Debates of October 14, 2005 (day 10)

Good morning, Members. Welcome back to the House. You may have noticed this morning that we had a bit of a change in our procession. I would like all Members to join me in welcoming our Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, Derek Edjericon, into the House.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the Honourable Joe Handley will be late arriving in the House today due to his attendance at the official opening of the new Government of Canada building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last February, I introduced a fiscal strategy that took the necessary steps to ensure the ongoing fiscal sustainability of our government. This meant taking strong action to reduce spending while still making the necessary investments to help us achieve the goals and objectives set out in our strategic plan.

The cornerstone of our fiscal strategy was the introduction of the fiscal responsibility policy. Simply stated, the policy requires us to continually monitor expenditures to ensure we achieve the necessary cash surpluses from operations to finance 50 percent of our annual capital investment.

Our ability to fully adopt the policy is conditional on the federal government amending an existing federal Order-in-Council, which currently sets out an arbitrary debt limit on our government of $300 million. The amendment we seek is to base the limit on reasonable measures of what we can afford. The affordability measures we propose are contained in our fiscal responsibility policy. I will be pursuing negotiations on this important matter with the federal Minister of Finance, the Honourable Ralph Goodale.

Mr. Speaker, in the short term, we have been successful in maintaining sufficient operating surpluses to stay within the guidelines of the fiscal responsibility policy. However, our supplementary requirements have exceeded our forecasts and resulted in a reduction of our projected operating surplus from $49 million to $26 million. Although these supplementary appropriations are for important and urgent needs, we are cognizant that we must exercise care that we do not introduce a level of spending we cannot afford to maintain. We must always closely match our additional spending with increases to our revenues so that our bottom line results stay affordable. As I flagged in my budget address earlier this year, the government must also ensure that it has the cash that will be required to repay a large corporate tax overpayment that we received a few years ago. Next year, the repayment amount will be close to $300 million.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated in the February budget address, the formula funding arrangements after 2005-06 are uncertain. In future years, our financial agreement with the federal government will be heavily influenced by the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing. Over the summer, we have made strong arguments and presentations to the expert panel to ensure our unique needs and issues are understood. It is anticipated that the expert panel will be ready to report to the federal Finance Minister by the end of December 2005. We anticipate that the federal government will then go through a process to review and discuss the recommendations before final decisions are made.

We are hopeful that the Territories’ realities and needs will be well reflected in the expert panel report and that the federal government will act appropriately. However, the uncertainty about the outcome of this review forces us to be conservative in our fiscal outlook beyond 2005-06.

In September, the Premier and I met with another panel, the Council of the Federation Advisory Panel on Fiscal Imbalance. Provincial and territorial Premiers established this panel to investigate and make recommendations on the fiscal imbalance between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. The panel was able to visit the community of Behchoko while they were here, and from the many presentations, conversations and discussions they had, got a good sense of the challenges we face here in the North. This panel is expected to report in March 2006, perhaps in time to influence the federal government’s consideration of the expert panel report.

Mr. Speaker, our government welcomed the federal government’s commitment to provide $500 million over 10 years for the social and economic impacts of the Mackenzie gas pipeline. However, this funding only flows if there is a pipeline and it only flows to communities directly affected along the route of the pipeline. These funds do not address the impacts of mining and other resource developments and are not specifically for GNWT impact requirements. Although we intend to work closely with aboriginal governments in the management of these funds, the GNWT role will be more of an advisory nature.

It is important to point out that a one-time fund, no matter how large, does not provide a long-term source of sustainable revenue upon which firm planning and decisions can be made by either the GNWT or aboriginal governments. The importance of successful negotiating with the federal government a fair net fiscal benefit from resource revenue sharing must be recognized. Although we welcome and support responsible resource development and all the economic benefits it can bring, our territory is, and will continue to be, impacted by resource development. Our government’s social and infrastructure expenditures are being impacted by resource development, yet the royalties and other resources royalties from this development are flowing to the federal government. In 2004-05, the federal public accounts revealed that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada took in over $270 million of resource royalties, including those from the Norman Wells field. This must be addressed soon. Negotiations on resource revenue sharing have been stalled for a number of months as the federal government waits for the recommendations from the Expert Panel on Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing. We must get these negotiations back on track as soon as possible. The Premier and I are working diligently towards this end.

In summary, our short-term fiscal situation remains sound, but we face many trials and uncertainties in the future. We will do our best to turn these into opportunities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Earlier this week, I officially launched Family Violence Awareness Week in the Great Hall of this building. The focus this year is the prevention of violence against women and children with disabilities.

Members of this House know the impact violence has against all members of our society. Its corrosive effects eat away at our communities and families. We must work together to eliminate violence, and we must be especially vigilant in our efforts to eliminate violence against the most vulnerable members of our society.

Mr. Speaker, people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to violence and exploitation. Their right to a safe and secure environment must be a goal we all strive to protect. Those who prey on vulnerable individuals must clearly understand the people of the Northwest Territories and that they will not tolerate such behaviour.

In all our communities we must hear the message loud and clear: Violence is not acceptable; it cannot be used as a tool of control, nor as a way of taking out frustrations. We must work towards eliminating violence, and we can only do that through honest and open dialogue and through working together.

Mr. Speaker, this annual campaign is a great example of how community organizations and governments can work in partnership to make a difference.

I'd like to thank the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories, which has coordinated this year's Family Violence Awareness Week activities with the help of the Coalition Against Family Violence. This coalition represents a number of community organizations and includes representatives from the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories response to the NWT Action Plan on Family Violence - A Framework for Action also sets out several examples of how partnerships increase the effectiveness of actions taken to work towards eliminating family violence.

I would like to provide you with an update on some of the actions in the government's framework that are being undertaken in partnership with community agencies and other governments.

Mr. Speaker, the Protection Against Family Violence Act was proclaimed April 1, 2005. The Honourable Brendan Bell will provide a detailed update on the successful implementation of this act.

Several other activities are underway including a joint Federal/Territorial Working Group on Family Violence. The intent of this group is to look at funding practices across the GNWT and federal departments and develop a process to coordinate funding for larger projects intended to reduce family violence.

As well, the GNWT is expecting feedback from 50 stakeholder groups on a series of standardized definitions of family violence terms. Having standardized definitions will allow governments and community agencies to have a single comprehensive set of definitions of family violence terms. This will help to ensure consistency in the development and delivery of programs for those affected by family violence as well as set the baseline for data collection.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the GNWT will host a workshop with the Coalition Against Family Violence in November 2005. This workshop will look at our progress in implementing the actions set out in the framework for action and how we can better work together.

A full status report updating the public on the progress of all the actions will be available in November.

Mr. Speaker, I want to end today by reminding everyone in every community in the Northwest Territories we must stand firm in our resolve to stop family violence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide an update to Members on the implementation of the Protection Against Family Violence Act.

It's appropriate that we are joining people across the NWT in marking this week as Family Violence Awareness Week. It is a serious problem in all of our communities, in all types of families.

This law has been in force for just over six months. It allows victims of family violence to get protection quickly and easily over the phone. People can get an emergency protection order within a few hours from any community in the Northwest Territories, or they can ask the court for a protection order, which gives longer-lasting protection.

Although some people are applying for orders in person at their local RCMP station, most people are using the toll-free number. We've taken calls from women, men and elders, but we are starting to see a clear pattern. The typical caller is female, with several children. Her partner has been abusing her for a long time, and the violence has been getting worse. The women who call are desperate for help, and they report many different forms of family violence. An emergency protection order is usually not the only thing these families need to stay safe, Mr. Speaker. Trained family violence counsellors and RCMP officers work with them to make safety plans and to talk about things they can do when they think they're in danger.

Mr. Speaker, last week we had our 50th application, and the numbers are still increasing. This usage is the highest per capita in the country. I must say that we were surprised to get this response, but it is a clear indication that family violence is an ongoing problem in the Territories. There have been applications from 14 different communities, and the orders have ranged in length from two to 90 days.

Mr. Speaker, although the new law gives people a new choice, an emergency protection order isn't right for everyone. If a crime has been committed, some people will go through the criminal court process. Shelters provide emergency housing for people who need a safe place to live. Other people will get help from local victim services groups or their social workers, and some people will want to use a combination of the things I've just mentioned, Mr. Speaker.

We all know that family violence is a problem that will take a cooperative approach. To implement this new law, the department has been working very closely with the RCMP and the YWCA. On the broader issue, we continue to work with our partners on the family violence action plan. Department staff have been travelling to communities with the Coalition Against Family Violence's demonstration projects. We're talking to people about what's happening in their communities, giving them information and helping them develop a plan to respond to family violence, and we're learning how we can make our own laws and policies more effective for people who are dealing with violence every day.

Mr. Speaker, I will be tabling a status report on the implementation of the Protection Against Family Violence Act later this session. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak today about the significant progress that has been made to incorporate midwifery services into the NWT health system.

Midwives work with women and their families, before, during and after birth to keep them and their babies healthy. Midwifery care is women-centred, family-centred, and responds to the unique strengths and needs of each woman and her family, and honours traditional and cultural birth practices. Midwives monitor the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle into infancy.

In addition to being involved in the delivery, whether it is a homebirth or in a health facility, midwives are part of the primary community health care team actively involved in a broad range of activities including:

health promotion in the community, including education on healthy choices related to pregnancy such as drinking, smoking and birth control;

information and education to prepare families for the birth of the baby;

offer counselling and support in getting started with breastfeeding and continuing to successfully breastfeed;

work with the mother and family on how to care for a new baby, including facilitating the father's participation in caring for and bonding with the baby, and help with family adjustment;

check on the mother's and baby's health;

assist the mothers through counselling on diet, exercise and stress reduction;

identify other resources in the community available to the mother and the family.

This is a newly regulated profession in the NWT, and all midwives in the territory work as part of an interdisciplinary maternity care team. The success to date is a direct result of the collaboration, cooperation and support of the health professionals, communities and individuals.

There are currently two midwives practising in Fort Smith and one in Yellowknife, with plans to add an additional midwife to Yellowknife. Building on the success in Fort Smith and Yellowknife, the hope is to expand midwifery services to other communities in the NWT where the appropriate supports are available.

Since April 2005, the midwife in Yellowknife has delivered 22 babies and the midwives in Fort Smith have delivered three babies; two were delivered at home and one was delivered in the Fort Smith Health Centre.

Next month a representative from Health and Social Services will sign the Agreement on Mobility for Midwifery in Canada, which recognizes the NWT midwives' credentials in five provinces, and the GNWT in turn accepts midwives from these five provinces.

Mr. Speaker, the Midwifery Profession Act has been a success in the NWT with its 25 births since April. It has provided mothers with another option and the ability to be close to home. Midwives know that if we keep our mothers healthy, they will give birth to healthier babies and take good care of them as they grow. Furthermore, this will have a powerful influence on the health of all members of the family and the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Speaker, October 9 to 15, 2005 is National Fire Prevention Week and, as such, is a fitting time to announce the recipients of this year’s Northwest Territories Fire Service Merit Awards.

In 2002, our government established the Fire Service Merit Awards to recognize the important contribution of individual firefighters and fire departments in the Northwest Territories. Firefighting is a dangerous occupation. We must not forget the sacrifices that firefighters make and the risk that they face on a daily basis.

In 2005, the department has once again received nominations to recognize the special contribution of individual firefighters and community fire departments. Individual nominations are assessed by a committee of local and territorial fire service and community government officials, against a set of established criteria. These nominations have now been assessed, and I am pleased to announce the 2005 winners at this time. Two individuals have been chosen to receive the Fire Service Merit Awards for 2005.

The first is Cyril Fyfe of the Yellowknife fire department who died in the line of duty on March 21, 2005. We were all deeply saddened by the tragedy involving Mr. Fyfe and Mr. Kevin Olsen at the Home Building Centre and are so proud of Cyril’s courage and long-standing efforts to serve the community.

Mr. Randy Hilworth of the Hay River Fire Department was recognized by his colleagues for his significant contributions to their fire department and community.

The department also received nominations for the Community Fire Service Merit Award. This award is presented annually to recognize the success of a local fire department in improving the overall fire protection system in the community over the past year.

Mr. Speaker, in all our small communities, maintaining an active fire department can be a real challenge. To a great extent, we rely on volunteers in all our communities. Finding enough people who are prepared to dedicate their time to taking the training, being on call, going into difficult and dangerous situations is not easy. It is encouraging to see all the efforts that many communities are making to ensure their fire departments are up to the challenge. At this time I am pleased to announce that the 2005 Community Fire Service Merit Award is awarded to the Town of Hay River Fire Department.

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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all Members of the Legislative Assembly please join me in recognizing the two recipients and the Hay River Fire Department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to acknowledge the work of the RCMP in Project Gunship, a major sweep in the city of Yellowknife and Edmonton yesterday, Mr. Speaker. It was quite by coincidence that while we were having a discussion in the House yesterday afternoon about community policing, this major exercise, which I understand involves some 50 officers, was unfolding. The information that has been made public so far is that we have seen 29 arrests here in Yellowknife and two in Edmonton. Substantial quantities of cash, drugs and handguns have been seized.

Mr. Speaker, we are constantly reminded of, and reflecting on, the impact of drugs on the safety and the security of our communities and our neighbourhoods. At this time, it is very early in the process. We need to be mindful, of course, of the judicial and the justice processes that have to unfold from now. But citizens and businesses, I think, are breathing a bit easier today knowing that a major impact has been made on the supply of drugs here in Yellowknife, and consequently to other communities in the Northwest Territories.

We need to stay vigilant, Mr. Speaker. We know that the impact of drugs and crime, organized or otherwise, is a fact of life in our society. Exercises like this will make a difference, and we are very grateful to the efforts of the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies for the difference they are making. But we also know, Mr. Speaker, that every citizen also has a responsibility to stay vigilant, to stay involved and to do everything they can to ensure the continued security of our communities, their safety and protection from the impacts of drugs, crime and violence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the Minister of MACA congratulate the people who deserve the awards during Fire Prevention Week. However, Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about the recent house fire in Colville Lake. My heart goes out to Dora Duncan and her family and to the people of Colville Lake who could do nothing but stand around hopelessly as the house burned to the ground. People could do nothing as the house burned to the ground because there were no fire trucks, roads, or real fire extinguishers in the community for fires of that magnitude. There are only little fire extinguishers that were of no use for this fire. This is the sixth house in Colville Lake that burned to the ground in 10 years, Mr. Speaker.

When I look at the situation in New Orleans, we know the devastation brought on by hurricane Katrina and the carelessness of the government. At this time, I thought we were fortunate to live up here because I thought we could look after our people better than they did down South. Now, I am not so sure. I don’t understand why there is no fire prevention or firefighting equipment to be had in these remote and isolated communities. Housing is at a premium and expensive, too. How can we be so careless about people’s lives in their homes such as in Colville Lake? Mr. Speaker, I will have some questions to the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to make a statement today that I hope will help our constituents understand a very key element of how we accomplish work on their behalf. There are many ways to approach our constituency work. We can make statements in the House, ask questions during session, write letters to Ministers and departments, send e-mails, have meetings, issue press releases, hold constituency meetings, have newspaper columns, publish newsletters, et cetera. But to be very specific, many constituents we don’t often hear from unless they have an issue with their dealings with GNWT programs or services. In the case of these specific requests for information or assistance, we very often contact the office of the Minister responsible. That is when we either get prompt, wholesome and helpful responses, or not. Each of the Ministers in our government are responsible for a wide range of topics. Our government delivers and participates in the same vast range of areas that any government two, three or four times our size would. So Ministers are busy.

The good news is that although we have a small number in Cabinet, we have a correspondingly small number of MLAs to which this Cabinet is accountable. Being a Regular Member, of course, I think that MLAs and issues they represent on behalf of their constituents should be the very highest priority of our Ministers.

We are a small territory. We represent relatively small constituencies where it is quite possible to know every one of those constituents. This results in constituents feeling quite at liberty to contact their MLAs quite freely about just about anything. That is a good thing. Our ability to serve our constituents well has a lot to do with the seriousness and importance that Ministers place on our issues. This will always be evident in the demeanour and attitude displayed by the Minister’s office.

I could offer compliments and kudos to several offices, different offices today of Ministers, but I want to focus on one department. After being an MLA for the past 10 years, I could say that about 50 percent of the inquiries that we deal with in our office relate to health and social services. So I am happy today to commend the Minister of Health and Social Services and his ministerial staff for prompt and thoughtful responses to many of the inquiries we make and issues that we raise. There are many challenges. I want my constituents to know. Make no mistake…I need unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I want to make it abundantly clear that I know extremely well, as do the people across the North and in Hay River, that there are many challenges facing health and social services in the big picture. But I want to say that a good working relationship is the premise of why I remain very optimistic about continuing to address those concerns. I would just like to thank the Minister for his attention to those issues. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, like my colleague, the MLA for Great Slave Lake, would like to commend the RCMP on their investigation. Last night, when I was returning to the apartment, a lot of activity was taking place in the downtown area. As I listened to the 5:30 CBC news last night, it was reported that the RCMP was conducting an investigation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the RCMP on the ongoing investigation.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I say to the RCMP officers in the Northwest Territories and in Canada, we commend you on your endeavours to have peace and tranquility throughout Canada. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken numerous times in this House about the devastation drugs are having on our communities and families here in the Northwest Territories. As a Member of this House, I have gotten phone calls from constituents heavily addicted to crack cocaine trying desperately to get some help. They get treatment and they try to get their lives back together. However, when they get back to Yellowknife, they face their demons head on once again. Drugs seem to be everywhere they turn on every corner, and they can’t seem to get away from using the drugs.

I have heard numerous times from constituents that access to hard core drugs like crack cocaine can be easier than buying lottery tickets, Mr. Speaker. Trying to get the drugs and dealers off of our streets is something that people have been waiting patiently to see. I was very encouraged to hear the media reports yesterday of the RCMP’s Operation Gunship that targeted upper-level drug distribution networks both here in Yellowknife and in Edmonton. I would like to publicly thank the RCMP for this much needed coordinated drug crackdown.

During the last budget session, I was pleased to support the additional $1.2 million to help fund new positions for the RCMP here in the Northwest Territories. Part of that funding, Mr. Speaker, included a new search and rescue and drug dog and a handler that will be based here in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to support the additional resources that the RCMP need and require to carry out their work here in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, what I would like to see is a firm commitment from this government to have all of the necessary resources in place to deal effectively and to the full extent of the law with those charged with drug trafficking here in the NWT. All of the hard work by the RCMP yesterday and in the days and months ahead of us has to have an impact. Our justice system has to be ready to deal with this hard work in a fashion that will be meaningful. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to address an issue important to Nahendeh and other regions in the Northwest Territories: adequate regional representation. Yellowknife and Hay River seem to have consideration based on representation and attention on many issues. Their size and accessibility to administration gives them a considerable advantage over policies and implementation. This policy must address these inequalities and implement the policies of our previous governments to have balanced regional representation.

Reviewing the NWT Public Committees, Boards and Councils Handbook, other than regional ones, the Nahendeh has only a handful of committees, boards and councils with regional representation. The following are just a few high profile examples which lack: Territorial Board of Revision; Worker’s Compensation Board; Worker’s Compensation Board Appeals Tribunal; Safety Advisory Committee; Public Utilities Board; NWT Power Corporation’s board; NWT Social Assistance Appeal Board; Liquor Licensing Board; and I can go on, Mr. Speaker. Out of roughly 35 committees, boards and councils, almost 29 have no regional representation from Nahendeh. Furthermore, it would be partially understandable if these groups had only one or two members, but many of these groups often have up to 10 members and with no reason for regional exclusion.

Another alarming trend I found was the enormous percentage of committees, boards and councils with all, or high numbers of, representation from Yellowknife alone. Why does the government, who continues to pride themselves on the diverse culture, unique geography and being a government of the people, continue to alienate the regions with little or no representation? The following are a few examples of committees, boards and councils with all Yellowknife representation: Student Financial Assistance Appeal Board; Public Records Committee; NWT Judicial Remuneration Commission; Medical Registration Committee. Residents of the NWT recognize some committees, boards and councils require considerable expertise and experience in this field. However, even these groups must…

Mr. Menicoche, time for your Member’s statement has expired.

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. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Residents of the NWT recognize some committees, boards and councils require considerable expertise and experience in this field. However, even these groups must have representation from the average residents from all of the regions. The responsibilities and functions of these groups are trusted to them by the Legislative Assembly, the GNWT; the government of the people. These responsibilities affect all of us and have deep implications. Therefore, all regions of the NWT must have adequate representation and not what is convenient, Mr. Speaker. With that, I will be asking our government, at the appropriate time, to state to this House what our regional representation policy is. Mahsi.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on September 15, 2005, I attended a graduation ceremony held in Deninu Kue to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of three students of Deninu school. Mr. Speaker, I again would like to take this time to congratulate Chantelle Beck, Raddanz Hunter, and Vanessa Sanderson for their significant achievements in reaching this important milestone. It was truly with great pleasure to have been part of such a wonderful celebration of local achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to congratulate Don Catholique of Lutselk’e who graduated from Joseph Burr Tyrell High School in Fort Smith on May 27, 2005. I would encourage all of these Tu Nedhe graduates and all other NWT graduates to continue on with their educational pursuits and aspirations.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the people behind these achievements, the principals, teachers, the DEAs, and the many community members and organizations who have done a wonderful job in coming together to support and encourage the youth to stay in school, and for instilling value of education in all of their minds so that students of tomorrow can also look forward to finishing high school and making the wise choices which result in a brighter future for all northerners young and old.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Deninu Kue and Lutselk'e are truly proud of seeing four more graduates coming out of these two small communities. Once again, congratulations. You have all, indeed, set a fine example for the younger people of Tu Nedhe. Thank you and mahsi.

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Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to commend the Justice department. However, Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned with the delivery of RCMP services to the Tlicho communities. There are the same concerns that are echoed in other small communities.

Tlicho residents have told me that on average the police response is 48 minutes. That is quite outrageous in the Tlicho region.

Outrageous.

Mr. Speaker, some of the problems with response times relate to dispatching being done out of Yellowknife headquarters. This leads directly to my next question. What are the hours of operation in the local detachment in the Tlicho region?

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned, too, that the police will sometimes not respond to a call because an actual crime has not been committed. It seems to be that that attitude is totally contradictory to the basic concept of community policing. Part of the responsibility of the RCMP is to provide a proactive presence in the communities, not just reacting to crimes in process, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am not saying the RCMP are ignoring the needs of the communities. I suspect that if anything RCMP are overworked because of the impacts of resource development in the North, and that concentration on serious crime is the only way it can be dealt with with the workload. I am sure the RCMP want to have a more proactive role in the community, Mr. Speaker, and be able to work with the people to reduce crime, rather than just reacting to immediate threats to life or property.

Mr. Speaker, we must address policing issues. Locally, residents must do everything they can to support RCMP to do their jobs. The Tlicho and the GNWT leadership have a role to play in ensuring that the RCMP have adequate resources. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've been hearing talk of the pipeline for a long time and, as one of my colleagues asked this morning, what pipeline? It's time to quit talking, Mr. Speaker, and time to get working. Most people in the NWT stand to benefit from the construction of the pipeline, but now it seems that the project is running into one delay after another while everyone tries to think of what they can ask for next. The problem is, Mr. Speaker, that there are many excessive demands from all parties, and this is preventing the project from moving ahead and we may never see a pipeline.

There are many young people along the valley attending or planning to attend school for training to take advantage of any potential job opportunities from construction of the pipeline. As a result, many positions will be filled by well-trained and qualified northerners who are not just hired to fill a quota.

Mr. Speaker, there are many businesses along the valley that have already planned and prepared for the pipeline by increasing their capacity to absorb the potential workload. It is unfortunate, however, that the future of the pipeline still seems uncertain, and all the time, money and energy in preparing may be lost. Claimant groups are demanding to be compensated for crossing their traditional lands. I firmly believe that these groups should be compensated by the proponents of the pipeline and by the federal government. This land is their inheritance and they should not sell their birthright for a morsel of food.

People are and will be paid big bucks to negotiate on the claimant groups' behalf, so they will continue to benefit while many of their people live day to day. Many groups have formed joint ventures with some of the companies, and they will benefit from the construction of the pipeline. We even have a one-third share in the pipeline itself.

The proponents have asked for concessions on the money they plan to spend. They have potential revenues of $40 billion, yet they want the Government of Canada to give them a break. I say come on, give us a break.

Shame, shame.

Even the NWT can't get a deal like that.

The North has a lot to offer in the way of resources, and everyone is entitled to a good deal that will work for us all. A few leaders in the NWT, our Premier included, know that this project should allow us to be independent and are trying to move it forward.

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. McLeod.

We should lock all the parties in the same room until they can reach an agreement that will work for everyone.

I do not believe this project is doomed, contrary to what some people think; however, we have lived without this pipeline for years and we'll survive without it, but with so much at stake, we have to think of our children and grandchildren and we must help pave the way for their future.

Hear! Hear!

Mr. Speaker, this project, along the Mackenzie Valley highway from Wrigley to Tuktoyaktuk, should be our legacy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, education of our children is right up there with the health of our citizens in terms of its importance in determining quality of life, and I believe that the constituents of Range Lake have every right to expect the very best out of this government. This is the best gift that life in the North has given to me, and I take my job of improving on this tradition very seriously, and I have to tell you that this Minister and this government is not doing a very good job in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, reducing the PTR and reducing special needs funding is not translating into real, tangible benefits in our classrooms. I agree with the Minister that we can't spend millions to do a formal assessment, but I would suggest that walking through our schools and talking to the parents, teachers and students should give him all the information he needs. I encourage the Minister and his officials to do more of that across the North.

Mr. Speaker, PTR, pupil/teacher ratio, of 14 students to one means absolutely nothing to students of a French immersion class of 31 in a local school. Mr. Speaker, a special needs funding increase from eight percent to 15 percent says nothing to a Grade 5 class of 28 students in Yellowknife where there are four special needs students with no assistance whatsoever.

Mr. Speaker, section 7 of the Education Act, the inclusionary schooling provision, as the Minister read yesterday, "that every student is entitled to have access to the education program in a regular instructional setting in the community in which the student resides and that an education body shall provide a student with the support services necessary to give effect in accordance with the direction of the Minister," is not worth the paper it's written on for those parents with children with autism or any other serious special need who have to line up every year through the school board to convince them that they need special needs funding, and to pray that they're going to get somebody, and to be told that they can't because there's just not enough money to go around.

Mr. Speaker, it's not just the students with special needs who are suffering. This affects the ability of all children in every classroom to learn and the ability of the teachers to teach. Mr. Speaker, I'm looking for real improvement in this area, and I suggest to you that the Minister saying he's doing a survey every five years or talking to the chairs of the boards…Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm looking for real improvement in this area and not just empty statistics, and I suggested to you that the Minister saying that he's doing a survey every five years or that he's talking to the chairs of boards twice a year is just not going to cut it. I expect nothing less than our school system knowing at any given point what the special needs of our students are and how we are meeting them all across the Territories. We wouldn't think of treating patients with illness randomly and choosing who's going to get service, and I don't know why we think it's okay for us to do that to our children with special needs and the general student population.

Turning a blind eye, closing our eyes and throwing some arbitrary sum of money aren't going to deal with this very important issue, and I expect the Minister to give us more precise information and more precise action. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause