Mr. Chairman, if it is in order, I would like to move a motion that the Minister bring his witnesses into the committee of the whole.

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the potential sale of the NWT Power Corporation, I can state that a majority of my constituents and I oppose the privatization of the Power Corporation until such time as we are assured that the existing subsidies will continue and the long-term interests of all northerners are protected.

With regard to the establishment of a northern workplace commission, I have some serious reservations about the apparent needless expenditures of close to $2 million to review labour matters. If it is intended to support the establishment of back-to-work legislative powers for the GNWT, then I support it even less.

On more positive initiatives from the government, I do support their initiative to lobby for funding to develop the transportation infrastructure in the Slave geological corridor. I truly believe this initiative, if successful in establishing an all-weather road, will open up the NWT to a new boom era, which will benefit the entire Northwest Territories and the entire country, if developed in an orderly manner.

Mr. Speaker, I also support the government's building and learning strategy, the staff housing strategy, and the community transfer initiative. I believe these programs are geared toward strengthening our communities and serving the needs of our residents in a more effective manner. With regard to the government initiative to develop a comprehensive strategy, to map out the needs and requirements for educating and training our human resources, although I support this initiative, I wish to point out that there are some immediate training and upgrading needs relating to the mining industry which I feel the government should pursue as a priority.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, although we can not ignore our social program needs, I believe our government must take the lead role, with the support of this Assembly, in addressing our high unemployment factor. The government must do this through their continued support of small business, the development and support of our growing renewable resource sector, and a commitment to ensuring that all northerners maximize the benefits from future mining developments.

The GNWT's support of these activities must not only be from developing and enforcing policies, but through a priority to implement a comprehensive strategy for education and training our human resources, a priority to negotiate a mineral accord to protect NWT interests, and a priority to maximize the utilization of our renewable resource sector.

Mr. Speaker, we only have two years to go before a new leadership takes office. Let's all do our utmost in our remaining term to improve the lifestyle of all our residents. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the great potential, over the next several years, for mineral development in the NWT, and particularly in the Slave geological corridor, north of Yellowknife to the Arctic coast near Coppermine, the NWT has the opportunity to get in at the ground floor and maximize the business and employment opportunities for northerners. In the Kitikmeot, with the Izok Lake development of the Metall Mining Corporation in the planning stages for start of construction, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association is currently finalizing negotiations of an Inuit impact benefit agreement with the mining company, as allowed under the Nunavut land claims agreement.

Mr. Speaker, my concern for this area of the NWT without any settled land claims rights, is that local, regional and territorial interests and concerns may be bypassed and ignored by some mining companies, as there is no group or organization in power to protect their interests. The authority and jurisdiction for mining, exploration, and development in the NWT has, and continues to be, with the Government of Canada. I believe it is the government's responsibility to protect the NWT interests in ensuring that mining developments do not proceed, unless northerners are deemed to be maximizing their economic benefits from these developments.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it the intention of the department to have students pay for their use of the child care facilities in these new schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. In his response to the honourable Mr. Dent regarding child care facilities, he mentioned that child care facilities are being incorporated into new schools for students. Some communities in the Northwest Territories, such as Cambridge Bay, already have successfully operated private child care facilities. Has his department assessed the

detrimental effect on the existing child care facilities with the establishment of these new ones in the schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Renewable Resources. The Government of Canada has undertaken to clean up and restore the Arctic environment through their Green Plan. There are numerous initiatives under way respecting land restoration projects. The Cambridge Bay situation I spoke on yesterday, has highlighted the obvious underwater contamination in the north. In view of the confirmed dumping of equipment, and the possible dumping of dangerous toxic wastes into the Arctic Ocean near current or former Distant Early Warning sites, my question to the Minister is, what has or will the Minister do to address the matter of identifying and confirming possible ocean dumping sites in the NWT?

There are others then, but that's the main one. The question was is that the only one?

With regard to the department managing the Rankin Inlet mine tailings project for DIAND, are there any other projects that the department is managing on behalf of DIAND or is that the only one?

I just wanted to clarify this, there are two financial people in the languages group? Is that correct?