Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed the news is out about the Northwest Territories diamonds, oil and gas, and our exceptional economic situation is making good copy in southern newspapers. Our economic growth is almost 10 times greater than the rest of Canada, and our employment rates are also breaking all records already without the pipeline. In Yellowknife, we have full employment, statistically speaking, already.

Mr. Speaker, the future indeed looks very bright, but there are many in our communities who are very concerned about the social impact the explosion of booming economy from the pipeline development will bring to the NWT, because, Mr. Speaker, we also topped the statistics on all negative indicators as well. We have an extraordinarily high rate in alcohol and drug abuse. We have out-of-control gambling addictions. We have FAS, FAE, and a high rate of suicide among youths. We have an increasing amount of sexually-transmitted diseases, as well, and in all forms of criminal rate we are at the forefront in these unfortunate statistics as well. Mr. Speaker, I must admit to you that this government has not done enough. We have not prepared people in our communities to be ready to take advantage of the economic prosperity that is to come without crippling impacts that could possibly destroy our communities in the process.

Mr. Speaker, our residents all along the Mackenzie Valley corridor are very concerned about what kind of impact the inflow of thousands of transient workers from the South will have on the cultural and social fabric of our small communities. It is vital that, in all their negotiations and at all tables, the socioeconomic impact of this development project remains at a high level of the agenda. Mr. Speaker, I would like to applaud the Native Women’s Association for organizing a conference at the beginning of next month in Fort Providence that will deal…

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…that will deal with these very issues, and there will be a lot of distinguished aboriginal women leaders who will give us a lot of guidance, and we could do good by listening to what they are saying. I would also conclude by recognizing the very good work done by the Status of Women Council of the NWT.

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

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude her statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Ms. Lee, you may conclude your statement.

Sandy Lee

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I would like to conclude by recognizing the very good work done by the Status of Women Council of the NWT who, in July of 2004, released a report titled Review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Terms of Reference of the Mackenzie Gas Project. It is an excellent report with two very neatly organized tables included in the report that tells us what we need to do, what the mitigating steps are that we could take to get our people ready and to make sure that our people benefit from it in a maximum way. I would just like to say that all the governments at all levels needs to read that and get on with the implementation now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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