I understand, Mr. Chairman, that the deputy minister was going to give me some information.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a general comment because this is my first opportunity to speak on this project publicly as, while I had a chance to review this department in the Standing Committee on Governance, I just want to put on the record the importance of this project to the people of Yellowknife and my riding. I think everyone is aware I am referring to Highway No. 3, which was widely discussed and talked about during the election campaign.

If I may, Mr. Chairman, I am sort of left speechless now that I have a chance to speak about this. I know basically what I want. I have found out since I have been elected to this position, it will cost about $60 million to re-construct Highway No. 3, which is no less than a total capital budget for the whole government which is being asked for in this interim budget. So it would be highly unrealistic for me to be sitting here and demanding that $60 million. If I was to be satisfied with having it done in a three-year period, that would require me to ask for a total of all of transportation's capital budget in this interim to go to Highway No. 3, and that would be unrealistic of me to ask as well.

Although I would love to do that. I think that with the debates we have had on this topic in the last two months, it shows differences in philosophies about what money for the road is. They are two accepted philosophies. Many jurisdictions all around the world spend money on building roads to create jobs, which is obviously the need that is out there in communities. I appreciate that.

As I look at Highway No. 3, we are looking at another philosophy of building roads, which is meeting the needs based on volume. I will not sit here and try to argue that more money should go to Highway No. 3 versus other areas, but at the same time it is very important for me as a Member for Yellowknife that I put it on record that this is a very important project.

Not only the fact that it is an eyesore. The last stretch of the road to a capital in this country is not paved. It is a major inconvenience for the tourists who are travelling to the city.

At a time when there is such a major industrial project happening in this area, it is totally frustrating to be an elected official and see there is not enough money available to put in this road to facilitate that resource development.

I have asked in the House on a number of occasions for statistics on volume. I have yet to be provided with that. I know there must be some kind of statistics on volume available in the department because the Minister talks about it, other Members talk about it and the Member for North Slave tells us about it. Then it is on the newspaper every Wednesday and Friday, warning the people who are driving the road about the volume and the delay in time. I do not think I need any other evidence to tell me that this has to be a priority.

As an elected official, it is important to argue to have money allocated for his or her own riding. But at the same time, we have to be prepared to look at the big picture. This is why I have to review all options, and work with the government, if at all possible, and work with the department to figure this out. I am absolutely committed in seeing Highway No. 3 widened and reconstructed within the next three or four years.

I would like to keep my campaign promise. I do not have a lot of specific questions, other than to add that I am afraid I am not that hopeful that we are going to be able to get a lot of money out of the federal government, under the current regime we have heard so far. I think all of the Members have already stated that $150 million is not going to get us far.

At an opportune time, I would like to pursue, argue and debate vigorously to get a separate funding from the federal government, so we could have Highway No. 3 reconstructed without having to take away from the economic development potential in communities, which is being pursued for reasons other than what I am looking at.

With that, I would like to ask a very specific question about Highway No. 3, Mr. Chairman. During the review of Highway No. 3 in the standing committee, I had asked a question about why the contract for Highway No. 3 was not being let out until the end of July. The official had explained the how's of it, and he explained in detail the steps that are required to issue that contract. It is still very unclear to me. It is as clear as mud for me. I am not interested in how. I just want to know why. Why can we not have the project ready to go on May 1, 2000, instead of July 31, 2000? I really need to know. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak in favour of this motion, and I urge the House to vote in favour of it. I rise also with a very heavy heart about the issue that we are dealing with. It has been an issue that has frustrated me as an elected representative of this House over the last six months.

Mr. Speaker, I feel a very heavy heart, because this motion that we are passing is such a small act, in light of all of the vision and actions that have been taken by so many people in this community who really share the severity of the predicament that the workers face.

As Mr. Dent has indicated, he has outlined the facts behind this case. When we were in the constituency meeting, Mary Kosta, the wife of one of the pensioners, begged us to pass this motion. Mr. Speaker, I am not comfortable having to beg, I want to be in a position, as an elected official, to be able to do something more concrete than to stand here and beg the federal officials to do something. This is only a small act, on top of so many different things.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that during my election campaign, I met with many people in my riding who are directly affected by this. Not only the 60 workers who are going to be on pension which will be cut by 25 percent as of April 1, 2000. I am also talking about so many workers who are in a total state of shock.

I will never forget the look, when I walked into so many doors on Stevens Court, on Magrum Crescent, on Borden Drive, on Rivett Crescent. Speaking to these men who have worked for years at the mine, who are too old to start something new without a lot of assistance, but are too young to retire. They looked at me as though there was nothing I can do, that this was so unfair. I hoped so much that I could do something for them. I started to see, after looking at it from the legal perspective, I looked at the territorial legislation, I met with the department of Indian Affairs officials, and I talked to our Member of Parliament. I could not do anything but send sympathy and my thoughts to Mary Kosta while she was on a hunger strike. The answer is, there is nothing we can do. This is not good enough, Mr. Speaker.

I understand that this motion has to do with amending the federal legislation so the same thing does not happen to other workers in other parts of Canada. I am not so sure what good that is going to do to those pensioners who are going to take a 25 percent cut as of April 1, 2000. Or for those workers who did not get their severance pay, and who have to line up behind an amount of no less than $1.6 billion being claimed in bankruptcy hearings. Mr. Speaker, that is just not fair. These workers should not be forced to line up behind $1.6 billion of other claims.

Mr. Speaker, I realize that all I can do right now is to plead to the Minister responsible for financial institutions. But I would like to think that, as an elected representative, I could somehow be the voice for those people I met, Mr. Willy, Mr. Laniger, Mr. Delaney, those people who made a public position. I feel comfortable in naming their names. There are a lot of unnamed people in my riding that I have to speak for. I would also like to speak for those who are not just on hourly pay, but those workers who are on salary, who looked at me and said "what about me?"

Mr. Speaker, my suggestion to the Minister responsible for financial institutions is please do not be hung up on the precedents issue. Please think of these people as individuals, who are going to have a very personal impact on their livelihood as a result of lack of action by him and by the Minister responsible for Indian Affairs, and perhaps the Prime Minister.

I am trying to take comfort in the fact that our Member of Parliament has been doing something. I have been in contact with her. I know she is trying to do something. If this motion could help her in any way... I also appreciate the fact that this comes at the end of the other motion that was passed by the City of Yellowknife and the councillors.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak out to make it clear to the Minister responsible for financial institutions that this is not a regular, precedent-setting situation. The deal between Miramar-Con Mine and Giant Mine could not have gone through without the direct involvement of the Department of Indian Affairs. This is not just about a commercial transaction. I have said it in public at the constituency meeting, and I will say that again. If you look at the trustees' report, the transaction went through the Department of Indian Affairs. The Department of Indian Affairs was a titleholder of this property before it passed from Giant Mine to Con Mine.

I do not begrudge whatever Miramar-Con Mine was able to get out of this deal. I am in fact glad that something was able to happen there, and that we were able to salvage as few jobs as we were able to. My point, Mr. Speaker, is that in the process, when they were talking about how to transfer assets, how to address the cleanup problem, they had completely forgotten the needs of the workers. When you are thinking about under-funded pension plans, we are not talking about a lot of money. We are talking about maybe $2 million to replenish this pension fund.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say at the same time, there is a trust set up to look after the cleanup of the arsenic at Giant Mine. When I posed this question to the DIAND official, he said, "we have to look after the environment, but we are not obliged to provide for workers". Mr. Speaker, I do not for one moment think that environmental cleanup and the arsenic is a small problem. We have a huge problem sitting there, and it could cost between $300 million and $500 million to do so. But surely, Mr. Speaker, the people and their financial security, their pension and severance package entitlements are as important as the environmental cleanup. I say to the Minister responsible for financial institutions and the Minister responsible for Indian Affairs, that they have the responsibility to do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that addresses my points. I am not at all confident what the Minister is going to do, but I do hope that this motion today, which I hope will be unanimous, will send a strong message to the Minister that he has an option to do something. He has an option, as politicians always do when they want to, to find a way to replenish the under-funded pension and to address the severance pay for the workers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Dressup, also known as Mr. Ernie Coombs. I believe he is out there and has not been recognized.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This funding that went into recruiting nurses, the program I mentioned earlier, it was a two-year program and it was time specific. It was an injection of $3 million. I wonder if the Minister could advise the House as to whether she is planning to inject more cash or expand this program to ensure the positions remain filled and the necessary services are provided? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It makes Ordinary Members' jobs very difficult when the Minister comes so prepared.

-- Laughter

I appreciate that the Minister is going to give me that information. I am assuming that there are some sections in there where there are shortages of health care professionals. I do not assume that every community in the Northwest Territories is fully staffed with health care professionals. I wonder if the Minister could inform us as to what she is doing to address those communities where there is still a shortage of health care professionals? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am happy to hear that result. I wonder if the Minister could tell me what communities are under staffed at the moment in terms of regional health staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question also goes to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. I would like to raise an issue that was raised often during my campaign, which has to do with the shortage of doctors in Yellowknife and more specifically, a recruitment and retention plan.

As I recall, Mr. Speaker, there was an injection of multi-million dollars to retain and hire doctors and nurses last year. I wonder if the Minister could inform this Assembly as to what effect the injection of cash has had. Specifically, how many doctors and nurses and other health care professionals were we able to hire with that money? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Ms. Arlene Hache, a very well-known social activist in the city of Yellowknife.