Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about our traditional activities taking place right now back home in Nunakput. Each year geese return to provide a good source of food for many constituents in Nunakput. Not only food — the traditional activity means families being able to spend quality time together. This is important, because this allows elders the opportunity to pass on more traditional knowledge to the younger generation.

Mr. Speaker, with the high cost of food in all my Nunakput communities, geese hunting provides an important economic food source and is also very healthy. Traditional activities such as geese hunting play an important role for many families all across the North. Although we are in times of fiscal restraint, we cannot forget about the important traditional activities. We must do our part as a government to assist and support traditional, on-the-land and aboriginal language programs. All communities are shore communities, and geese-hunting means travel on both land and sea.

This time of the year also is the time for melting, and I’d like to take the opportunity to remind my constituents in Nunakput, while they are travelling on the land and returning home, to be safe.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was trying to decide on a topic to speak to today, and I didn’t have one until I got in here and I heard my colleague from Mackenzie Delta mention dust. Right away I thought of the Dempster Highway, so I thought that is a good topic to speak of today. It is Friday and a lot of people from Inuvik will be driving out on the highway. I believe the ferries are in, so there will be a lot of traffic on the highways. I think the Department of Transportation relies on dust control, but this time of year all of their dust control melts; it is called “snow.”

I had the opportunity last weekend — I was in Inuvik — to go for a picnic, and I couldn’t believe the amount of dust that was there. There was a bit of dust control, but I blinked and I missed it. Mr. Speaker, when the dust clears, you realize that you have passed where you were going. It is an awfully dangerous highway. I don’t know what it is going to take for the department to realize that they need to do something about that highway. Not only for the travelling public, and it being the 50th anniversary of Inuvik…. We are expecting quite a few visitors for the homecoming. They are going to have to drive that highway, but we have to think about the safety and well-being of the people in the Beaufort-Delta who drive that highway all the time.

We hear some of the Members talk about your highways down here and how terrible they are. I have had the opportunity to drive them, and I tell you: you drive the Dempster Highway and you’ll never be complaining about these highways down here again. That’s all we are asking. We are not asking to chipseal from Inuvik to the border, even though that would be nice. I hope I am alive to see that day. I probably would have to live for a couple hundred of years to see that. We are not asking for pavement. All we are asking for is some dust control from Inuvik to the NWT border so that we have the opportunity to enjoy some of the same driving conditions you have down here.

We have the opportunity to actually finally see some of the beautiful country on the Dempster Highway — as I’ve said before, you don’t want to take your eyes off the road on that highway because you never know where you are going to end up. It has been proven before Mr. Speaker; unfortunately, we lost a few people to the driving conditions on that highway. I don’t think it was because of the driving. I think it was just the state of the highway itself. I’d like to see Transportation seriously look into it. If nothing is going to be done

about it, then changes might need to be made within the department.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 4, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Mr.

Speaker, it gives me great

pleasure to recognize Mr. Robert Charlie. He is originally from Fort McPherson; he lives in Inuvik. He used to work for NorthwesTel for over 30 years. He has also been the chair of Gwich’in council since its inception in 1992. I’d also like to mention that Robert’s dad was one of the first aboriginal appointees to the Territorial Council in the Northwest Territories. It is those commitments that his dad has made to the Territories…where we are where we are today. Again, Robert is one of the candidates running for the presidency of the Gwich’in Tribal Council

and I wish Robert all the

best on the campaign trail. I know what it is like to campaign, but have at ’er!

I’d like to recognize Mrs. Candace Brown, who’s actually been watching the proceedings all week. She’s a constituent from Fort Simpson. Welcome, and hope you had fun this week.

Today I’d like to recognize my two Pages from my home community of Tuktoyaktuk, Ms. Caitlin Walker and Ms. Chelsea Raddi, for the good work they’ve done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to recognize a constituent of mine from Inuvik, Val Robertson, who’s here with the UNW and has been watching our proceedings for the past week. Welcome.

I, too, want to recognize Val Robinson, a former grade 12 student at Samuel Hearne Secondary School.

I, too, would like to recognize a couple of Pages in this Assembly: Trina Weyallon from Behchoko and Edie Erasmus from Behchoko. You’re doing a great job. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation.

1) Why is the lodge not currently operational?

2) Can it be refurbished to be operational?

3) What costs are incurred annually by the GNWT

for the upkeep and operation of the building?

4) What are the total annual costs for this

building?

5) Since the closure of the facility in 2003 and up

to today’s date, what is the total dollar amount spent by the GNWT for this facility?

6) What are the future plans for this facility?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the opening address. Item 11, replies to the budget address, day seven of seven. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Item 16, notices of motion. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, June 2, 2008, I will move the following motion.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Notices of motion. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, June 2, 2008, I will move the following motion.

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories call on the

federal government to extend the housing programs due to expire on March 31, 2009; and further, that the Legislative Assembly strongly urges the Government of Canada to commit to discussing a long-term funding strategy with the provinces and territories; and further, that a copy of this motion be sent to the House of Commons.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, with Bill 8, Tabled Document 37-16(2), Committee Report 6-16(2), Committee Report 7-16(2), with Mr. Krutko in the chair.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order.

In consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters is Bill 8, Committee Report 2-16(2), Committee Report 3-16(2), Committee Report 4-16(2), Committee Report 5-16(2), Committee Report 6-16(2), Committee Report 7-16(2), Tabled Document 37-16(2).

What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the wish of the committee today is to proceed with the Main Estimates for the Department of Justice.

Does committee agree?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Does the committee agree?