Debates of June 8, 2006 (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Joe Handley will be absent from the House today to attend the Council of the Federation meeting in Edmonton, Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to inform this House that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have reached agreement on an extension of the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program, better known as RRAP, for another year. Through RRAP, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is able to repair northerner's homes to meet acceptable levels of health and safety.

Through this partnership, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will complete $460,000 in home repairs during 2006-2007. Through RRAP, the corporation can also carry out home renovations that will increase energy efficiency. Perhaps more significantly, RRAP also contains components that provide assistance specifically to meet the needs of seniors and persons with disabilities to improve accessibility and increase the ability of these residents to lead independent lives.

I have been informed that the Government of Canada is considering extending this program over a longer term. Along with my colleagues in other provinces and territories, I will be lobbying the Minister responsible for CMHC, the Honourable Diane Finley, to express our desire that funding become permanent.

Mr. Speaker, RRAP is one of several successful homeowner repair programs delivered by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

The ability to renovate existing homes to improve health, safety standards and energy efficiency is a critical part of our efforts to provide adequate, suitable and affordable housing to our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will table the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut 2005 Annual Report. Mr. Speaker, it contains good news for northern stakeholders.

Everyone agrees the sooner an injured worker is helped to return to work, the better. The WCB offers injured workers the Healthy Return to Work Program. Through this innovative program, the average duration for lost-time accidents is under 44 days.

Mr. Speaker, last year the WCB registered 3,321 new claims. Of these, 950 were from workers who lost time at work. Of all the claims registered, there were a total of 128 requests -- 108 to the review committee and 20 to the appeals tribunal -- for review. The review committee completed 81 reviews and the appeals tribunal concluded 24.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, last year there were 10 deaths as a result of workplace accidents. All workplace deaths are avoidable, and we all need to keep that in mind. WCB continues to institute programs to reduce workplace injuries, including the strategic safety plan that focuses on the need to change attitudes on workplace safety. As well, Safe Advantage, a merit/demerit program that will recognize employers with good safety records, will be introduced in 2007. This program will encourage employers to work even harder to ensure safe work places for their employees by providing an incentive for good safety practices.

Mr. Speaker, in 2005, the cost of claims was lowered by approximately $1 million from 2004, and the WCB reduced administration costs by $300,000. A change in accounting rules and good administration of stakeholders' money has resulted in the WCB being one of the best financed boards in Canada, with assets totalling $295 million and liabilities of $211 million. That means there is more than enough money in the accident fund to cover all existing and expected claims, which is good news for both employers and workers. Mr. Speaker, it also means the WCB will plan to reduce employer assessments in 2007.

Hear! Hear!

Mr. Speaker, the board and governance council focus on workplace and worker safety, along with good financial stewardship, means the WCB of the NWT and Nunavut is well positioned to look after the interests of both workers and employers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In February, the NWT Barren-Ground Caribou Management Strategy was released. It identified the actions this government, our partners and users need to take during the next five years to help caribou herds recover. Today I would like to update Members on the actions we have taken to date:

Measures identified by the wildlife co-management boards are being implemented.

Harvest levels have been reduced.

A two-week delay in the release of maps showing the locations of caribou has been implemented.

Additional collars were deployed during the spring distribution surveys in March. The collars are used to determine locations of caribou during summer surveys.

Additional compliance patrols were carried out throughout the Northwest Territories this winter.

There has been an increase in public information materials, including radio and newspaper advertisements.

Mr. Speaker, the following further actions are planned for this summer:

Additional regulations to restrict harvesting, based on recommendations of the co-management boards, will be completed in July.

The department is working with Industry, Tourism and Investment to address hardships resulting from the low caribou numbers.

Public information materials, including radio, television and newspaper advertisements, are being developed to help harvesters prepare for the fall hunting season.

A commitment was made to this House to survey the caribou herds again this year to confirm the numbers from last summer and some of this work is already underway with more planned for later this summer. A photographic calving ground survey to obtain a new estimate of the Bathurst caribou herd is underway. A reconnaissance of the calving ground of the Ahiak herd is scheduled for later this month and post-calving photo census for the Cape Bathurst, Bluenose West and Bluenose East survey is scheduled for mid-July.

Computer technology has made counting caribou easier and more accurate. The photos are loaded into a computer program and as staff point at each caribou, the program tags it with a number. The results from the summer surveys will be provided to our partners and the public in September. Workshops involving wildlife co-management boards and users will be held this fall in Inuvik and Yellowknife to evaluate herd-specific results and to review management actions.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before in this House, plans are underway to host a caribou summit with all stakeholders across the North, once we have gathered the information needed to give us a comprehensive picture of the current state of our caribou herds.

We will continue to work with the people of the Northwest Territories and our partners to ensure our caribou herds are conserved and treated with respect so we can continue to depend on this valuable renewable resource. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with Sunday being Father's Day, I thought I would devote my Member's statement today to some very special fathers.

Mr. Speaker, my own father passed away almost 10 years ago. I miss him but I do have the wonderful and vivid memories of him. He was colourful, opinionated and larger than life.

The testament to a good relationship is when you lose someone and you can say that you have no regrets. I was very close to my dad. To me he was human, but he was very savvy and discerning. One of the best legacies that a father or a parent, for that matter, can leave to their children is their unconditional approval. Oh, I got into my share of trouble, like everyone else, but I knew that beneath his gruff British exterior, I met with his approval. When I was little, he was my sense of security. If the teachers didn't like me, if my friends deserted me, if my siblings criticized me, it didn't really matter because my dad loved me and he was always there not far away. I was like his shadow; I wanted to go everywhere he went. I always knew where he was. He was at the family business behind the meat counter in his white butcher's apron. As long as I knew where he was and I could go to him any time, life was good.

That doesn't really explain why I left home at 17 years of age and moved 3,200 miles away, but even that I could do because of my father's constant assurance that I could do anything that I wanted to do.

The love of a mother is important, but the approval of a father has immeasurable value. Many children, regrettably, grow up without the strong influence of a father in their lives. This creates a challenge for them in life that's difficult to put a cost on. Fathers have a unique role to play in childrearing and family life and it's a part that should be honoured and celebrated as we will this Sunday.

Mr. Speaker, in my 32 years in Hay River, I have been away from by dad but I would like to make mention of a very special Hay River father who recently passed away. Frank Hirst, Sr. passed away on March 23, 2006, at the age of 84. He had a large family of his own with many grandchildren and great-children, but he had the type of kindness that extended to a larger family in the community of Hay River, and, like my dad, he was a war veteran. He knew hard times and losses, but he embraced life with an extraordinary passion. If you've ever been to Hay River in the summer, you could see his beautiful trademark at the corner of Woodland and McBryan. When he wasn't out golfing, he was in his yard. He had to stop and wave or chat with so many passers-by that I'm still not sure how he had such a perfect garden. We will think of him every time we drive by his house, and thankfully his memory will also live on through his numerous family members who live in the North.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention my husband, Rick, who is also a wonderful father to my children. He was good with the kids when they were little and that's why I know he'll make a super grandfather, but we'll have to keep you posted on that front.

---Laughter

No pressure, kids. To you, Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues who are fathers and grandfathers here in this House, to the fathers of Hay River and to the fathers of the Northwest Territories, Happy Father's Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank Mrs. Groenewegen for her statement today. Today I'd like to talk about fathers' rights and custody cases. Statistics show that most marriages are ending in divorce, Mr. Speaker. Forty-six percent is the national average. In some cases, Mr. Speaker, the consequences are only financial. In cases that involve the custody of children, the consequences can be far-reaching and can impact on the lives of the children for decades to come.

When a marriage or relationship breaks down, the issues that lead to the breakup seem to supersede what should be the primary focus of any proceedings: the welfare and the wellbeing of the children of the relationship. The needs of the children often get overlooked by the need to punish their former partner. All too often, Mr. Speaker, this punishment takes the form of trying to restrict access to children. The children don't understand this. They want and need both parents in their lives.

The adversarial approach that exists under current divorce legislation can, through the awarding of sole custody to the mother, deny fathers any meaningful role in the upbringing of the children and lead to these children being brought up in what is essentially a single-parent household.

Statistics show that children brought up in a single-parent home are more likely to come into contact with the law, abuse drugs and alcohol, and do poorly in school. Studies show that conflicts between joint custody parents diminish over time. Whereas in the case of sole custody, court battles often rage on for years after the actual physical separation. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the adversarial approach to custody matters serves no one, least of all the best interests of the children, and that it's time for the federal government and the territorial government to introduce and amend the current legislation to allow for automatic default to shared custody arrangements between the two parents. The only role the courts would have in determining custody would be in those cases where violence or abuse has been proven against one of the parental parties and it would be in the best interest of the child to restrict access to that parent. This would also reduce the number of false accusations of abuse that are often made in the heat of battle in our current adversarial process.

Our children deserve to have both parents, Mr. Speaker, and legislation to default the equal share of parenting is advancing in countries like Italy, Belgium, Australia and the United Kingdom, and, Mr. Speaker, we must do all we can as legislators to ensure that happens. Thank you.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is very important. There's a lot of graduates in our territory today and as leaders and elders, we have a high school. They want a better school in our community. (Translation ends)

…of the Tlicho high school as outlined in my Member's statement the other day in this House. I think it is time that this government refocuses capital planning initiatives into the NWT and Canada that is ready to take on any major development initiatives that comes its way.

Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that a new facility for Aurora College is in the planning stages, preliminary stages, Mr. Speaker. The department is currently searching for land to situate their new building on in Yellowknife; a difficult task, to say the least, during this time of limited land space, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it also seems apparent that in order for Aurora College to become the premier post-secondary institution and to be the first choice of post-secondary education facility for northerners, that the college and the department must rethink its program delivery and location.

Mr. Speaker, my leadership is seriously interested in having the new Aurora College campus to be rebuilt in Behchoko. The Tlicho have a mass of land available and are conveniently located one hour away from the city of Yellowknife. Behchoko would be the ideal location for this new facility, Mr. Speaker. There are numerous advantages to having Aurora College campus located in the community of Behchoko. Being the largest Dene community in the Northwest Territories and graduating the most aboriginal high school graduates than any other jurisdiction, many of the college potential students originate from the Tlicho region, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, a Behchoko Aurora College campus will be able to provide a truly unique northern post-secondary experience for all northerners, especially aboriginal northerners. Having the campus located in Behchoko would ensure that all students could be immersed into a rich, meaningful cultural atmosphere that reflects the traditions and cultures of NWT Dene population.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, Aurora College and the department must be open to the idea of looking beyond Yellowknife for their ideal new facility site. The college and the government must realize that in order to build northern capacity, the college must have a facility that can model and reinforce the Dene culture and region to the aboriginal population far more successfully than it is currently doing. Mr. Speaker, I would like the department to seriously consider and start planning for a new Aurora College campus to be built in Behchoko. Perhaps if this were to happen, Aurora College could become as successful and recognized as Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School has become.

Mr. Speaker, the community of Behchoko and the Tlicho region are ready to take on the task of housing Aurora College. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you can see in the gallery today, we have a very special person joining us along with her kindergarten class, friends and family. That is Mrs. Toni Auge from Range Lake North School.

Mr. Speaker, for 41 marvellous years Mrs. Auge has taught literally hundreds, or even in the thousands, of young minds a lifelong love of learning and caring for others around them. She began teaching in 1965 in New Zealand and has taught in Yellowknife since 1970. She taught in the teepee class at Mildred Hall and at the Yellowknife Playschool, at Sissons, and since it opened in 1993 at Range Lake North School. In fact, one of her first Yellowknife students at the teepee is now the principal of the teepee school and three of her former students join us today.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the truly blessed are those fortunate enough to find their calling in life early and spend their working life doing what they were gifted to do, especially if in doing so one can make a real difference in the lives of our precious young. Without a doubt, Mrs. Auge has done that. She’s loved by all, especially those chosen people who were lucky to have her as their teacher, but also the parents and fellow teachers.

Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, where I grew up in another world, kindergarten schooling was reserved for the wealthy and privileged in private schools. But in a vicarious way, I feel like I got my kindergarten experience with Mrs. Auge and I want to thank her for that. Over the last six years as an MLA, she has welcomed me to her beautiful class at Range Lake North School every year to see and learn and experience the little haven she creates for her children. I have watched in awe the way she transforms these little preschoolers into competent, creative, mature first graders who are ready to take on the world. Some of them are joining us today and her latest class joins us today.

Mr. Speaker, in recent years she made it her business to mentor new kindergarten teachers to prepare them for the impossible task of filling her enormous shoes and that shows what kind of a person, a responsible and respectable citizen she is. Mr. Speaker, may I take this opportunity to invite this House in expressing our deep appreciation to Mrs. Auge for her singular and distinguished career of 41 years and in wishing her and her husband, Joe Auge, and her family the very best in her well-deserved retirement, with which I have no doubt she will create a whole new life following her jubilant motto: life is what you make of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I don’t speak my language very often as I’m still learning, but to me the Denesoline language is very important. With Aboriginal Day approaching, and although I recognize the importance of this national holiday for aboriginals and Canadians, I want to talk about the importance of aboriginal language as the foundation of our culture and livelihood.

I cannot stress the importance of languages to our northern territory. It has been stated by many Members of this current Legislature and past Legislatures, by prominent public figures, by teachers and educators, we hear it from elders and youth, and the many, many organizations, that the core principles, values and the cultures that we all uphold, revere and practice in this land are based on our aboriginal languages.

Mr. Speaker, we all know about the threat of losing these principles, our culture and the traditional way of life if we lose our languages. I feel that we are in the same predicament as the polar bear, with each polar bear representing some principle, culture, or tradition of our people and the ice cap representing our language, both of which are slowly fading away and will eventually lead to the extinction of cultures and traditions and, sadly, our polar bear if changes are not forthcoming.

Fortunately, Mr. Speaker, our options and opportunities to make positive changes are not as limitless as our friend the polar bear, who, unfortunately, needs the whole world to change in order to remain with us so our children’s children can see and perhaps learn from them. Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, we don’t need the whole world. All we require is this government to embrace the opportunity and to continue to make significant contributions towards the retention of northern culture and traditional lifestyle by providing growing support and resources in our schools, offices and institutions for aboriginal language development every year, which will definitely benefit our children and we can surely realize long-term benefits here in the NWT, both in aboriginal language development and improvement in all sectors of our society. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, this week I was saddened to hear that the hardest drug made it to a small community in my riding. The Deh Cho Drum reported that there was a bust, a crack cocaine bust, in Wrigley. Apparently people were travelling all the way from Edmonton to sell the drugs into Wrigley, and that’s a long way to sell these drugs. I believe it’s a precursor of things to come; just the tip of things to come. We need precious policing resources in our communities long before development, Mr. Speaker.

As well, the editorial part of the Deh Cho Drum, Mr. Speaker, the editor said that drug proofing needs everyone. I, too, would like to mention at this time, like, I commend residents of Wrigley and concerned people around Fort Simpson for the courage, strength and wisdom to report and work with the police in helping to make these arrests. That’s what I spoke about in Slavey; I’d like to thank them for taking care of our own.

The police, it goes on to state there, Mr. Speaker, that this community, victory could not be done without the help of the community. Once again, I commend them.

As well, once again, I’d like to state that this leap into development, which has been so much into the news, is coupled with reality as well, that hard drugs and drug dealers and the scourges of society will be coming up and we must deal with them.

Mr. Speaker, our government must continue to allocate the resources to our policing sector to send the message that drugs are not to be tolerated in the Deh Cho or any other place in our great northern territory. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning about quarter to six I was up there having a coffee and I was thinking about the statement today I wanted to say. I wanted to share with my honourable colleagues here my thoughts on a very special day coming up. As Mrs. Groenewegen indicated, that special day is coming up soon and that’s Father’s Day.

When I began my role as an MLA, little did I know the amount of time that it takes me and other colleagues around here away from our families, especially our little ones. Soon those little ones become big ones. Anyhow.

So, Mr. Speaker, I get a lot of questions from my little guy. Why do you have to go to so many meetings? Can I come? He calls this, he says, can I come to this big House here? Or he says, sometimes, Daddy’s House.

---Laughter

He’s the king.

He’s the king. So sometimes when my little guy puts on a tie, he says I’m going to business. He calls this meeting business. Sometimes, can he stay home today, Dad? Or don’t go to the business meetings, you know? How come my Dad doesn’t say hello to me when he’s on TV? So, hello, son.

---Applause

When he sees me on TV he wants to know why I’m not talking to him. So, Mr. Speaker, our role as leaders, as fathers, as mothers and servants to our people, it has no, sometimes a different meaning, especially as MLAs to our little guys. They just want us home and they just want to be held, or they want to spend time with them, or to read these high stacks of books. As fathers sometimes I just take the little, small ones, but he’s pretty smart there. So they just want our time and to comfort them when we get back home after many days on the road. You know they’re mad at you, but they’re also happy to see you and they act it out. So you have to comfort them. You know? It sometimes gets really hard, Mr. Speaker.

But as fathers, I want to emphasize that we carry a great role and responsibilities and sacrifices and we’re blessed with the little ones to make us realize what’s really important in life and they truly humble us when they ask us after a hard day, how was your day, Dad? So I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I was told by our elders that these children are loaned to us and we’re blessed and they are to teach us something.

So I want to say to all fathers, grandfathers, Happy Father’s Day, keep up the good work. Teach your children well. Mahsi cho.

---Applause

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Fourteen months ago, this Assembly passed a motion requesting the Auditor General of Canada to do some very specific and very important work on our behalf. We asked that her office look into the area of claims management for injured workers in the Workers' Compensation Board. We asked her to look and see whether claims were processed fairly, efficiently and impartially, that the appeals tribunal performs its work in a like manner, that the governance counsel’s oversight functions are adequate and that the roles and relationship of the board and the stakeholders are clearly understood.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, of course, you tabled this report. It is indeed a detailed audit. The Auditor General’s team talked with 18 claimants, many council members, staff, medical professionals. They consulted experts in governance, the law and WCB practice. It is 54 pages, very readable pages, Mr. Speaker, containing 27 recommendations, the vast majority of which have been reviewed by the council of governors, the board, the appeals tribunal and, I’m pleased to note, have their concurrence.

Mr. Speaker, I’m relieved, on one hand, that the Auditor General found that there are no specific areas requiring drastic action or to indicate that there is damaging wrongdoing in the WCB that requires crisis intervention. Rather, the 27 recommendations show us that we have significant need for improvement in the governance practices, communications protocols and stakeholder relationships in this very vital part of our workforce governance agenda.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Auditor General, Mrs. Sheila Fraser, and her team, for undertaking this work on our behalf. I want to thank the Members of this Assembly and our counterparts in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for supporting my efforts in the motion that I brought forward last year on behalf of injured workers.

Mr. Speaker, our Accountability and Oversight committee will host Mrs. Fraser here in Yellowknife on June 28th when a public review of her report and the steps that we can undertake in the future to ensure that the WCB merits the confidence of everyone across the NWT and Nunavut. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the first day of this session I had an interesting exchange with the Minister of Health and Social Services on the need for an independent board to watch over the operations of the Stanton Territorial Hospital. Mr. Speaker, all public hospitals in Canada have independent public boards. On the face of it, using the Joint Leadership Council, which is made up of the chairpersons of the health authorities, ensuring regional perspectives are brought to the table is a great idea. I think it’s an efficient use of resources, boards and administration, Mr. Speaker.

However, what concerns me about the current workings of the Joint Leadership Council is the total control exercised by the Minister of Health and Social Services. This is fine when the Minister is using them for discussion or as a sounding board for the development of new policies, systems or programs, but not when he comes to oversee the working of the NWT’s largest hospital, Mr. Speaker. I know of no other provincial hospital in this country that the Minister of Health and Social Services in that province sits as chair of that board. It raises the question, Mr. Speaker, does our Minister have nothing better to do?

I can agree with the Minister’s ultimate position where he is overall in ultimate authority and the discussions of his department and the authorities that he has to do final approval over. But what about the final arbitration when it comes to the board? What about challenges of discussions that arise? Who ultimately oversees that problem? So, Mr. Speaker, there is the problem.

The government is a system of checks and balances and, in the case of this department and its authorities, there is a distinction between the roles of the department and the authority plays. The authorities have some leeway in their regions to develop and deliver their own programming, as long as they meet the minimum service standards that are set out by the department, again overseen by the Minister. It is then the department’s role to ensure that the service delivery targets are met in a fiscally responsible way that meets the health care needs of all our northerners.

With the Joint Leadership Council being the defacto board for Stanton and, as far as anyone can tell, a creature whose agenda inputs and outputs are controlled by the Minister’s office, I really have to wonder, Mr. Speaker, about their independence and maybe even their relevance. So, Mr. Speaker, as I said, the Minister has said before he bears ultimate responsibility and being the final decision-maker…

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. As I said, the Minister has the ultimate responsibility of his department and the authorities. I believe if he chairs the Stanton board the Minister could be perceived as being in a position of conflict where he cannot show objective thinking where it may be compromised in their discussions. That will lead us nowhere and yet it will make the board look silly.

What does he really want, Mr. Speaker? He should be Minister, which he’s appointed to now. The role of the board is to provide strategic direction to ensure regional perspectives are brought to the table. The Joint Leadership Council, I’m not against the concept of appointing it to the board of Stanton, but, Mr. Speaker, we need checks and balances, a fair chair, an independent chair, and I don’t believe the Minister’s thought this out and I will have questions for him later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on numerous occasions I’ve raised the need for granular material for communities without year-round access to granular materials. Today I will be more specific to try and address the need for granular materials to upgrade the roads and driveways in Tuktoyaktuk.

Mr. Speaker, many years ago, about 1955, the American government -- or should I say DEW Line site -- quarried granular material from along the shores of Tuktoyaktuk to accommodate the buildings and roads and gravel pad to construct the DEW Line facility. Last year, during the NWTAC meeting in Tuktoyaktuk, the Premier and Minister of MACA toured the community and the unmanned DEW Line site.

Mr. Speaker, the Hamlet of Tuk has written to the Minister of National Defence requesting access to granular material. Unfortunately, to date there has been no response from the federal department. The Premier is well aware of these letters and has taken an interest on behalf of the hamlet to access the granular material. Mr. Speaker, the hamlet needs access to granular materials in the DEW Line site so that they can address the roads and driveways that need to be maintained and repaired. The Premier indicated he would meet with the federal Minister of National Defence in Ottawa in late May. Mr. Speaker, I will be following up with the Premier about his trip to Ottawa and continue to work with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk to try and gain access to the gravel. If access can be gained this summer, it will allow the hamlet to maintain and repair the washboard roads in Tuktoyaktuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with this being the last day of session and the whole summer to look forward to, I would like to speak to events going on in all the communities. I would like to speak to a few of the events that are going to be held in Inuvik.

On June 14th, Mr. Speaker, the sixth annual Inuvik Petroleum Show will be held. It’s an opportunity for industry and the business community, government, aboriginal government to come together to discuss common issues. Last year, Mr. Speaker, there were 700 registered participants, 120 tradeshow booths, and over $2 million brought into the local economy. This reinforces Inuvik’s position as the oil and gas capital of the NWT.

On July 10th to the 14th, Mr. Speaker, an important event is going to be held in Inuvik and that’s the Beaufort-Delta Residential School Society will be holding a reunion in Inuvik and the idea for the reunion, Mr. Speaker, was the former residential students’ desire to create a forum where they could share their impacts of residential schools. This is a very important event. An invitation was extended to the Premier to come and speak, and I’m sure the society would be honoured if his schedule permits him to.

July 28th to August the 2nd the Gwich’in will be holding a large gathering in Inuvik, Mr. Speaker. This is a gathering of the Gwich’in from the NWT, Alaska and the Yukon. Many events will be held during the week and they’ll be having many discussions on common issues and I’m sure caribou will be one of them. This is an excellent opportunity, Mr. Speaker, for the Gwich’in to gather and meet old friends and hopefully make some new ones.

June 23rd in Inuvik the Samuel Hearne will be having their graduation and I congratulate all the grads and best of luck to their future.

Seeing this is our last day of session until October, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to wish my colleagues a safe and enjoyable summer. Thank you.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize the accomplishments of three people from Fort Providence. Mr. Greg Reardon, Trevor Bonnetrouge and Jessica Minoza were honoured by royalty this week. All three were recognized for their participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program. These prestigious awards were presented by the Earl and Countess of Wessex at a ceremony held in Edmonton on Tuesday. At the ceremony Mr. Reardon was awarded the gold medal, while Mr. Bonnetrouge received a special commendation for a presentation he made to their Royal Highnesses about his home community of Fort Providence.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Program is an international program founded by his Royal Highness Prince Phillip in 1956, which has been active in the North since 1970. In that time, 371 northern youth have taken part. Young people between the ages of 14 and 25 participate on an ongoing basis in four mandatory activities: community service, physical recreation, skill development and undertaking an expedition or an exploration. The program empowers young people to become participating citizens and to give back to their community not just while they are part of the program, but for their lifetime.

Two of the three participants from Fort Providence honoured this year will be continuing on with the program. There are currently eight students from the community enrolled and many more plan to sign up for next year.

Mr. Speaker, these young people all deserve to be congratulated for making an effort and working hard to improve their lives and the lives of others in the community. Their example is a real inspiration for all northern youth to follow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I haven’t had too many opportunities to stand up and do a Member’s statement, or to stand up, as someone is saying. Mr. Speaker, as the snow is gone and the winter gear has been stored, and the summer gear has been pulled out, families have gone through or will go through a graduation or two, and families are busy preparing for a summer trip or a family vacation.

Mr. Speaker, I can recall many springs when I eagerly awaited the last day of school. Talking about schools, we’ve heard in this House from the Education Minister, as well as many Members of this House, wishing graduates and their families the best. I just want to, as well, send my congratulations to the graduates of the Samuel Hearne Secondary High School. Their ceremony is being held, as I’ve been informed, June 23rd and 24th and I want to wish them the best in their activities. But, Mr. Speaker, more importantly, I want to wish all families in the Beaufort-Delta and Inuvik that they have a safe and happy summer holiday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to take this opportunity to recognize that summer is on its way. It’s a time for us to enjoy the season, but, more importantly, enjoy our friends, our family and our children who will be out of school. More importantly, for the people that are going to be out in their bush camps and their fish camps along the river and also being able to enjoy the festive season that we do have in the summer, such as our music festivals, such as the Pokiak Festival, Midway Lake, Canoe Days and also we have the Inuvik Arts Show that goes on every July.

With that, Mr. Speaker, recognition of the National Aboriginal Day, which is on the 21st, again, recognize our cultural importance that aboriginal play in the history of the Northwest Territories, but, more importantly, the significant legacy that is left by the culture that we have in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, with that, I’d like to also encourage the people to come to the Mackenzie Delta for a holiday, enjoy the beautiful scenery, enjoy the many people, such as the ones attending the Gwich’in gathering, which will include people from Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories in Inuvik, and also attend the Gwich’in assembly, which will take place in Aklavik this year.

Mr. Speaker, I would like, at this time, to wish everybody a safe and enjoyable summer. More importantly, I look forward to seeing all of my constituency in the Mackenzie Delta this summer by attending these different events. So with that, have a safe summer. Mahsi cho.

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Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by the other Mr. McLeod on June 2, 2006, regarding the review process of the Public Utilities Board.

The Public Utilities Board, PUB, was established by the Public Utilities Act to serve as an expert and independent adjudicator in the rate setting process. The PUB also insulates the Government of the Northwest Territories from the potential for conflict in view of its controlling financial interest in NWT Power Corporation. As consumers have a right to be treated fairly and equitably, an independent body for appeal is essential.

The Minister responsible for the PUB cannot rescind a board decision and then hold a hearing. Consumers can seek judicial review under section 78 of the act.

Section 78 of the act states that a person affected by an order, decision or rule of the board may apply to the Supreme Court within 45 days after receiving notice of the order, decision or rule for leave to appeal on a question of law or excess of jurisdiction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize a few people in the gallery today. A friend of mine, Mr. Daryl Dolynny.

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With him today he’s bringing several relatives, I believe his aunt and uncle, Mike and Vicky Dolynny...

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…and with them more relatives, Rose and Herbert Holgate. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Welcome everyone.

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