Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak again today about diamonds and how it is that the Government of the Northwest Territories is currently sound asleep when it comes to diamond policy, strategy and vision.

It has been ten years of mining diamonds in the Northwest Territories, and we just have not been as successful as we should have been. I believe we still have tremendous opportunity through the review of the diamond policy, strategy and a firm commitment from this government that diamonds and the secondary industry here in the Northwest Territories are going to be fully supported.

Yesterday I spoke of the feasibility work being done on the development of a diamond bourse, or exchange. This work is being carried out by the Government of Ontario. I was very interested in hearing the Minister of ITI’s response to my questions yesterday about the development of a diamond bourse. We as a government had officials at these meetings, but I am having a difficult time understanding exactly what we are doing there.

It is obvious to me that the Government of Ontario is interested in a diamond bourse located in either Toronto or Ottawa. How did we let Ontario get out in front of us on this? They have one mine, which recently opened. We have four operating mines and have been in the business for well over ten years.

Yesterday the Minister stated that they determined that we would get more value added by making sure that rough diamonds were made available for the secondary industry. This has happened, and we still do have a cut and polish industry here, but things could be much better. A diamond bourse would put Yellowknife squarely on the world stage as the diamond capital. My fear is that we are out there actively observing and helping another jurisdiction like Ontario scoop our own opportunity. The sad thing is we aren’t doing anything about it.

I would like to know when this government is going to wake up and realize the opportunities that exist with diamonds. In the absence of a resource revenue deal with Ottawa, it is incumbent upon us as legislators to ensure that we get all of the benefit we can from these mines before they are gone.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay.

Before I go on to the next Member, I would like to draw Members’ attention to the visitor’s gallery, to a former MLA, former Cabinet Minister and former Premier; Mr. Richard Nerysoo is in the House. Welcome.

Members’ statements, the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Aboriginal organizations have invested a lot of time and a lot of money in regard to negotiating land claim agreements where they had to pay back to the

federal government in excess of almost $9 million in the case of the Gwich’in. Almost $75 million is outstanding on the Dene/Métis claim.

Those dollars were paid back for negotiation. People assume negotiations were paid by the federal government; they weren’t. Those land claim agreements were there to improve the quality of life for those aboriginal organizations, the people they represent. In the case of the Gwich’in, we have invested tens of millions of dollars into the Inuvik regional economy. They have invested millions of dollars in the infrastructure by accommodating the offices for government departments or band councils or development corporations for infrastructure trade jobs to ensure that we have an economic footing for the Gwich’in members in the Inuvik region.

Yet we are totally being pushed out of every opportunity that seems to be appearingin regard to this government’s memorandum of understanding that we negotiated in good faith. We have land claim agreements that were negotiated in good faith, where the Government of Northwest Territories was at that table. They signed off on these legal agreements, but today they continue to totally ignore the economic well-being of those organizations and the people they represent when it comes to things such as office space in the Inuvik region.

Mr. Speaker, there was an office built here in Yellowknife. There was total outcry about the private sector in regard to a federal building that was being constructed here in Yellowknife. They, the federal government, took the responsibility on and sought an independent review to look at the market disruption in Yellowknife in regard to the private sector and the amount of retail space and the effect that this facility was going to have in the long term on market disruption in Yellowknife. But in regard to office space in Inuvik it’s basically full speed ahead. Never mind your tens of millions of dollars you invested buying up for the private sector in Inuvik to consider going into the retail business.

This government has an obligation — and not only an obligation but a fundamental right — to live up to the land claim agreements, the memorandum of understanding, and to ensure that there is an economic footing for the land claim organizations to move forward and improve the quality of life of their people.

With that, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking questions of the Premier on this matter.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Unanimous consent granted.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure to recognize the president of my tribal council, Mr. Richard Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. During my Member’s statement today I talked about the concern from a public health point of view. I wanted to highlight the fact that public washrooms are needed because of health reasons and, most notably, infectious disease problems. Recently the City of Yellowknife received a briefing from a contractor through various sources. They talked about the need for public washrooms and the problems that are caused without them.

My questions will be directed to the Minister responsible for the homeless. Ironically, it’s the same Minister for Health and Social Services, so maybe she could blend her answers equally. My question for the Minister is: what is she doing in recognition of the homelessness problem in this city and trying to solve the problem of lack of public washrooms for that community that exists in the downtown of Yellowknife?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the homeless, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to say this must be a story of embarrassment of riches. I have to say that per square foot, or by any measure, this government — the Department of Health and Social Services, ECE, Housing, you name it — pours more money into downtown Yellowknife than anywhere else in the territory.

Mr. Speaker, we fund the Salvation Army. We poured millions of dollars into the Salvation Army, Bailey House, SideDoor youth centre, Centre for

Northern Families. We fund the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. We fund the YWCA. I say a large portion of our capital funding for health and social services is going downtown, building $15 million — that is $500,000 per bed…. We are building 28 units for the dementia centre, and we are building a primary care clinic. We have three clinics in Yellowknife that we’re combining. Surely, out of all that money the city and the organizations could figure out how to build a public bathroom to serve our people.

Mr. Speaker, if we are missing something.… In my last question, I said I will meet with the city and I will talk to the mayor. The Member knows that I asked this morning that this issue be put on the agenda.

So, Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe it is about money. It is about coordination. I have to say to the Member, he must have everything satisfied if he is spending time talking about GNWT funding a public bathroom in downtown Yellowknife, the richest in all our territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee.

Interjections.

Order! Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Speaker, obviously the Minister had her coffee this morning.

You know, it’s kind of shocking to hear a Yellowknife MLA — the Minister, who happens also to be a Yellowknife MLA — complain about the investment in Yellowknife.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Minister misunderstood the point. My riding actually doesn’t cover the Bailey House. And by the way, the Bailey House and the Salvation Army? That’s not in downtown Yellowknife.

The question really comes down to what leadership role is she suggesting? She keeps telling the city to do this. This is not a mandate of the city. I have spoken to the mayor, and he does not want to be downloaded this crappy issue. The question is: what is the Ministry and the Minister responsible for the homeless going to do about establishing a public washroom in the downtown?

I have already indicated that this has got to be something that I have to resolve by working with the city council.

I just noticed that we are building a beautiful park in downtown Yellowknife, by the city. Surely, if we put our good minds together, eight councillors in the City of Yellowknife and Yellowknife MLAs…. We have regular meetings, Mr. Speaker; the Member knows that. We’re working on the agenda. I have asked to put this item on the agenda. Obviously, I’m missing something here, because we’re pouring

hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars into address homelessness issues and other social issues. I’m sure we could come to a resolution without public investment from the GNWT to build a public bathroom in downtown Yellowknife.

This is a significant social problem that the Minister keeps wanting to point at the city to solve. This is a shameless approach to pass it on. Would the Minister responsible for the homeless step up and say that she will work to establish a public washroom, without trying to download it to a municipality?

Mr. Speaker, as I’ve already indicated, I could give him a table of all the dollars we spend for all of these facilities, which we are glad to do. I know that these organizations were saying that they could always use more money. Now, I state again that I’m willing to work with the NGOs and the city government to resolve this issue. I remain, unless I’m convinced otherwise, that this is a municipal issue. They have the capacity and wherewithal to address that.

Final short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Quickly, the fact is that public health is run by the Department of Health, which is also led and supervised by the Minister of Health and Social Services. Is public health not an issue under her responsibility that also covers the area of infectious disease?

Obviously, public health is an important issue. I remain convinced that with the resources we have in downtown Yellowknife as well as the capability of the leadership of the city, we could resolve this issue. This is totally resolvable, and we just need to put our heads together and sort this out. I just cannot believe that we provide funding and bed spaces and program money to all of this public infrastructure programming in downtown Yellowknife and they cannot provide a public bathroom facility for people in need. That’s a shame, and it’s a shame for all of us. The city has to take some leadership.

Interjection.

Order! Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Great Elders Facility and its use. I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions on this. Can the Minister advise what internal discussions she

has had with her department on the usage of the Great Elders Facility in Fort Resolution? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.