Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a resident from the Deh Cho, Mr. Julian Andrew from Kakisa, the owner and operator of Kakisa Contracting, band councillor and also the chair of the Deh Cho Health Board.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Premier and the department are off the hook on this one. The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board is available as a convenient scapegoat. There is probably little that can be done to stop the timber cutting permit within the settlement of Enterprise. The operator has his permits and the work is underway. I would suggest however, that all parties involved examine what consultation means and how it can be achieved, so that we can avoid this situation in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to talk about the definition of consultation. In my office I have a file on timber permits and land use applications relating to logging within the boundaries of the settlement of Enterprise. In this file are letters from the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, its Minister and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, stating that adequate consultation on the timber permit took place with the settlement of Enterprise. Also in this file are letters from the settlement of Enterprise stating that no such consultation took place.

Mr. Speaker, as the MLA representing the settlement of Enterprise I have no alternative but to take their concerns seriously and act upon them. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the department and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board acted within a narrow definition of the word consultation.

The Forest Management Division of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development referred the timber application to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board under Section 125(1)(b) of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act citing that they had identified potential public concern over the development.

The settlement of Enterprise was told that the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board would be holding public hearings in September of 1999. In late August, Mr. Speaker, the settlement of Enterprise was informed that a decision had already been made. The settlement had no opportunity to comment directly to the Impact Review Board. The department informed the board of the concerns of the settlement.

I looked in the Hay River Hub and I did find notices from the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board that the matter was referred to them and that they would be visiting the site of the proposed timber cutting. The notices I saw did not call for public submissions on the proposed timber cutting development. The notices did not ask for interested parties that wanted to participate in the site visit. All the notices said was that if you wanted more information, you could phone the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board in Yellowknife. This is consultation? Notices in a newspaper?

Mr. Speaker, the concerns of the settlement of Enterprise, the West Point Dene Band and the Hay River Reserve were dismissed by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board because it would not be fair or reasonable to delay the development while a timber inventory or policy was developed. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One final question. Given that most of the smaller communities do not have the luxury of looking at different markets for renting or purchasing homes, and also recognizing there is a growing waiting list in all of the communities for housing, I would like to know if the Minister would consider, in his re-organization, a way to focus more on the smaller communities. Maybe something in line with the different levels the Business Development Fund has developed, whether this community is considered level one, two or three. And the main focus would be the level three community.

I would like to ask the Minister if he was aware of a growing problem in many of the small communities, especially in the ones that are involved in a land claim such as the Deh Cho. In the communities that I represent, a lot of the programs are not working because of the land question. Many of the residents feel the land belongs to them and they should not have to pay land leases.

During my time as the mayor, it was a growing concern. We had it up to about 15 properties that had houses that were built by the Housing Corporation and were in arrears. Given the economic situation in our communities with the high unemployment rates, there is really no way to rectify that. I would like to ask the Minister if he is aware of the situation? If he is aware of it, what does he plan to do about it?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will rephrase the question. Are there any cuts, any contracts to be deferred in the Deh Cho from within his department?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is to the department as a whole, if there was anything else?

For the record, I can read into the answer there will be cuts and no deferrals for new projects in my riding?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the Minister, what is the strategy when it comes to Deh Cho in terms of any plans for privatization or any contracts to be let or asset transfers in the Deh Cho region?