As I also mentioned, I believe 1.2 million pounds of fish were caught in the South Slave, brought to the fish plant in Hay River. I think 68,000 pounds were caught in the North Slave, and I think 10,000 up in the Mackenzie Delta. Clearly, the vast majority of work is in Hay River. There is an agriculture strategy, which the most employment and industry is going to be created in Hay River. Same with the fishery strategy. When the Minister says "pan-territorial," everything I am saying, it seems to be in the South. The only thing that I can think of that is really pan-territorial is these community gardens that are in all the communities. Is that what the Minister is referring to, the community garden aspect of the agriculture?

There are a couple of things I want to say. First of all, Norman Wells grew 9,000 pounds of potatoes. That's not some small, little community garden we are talking about. There is a region at looking at extending their agriculture. I have had conversations with people in Fort Good Hope who want to do commercial agriculture in their region as well.

As much as the South Slave is maybe thinking they are the agricultural hub of the Northwest Territories, there are a number of communities that are already reaching out and doing it. Gameti is another good example, with what they have been able to accomplish there with the small amount of funds that we made available to them. We want to grow this industry to make people self-sufficient in the Northwest Territories, and I don't think the discussion should be about if there is a job in Hay River or Yellowknife. This is about growing the industry, and diversifying our economy in the Northwest Territories.

I am glad to hear that agriculture is sprouting out to all over the territory. I guess my issue is that I have seen that fish plant sitting in Hay River, no work being done to it for decades, and its industry sort of floating along there. Things are moving now, but I cannot help but think that if the person who is responsible for driving the sector had to drive by that fish plant every day, things might move a little faster. Will the Minister at least commit to looking into the idea of moving this? Can he commit to exploring the benefits that might come out of having this positon in Hay River?

I have made my position quite clear on this. I want to talk about fishing a little bit because he's talking about fishing. I had just happened to have the opportunity to go to the fish plant last week when I was home. One thing I can say, yes, fishing is a big part of Hay River industry, but the Member from the Beau-Del there, from Mr. Blake, has approached us about doing commercial fishing in Northwest Territories. This is going to have greater implications than just in Hay River, plus we also have money set aside, $1.4 million invested in the Hay River plant as we move forward, if we can make a deal with Freshwater and the federal government.

Masi. Again, I would like to remind Members to refer to Members in their riding, please. Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's comments. I'd love to see that there is agriculture throughout the territory. There is commercial fishing growing throughout the territory, but if it is so important to have the position in Yellowknife because this is pan-territorial, how come the superintendent from the South Slave is going up to the Beaufort Delta to look into the fish plant? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason the superintendent from the South Slave is going to the Mackenzie Delta to help them on how to move their fishing industry forward is because all the experience that he has dealing with the Freshwater Fishing Corporation and Tlicho Investment Corporation, and he deals with the fishermen on a day-to-day basis as problems come and arise, and helps them move their businesses forward. Why wouldn't we send someone with that amount of experience to help introduce a new industry into the Mackenzie Delta?

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a set of questions that deal with the unfounded sexual assault complaints for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The questions for Justice really deal with what has happened after the fact, but Health and Social Services is in charge of prevention.

My first question is: how is the department integrating the Globe's findings into the work that it is doing, or planning to do, in combatting violence against women, and family violence? Mahsi.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have had some discussions between myself and the deputy about The Globe and Mail article and the very disturbing findings in there. I was really happy to hear the work that Justice is doing with the RCMP to attempt to change some of those results for the better.

In the Department of Health and Social Services, we are focusing on a couple of different areas. One of them is prevention. We are utilizing programs like what will it take to get out there and work with residents across the territories to change the perspective, change the attitudes around domestic, as well as violence against women.

We are also working on a different campaign, a series of rants that are very specific to individuals, sort of issues that are raised or coming up, the myth that perpetrators of family violence are simply have a difficulty with anger, that it is not the victim's fault. We are trying to address those issues through a number of these rants. Those are available online in movie theatres and other means across the Northwest Territories. We are making sure that we are trying to incorporate as much national data in those as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for what sounds like a promising approach. I note that What Will It Take is really about empowering bystanders to intervene in family violence situations. I think that that is another downstream problem. The upstream problem is consent. I think that that is the approach that needs to be taken now, is to ensure that people understand what consent is. I am wondering if the Minister has any plans to pursue that line of thought?

The Member raises a solid point, and it is a good point. What Will It Take does have significant value. There is no evaluation framework, and that is something that I have committed to working on so that we can see what kind of benefits we are getting over time. We know that social marketing does and can play a key role in challenging people's perceptions, or bringing greater public attention. I take the Member's point, and I think the point the Member is raising is something we might be able to build into one of our future rants that we are sitting out there to get that information out. I would certainly love to sit down with the Member and get more of her thoughts on that particular area, to see how we might be able to incorporate that into one of our future rants as far as getting the information out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his openness to this idea. One of the things that we have discussed previously -- I know he is working on some kind of an evaluation for What Will It Take. We have also talked about the possibility of redoing the family violence attitude survey. I'm wondering if the Minister is willing to work with his colleague, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, to find the money and make this repeat of the family violence survey happen?

I want to be clear that I am not saying "no," but it is going to sound an awful lot like "no." The survey was done in 2007. There is a lot of information coming from a lot of different stakeholders about the problems of domestic violence and violence against women. We are in a fiscal environment where we have got to make sure that we are getting as much maximum benefit for every dollar we spend. I guess my question to the Member and the Members opposite is: would I be better positioned to spend money on a survey, or would I be better positioned to spend money on the family violence shelters, putting more money into the awareness campaigns to help change attitudes, change beliefs, and put more money into the health centres to ensure that our healthcare providers are prepared, adequately prepared, to deal with the trauma that individuals who have experienced a sexual assault coming into the health centres are experiencing?

So I guess my question is back to the Members. Is this something we want to make a priority? If it is, if the committee tells me it is, I will certainly pursue that. I am always interested and willing to work with my colleagues, but I guess my question is: is that where we want to invest right now, or do we want to invest in these other areas?

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I like the trend in this question period where I am asked the question. Mr. Speaker, the question about the family violence attitude survey, it is $100,000. That is what it cost before, and it is a very important planning tool in order for the government to make the best use of the money they have in preventing family violence. I would like to think that it is not an either/or. I would like to think that, where the Minister is careful to do planning in other parts of his portfolio, that he would also consider this to be an important planning tool.

I recognize that money is limited, but prevention is really a cost-saving measure. If women are not assaulted in the first place, then they don't need the justice system, the health system, victim services, and all the other supports that result from being assaulted. So, I would like the Minister once again to consider putting this into the next business plan so that we can get a grip on what exactly needs to be done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I didn't say no to the Member's request, but we do have to look at the work that is being done in the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I think there is a lot of information out there already about the significant negative impacts that this issue is having on residents of the Northwest Territories. I would much rather invest in more prevention than doing another survey, but if it is the wish of committee, if committee tells me that that is something they want to see, investment in surveys instead of actions, I am prepared to take their direction and lead on that.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Masi. Minister of Human Resources.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. There is work that is being done. Thank you.

Is there work being done on ensuring that the affirmative action is being followed?