Mr.

Speaker, when I was the

mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, and since elected to represent Nunakput, I have continued to press the government to recognize the critical need to get going on construction of the access road to Tuktoyaktuk’s Gravel Source 177.

Mr.

Speaker, this road is required for several

reasons. The extensive granular resources at source 177 are required to support municipal infrastructure to Tuktoyaktuk instead of relying on expensive transport to pour in materials on the winter roads from sources near Inuvik. The road will allow Tuktoyaktuk residents and businesses to access employment opportunities in the exploration and natural gas processing facilities planned for the region, and the access road will follow the survey route of the eventual northern extension of the Mackenzie Highway, which is a high priority of this government.

I want to congratulate the government for signing the funding agreement with Canada today on the build Canada program. I understand that with the framework now signed, we can move on to the task of identifying the projects across the N.W.T. that can finally get off the ground.

With assistance from the federal funding contribution, later today I’ll have questions for the Minister of Transportation on the prospects for the move forward on this long-awaited priority in my constituency.

[English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to once again talk about the importance of communities being able to hire properly trained recreation and youth staff. During my campaign, many residents spoke about the lack of things for the youth in their community to do. In general during my follow-up visits to communities, many constituents continue to actively need to have something positive for their youth to do. They talked about on-the-land programs, more sport and recreation programs, and some even said the community should have a swimming pool and a youth centre — a place the youth can call their own.

These concerns are made by all members of the community, including the RCMP, the youth, parents and especially elders of the community. On February 11, I spoke about the importance of communities being able to hire trained recreation and youth staff so the community can properly assess government programs and develop and deliver effective community-based recreation and youth programs for all community members.

However, Mr. Speaker, in my communities, this is not what is happening. Hiring properly trained recreation and youth staff continues to be a challenge because of low pay, little or no volunteer support, cultural differences, lack of government support, and even because of job demands,

Mr.

Speaker, working evening, weekends and

holidays, being overworked and underpaid.

In Fort Resolution they have a recreation coordinator and community recreation assistant position. In Lutselk’e, Mr. Speaker, they have a recreation coordinator and two positions of recreation support workers. All the positions in both communities are filled by local people, and none of these individuals are qualified as a recreation professional. I am sure they are all doing the best they can, and I commend them for taking the task.

My communities are in desperate need of support for finding solutions to the hiring of qualified recreation and youth staff. The ideal situation is to train local people for these positions. They know the community and the people, understand the culture and speak the language. One solution suggested to me by one of my constituents is to develop an apprenticeship-type approach for training recreation coordinators.

Mr.

Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to

conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

We are all aware of the success of the trades program. If we can do it for instrumentation, carpentry, and hairdressers, why can’t we do it for recreation coordinators? Later on today I will have questions for the Minister of MACA on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I use my Member’s statement today to acknowledge our emergency service personnel, particularly firefighters, both career and volunteer members. As is the case for many of the people who work silently behind the scenes on our behalf, we don’t recognize them nearly enough.

Emergency service personnel stand by for us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready and willing to do dangerous work if called upon. These men and women train and prepare to be ready for action at a moment’s notice. They have specialized skills and knowledge that enable them to do an outstanding job, often in difficult weather and treacherous conditions. They put life and limb at risk to keep us safe, and they keep our homes and businesses safe. At times, all they can do is control a situation, and homes and businesses are lost. And unfortunately, because it is potentially dangerous work, firefighters sometimes get injured, occasionally fatally.

Just three years ago next month, the city of Yellowknife lost two firefighters as they fought a fire in the line of duty. They gave their lives for our community as they performed a job they both loved.

Because we won’t be in session next month, today I want to specifically remember and honour Cyril Fyfe and Kevin Olson, two exemplary firefighters who were both fatally injured March 17, 2005.

In their memory I recognize and honour all N.W.T. emergency service personnel as they go about their jobs today and every day. To each and every one, I say thank you for protecting us; thank you for taking risks for us.

To my colleagues I say, as you return to your communities over the next few days, take the time to search out and visit with your local firefighters and thank them personally.

And on March 17, stop and take a moment to think of those we have lost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Applause.

Mr. Speaker, when we stand in this House and raise issues and talk, what we say and how we say it has a tremendous impact not only in this House but outside of this House, in the communities, where many, many people watch avidly what happens in this House. It has a great impact.

Earlier in the week the comments in the statement by the Member from Yellowknife Centre reverberated through the community of Fort Smith and caused a tremendous furor that I’m still feeling the effects of today.

There are constructive ways to raise issues, and then there are destructive ways to raise issues. I would have to classify the Member’s statement made earlier in the week as more destructive in nature.

I do appreciate his comments in the House today as being much more constructive and helping to put oil on some of the troubled waters. But to be sure, the people of Fort Smith were offended. They do very highly treasure and value the college and the students who come to the community.

The college is celebrating its 39th anniversary this

year. In those 39 years there has been a presence in Fort Smith. At the start of this college, it used to be called Adult Vocational Training. Thousands of students have gone through there.

On this side of the House, I look around. There are graduates in this House that have gone to the college, myself included, when I was doing my apprenticeship training.

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue of great importance to my community that I want to raise in this House. As I said earlier in the week, I have to be able to speak for the people that I represent. I have to be able to speak for the people of the college.

And while we want to raise issues, we have to keep in mind we have to get all the facts and we have to get all the details. We have to look at all the numbers, including all the people who have gone through the college.

Harkening back to my younger days, I know that if you go to a strange community, and if you go out and engage in extracurricular activities…. It doesn’t matter if it’s Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife. If you engage in extracurricular activities and alcohol is involved and you’re looking the wrong way at the wrong person, or asking the wrong person to dance….

Mr.

Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to

conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

If you ask the wrong person to dance, there’s a chance that things may happen that you didn’t anticipate. That’s an unfortunate reality in every community. I don’t think it’s specific to Fort Smith. There’s a shared responsibility here.

Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude my statement by once again thanking the Member for clarifying his comments; encouraging him to accept the invitation to come to the community; and pointing out that the college is a very high-class operation that has lots of good people working there, and it is very, very important to all the people of Fort Smith.

Applause.

I’m pleased to recognize Tyler Heal, who is a third-generation Yellowknife resident and a resident of Yellowknife South.

Tyler was awarded the 2007 Heritage Award from the Yellowknife Heritage Society in recognition of his contribution to the preservation of the history and heritage of Yellowknife.

His book The Times Behind the Signs was recently launched, giving details and stories behind

Yellowknife’s street names. All of the proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to the N.W.T. Mining Heritage Society.

Please join me in congratulating this talented and intelligent young man on receiving his award, and recognizing his commitment and contribution to Yellowknife.

Applause.

Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Krutko.

Mr.

Speaker, it gives me great

pleasure to recognize my Constituency Assistant, Liz Wright, who is here in the gallery today. Liz is in town this week, working out of my office here in Yellowknife. Welcome to the gallery.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the two pages from Fort Simpson who worked diligently and hard this week: Ms. Natalie Villeneuve and Ms. Marisa Isaiah. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize Arthur Beck, a chaperone. I would also like recognize the two pages from Fort Resolution, Tu Nedhe: Kelley Lizotte and Peter Beaulieu. Arthur Beck is also the Vice President of the NWT Métis Council.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two pages from the riding of Frame Lake: In front of me, Stuart Hamre and then, behind me, Jeanne Yurris. They’ve done a great job. Thank you.

Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Speaker, in following up the question that I was asking, I’m quoting from unedited Hansard:

“The lending agent itself went and got a review. They’re the ones at risk for $165 million if, in fact, they want to lend this money to this project and to make sure it’s a valid project.”

Mr. Speaker, my question for the Premier today is: is it not true that in the event of a default on the loan that he’s referring to, the G.N.W.T. shall step in and receive the project company’s rights benefits to the debt and loan documents, and assume and be bound by all current, future and overdue liabilities and obligations of this project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is quoting the worst-case scenario, if the project were to fail. As we’ve laid out, the traffic counts and volumes, our commitment to the project…. As was stated in this House, we recognize, as the G.N.W.T., that we are backstopping this project. So yes, through the process, through the whole arrangement, it’s been known that we will end up backing this project if it was a worst-case scenario.

But I did point out, as she was reading from Hansard, responding to a part of a question, the fact is that the lending agent who is lending the money to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation has made sure that they’re covering all their bases, as well, to ensure that it’s a worthy project to invest in.

Mr. Speaker, now that we have established that, in fact, the G.N.W.T. is bearing some of the risks — if something goes wrong, all of the risk — for this project, I’d like to ask the Premier — and he’s the Finance Minister, so he should know this — how is this liability being reflected in the records of the G.N.W.T.? Because as everyone knows, we have a legislated debt limit of $500 million.

The bridge corporation process is being treated the same way we deal with capital leases and is recognized as well — as Members would know who are familiar with the Financial Administration Act — under that area. So we account for it in that area, but like many of our leases throughout many communities in the Northwest Territories, they don’t show up on our guaranteed debt position.

I can’t ask a hypothetical question, but I would like to project the scenario if something should go wrong and the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation cannot meet the obligations of

this debt. Right now, we currently have, I believe, around $300 million of debt, and another $165 million would put us right at our limit. I want people to be fully aware of that.

Mr. Speaker, as we speak today, I’d like to ask the Premier: today is February 21st . What is being

signed on behalf of our government today and by whom?

Mr.

Speaker, all the

documents that are required to bring this deal to a closure. There are a number of schedules. I don’t have a list handy with me right now, but those will bring this whole process to closure, and the banks will be satisfied. The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, ourselves, all parties would be signing the appropriate documents. It could be at the close of the day, if we can get them all together, or tomorrow.

Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier did not identify who is signing these documents on behalf of the G.N.W.T., and he doesn’t seem too familiar with what they are, anyway.

Anyway, Mr. Speaker, in case I don’t get a chance to ask any more questions, I want to let the record show that today, February 21, 2008, I sat in this Chamber and said that this process has not done justice to due diligence and to the people of the Northwest Territories. It has put them at undue risk.

My question for the Premier here today is: will he endeavour to find out…? We’re going to leave here now, but I want to know if the folks who establish the credit rating of this government have been made aware of this particular agreement, and how that has affected, or will affect, our credit rating as the G.N.W.T.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, as we

have our credit rating established through Moody’s and we looked at this borrowing situation, we have been in contact with them. They’re aware of the situation, they have reviewed it, and they feel we’re in a healthy situation and this is something that is affordable if things were to go wrong. The fact is we’re planning things will move along, and we’ll show that this was a good investment for the future of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the

Premier and also to the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. In regard to my Member’s statement on consultation, I read out different

sections of the agreement. It’s very clear the government has an obligation to consult on specific matters, especially on economic measures, the subsurface rights section and also deal with forestry and other elements.

But again, the idea of consultation is not simply sending off a letter, and then if you don’t get a response in two weeks, that’s consultation. I think because of the issue of consultation, it’s critical that consultation basically works for both parties — that you have the time for it and people have the right to consult.

I’d like to ask the Premier, as a government, have we looked at our policies and procedures and ensured they fall in line with exactly what’s spelled out in the land claim agreements for consultation?