Good afternoon, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber.

Before we begin, colleagues, yesterday in the House a number of points of order were raised during oral questions. The first point of order, raised by Mrs. Groenewegen, alleged that the Premier, in response to questions about the Deh Cho Bridge, misled the House. I quote from page 40 of unedited Hansard: “Mr. Speaker, the Premier is not telling the entire story, and he is misleading the House.”

This is not a point of order. In fact, parliamentary rules and practices are clear that an accusation of this sort may only be made by way of substantive motion, not by way of point of order.

In dealing with the point of order, Mr. Ramsay supported Mrs.

Groenewegen by saying, and I

quote again from page 41 of unedited Hansard: “When the Premier can stand in this House and say that the banks are solely responsible for that $160

million, it is not true. It is not true,

Mr. Speaker.” This intervention by Mr. Ramsay led to a second point of order by the Premier under Rule 23(j), which prohibits Members from charging one another with uttering a deliberate falsehood.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with stating in the House that certain information is not accurate. In certain circumstances, it is even acceptable to suggest that certain information is misleading. It is always the case in dealing with allegations of unparliamentary language that the content, tone and intention of the Member speaking must be taken into consideration. The degree of provocation and whether the remarks cause disorder in the House are also relevant.

In reviewing the unedited Hansard, it is clear that Mrs. Groenewegen, in rising to her point of order, and Mr. Ramsay in supporting it, went further than to suggest that the Premier’s answers were misleading or inaccurate. The Members in questions were clearly suggesting that the Premier intended to provide false and misleading information to the House.

Accusations such as this are serious and are not to be made lightly. As Speaker, I encourage lively but respectful debate in this House. The issues that we deal with are important issues. They are issues that the people we represent take seriously and want to see us take seriously.

I find that Mr. Roland has a point of order. While it is unclear whether the point of order was raised solely in response to Mr. Ramsay’s allegations or was intended to cover Mrs. Groenewegen’s earlier comments as well, I find that both crossed a well-established and understood convention of respectful parliamentary debate.

I will first ask Mrs. Groenewegen to withdraw her remarks and apologize to the House.

I withdraw the remarks. I do apologize. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will then ask Mr. Ramsay if he is prepared to withdraw his remarks and apologize to the House.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. I do

withdraw my remarks and apologize to the Premier if I offended him.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay.

Item 2, Ministers’ statements.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise my colleagues that the Department of

Industry, Tourism and Investment has entered into an agreement with Industry Canada that will provide prospective business owners and entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories with an easy and convenient means to access the critical information they need to establish and run a business.

The initiative is called BizPaL. It is an online service that provides businesses with one-stop access to permit and licence information for all levels of Government in the Northwest Territories and across Canada. Future entrepreneurs need only to answer a series of questions on the type of business they want to start or operate and the activities they plan to undertake. The BizPaL system will then automatically generate a list of all permits and licences required by all levels of governments. In addition, BizPaL will guide users to additional background information and links to the government sites where they can learn more and eventually even apply online.

Mr. Speaker, BizPaL will allow N.W.T. residents to cut through the paperwork and red tape that may impede or discourage them from pursuing their dream of owning and operating a small business.

For government, BizPaL provides the assurance that business clients will have information they need to meet all permit and licence requirements quickly and efficiently. It reflects not only this Assembly’s priority to support the development of small businesses and a sustainable local economy but also to seek out more client-focused, service-oriented approaches to delivering government information to N.W.T. residents.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism, for joining us in Yellowknife today on behalf of Industry Canada to formally acknowledge their jurisdiction’s shared commitment to the BizPaL initiative.

Departmental officials will be working in the coming months to finalize our network of N.W.T. partners. And I look forward to adding BizPaL to the growing list of programs and services provided by the G.N.W.T. in support of N.W.T. business.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a serious problem that can significantly disrupt our global environment and affect the ability of Northern residents to lead healthy and productive lives.

The Northwest Territories is a global hot spot, having warmed on average two degrees a year compared to the global average of less than one

degree annually. If greenhouse gases, which cause global warming, continue to be released in large amounts, the North will continue to experience warming during the next few decades.

At the appropriate time today I will be tabling the Northwest Territories Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Report. This collaborative document outlines the problems we are experiencing because of climate change and the actions taken to date to adapt to them.

Members are aware of these problems. Many of you are seeing the effects of climate change in your own communities. These include melting permafrost and its effect on infrastructure, buildings, roads, airport runways and sewage lagoons; greater disruptions to winter roads as seasons get shorter and the ice gets thinner and less reliable; heavier snowfalls and more precipitation causing more pronounced spring flooding; and the introduction of new species of plants and animals as ecosystems begin to respond to warmer temperatures.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a relatively new problem. The impacts described in this report have only started to become problems in the last ten years, but they are growing in severity and affecting entire ecosystems.

We have already started taking actions to adapt to these impacts. We repair and replace foundations that fail and develop new engineering practices to protect and insulate permafrost. Winter road construction techniques have been developed to create thick, load-bearing ice earlier in the season. Permanent bridges have been constructed on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road to protect stream crossings and allow the road to stay open longer.

As impacts emerge, there is a need to ensure our monitoring programs can detect what is happening and, as much as possible, determine how we are going to adapt.

This report discusses immediate actions as well as long-term considerations to deal with these issues. This report provides enough background information to begin developing a climate change adaptation plan for the Northwest Territories.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to work with other departments and stakeholders to better understand climate change, the resulting problems and to develop a plan to support continued actions.

We must demonstrate to the rest of Canada, and the world, that this government and our residents are taking this threat seriously. Only then can we expect the rest of the world to take it seriously too.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise that today the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories announced the signing of a framework agreement that will provide the Northwest Territories with funding of $245.8 million in total over the next seven years.

Interjections.

These dollars are to address public infrastructure needs and priorities in the Northwest Territories.

This funding is made available under the Building Canada plan, which is the Government of Canada’s new long-term infrastructure plan first announced in the 2007 federal budget.

Today we announce the first project that will be funded under this program. The Government of Canada has agreed to cost share the reconstruction of the Kakisa River Bridge.

This urgent priority in the existing capital plan is an important link for most highway traffic coming from other parts of Canada. The wider bridge will improve safety, and the design of the bridge will meet the needs of the Territory for decades to come. No other decisions have been made about projects to be funded.

Today’s announcement of the signing of a framework agreement is the first stage in a two-stage process. The framework agreement sets out the broad categories for eligible projects and the amount of funding to be made available to the Northwest Territories. The second phase, which will begin soon, is the negotiation of the actual funding agreement, which will outline details on project eligibility categories and the project approval process.

Until the funding agreement is actually negotiated and signed, it’s difficult to make final decisions about which projects will be funded. However, Canada has identified the broad categories which will be eligible that reflect the mixture of national priorities and local priorities. National priorities include water and waste water, public transit, highways and green energy projects. Local priorities include sports and culture, disaster mitigation, solid waste management, local roads and airports projects. Within these broad categories, each province and territory needs to negotiate the details of which projects will be eligible.

Generally, the Government of the Northwest Territories will allocate funding to transportation and community infrastructure priorities. Transportation priorities will come from the projects that are

already in our capital plan, from the capital needs assessment and from strategic documents such as Corridors for Canada and the government’s strategic plan.

Community government priorities will be identified in consultation with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and will be based on community capital plans. A list of possible projects will be finalized in the near future for review by the Financial Management Board and by standing committee.

I will be happy to provide my colleagues with progress reports as we continue negotiations on the funding agreement.

I’d like to draw attention to Ministers’ Statements being addressed that aren’t directly as put forward to the House without notice to the Government House Leader.

Mr. Speaker, the third week in February is celebrated across Canada as Heritage Week. This year the theme, “Telling Our Stories,” is particularly relevant to us in the Northwest Territories.

Storytelling is the time-honoured way that people in the North were traditionally educated through the passing on of their histories, cultures and traditions. Storytelling brings us together as a community, and it connects the generations.

I would like to highlight some of the Heritage Week events that will be taking place across the Northwest Territories this week.

The Fort Simpson Heritage Society and the Open Sky Creative Society are organizing activities that will focus on showcasing local history by telling the stories of individual families.

The City of Yellowknife Heritage Committee kicked off its celebration of Heritage Week last Sunday with an afternoon of storytelling.

The Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith has a full week of programs, including moccasin, beaver mitt and Metis sash crafting workshops led by local artisans, tours of the museum and a display of historical photos.

The Norman Wells Historical Centre is featuring an exhibit of moosehide craftwork by Sahtu Dene artisan Myrtle Harrison. Ms. Harrison was an NWT Arts Council recipient in 2005 for her work in traditional hide tanning.

The NWT Mining Heritage Society in Yellowknife is exhibiting George Hunter’s black and white

photographs at the Gourmet Cup coffee shop. The photos feature gold and uranium mining in N.W.T. in the 1950s, based on the book Not Only Gold. The display will remain until February 23.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre continues to feature the recently opened exhibition, Yamória: the one who travels. This exhibition tells many stories about this Dene hero through stories told by elders. This exhibit is well worth a trip to the museum if you have not been there recently.

I encourage Members and all Northerners to celebrate our heritage this week and all year round by continuing to share our oral history through our stories. Mahsi.

I am pleased to rise today and extend my very best wishes to the 350 athletes, coaches and managers who will make up Team NWT at the 2008 Arctic Winter Games being held here in Yellowknife from March 9 to 15.

For nearly a year now young people from across the Northwest Territories have been preparing themselves physically and mentally for this opportunity. They have been challenged along the way through regional and Territorial selections in order to achieve their goal of representing the Northwest Territories at this prestigious international celebration of sport and culture.

I congratulate all of the youth who have set these goals and challenged themselves to be the best through this process. Over 1,200 athletes and coaches attended the regional trials and over 819 will have attended the Territorials.

As these athletes move forward, I feel that it is important that we also acknowledge the monumental contributions that volunteers and parents make to support the youth. Without the coaches or referees or the track setters or scorekeepers or the thousands of others who give freely of their time, we would not be able to have a Team NWT. We owe these people our heartfelt thanks.

I also want to thank all of our sport and recreation partners who have contributed to this process. Our partners include the Sport North Federation and its member Territorial sport organizations, the Beaufort Delta Sahtu Recreation Association, the Mackenzie Recreation Association and the community governments who have hosted various selection events along the way. These partners have provided guidance and support and organized the many selection events across the Northwest Territories that have resulted in the final selection of Team NWT.

As Team NWT now goes through final preparations before the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Arctic Winter Games, I encourage them to continue to work hard and do their very best as always. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will deliver the budget address on Thursday, May 22, 2008.

Item 3, Members’ statements.

Today I rise on an issue we’ve heard a lot about over the last couple of weeks: the area of consultation.

It’s a fundamental right. It’s also right to have come by the way of land claim agreements and court cases and court challenges. Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important to realize that we do have an obligation to consult, regardless of whether it’s through a legal case in the Supreme Court of Canada or a land claim agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll read the definition that it’s the Gwich’in Land Claim Agreement, which says:

“‘Consultation’ means (a) the provision, to the party to be consulted, of notice of a matter to be decided in sufficient form and detail to allow that party to prepare its views on the matter; (b) the provision of a reasonable period of time in which the party to be consulted may prepare its views on the matter, and provision of an opportunity to present such views to the party obliged to consult; and (c) full and fair consideration by the party obliged to consult of any views presented.”

Mr. Speaker, the land claim agreement is clear. They do have these obligations clearly spelled out. It’s clear. I’ll read under economic measures, chapter 10, Division Agreement. Again, 10.1.3 clearly states:

“Where government proposes economic development programs related to the objectives…government shall consult with the Gwich’in Tribal Council. (b) Government shall meet with the Gwich’in Tribal Council not less than once every three years to review the effectiveness of programs relating to the objectives under 10.1.1.”

10.1.1 clearly states:

“Government economic development programs in the settlement area shall take into account the following objectives: (a) that the traditional Gwich’in economy

should be maintained and strengthened; and (b) that the Gwich’in should be economically self-sufficient.”

Mr. Speaker, under another section dealing with forestry, under the forestry management section, those agreements, again, under section 13.1.10:

“Government may consult the Board on any matter which affects forestry and forestry management and shall seek the timely advice of the Board on the following matters: (a) draft legislation respecting forestry and forestry management including the fighting and control of forest fires; (b) land use policies or draft legislation….

Mr.

Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to

conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Mr.

Speaker, going on to the

subsurface section of the agreement again, section 21.1.6:

“The Government of the Northwest Territories shall involve the Gwich’in in the development and implementation of any Northern Accord on oil and gas development in the Northwest Territories which is negotiated pursuant to the enabling agreement, dated September 5, 1988, between Canada and Government of the Northwest Territories.”

Mr. Speaker, 21.1.7:

“Government agrees to consult the Gwichi’in Tribal Council in relation to any proposed legislation which affects only the Northwest Territories or only Yukon and the Northwest Territories and which (a) regulates the exploration, development or production of subsurface resources in the settlement area; or (b) establishes requirements for subsurface rights issuance in relation to subsurface resources in the settlement area.

Mr. Speaker, the point I’m trying to make here is that as government, as individuals, the process of consultation is fundamental to whatever we do regardless of if it’s in the Legislative Assembly or through land claim agreements.

With that, I will be asking the Premier some questions in regard to consultation, especially in regard to the process of land claim agreements.

Today I’d like to talk about the awesome brain.

I know this House is all for healthy families and vibrant communities. I’ve recently learned about brain development in the young child. I realize there are implications and opportunities for enhancing the

efficiency and effectiveness of many of our government programs.

I would like to share some of the researchers’ new insights on the brain. At birth there are over 100 billion brain cells, or building blocks, that make up our brain. They are especially designed for communicating among themselves across the spaces between them. Communication between brain cells occurs through electrochemical signals. When these connections are made, they shape our thoughts, our feelings, our capacity to think and learn.

Of all the incredible numbers of pathways or connections that can be established, only those that are used during our first two years actually become hard-wired and established for life. By age three a child’s brain has formed 1,000 trillion connections. From birth to 18 months the brain forms connections that have to do with emotional attachments. From birth to four years the connections deal with visual development, colours, shapes and distances. From one to five years connections are made to learn music and math and, from birth to ten years, capacity for language development.

Our programs need to help families enhance the development of these connections in the wee child in the best ways possible. Under the right conditions and day-to-day experiences, what the baby sees, hears, touches, tastes, smells and feels actually shape the brain, form connections and cause the brain to grow larger and more active.

The very best way to develop a child’s brain is to nurture and love your children and expose them to a variety of new experiences. An environment lacking love and experiences starves the brain. The neurons don't connect. It’s love that grows brains.

One final note, Mr. Speaker. Beginning about age ten, the brain starts pruning, or getting rid of, cells and connections that are seldom or never used. The hard-wired pathways that are often used, however, are kept and become stronger and more efficient. This knowledge can help guide our efforts to reduce and reinvest wisely. For example, from birth to age ten, it is easiest to learn languages. This has implications.

Mr.

Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to

conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

As a government we need to work with young families to increase the awareness of when and how these brain connections are made. Let’s use this knowledge to guide our support of early childhood development programs, language nests, and parenting and family support.

Let us, as leaders in this government, have the vision to increase awareness and provide the programs to ensure that our children’s brains grow to their full potential. They are our future. Thank you. Mahsi.

Mr.

Speaker, the G.N.W.T. is

currently faced with reducing spending by $135 million over the next two years. Through this process, we need to be cautious. We need to ensure that reductions don't adversely affect the public or staff. At the very least we need to minimize these impacts as much as possible. We need to spend wisely and maximize the benefit of the dollars we spend.

So where do we look? One area we might want to consider is the bonuses that we pay. Last year this government paid $1.6 million in bonuses. The majority of these went to 16 deputy ministers and 176 senior managers.

Deputy ministers in this government make an average of $184,000 a year, while senior managers make an average of $127,000 a year. In addition, the Power Corp paid out $532,930 in bonuses last year.

I’m not suggesting that bonuses don't have value. I’m simply suggesting that we need to review them to ensure that we're getting best value per dollar.

This government may want to review its criteria for awarding bonuses. We may get better value for our dollars if bonuses were provided to all employees — not just DMs and senior managers — who identify real and effective ways to reduce spending and create efficiencies within the public service. Two point one million dollars is equivalent to around 21 public service jobs.

Let’s make sure all options are considered before jobs are cut.

Mr.

Speaker, mahsi. [English

translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, this winter in my region there were many, many deaths of my people. We lost fathers and mothers, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and it caused a great deal of pain and upset in many, many families, which affected our whole community and the region as a whole, because we’re all inter-related.

We do not always know the ways of the Heavenly Father and do not always understand why we lose loved ones, Mr. Speaker. What I would like to do today is to wish for all precious healing time and reflections upon the lives of the people that have left us this winter, and to go on with the lessons that they have shared with us and left behind.

I wish for all the people who have been affected my best wishes of courage, strength and wisdom as we move on. Mahsi cho.

Yesterday in response to a question I had asked on the realities of working at the Department of Human Resources, the Minister said they had reduced the backlog of final pays by 50 per cent. To my knowledge the backlog has been there since the department was first formed two years ago. So 50 per cent, Mr. Speaker, is nothing to be proud of.

What about grievances? How is the department dealing with grievances? I’m aware of some that are at least two and a half years outstanding. Is this an acceptable standard? Has the Minister talked to any of the front-line staff at Human Resources? I remember a former Minister of Justice who stood in this House, day in and day out, saying nothing was wrong at North Slave Correction Centre. He listened solely to his senior managers and DM. He did not listen to me or the front-line workers, who were insisting that all was not right at North Slave Correctional Centre.

Finally he agreed to an HR review at the facility, and there were many deficiencies that had to be addressed. The moral of the story, Mr. Speaker, is that — to the Ministers — you cannot just listen to your DM or your senior managers. You have to listen to your front-line workers, those in the trenches every day, and the MLAs who are across from you, bringing their issues up in this House. That’s where you’ll find out what’s really going on.

Human Resources also has to do a better job when it comes to staffing vacant positions and communicating the process. Mr. Speaker, I believe we need to look at a system like they use in Alberta, where there is the ability to check competition status online. It shows the posted closing dates and also if the position is in the screening, interview or offer stage. At least this way, it gives applicants some kind of idea where things are at. They’re not waiting five and six months to see where their job status is at.

Here in the Legislative Assembly we throw the word “accountability” around quite often, but rarely do we put it into place to ensure it happens. Mr. Speaker, I

think a system like they use in Alberta, here in the Northwest Territories, would give HR some much-needed accountability.

This is the last day of the sitting of this particular Legislature, and true to form, I want to talk about the Deh Cho Bridge.

Mr. Speaker, I want to summarize once again for people what has been provided to us in terms of information and responses to our very good and valid questions. We don’t ask these questions for fun; we ask these questions because we are the conduit for the public to become aware of the government. If we’re not going to have this debate on the floor of the House, well then, to me, really, you might just have appointed an administrator to take over running the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, in the last government two motions were brought forward by the Regular Members and cast in this House. I’d like to read them into the record again:

“Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the G.N.W.T. undertake and disclose updated economic modelling showing that the Deh Cho Bridge project anticipated so few economic impacts and benefits as it did in 2003, and further, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the G.N.W.T. defer signing any further agreement concerning the Deh Cho Bridge until after the 16th Assembly is in office.”

That was one motion that was passed in this House, Mr. Speaker, and here’s the gist and the tail end of another one:

“Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommend that government not enter into a binding agreement committing it to the Deh Cho Bridge project until it has provided Regular Members with an up-to-date analysis of the expected cost of living impacts of the bridge on Yellowknife, and the Tlicho communities and the Behchoko communities, the estimated social impacts and economic benefits for the community of Fort Providence, and the exact total cost of the Deh Cho Bridge to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and giving Regular Members an opportunity to comment on the bridge should it proceed based on that information.”

For anyone to say that the Members of the previous government and this government were not interested in the details of this bridge project is absolutely not correct.

One of the first things that we questioned the government about after getting re-elected to this House — I can speak for myself — was where we were at in terms of commitments to the Deh Cho

Bridge. Again, we were not informed that the concession agreement had been signed. Then, on further questioning as to our government’s liability, we were told our liability extent was the $9 million for the loan guarantee. In fact, this government is on the hook for the $165 million that it is going to cost us to undertake this project and probably untold other expenses that will be seen as eligible costs over run.

Mr. Speaker, on the second day of session I brought up the issue of the fuel shortage in Inuvik. This is a couple of weeks later, and after some correspondence back and forth, I find today that we are no better off than we were before. As a matter of fact, we are in worse shape than we were before.

The reason I bring that up is that talking to one of the gas bars up there, I was informed that they were critically low on fuel and that they weren’t getting anymore, and that it had to be trucked in from Edmonton. At the other gas bar up there, it is trucked in from Whitehorse. And all of this while Esso has a tank down there with a certain amount of fuel in it that they figure they have the right to ration to these folks, who then have to bring fuel in up by truck. They don’t want to, but to recover some of their costs, they have to pass it down on to the consumer.

I was informed yesterday that the prices have gone up again for gas in Inuvik. They are expected to go up again.

The reason that I have brought this up again is because I got a call from a senior last night who had some grave concerns about the prices continually going up. It is tough on seniors who are living on fixed incomes and who stay in their own houses and are paying a lot of their own expenses. This is extremely difficult on them. A lot of these folks go out on the land, and this affects them. Everything is going up in Inuvik. Everything is going up.

I feel for the agent and the two gas suppliers up there, who in my opinion are being held hostage by the supplier, being Esso. They have the gas there, but they think they have the right to hold it back, and the prices are going up and it is affecting everything up there. The private industry…. The government has an obligation to protect the consumers.

I will be posing questions to the Premier at the appropriate time to see what this government can do to bridge the gap between the supplier and the consumer.