Under the agreement, itself then, has there been any sections in regard to the promotion of culture?

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, with the cultural contributions that we would give out, there is a specific criteria for that, to protect those people, or the groups. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments? Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Chairman, one of the difficulties I find, with regard to the department itself, is with regard, again, to the responsibility of cultural related activities to provide language, graphics design, publishing, audio-visual services, to all departments and agencies, and the delivery of programs to the public, museums, public libraries, television, and radio activity.

This again, I have problems with. In my constituency, we have one interpreter, one Dene language interpreter specifically for my area. He works in Hay River, and he lives on the reserve. He has to drive 15 miles every summer, every day, to go to work. At least 30 miles a day in order to get to and from work. He does not get any compensation for it, I have asked for that, and I have not received the courtesy of a response, with regard to that particular person. There was also a motion passed by the reserve to have the government, maybe get an agreement, so that they could provide office space for that individual on the reserve, where he lives and where he would prefer to work.

I would like to ask, whether or not, in different regions, or different communities, there is now a trend in aboriginal businesses, using leases? We seem to be finding that very difficult for those communities to take responsibility, in my opinion, of the programs that are directly for them, and that they have ownership of. It is not happening. All the graphics and designs are delivering an aboriginal value in a white institution. When I learned about the rabbit, the teacher did not show me a picture of a rabbit, and I said it in Slavey. I was out there as part of my culture to learn my language, as part of my daily duties. I really get confused over the two concepts, and why the government is so keen on thinking that their teaching methods of aboriginal culture and language are the best.

They do give appraisals for that to the aboriginal people who work in those fields. But, the methodology of delivering the program is foreign. You have to actually learn those techniques to become experts in that area, and then you try to apply it at the community level, which I find very difficult for people to see. It is difficult, Mr. Chairman, to see how it is possible that two very different cultures could be taught by the same method. It just does not work.

I think that the sooner the government recognizes that, and the sooner they allow something to materialize in that area, you will always be put in a situation of thinking that we are the ones that know best, as a government, what the aboriginal people should have and should not have. Part of what we know best is we know about the Dene people, we know about their culture, and we know the methods in which we should deliver that culture. And it never allows the communities to determine that.

This is the difficulty I am having. Again, I realize that the department is doing its best, but that is not good enough. I think you are hearing that in the communities, the methods you teach English with are not the kind of methods you teach aboriginal languages with. Period. It is different. They seem to think that is the only method that is acceptable at this point in time in our history, and I cannot accept that.

Thank you, Mr. Gargan. I accept the honour of you addressing me as Speaker, but I have not been promoted yet.

---Laughter

Honourable Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the interpreter/translator living in the Hay River reserve and working in the Hay River government offices, I do not think that any government employee is compensated or built an office specifically for that person, when there are other offices available in the vicinity, such as Hay River, where the support staff are, secretarial, administrative, and everyone else. Where the work requirement is there, where there are documents being produced and being translated by that person.

What I am saying is, anyone who is living in Cambridge Bay cannot be given a transportation allowance to work in Yellowknife, simply because he has chosen to live in Cambridge Bay and work in Yellowknife every day. These kinds of arrangements are not allotted by the government, nor do I think the taxpayers would accept that anyway.

As far as the specific recommendation or the idea that Mr. Gargan is submitting to us, I have not received that suggestion through the form of a motion from S.C.O.F. S.C.O.F. did not report to me any suggestion submitted by Mr. Gargan. So, I am not sure whether that was a general comment in the way that I should think about it, or the department should think about it, or has it been already accepted by S.C.O.F. to be submitted for this committee of the whole, Mr. Chairman? I was not clear on that one.

Thank you. Mr. Gargan, provide clarification for the Minister.

Okay. Mr. Chairman, in Providence, we usually have a social worker who lives in Kakisa who drives a government vehicle to Fort Providence, which is about 50 miles away, to go to work. She goes to work at 8:30, she starts driving at 8:30, and that is part of her work. In Hay River, Transportation also provides vehicles for employees working in Enterprise.

On the Hay River Reserve, we have an interpreter who uses his own vehicle every day to go to Hay River to work. The Minister said himself, that it is because there is an office available in Hay River, but I also want to ask the Minister, if there is office space available on the reserve that could be leased out to the government?

Mr. Minister, do we have unique solutions to unique situations? Go ahead. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well, I can only say that I hear you, and we can take that as advisement. Just like secretaries, clerical staff, or office administration, the interpreter/translator is the support staff, it is a government service that is located where it is needed by the government translating requirements.

I believe that, or at least I am told that, the translating requirements for the government are in Hay River, rather than documents being produced by the government in the Hay River Reserve. That is probably why that particular employee is required to be stationed in Hay River itself, rather than in the Hay River Reserve, because that is where the requirements are.

However, I could look into this and see whether the legitimacy in having an office space Hay River is true or not. Thank you.

Thank you. I am in support of Mr. Gargan in trying to get transportation support for the person, because I have noticed that in some communities, we have government employees who go to work about a block away, and they are provided a vehicle. Now, general comments? Mr. Gargan.

Just one clarification then. As far as the department goes, their position then is that an interpreter is part of the support staff then and it is not a profession itself. Right?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I do not know how the Member has refused to recognize the professionalism of that position. Like the teacher, the teacher must teach in that community, and is probably required to live in that community as a professional teacher. An interpreter is a professional person, and their services are required in Hay River as a professional interpreter/translator. That is what I am saying. It is a service by the professional person. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, I was going to suggest that we go into detail.

Do we agree that we go page by page?

Agreed.

Thank you, we are on page 5-12 of the 1992-93 main estimates. Directorate total O & M of $1.036 million.

Agreed.

Thank you, publications and productions, total O & M of $937,000. Mr. Koe.

Can the Minister advise us as to what stage they are at in the planning of privatizing some of these functions related to publications and production?

Thank you. What is the status of the privatization of some of these services? Mr. Minister.