Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am still looking for some indication that the department will be seeking some kind of a framework or an administrative arrangement that will be able to bring all this together, if you will. The phrase that we often use is a "one-stop shop", right now, if some inquiry came out of the blue and said "I would like to know something about oil and gas or the gas development in the Northwest Territories". I am wondering who or what office I would send them to start with, because it is certainly evident that there are many tentacles starting to grow from this thing. This is a good thing. We need to build our capacity, but to centralize and coordinate is what I am looking for, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to look at an area regarding preparations for eventual gas development down in the Mackenzie Valley. In some of the briefing information that the department supplied to our committee, under a number of the department's initiatives, it talks about things underway under oil and gas. Under corporate management, reference to the Mackenzie Valley Development Planning Process, which I understand has petroleum and gas development at its core. Under environmental protection, there is reference to gas development. Under trade and investment, developing a report on issues related to value added potential. Under community, economic development services, developing economic models. Minerals, oil and gas, of course, three or four bullets talked about gas and pipeline development.

Our committee was also informed from a letter by the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) that organization has put together a northern group focused on gearing up for this. My question, Mr. Chairman, while all these things are taking shape under the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, does the Minister see a kind of central or coordinating agency that will be an umbrella, that will be a central focus for not only this government's work, but other government's departments as well in gearing up for this?

The context of my question, I guess I can relate it back to the diamond development. When that potential really started to become evident early in the 1990s, government was scrambling to catch up on its intelligence and get up to speed on its capacity. I wonder if we are seeing the same thing with the pipeline development. Is the government trying to look at this in a coordinated fashion?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too support this motion and urge every Member of this Assembly to join in and send a signal to Ottawa, and support our Member of Parliament in her efforts. It is also apparent, Mr. Speaker, that the clock is ticking. The federal government has a year-end coming up in just four short days. My understanding is that is very significant to some actions that could be taken. I hope that once this Assembly does pass this motion, it is transmitted to Ottawa post-haste, and lends our voice to any action they can take.

I would also like to address, Mr. Speaker, along with this very disturbing issue, the other legacies of the Giant Mine that are left in the wake of the bankruptcy. Definitely the pension issue and the unfairness to those employees is number one on the list. There is another significant one that is still unresolved and that is the matter of layoff notice, as described not only in our own labour laws, but in contracts that the miners had, which are still unresolved.

Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of creditors in Yellowknife, the Northwest Territories and Canada who were left holding the bag when Royal Oak was forced to close. Our own city has already dealt with the matter of a very large back-tax bill. Our own government has an exposure of about $1.7 million on bad debt to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation that will never be resolved.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Ms. Lee, has already addressed the yet unresolved legacy of the surface and the underground cleanup. We are still engaged with our own Workers' Compensation Board in action regarding the widows of the blast several years ago.

Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Giant Mine is something that will continue to haunt this community and this Assembly. Let us deal with it responsibly and compassionately. We will have more on our plate over the coming years. I am confident of that. We are doing the right thing today with our action on behalf of the pensioners. Once again, I speak in support of the motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, full marks to the department for including a very broad swath of community in it. I would like to ask, is the survey going to be one that goes across all ages, especially into the schools and the very young people? As we are learning more and more, early childhood development is an area where we can make a great impact, and do it very efficiently.

Is it going into the youth and young people as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister more about this phase two needs assessment. I am pleased the department has recognized that this needs to be done. My question is how inclusive is this survey, Mr. Speaker, of non-government organizations? There a large number of very well qualified and well skilled community and non-government organizations to help with this survey. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Related to that is a recent survey that was done of disabilities in the Northwest Territories. This was a very extensive survey. I do not know if the results have been compiled yet, but there was some controversy, Mr. Speaker, because the survey was not inclusive of mental disabilities and mental disorders in the same spirit and in the same philosophy as physical disorders.

Can the Minister tell the Assembly what is being done in terms of evaluating our population for mental disabilities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is clear to me that mental health workers are the forgotten health care workers in the Northwest Territories. Proper mental health can be just as important to a community's well-being as taking care of the community's physical health.

Indeed, there is a greater and greater body of knowledge, Mr. Speaker, that tells us that a growing number of reasons for in-patient hospital admissions is those who have mental disabilities and mental disorders. In our correctional institutions, the impacts of stress and poor living standards is culminating in mental disorders that are crowding those facilities. Can the Minister tell the House whether there is a full complement of mental health workers in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge two outstanding young people and their parents from my riding, Helen Wong, Janet Wong and their parents, James Wong and Christine Siu.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is about youth.

In a society and world that often seems to be too big, and too uncaring for any chance of making a change, there are young people striving to do just that.

These individuals help us realize that no matter what the odds, nothing will happen until someone with the will and the commitment takes a first step, and others join in.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize two young people who are endeavouring to make a difference and who can serve as an inspiration to us all.

Janet Wong, a 17-year old student at Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, joined in the national "Stop Racism Youth Challenge" last year. Along with some schoolmates, she helped create the anti-racism mural at the YWCA here in Yellowknife, a project in support of tolerance and understanding of all races around the world. Janet is also a busy volunteer in causes that include Students Against Drunk Driving, and the Terry Fox and Run for the Cure cancer runs.

Her younger sister, Helen, has been the top fundraiser for the past three years in her school class effort to raise money for UNICEF, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Helen's hope for the new millennium, Mr. Speaker, is simple and powerful; that all children have a chance to go to school.

These two young people have been honoured as Millennium Dreamers for their outstanding contribution. They will be joining 80 other youth from across Canada as ambassadors for their country in May.

Along with their parents, they will be guests of UNESCO, McDonald's Restaurants, and Walt Disney World in Florida, where more than 2,000 young people from 100 countries will participate in a three-day symposium called, "Kids Inspiring Kids for a Better Tomorrow".

Mr. Speaker, for me, this is all about how kids can make a difference. I invite this Assembly to join me in acknowledging their work, and the efforts made by many other young people across the Northwest Territories who believe they too can make a difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause