Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories first introduced affirmative action as the native employment policy in 1985. This policy was meant to address the lack of aboriginal representation in the public services of the Northwest Territories.

In 1989, the affirmative action policy was introduced to replace the native, employment policy. This new policy included provisions for disabled northerners, women and indigenous non-aboriginals who had lived in the north for more than half of their lives or wore born here.

In 1985, the public service had about 30 per cent aboriginal employees. By 1989, however, the native employment policy had brought this figure to just over 32 per cent. This was still far short of the percentage of northerners who are of aboriginal descent; 61 per cent, according to the 1991 census. So, many northerners had high hopes for the affirmative action program.

Well, in 1994, five years later, there had been an increase in percentage of aboriginal employees in the public services from 32 per cent all the way up to 35. This was not the kind of spectacular increase that would be necessary to obtain the goals set by the developers of this policy. Meanwhile, we are losing many of our best and brightest non-native university students who grew up in the north and hoped to return, but who have instead decided to stay in the south. They can't find summer jobs here while they are at school, and they are very pessimistic about their chances of finding permanent employment with the government. Unless they have job prospects in the private sector, they will not return.

The affirmative action policy has also been a trigger for racial tension. These are tensions which I had not seen before the introduction of this policy. But now well-qualified, non-native northerners find it easy to become resentful when they cannot find jobs while less-qualified aboriginal candidates can. While there are many skilled and qualified aboriginal northerners who deserve employment with the government, it is very unfortunate that the existing policy has the effect of turning away the many skilled and qualified non-aboriginal northerners who have as much of a desire to contribute to their home as anyone else.

I seek consent to continue.

Sorry, Mr. Speaker, maybe a point of privilege. I am thinking tonight of the full concentration of what's being said.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are here listening intently to what is being said, but there seems to be some distraction coming from somewhere. We can't hardly hear on this side.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What kind of revenue would he generate from this kind of a system that isn't working half of the time; that is very inconvenient to the public. What kind of revenue are we talking about here?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then I would ask a further question. Has the department considered removing the barriers that restrict parking in our Yellowknife airport? Will he make this more equitable?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister's department be looking at making the parking situation uniform with the Arctic A airports? Inuvik has the same type of parking as Yellowknife, yet there appears to be free parking there. So does Iqaluit, Hay River and Fort Smith. Will there be any change in the policy that will affect those other airports as well as ours?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question I would like to direct to the Minister of Transportation. Just recently, the Minister announced the final takeover of the airports which includes Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River and Iqaluit airports. These are Arctic A airports. I had raised the issue some time ago, Mr. Speaker, concerning the paid parking at the Yellowknife airport. It is quite inconvenient for the public, in some instances. There are several machines they have to use in order to enter the parking lot and pay their fee, including a change machine. When I raised the issue before, Mr. Speaker, I asked if there were other airports in the territories that had paid parking. Is Yellowknife the only airport that has paid parking?

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister's position but I would certainly like to receive from him his assurance that this won't go on beyond another week before a letter is received, at least a letter, in not more than one more week.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Three months is a long time, three months plus is an even longer time. I can understand the frustration he may have in receiving many enquiries et cetera, but I'm sure the Minister can understand the frustration that Members face when their constituents don't get answers from our government. I would like to ask the Minister if he would be so kind as to address some of these things, and give an update after a period of time has elapsed, because three months is a long time. Could they give an update to the effect that they're at least working on something, or something like that, and not leave people in limbo?