Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. This situation was brought to my attention about a month ago. Since then, I have instructed my officials to work with the divisional board to work out something for those students who might want to take second year teacher training. This year, our budget was $2.7 million for a teacher education program, and an addition $1.4 million was provided by the department for student financial support. Out of that, we had 97 full-time students and 305 part-time students. In particular, there were no cuts this year in the Keewatin, as was announced on the radio. In fact, the department's contribution to the Keewatin teacher training was enhanced by $100,000 for this year. It went from $166,000 to $266,000. An additional $300,000, or three quarters of the department's budget for education leave benefit for classroom assistants studying to be teachers, is dedicated to students in the Keewatin Region.

Since the department has no more resources to take on additional trainees, I have asked the department to find ways in which we will be able to take those students who want to enrol in the teacher training program. As yet, the department has not come back to me with a detailed work plan, which they are working on with the divisional board, for the Keewatin area. Thank you.

Could I also ask Ministers, when responding to an oral question, to be as succinct, brief and to the point as possible?

--- Applause

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask, as a supplementary to the Minister, if he will be able to give a response to this House before the end of the session.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I will try my best, but I would like to let the Member know that I may have to go back to my cabinet colleagues for additional resources. As the Member is aware, the government is short of funding this year so I cannot, at this point, without the proper assessment done by the department and the divisional board, tell the Member when I will be able to respond to the Member with a concrete plan of whether we will be able to take on those students or not. Without going into student financial support, these students the Member is talking about are eligible, without going through educational leave, to request student financial assistance, which the Member knows is substantially lower than educational leave benefits. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Judgments are very often made about governments, not only on what they do but also on what they do not do, In the last Assembly, this government adopted a policy of sustainable development because, in our concerns about the economy, we wanted to be sure that it would be balanced with the concern for the environment. I would like to ask the Government Leader, as chairperson of the round table on the environment and the economy, if she could please update the Assembly on the activities of the round table and what has been done toward further work on implementing the sustainable development policy which was adopted by this government.

Government Leader, Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, there has been no further work done by the members of the round table. There have been instructions to all departments and all agencies to practise, within their means and within their decision-making, sustainable development. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the round table on the environment and the economy last met in April 1991, and that there was to have been another meeting on November 23, 1991, but it was cancelled by the Government Leader. I would like to ask the Government Leader to explain why this meeting of the round table was cancelled. Does that mean it does not exist any more; that she has disbanded it?

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, given the agenda that everyone has had, there was not proper planning or the ability to put an agenda on the table. I did not feel it was right, efficient, appropriate or responsible to call a meeting for the sake of having a meeting.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Since this is a matter of great concern for our future economic development, Mr. Speaker, could the Government Leader commit to this House that this round table on the environment and the economy is still a body to which this government is committed, and would she give some indication as to when it will meet next?

Ms. Cournoyea. That is two questions really. Feel free to answer one or the other.

Mr. Speaker, I take two questions as notice.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Government Services. I would like to ask the Minister of Government Services, in respect to tendering procedures, at the time sealed tenders are opened, is it standard practice to release for public disclosure the bid price from all tenders received? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take that question as notice. I would like to be able to respond to that in detail. Thank you.

The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. On December 17, 1991, 1 asked the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation for an update on the status of a franchise agreement between the Power Corporation and communities across the Territories. It is six months later now. I am wondering what the current status of the franchise agreements is between the communities in the NWT and the NWT Power Corporation.