Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to hear that the Minister has confidence that the concerns will be addressed in phase two. But, Mr. Speaker, in the work plan for the environmental assessment of the Mackenzie Valley gas project it states very clearly that phase one of the review board will hold a series of public hearings in the Mackenzie Valley to gather evidence of any public concerns and determine which issues will be examined in detail during phase two. So if communities haven’t got a chance to voice their concerns during phase one, how are they going to get in on phase two when it’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister inform this House if this board has a fiduciary responsibility to consult with all affected parties when a review is undertaken? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m alright with that, yes.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to make a motion. I move that this committee recommends that, beginning with the 2005-2008 draft business plans, the Department of Public Works and Services adopt a consistent practice of showing compensation and benefit costs that makes it clear which activities those costs are associated with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has been before us before. We have heard talk about it before. I am wondering if the Premier could tell me if government does know how much it would cost if the government should change the name of the Northwest Territories to something else. Has there been a cost analysis done of what it would cost this government if that should happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my Member’s statement, the issue of name change for the Northwest Territories seems to have surfaced again, this time with our Senator, the Honourable Nick Sibbeston. I would like to ask our Premier if our government has a position on this issue, considering that we have heard from the public at least twice on this issue. Does our government have a position on whether we want to see a name change or not? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue I want to address today is one that has come before territorial governments in the past and, in particular, the 13th and 14th Legislative Assemblies. The issue, Mr. Speaker, is the question of whether the Northwest Territories is the right name for our territory. The people of the NWT have spoken loud and clear on this topic and a vast majority have said leave it alone. Yes, there are a few individuals who -- for whatever reason, be it personal preference or leaving a legacy -- would like to see the name changed. Yes, there have been a few names...

Thank you. If it is appropriate at this time, I would like to make that motion. I move that this committee recommends the government establish regular reporting of all southern and international travel.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there was one motion that we were going to make out of the Governance and Economic Development committee, and it was kind of a government-wide motion. So I would like to make a motion right now. I move that the committee recommends that the government establish regular reporting of all southern and international travel.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we can look at it as a joke, but from the people’s perspective out there, that is one issue that they talk about all the time. We talk about changing the name of the Territories and what we have spent to get the Territories to where it is today and what it would cost to change the name. I am going to ask the question to the Premier on process. The Senator mentions, in his pamphlet that he put out, "that eventually I would introduce a bill to change the name of the territory in the Senate, perhaps as early as this fall." Could that possibly happen that way...