Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I understand that our Department of Health and Social Services has increased the monthly rates for residents in our long-term care facilities, from $387 a month to $712 a month. I understand the reason is that the present rates have been far below comparable rates in other jurisdictions in Canada. I would like to address my question with specific reference to the Aven Seniors' Centre in Yellowknife. At present, the revenues of the Aven Seniors' Centre are comprised of three funding sources: rents of residents contribute nine per cent; Canada Mortgage and Housing contributes six per cent; and our government contributes 85 per cent. Even with these funds, the O and M budget of the Aven Centre is now in a deficit position of $15,000. 1 therefore ask the Minister if the extra rent being collected from its residents will be provided back to the Aven Seniors' Centre to support their

O and M costs and to meet new program needs and existing program needs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are several people I would like to recognize: Esther Braden, the president of the NWT Seniors' Society; Barb Bond, executive director of the NWT Seniors' Society; and, Sean Mageean, president of the Fort Smith Seniors' Society. I would also like to recognize Alice Varty in the audience, a senior citizen who first came to Yellowknife in 1946 and lived here until 1957. She's in the city for Caribou Carnival and is visiting here today with her daughter, Carol Robinson.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I've approached this issue on a very serious basis because if affects a lot of people, employees of the Government of the NWT. I can truly tell you that I've given it a lot of consideration. I was pleased that we moved into considering this bill through the Government

Operations committee where we had an opportunity to have input and I had some opportunity to have my input. At the Government Operations committee level, we had presentations by the stakeholders: Mr. Todd, the Minister of Finance; Mr. Crook of the Union of Northern Workers; and Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Lyons of the NWT Teachers' Association. They expressed their concerns about the government's bill.

I can understand the emotion associated with this situation but I feel that the government has moved substantially since we first looked at it. I'd like to speak for a moment, as well, about our financial problems here in the North. It is driving a lot of the need for us to make decisions. The bottom line is we need to shave $150 million off of our budget and all northerners will be affected; all northerners, not just our employees. We have a difficult situation on our hands here but our agenda is to solve those difficult problems. I'm not going to make the budget be solved on the backs of the workers; I'm going to make the budget be solved on the backs of everybody in this territory because that's reality.

I see the process we're going through as a solution to massive lay-offs, as some other Members have stated, and we're here to make those tough decisions. Not all of our decisions will be very popular. I know that we will hear from a lot of people, once we start discussing the budget: people who don't have jobs, the people who are on social assistance, the students, everyone, the workers in the government, we will hear it from everyone.

I hope that both parties will approach this issue in good faith and I am confident that it will result in a satisfactory solution to this issue. I will be voting in favour of this bill today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like table Tabled Document 14-13(2) which is two letters I received from constituents with regard to amendments to the Public Service Act.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, signed by residents of Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, Petition No. 14-13(2) contains 131 signatures, and, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request as follows:

"We, the undersigned citizens of the Northwest Territories, do humbly petition the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories as follows:

"That Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, be rejected outright by the Members of the Assembly as it implements an unfair regime of collective bargaining in the Northwest Territories; and further

"That should Bill 2 not be rejected outright, a minimum commitment to democratic action demands that the public be provided full opportunity to comment on the proposed bill."

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, signed by the residents of Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, Petition No. 15-13(2) contains 20 signatures, and, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request as follows:

"We, the undersigned citizens of the Northwest Territories, do humbly petition the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories as follows:

"That Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, be rejected outright by the Members of the AsserTibly as it implements an unfair regime of collective bargaining in the Northwest Territories; and further

"That should Bill 2 not be rejected outright, a minimum commitment to democratic action demands that the public be provided full opportunity to comment on the proposed bill." Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question relates to dollars, as usual, and I think we're all concerned about that area these days. My question is for the Minister of Transportation, with regard to the contract that is being negotiated regarding Canarctic Shipping. I wonder if the Minister would commit to keep the Members of this House informed as to the progress of negotiations and the details of those negotiations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, everyone. I understand that the federal government is negotiating to transfer its ownership of Canarctic Shipping Company to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and that negotiations are well under way. I understand that a number of aboriginal development companies were approached with a proposal to buy this shipping company. It seems that none of them pursued it, and now this government itself is planning to buy the company in the hopes of finding some northern company to ultimately purchase it in the future.

Three main difficulties exist to me. If the GNWT becomes owner of Canarctic Shipping, it will probably be able to find an eventual buyer only if our government retains the inherent liabilities. This means the GNWT would relinquish control but still be exposed to financial burdens.

Under the existing shareholder's agreement, a company named FedNav retains the indefinite right of first refusal on any transfer, so there is no guarantee that after all the agreements are signed the eventual transfer to a northern company can actually take place. Canarctic Shipping is saddled with a number of liabilities which the federal government will pass on to the GNWT if we accept ownership. Some of the liabilities which have been identified to me are the following: Canarctic has already accumulated over $79 million in losses, and future operations can be considered only economically marginal at best. There is a guaranteed floating rate credit facility with a Canadian bank for $10 million. Previous financial statements consistently show a foreign exchange loss of $500,000 every year. There exists a potential liability exposure relating to the sinking of a ship under charter with Canarctic whose case has not yet been resolved, for the amount of $5 million.

The possibility of finding a northern company to buy Canarctic is not assured. There already exists a northern aboriginal owned company, and resources in the North to encourage another company to enter this field may be limited. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Is the Minister considering supporting a recommendation to close the extended care unit at Stanton Regional Hospital?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of organizations and individuals in my constituency have contacted me about the potential closure of the extended care unit at Stanton Regional Hospital. This is a unit that provides extended care to patients from around the NWT, who need long-term, supervised convalescence, or who are, unfortunately, terminally ill and need medical and quality care to provide comfort during their last days.

The extended care unit was established at Stanton Hospital because many of the care requirements are medical in nature. The extended care unit is a 14-bed unit and has been used for long-term care, palliative care, convalescent care, respite care and rehabilitation for the past eight years, maintaining a 97.8 per cent occupancy rate. The unit provides care through an interdisciplinary approach with a wide range of services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and respiratory therapy that are available only at Stanton Regional Hospital.

A very dear and long-time friend of mine, Ross Harvey -- who many of you may know -- spent his last days in this unit. With great physical effort, he wrote to the chairman of the hospital board urging him to maintain the unit at Stanton Hospital. He expressed his gratitude to the staff for the truly concerned effort they made to ease the pain and provide some quality to his final months of life.

Many of the patients of the extended care facility require immediate and round-the-clock access to medical services and staff.

While the current fiscal situation may be a factor in considering the possibility of relocating the unit to various other locations in Yellowknife, I would urge the Minister of Health to recommend relocating other areas of the hospital administration such as Finance or Personnel, which do not require close proximity to medical equipment or medical staff.

In view of the lack of alternatives in support programs in care, I am deeply concerned about the impact of the potential closure of the extended care unit of Stanton of the current and future residents of this unit. Thank you.