Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Can the Minister state what he considers essential positions?

Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, the constituents in Keewatin Central have become increasingly concerned about the possibility that special needs programming for children in our schools will be curtailed due to serious funding cutbacks and, in particular, the school board's inability to access interest in its core funding. Any reduction in this sort of program, in my opinion, is entirely unacceptable. These services are badly needed by persons who, in many cases, are unable to speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, I sometimes wonder what the priorities of this government are. Will the Minister outline his department's plan to ensure the consistent and continuing delivery of special needs programming in our Keewatin schools?

Minister of Education, Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I will take the question as notice so that I can get back to the Member with a full plan that the department has. Also, because of this issue the Executive Council has to deal with the divisional board funding, and I have to take that decision to cabinet and then the government will be talking to the divisional board in terms of their quarterly or monthly funding. Thank you.

The question is taken as notice. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister responsible for the environment. As a person that grew up along the Mackenzie River, I had the opportunity to enjoy life on the river. Since growing up, I have noticed a great change in the river. There is a lot of pollution coming into our area through the water. There is a river from BC and another one from Alberta and some from Saskatchewan. As well, we are hearing there is pollution coming into the North through the air currents and so forth. Does the government have any overall policy or plan of action on how to address this serious and growing concern in the North? Mahsi.

Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the lunch hour, about an hour ago, we had a luncheon meeting with the Minister of the Environment from Ottawa, our counterpart. One of the things we talked about was the setting aside of 12 per cent of parks within the national -- and another thing we talked about was the pollution coming from the other jurisdictions, such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. In the next three weeks I will be meeting with our provincial counterpart, the Minister in Alberta, and this is one of the issues that I intend to talk about. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the honourable Minister for his answer, but I do not think he quite answered me because he is telling me some of the things he is doing, but I want to know if the government has a strategy of some sort for dealing with this growing concern in the North of protecting our environment from pollution from outside our borders.

I am going to ask a series of questions. I want to know if there is an overall plan of action, for example on dealing with the pollution in the water from pulp mills, in the air currents and so forth. To me the government should have an overall plan and strategy in addressing these issues. Going after a specific pulp mill in Alberta and taking them to court is like a band-aid solution. If you lose it you lose it, but if you win, it might be a good victory. But there are a series of pulp mills in the South that are contributing to the pollution in the North. Is there an overall plan that the government has that would address this concern?

Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have the transboundary water agreement negotiations with the Alberta government. We also have an interim water quality accord. Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, in his address to us on our overall fiscal position, the Minister of Finance indicates that one of our options would be to sell off some of our assets. Would he confirm that one of the things he is considering is the sale of the NWT Power Corporation?

Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, that is one option that I may suggest to cabinet, yes.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the Beatty report, which seems to have been adopted by the government, recommends that the sale of petroleum oil and lubricants would be transferred to the NWT Power Corporation, would the Minister indicate that in any proposed sale this would include not only the Power Corporation but anything transferred to it as well?