Item 4, Returns to Oral Questions. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be directed to the Minister responsible for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Mr. Speaker, banking in today's time is very important to the people of this country, especially in the N.W.T. Banking is important to all the staff, to go through training, and to all the customers, to save money and borrow money for essential items such as hunting equipment in smaller and remote communities. Mr. Speaker, my question is what is, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism's position on supporting the initiative of the Arctic co-ops to form credit unions across the territories? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our position is supportive, but not to the point where we are prepared at this time to look at putting any money into that venture. We have talked to the federal government on behalf of the cooperatives, and we have met with them on two occasions. We are supportive, Mr. Speaker, and we will lend them assistance in the future. Thank you.

Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the highest employers of native people may be the government. Mr. Speaker, when will the Minister consider financial support for the initiative which has been requested by the Arctic co-ops on behalf of the co-op within this jurisdiction? Thank you.

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I have made it very clear to Arctic co-operatives on a number of occasions that this

government does not have any money to put into that particular venture. I have never stated differently. I have never given them cause to believe that the territorial government will put money into credit unions, and my position has not changed. We will assist them, however, in receiving or accessing federal funding for that venture. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health. The Baffin Regional Health Board has vacant positions for Lake Harbour, Clyde River and Broughton Island. The health board has given names to the Minister of available people who could be appointed. They will be having a meeting this weekend and would like to know who has been appointed by the Minister. Thank you.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have the information right here but I will provide it to the Member at the earliest possible time today.

Item 5, Oral Questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The language bureau regional manager position in Fort Smith must supervise community-based interpreter/translators outside of Fort Smith, for example, in Snowdrift, Hay River, Fort Simpson and Rae-Edzo. There are no aboriginal languages interpreter/translator staff members in Fort Smith. Our records indicate no call for government interpreting services within the community. The reason is, Mr. Speaker, that this remote management situation has proven to be difficult and inefficient. We have decided to relocate the supervisor closer to the people he is working with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, it was my understanding that the position was to assist not only the community but the individuals who needed any type of service of program delivery with regard to Cree and Chipewyan. Now the Minister is indicating to me that the position is moved for the convenience of supervising communities such as Fort Simpson, Rae-Edzo, Snowdrift or Hay River. There are different dialects in those communities. I would like to ask the Minister, what was the purpose of that particular position? Thank you.

Mr. Arvaluk.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know exactly what languages are spoken by these individual interpreters and translators. I will have to take that question as notice and report back.

Question has been taken as notice. Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Culture and Communications. Last week, Mr. Speaker, I asked the Minister a question with regard to the interpreter position in Hay River. He replied that he wanted Culture and Education to amalgamate before making any decisions. Once the amalgamation has taken place, the Minister indicated that he did not wish to make any major changes until he had a plan in place. I do not know if the plan is in place, or if he have been able to relocate the translator position from Fort Smith to Hay River, but I would like to ask the Minister whether he is making these major changes with the Department of Culture and Communications.

Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Fort Smith position the Member is asking about is being moved to Hay River government offices to supervise the interpreter/translators in that region from closer offices. I do not think that not relocating a position from Hay River to the Hay River Reserve is a similar situation because as I said in answer to the previous questions two days ago, in the government offices in Hay River the interpreter/translator position is serving those government offices. I do not think there is a relationship between those two questions, Mr. Speaker.