Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This weekend I had occasion to speak to a friend who is a long-time Northerner. She said to me, “Jane, what’s devolution?” Simple question. I said, “Simply, it’s the turning over of federal responsibility for the management of Crown lands and natural resources on and under those lands, and the transfer of decision-making from federal politicians, bureaucrats and federally appointed boards to Northerners. It’s about transferring the jobs associated with those responsibilities to the North. It’s also about sharing a portion of the royalties for the extraction of those resources to northern governments.” Then she said, “So why are the chiefs not on board?”

Now, I would not stand here in this House today and purport to speak for the chiefs of the Northwest Territories, but I told her that I believed to some extent it has to do with what is considered to be a fair share of those royalties for Aboriginal governments.

In this dialogue about this devolution and resource revenue sharing I have heard it said by some leaders that this government is not our government. In a Territory of 42,000 people, where we as leaders are called upon to deliver programs and services to all of our people, I don’t know how many governments we need to deliver health or education or social services.

May I suggest that no matter who you are in the Northwest Territories, when you pull up to the door

of the Stanton Territorial Hospital in the middle of the night with a sick child, this is your government. The government will come for you in so many ways as a Northerner. I don’t know how many more governments at which levels we can afford to have.

We elect representatives from all over this Northwest Territories. I never understand how, when they cross the threshold of this door, there’s a perception that now they’re on an opposing team. We’re all leaders. We’re all here for the same reason. We’re all here for the benefit of the people that we serve.

It’s particularly, if I might say, interesting when people who have served in this House for many years say this is not their government, because it is their government on the day they pick up their pension cheques, I’m sure.

How long will we lose the struggle with Canada for northern control and benefit of northern resources by default? What is it going to take to bring unity of northern leadership for the benefit of northern people? If our government has created distrust of our government by failing to equally and fairly consider the needs of all Northerners outside of the capital, then it’s high time that this culture of centralization does change.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Please, for the benefit of the economies and the common sense of working together for the benefit of Northerners, let’s seriously listen to each other and let’s see where a unified voice for the North can take us.

All the best to the Premier as he goes out to the regions in the next weeks and months to have that dialogue with Northerners.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to return to a topic I have raised in this House before which continues to be of great concern to me. It’s a matter of government red tape and how frustrating and problematic it is for small business. It’s nothing but a roadblock and a burden on our industry.

Red tape restricts small business activities, creates more paperwork and leads to frustration. Of course, we all recognize the need for regulatory regulations and reporting, but there must be clear and reasonable requirements. I also empathize with small business owners and employees who must

deal with the bureaucratic tangling of paper, which certainly is a tricky web that’s been weaved.

In a recent report, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 73 percent of its members reported that regulations cause significant stress, and 26 percent -- that’s one in four business owners -- say they might not have gone into business had they known about all the paperwork and requirements in the regulations they are faced with. Last year CFIB identified the Northwest Territories was lagging behind every other jurisdiction in Canada. They often raise this as a particular issue that needs to be addressed by this government.

Consider some examples: business costs of negotiating the regulatory process and exploration of mining, the records that small airlines may be required to complete for non-scheduled flights for hunters and fishers, for the transportation of wildlife. Many businesses, such as liquor stores, must provide extensive documentation for their operations and many times they ask me: what’s the point of this? Just to keep someone employed?

In 2010, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been noted for their hard work leading the response by the call of business to address the burdensome paperwork. Last month at CFIB’s Second Annual Red Tape Awareness Week the Prime Minister of Canada announced the creation of a Red Tap Reduction Commission. It’s hard to believe, but even Ottawa gets it.

The reality here is the GNWT needs to follow the lead of other jurisdictions and reach out to our northern businesses, our true economy of our North, and ensure that we get their values on how to deal with the red tape burden that’s being put on them. They want to be involved, they want to report, but a lot of times they find it a waste of time and pointless. Let’s ensure our businesses are busy making money and not filling out useless government paperwork.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention in the gallery to some special visitors today. We have 10 young women and men who are visiting us for a few days from the Ontario Legislature Internship Program. They are here to observe consensus government in action. I may want to encourage Members to be on their best behaviour today.

I would like to recognize Byran Bossis, Melissa Cernigoy, Natalie Desimini, Thomas Maidwell, Katherine Preiss, Erica Rayment, Michael Smith,

Charles Thompson, Sasha Tregebov and Lisa Marie Williams. On behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly, may I extend a warm welcome to the Northwest Territories and to our Chamber.

Also, colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the visitor’s gallery to our Conflict of Interest Commissioner, Gerry Gerrand, in the House today.

The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Aurora College students currently enrolled in the Introduction to Government class here in Yellowknife. The students are: Tuan Tran, Nichelle Hernblad, Delores Lacorne, Arisa Komi, Sean Erasmus, Warren Mpofu, Karen Horn, and also the instructor, Arthur Osborne. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to welcome and recognize a Grade 6 Intense French class from Range Lake North School, who are here to watch consensus government in action. I’d like to recognize, with the indulgence of the House, each one of them: Viktor Hugo Antolin Gutierrez, Julienne Apaga, Carson Asmundson, Taylor Beck, Erika Callahan, Emma Cameron, Advent Joshua Cruz, Brady Daniels, Sarah DuPlessis, Tori Forsbloom, Hannah Fowler, Hayley Gibson, Daniel Guardado, Michelle Lee -- who is also my niece, Jasmine Li, Tatianna Lim, Iain MacKay, Melissa MacLellan, Angus Martin, Taltson McQueen, Ashley Peddle, Kirsten Peterson, Dylan Roesch, Matthew Slade, Ashley Stride, Anika von Allmen, Sean Ward, Andrew Young, and the teacher, Ms. Jodie Lee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s an honour for me today to welcome Ms. Christine Falardeau. Her husband, Martin Falardeau, is a ranger instructor with Joint Task Force North. I know she’s a part of the teaching staff at Range Lake North School. Thank you for coming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I’d like to recognize a friend, Delores Lacorne.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. If we’ve missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber. We hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. It’s always nice to have an audience in here.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister of Health and Social Services, getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the status of the sterilization equipment located at Stanton Hospital. This equipment is used to sterilize surgical instruments for performance in the operating room. I’d like to ask the Minister, if I can begin by asking her what the current status of the sterilization equipment is that’s required to sterilize these instruments at that hospital.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for the question. Mr. Speaker, I can advise you that Stanton has identified three definite and two possible post-surgical site infections. In June a quality audit of all processes from the CSR to patient care units was conducted to ensure that Stanton was following best practices. Dr. Kandola, chief public health officer, reviewed the audit and has endorsed the practices Stanton has followed. Surgical site infections are a risk for all surgeries.

I can also advise the House that Stanton’s SSI rate has been within the national average of 3 percent over the last number of years. Mr. Speaker, the staff and the management of the authority are on top of this issue. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, June was eight months ago. I’m wondering, if I could, to the Minister: when did the hospital become aware of the deficiencies with that equipment and once the deficiencies were found, were operations still conducted, were surgeries still conducted at that hospital in light of the findings of that report in June? Thank you.

Infection control and the review of incidents of infections is a part of the regular business in running a hospital. Our hospital keeps up with all of the national standards and they are engaged in constant review. Mr. Speaker, the management are in touch with what is happening at the hospital and they take action as it becomes necessary. I can also advise the Member, following on his Member’s statement, there are restricted numbers of surgeries being conducted at the

hospital because they are waiting for parts for their surgical sterilization equipment. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, if they’re waiting for parts, I’m just wondering how long has this been going on for. My understanding is it’s been three weeks that surgeries have been cancelled at that hospital and only emergency surgeries are being performed. I’d like to ask the Minister how long has this been going on. I will wait and ask another question after that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we should be aware that surgeons and the staff can organize and cancel surgeries at any time if they have any concern with the scheduling or the equipment or any of the procedures. I think it’s important for everybody to know that all the procedures followed are the ones that are accepted nationally. We don’t have any more infection incidents than any other parts of the country. We are, in fact, below the national standard. All instruments used in the OR meet current Canadian Standards Association standards for sterilization.

Mr. Speaker, the decisions they make about reorganizing schedules and cancelling surgeries as required, the staff make those decisions all the time. I need to make sure that the people are aware that the authority is aware of this, the surgeons are aware of this, management is aware of this. They’re taking all appropriate actions and while we are working to address this issue, we should not be causing undue alarm. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like surgeries are being cancelled because the hospital is waiting for parts. I’d like to think it has nothing to do with increased rates of post-operative infection, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister: have we seen an increase in post-operative infections at that hospital going back the last four months? Thank you.