Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the Department of Public Works and Services has some way of determining the price of fuel in the future, maybe they should share it with investors in the North so that we can all benefit from it. Mr. Speaker, I am starting to question the ability of the Minister and his department to plan effectively for our communities. We have dust control problems, we have fuel problems now. I am going to ask the Minister now, will he commit to his department doing a study on the needs of the community? Not just fill up the tanks. Maybe there is more work that is done in the community that is going to require more fuel. Do we have enough capacity in that community to meet the needs of the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, why was the tank not filled to capacity?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for Minister Steen in his role as Minister of Public Works and Services. Mr. Speaker, dust control is a problem in every community in the Northwest Territories that does not have paved roads. In Lutselk'e that is further compounded by the fact that the community is running out of fuel, diesel fuel. So the community is rationing the fuel for the water and sewage truck only. Therefore, their roads are deteriorating. They cannot water the roads for dust control. I would like to ask the Minister, how can his department allow a community to almost run out of fuel to the point where the fuel has to be rationed? Thank God, Mr. Speaker, it is warmer times. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is quite unfortunate that the department does not have the imagination or the fiscal resources or the imagination to obtain the fiscal resources to do this. We are talking about negotiated contracts. Why do we not throw something to the communities to see if they are willing to pay for the cost to do the work upfront and the department pays them back for their time, something of that nature? It is just to deal with this issue, Mr. Speaker. If that is not the case, I would like to ask the Minister, would his department be willing to compensate those people that cannot venture outside because of health reasons? They cannot work because of health reasons and dust reasons. Would they be willing to compensate people that are suffering, today, right now, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from the documents that I have seen, there are only five communities that are going to be addressed this year. There are other communities. How long will it take this government to put chipseal for dust control purposes to improve the quality of lives in our communities? How long will it take the department to do that, Mr. Speaker?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious to me that this government does not put too much value in the health of the people of the Northwest Territories. We are arguing over the specialists, that is the treatment of the physical needs of people after they are affected. This is a preventive measure we are talking about, but we are only putting in $1 million a year. So I am asking the Minister, how many communities does this five-year plan cover and which communities are those? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen. Mr. Speaker, last session, we spent a lot of time on the issue of dust control to improve the quality of lives in our communities. Right now, I know of people who are going home early from work suffering from allergies. We made recommendations to address how we could coordinate the delivery of dust control in our communities. That direction has gone by the wayside. I would like to ask the Minister, does the department have a plan at all to address every community's dust issues? If so, can he share with us this plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak about the quality of life in our communities today. In the March session, we spent a lot of time in this House with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs discussing the very important issue of the quality of life in our communities, specifically dealing with dust control. I know the department has a plan that the communities do not know about. I will be asking the Minister some questions relating to my statement so that I can give him a chance for public announcements in the House.

Mr. Speaker, when we finished the last session we talked about dust monitoring stations throughout the Northwest Territories to determine where dust is at the highest levels, so we could appropriately direct our resources to address those that need it the most first and move our way down, knowing our fiscal restraints. However, the government came back after the fact, saying that it's too costly and administratively too cumbersome to put these dust monitoring stations in every community, therefore, we're going to continue with what we planned.

If Members and colleagues remember correctly, they're going to start the dust control in Tuktoyaktuk. My argument at that time was why are we starting way up north when they have the earliest snow fall and the snow melts the latest? Dust control in the south should be a priority because we have summer here a little bit longer. But that seems to have gone by the wayside. So I'm going to ask the Minister where are we starting first, how are we going to get dust controls in every community, and how long will it take? This is a very important issue for all our communities that don't have paved streets or chipsealed streets.

The consumption of water is regulated by a national standard. We consume less than that. People are having more and more problems with their respiratory systems because of the dust. People with allergies have to leave work a little earlier. These are all the issues that are felt, and the government has not responded to them as of yet. So I'll be asking the Minister responsible for the communities some questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi cho, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories consolidate prevention and development contribution funding into one fund located in one department, and increase the available funding. Mahsi cho, Mr. Chairman.