to see an apartment building that was finally being built that would meet her special needs right out her front window. Unfortunately, there is one problem. My constituent was told no pets are permitted in this building. She has a cat as her long-time companion pet for some time now and has stated that she will not move into this building if she cannot bring her pet. She needs her cat, a therapeutic aid, for comfort, emotional well-being and to help her cope with her long-struggling illness. This new building has no carpet. All the floor surfaces have linoleum and they can be easily cleaned. A no pet policy seems completely unnecessary. At the very least, there must be some discretion to allow people with pets for therapeutic reasons in this building.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT must look at this policy and deal with this situation. Yesterday, I tabled in this House the two cases provided to me by the Human Rights Commissioner where it shows and demonstrates clearly that a no pet policy should not apply to people who have disabilities when they have doctors' notes saying that it is an important role into their long-term health and gain.

Mr. Speaker, we don't need a human rights case to go on here. We can do the right decision today because we know what the right decision is by allowing people who need pets for therapeutic reasons to enter this building. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Housing Minister later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again today, I want to commend the group for signing the AIP.

Mr. Speaker, they showed real leadership. This is something that has been a long time in the works. We have to start somewhere and we have a foundation in place. Now we have to build something on top of that. Some may feel that this AIP was rushed into. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that this process has been going on for over 30 years. I know we operate on NWT time up here, but 30 years is not rushing into anything.

---Laughter

We might not have all the groups on board right now, Mr. Speaker, but I am sure the door is being left open for them to sign when they feel like they are ready to contribute to the future of the NWT.

The amount of money we lose, Mr. Speaker, still causes me a great deal of concern. Many projects could be partially funded by a lot of this money, including a road to the gravel source in Tuk. My colleague from Tuk makes a legitimate case for a road, but still nothing. Perhaps if Tuk was in the southern NWT, they might get something.

This issue, Mr. Speaker, continues to anger and upset me. I want what is good for the people of Inuvik Twin Lakes. I want what is good for the Inuvialuit because I am an Inuvialuit. I also want what is best for the Northwest Territories because I live here and I do plan on being here until they plant me. Mr. Speaker, it upsets me because I do not like having something that is rightfully ours taken from us. People get taken to court for taking something that is not rightfully theirs. I think it is a position we have to take sometimes.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I again commend the leadership for starting the foundation with the signing of the AIP. I urge the remaining leadership to join the cause and add their voice to the voice of the NWT because it will give it so much more strength. We have to tell Ottawa, Mr. Speaker, that enough is enough. We won't stand by anymore while they continue to pick our pockets. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an honour today to recognize Ms. Carmen Tees. She is a constituent of mine. She suffers from MS. She is here today because of this important issue that I have been raising in my Member's statement. She will further hear my questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a constituent, Mr. Jim Peterson, a former president of the NWT Tourism Association and a sports hunting and fishing outfitter, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize students from Range Lake North School: Robert Digness, Austin Tanner, Allison

Web, Trent Broom, Dakota Hamilton, Jensen Hu, and with them the teacher, Jason Perrino. I would also like to recognize Mr. Peterson.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. I hope you're enjoying the proceedings. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on my Member's statement, I'd like to just ask the Minister of Finance what is his explanation for the gas prices in Yellowknife stations going from $1.19 to $1.25 when he knows that we have no bridge and unless they flew the gas in, which I don't think they did, it's the same stock. So if he could try his best to answer to start with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess I want to be clear that in responding to this question I'm not defending big oil and the way they set their prices. However, from the work from the Department of Finance, nothing has changed in the way we deal with the fuel price in the Northwest Territories or from the fuel tax that we have on fuel in the Northwest Territories. So the prices that are changed are as a result of what we were told when we raised this issue with industry, is rack price adjustments that happen throughout Canada. For example, when this issue was raised in my constituency of Inuvik, I made some calls to find out what was happening, so I'm going on that response that I got because the changes aren't as a result of what we're doing. It's a result of the rack price changes and how fuel is stored and then sold as it leaves that storage facility into trucks and service stations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we can establish there have not been new tax increases from the GNWT. The Minister is saying rack price adjustment but what we see is, and we can tell, that the gas they were selling last week is the gas they would have gotten at least before the ice bridge went out and chances are it's been there for months. We can't think of any increased costs, so I think another word for rack gas pricing adjustment is gouging. So I'd like to ask the Minister, if someone is selling the same...This product doesn't change; they didn't bake it fresh that day; it's the same stock and the price goes up. So would the Minister agree that this may be gouging? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess many in the Northwest Territories may term it or state that it's a form of gouging, but the practice has been throughout industry that -- and I'll use an example -- again, my community when the prices started going up, we know, for example, in communities that don't have highway systems or barge, for example, Inuvik gets its fuel supply by barges and we know that that barge delivery happens in early summer and it's put into storage facilities within Inuvik under one of the larger companies. It isn't until that gas leaves that storage facility, is put into a truck for delivery that the price is set. So the rack price on the market-of-the-day is what it's spotted at and charged at that rate. So that's, when I talk about rack price, the way it happens. In the large companies, the large suppliers, as the fuel leaves its facility into the delivery truck, the price is set at that time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, none of that explains why the gas price went up by six cents in Yellowknife when we have no permanent bridge. There is no new supply coming in; it's the same old stuff. I mean that explanation may work for southern communities, but we are cut off from the rest of the world because we have no bridge. They're using the same stuff and the price went up and the only variable was that the prices were...

Do you have a question, Ms. Lee?

...it went up because it went up down south. So could I ask the Minister to make a commitment to review the prices of gas at the gas stations in Yellowknife over the last three weeks and provide us with the information from the industry as to why they raised those prices? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First and foremost, we have to make it clear that within the Department of Finance we have no control over what the industry does in this area. The only place our government has an impact is in POL, or petroleum products division within Public Works and Services where we supply to communities where there is no private sector. Here in the North, the rest of the communities, the only impact we have is on the fuel tax side. That hasn't changed, but I will request the department go back and look at the changes and then we'll have to send an inquiry into some of the bulk dealers throughout the Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My request is very narrow and it's not anything to do with the POL; I'm asking

the Minister of Finance, as a public interest question -- and he can refer it to the Minister responsible for consumer protection, if they have any -- but I'd like to know if the Minister would report back to the Members as soon as possible within this month. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we will go back and look at some of the price changes and request information and then forward that on to Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, my questions this morning are for Mr. Bell, the Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, and it concerns the suggestion floated a few days ago by Tristone Capital that the Mackenzie Valley pipeline won't cut it on commercial terms unless the federal government jumps in with a suggested $2 billion worth of support. Mr. Speaker, my first question is does the GNWT agree with the suggestion that the federal government must put taxpayers' money into the Mackenzie gas project to make it viable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, the new costing came out and although we were expecting an increase in the price of this project, we were surprised by the magnitude of the increase: $16 billion. I think the suspected or the whisper number on the street had been, sort of, in the 10 to 12 range. So this is much higher than we had anticipated. We've been lobbying for some time; we do believe that there is a logical role for governments in assisting this project. We've never been advocating that there be subsidies paid to the producers; we don't think that makes sense or is the role of government, but we do believe that there are some areas governments can help. The Tristone report points those out. Whether it's infrastructure investments that could bring down the price of this project, we know it would be cheaper to construct in the South because of our infrastructure disadvantage. So marine infrastructure, road infrastructure, airports; there are some things that can be done. Assistance to the APG is another area that we would like to see happen in the form of loan guarantees, Mr. Speaker, potentially some shipping commitment help. So there are a number of areas we see a logical role for governments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, considering the significance of this project to the Northwest Territories, is the Minister, is the government going to be more specific and be more aggressive about the kind of support we would like to see the federal government taking? Of course, there are lots of different options, all of them that make sense in certain areas, but which are the ones that make most sense for us for the long-term future of the Northwest Territories? Is the government going to be taking that case to the federal government and promote our interests in this project, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, there are discussions, if not currently underway, they're imminent between our officials, federal officials and the pipeline proponents to talk about the areas that government could support and assist this project, and I've just indicated some of the options that we favour. We need to see more detail from the producers in terms of their costing. \what does that $16 billion comprise? What types of infrastructure would help make this project price come down? We want to make sure that we're advocating for areas that will have the most impact on the price of this project. So there are discussions underway at the officials' level and once those take place, that will come back up to our Cabinet for further discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I'm a bit disappointed to hear that the GNWT has not got a more firm or more aggressive position on this at this point. The DIAND Minister, Jim Prentice, clearly has the mandate to make this happen. In light of the, as I indicated in my statement, absence so far of any substantive legacy project from the already massive development that is underway in the NWT, will the Minister seriously consider the advantages that legacy projects such as hydro, roads and communication projects will have and press that case for federal government investment, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons we like this project is because of the legacy it can create and, first and foremost, 50 or 100 year industry for people up and down the valley in terms of oil and gas exploration. There are logical infrastructure contributions we think can be made by the federal government. We've been advocating that for some time. Now what we do need to see from Imperial and the producers is some detailed breakdown on that costing. There's no sense for us advocating for roads that will have little or no impact on the project. We need to see this detail. They have indicated that it would be filed before the end of May. I

think that is happening now as we speak, or very shortly. That's when we can get down to the brass tacks in terms of discussions with the federal government and Imperial. There have been some high level discussions around support for the project, but without that detailed information it is very difficult for us to talk about what kinds of infrastructure will contribute the most. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, you know, again, I want to appeal to the Minister and ask for his commitment to focus not on what's good for the pipeline project, Exxon Mobil and the other investors; what is good for the Northwest Territories? Will this government finally and aggressively focus on what we need, not what works to the advantage of the pipeline proponents, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would argue that what is good for this pipeline project and sees this pipeline project go ahead, eventually will be good for the Northwest Territories. It makes little sense for us to sit down with these three parties and argue for infrastructure contributions that have no bearing on whether or not this pipeline goes ahead. There's a place for that and those are in discussions between our government and the federal government. There are a number of logical areas and we do that continually. However, if we're talking about what can make this pipeline a reality, we need to understand from the project proponents where the project needs the most help, and that's the approach that we've undertaken. We have, for some time, the Premier, Minister of Finance, myself, have been advocating for and lobbying for support to the APG. Those loan guarantees can bring down the cost of borrowing for the APG. They're going to need some help. Obviously as the price of this project goes up, it's going to mean they have to come to the table with more money. We've been working and focussing our efforts there primarily, but obviously we're encouraged with the indication from Imperial that infrastructure contributions in the North would be an area that would really help them. We think that has the federal government's attention and we will start to focus there as we see more detail. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Ms. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement today I talked about this being nurses week and I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he could provide this House with an update on our ability, as a government, to fill nursing positions in the North right now. In the past, we had been struggling to ensure that vacant positions were filled. We've used a lot of agency nurses in the communities, locums and at a probably greater cost than it would cost our government if we could have nurses come here, be recruited, retain them. I'd like to ask the Minister what is the status of the nursing shortage in the Northwest Territories today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the vacancies that we have across all the health authorities on me at this moment; I can get that information. What we have done, for example, in trying to address this, is we've worked with authorities on how we're going to use agency nurses. There is a shortage yet; we still will use them from time to time, but what we've worked with authorities on is the fact that if agency nurses are going to be used, it is to ensure that our facilities stay open, not to do a top-up, as was happening in a number of stations. We continue to work around the continued education as well, and an example of that is the community health nurse initiative and the nurse practitioner initiative here in the Territories, and that mentorship, trying to encourage that in the Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, there has been a certain degree of success with some of those programs that the Minister has referred to, but he has confirmed that we still do have a nursing shortage in the Northwest Territories. I noticed when I was flying to Edmonton the other day, the Up Here magazine has an article called "Northern Outpost Nurses - Choose Your Adventure," and there's quite an extensive ad here trying to recruit nurses to join a venture healthcare program to go to northern outposts. I'm sure that it's similar to the agency nurses that we hire. How aggressive are we being in terms of advertising and trying to attract nurses to the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have stepped up in that area of recruitment and are going to universities and colleges that have the nursing programs beyond our own program in trying to encourage nurses to come north. Put out packages and extend the fact that we have this new program of community health nurse side and nurse practitioner side as well, and we're starting to do that work and looking at expanding it to bring more nurses to the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I assume there's an advertising campaign, as well; I'm assuming we go to job fairs. How many people in the Department of Health and Social Services are devoted to the task of recruitment of health care professionals to the North? If a nurse was reading this Outpost Nurses advertisement versus what we -- well, I've never seen an advertisement from us -- but how would what they're offering and what we're offering compare? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we work with the Department of Human Resources on our recruitment and retention side closely. They have some dedicated staff that work with us. We do, internally, as well, within the department of working towards what we can do and that example I gave earlier about going to colleges, universities, along with our own recruitment practice we have with our own Nurse Graduate Program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. I'm still not getting the sense that there's any dedicated staff in Health and Social Services or in HR that are specifically devoted to recruitment efforts; I have not seen any advertising. So I'll ask again are there any positions that are specifically dedicated to recruitment of nurses and do we have an advertising campaign? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are dedicated staff within HR. As well, we do have some staff within the department and I will get that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the honourable Minister Dent, on our income security reform, or income support reform that the department is going to be going through. I just wanted to talk about the recent payout of IBA to some income support clients in Fort Resolution that have been clawed back through their income support assistance for the month. I just want to ask the Minister in relation to the request for an exemption on the Hook Lake Bison Recovery Program and the compensation settlement on that. Will he direct the income security office in Fort Resolution to continue to treat these IBA settlement payments similar to this compensation settlement as excluded income? Will the Minister do that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. Mr. Speaker, the government's position is that IBA payments are not compensation; they are a contractual arrangement between a band and between a company; they are a private contract. So in this circumstance they aren't treated the same way as a compensation payment. So the answer to the Member's question is no, that would not be the direction provided.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, well, let's just get on the topic of compensation here and section 20 of the Income Assistance Program policies, Mr. Speaker. You know, we're treating the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement and the Merchant Navy Agreement as compensation and as exempt. I don't know who thought that up, but any stuff like the Indian treaty money received is also exempt. It says here the beneficiary will not...your calculation of net monthly income. We receive treaty money once a year, Mr. Speaker. It's $5 a year. They've got it in here. That's an insult for the treaty money that we do receive. I would like to receive compensation included as IBA here. It says the Inuvialuit Final Agreement is treated as exempt. They receive up to $1,000 a year in compensation on this part and that is treated as exempt. Why can't we treat IBAs the same, because it is compensation for loss of property, which is the land that the aboriginals use. Why isn't it treated equally? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, when we have court awards of compensation, for instance, in the residential school settlements, those are clearly exempt from our income support or consideration as income under our income support policies. Our legal opinions from Justice indicate that IBAs are contractual arrangements and are, therefore, not treated the same as compensation and that is the position of the government.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that through the RC distribution payment being considered exempt, they did take the government to court and the court did decide it should be exempt as income, as unearned income or exempt from clawback on your monthly income.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to see residential school settlements being included as exempt in the new income support reform, then why can't we include IBA dollars? A lot of claimant groups only get this money based on...It's not guaranteed every year. They could have used the money for something else and they could have distributed it differently and in different circumstances. So why can't we include that as an exemption in income because it's not...

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. I will allow the Minister to answer that. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a lot of things that may happen only once. For instance, gifts that people are given that are considered as income. The exclusions we offer now through the program are those that are provided for as compensation for some purpose like the wrongdoing that happened at residential schools. IBAs are not considered the same way. It's a contractual arrangement. It's not seen by our government as compensation. So on that difference of opinion, that's where we stand between the Member and the government.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, well let me ask the Minister this, if he can explain to me what the difference is between the Inuvialuit regional claim distribution payments and IBAs. I don't see any difference in it, Mr. Speaker. I would like the Minister to tell me what that difference is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One flows from a modern treaty -- the settlement of a land claim -- and the other flows from something that is not part of a treaty, but is in fact a separate contractual arrangement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke about my constituent, Ms. Carmen Tees, who is in the gallery today who is suffering from MS, as well as depression, austio arthritis, sleep apnea, and she's shut in most of the year. She is not allowed to move into the new apartment building that is barrier free because she has a cat. Mr. Speaker, I have two small points to make. The Yellowknife Housing Authority has made a no pet policy for this building and that is a human rights breach. Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation position of whether the NWT recognizes medical therapeutic, other benefits companion pets can provide our elderly and disabled constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We certainly respect and recognize the use of animals, pets, if you want to call them that, who are considered to be service providers. For example, a seeing eye dog. But in terms of companion pets, I really don't know, Mr. Speaker, that the Housing Corporation has a position on that.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.