Good afternoon. I would like to welcome a visitor in the gallery, Mr. Peter Ernerk, a former colleague and MLA.

---Applause

Item 2, Ministers' statements. Was my microphone on when I made the last statement?

No.

I would like to advise the House I have received the following communication from his honour, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. "Dear Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise I recommend to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories the passage of Bill 20, Loan Authorization Act, 1993-94 during the Third Session of the 12th Legislative Assembly. Yours truly, D.L. Norris, Commissioner."

---Applause

Now that we have everything on the record we will go on to item 2, Ministers' statements. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak briefly regarding Nunavut. I am very happy Nunavut is progressing well. I would like to congratulate the president and the board on their recent election to the Nunavut government. I am sure they will have a great deal of work to do. We received the results this morning of the newly elected president and board. I would like to congratulate the president of TFN, Paul Quassa. I would also like to congratulate the vice president, James Eetoolook. James and Paul have been working very hard to create Nunavut. I am very happy those two individuals won the election and I congratulate them. I would also like to congratulate the second vice president, Raymond Ningeocheak, who has been put back on the TFN board. Those three individuals have worked very hard for the creation of Nunavut. We can see that they have been re-elected and that everyone has supported them by voting for them. Because of those individuals and their hard work...

Mr. Pudluk, your allotted time has elapsed.

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Members and Mr. Speaker. The secretary-treasurer of the TFN board is Bernadette Makpah. We all know this individual and she is a very good candidate for the position. She has worked very hard. Once again, I would like to congratulate the new TFN president and the board. I am looking forward to working with them. The MLAs will be meeting them shortly. We will work with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pudluk. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Pudluk, the dean of the House, has made a statement. I would like to make a statement on behalf of the Nunavut caucus to congratulate the following members of the executive council of Nunavut Tungavik who were elected yesterday, Mr. Paul Quassa, president, Mr. James Eetoolook, first vice president, Mr. Raymond Ningeocheak, second vice president, and Ms. Bernadette Makpah, secretary-treasurer. These results ensure that persons from all the regions of Nunavut are represented on the executive. I am sure all Members will join me in wishing the new Nunavut Tungavik executive every success and also in thanking all of the other 45 candidates who put their names forward for these positions. The Nunavut caucus will be seeking a meeting with the new executive at the earliest opportunity in order to discuss how we may continue working together towards a successful implementation of the Inuit land claim and Nunavut. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Zoe.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Item 3, Member's statements. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to comment on the failure of the federal government to apologize for an incident which occurred during the Canadian Armed Forces exercise known as project Nordic Reliance. Mr. Speaker, honourable Members will recall a group of armed forces personnel, engaged in so-called survival training, came onto traditional hunting grounds within the Northwest Territories and slaughtered a number of caribou. They had not obtained proper licenses or approval. There was much evidence that they had used automatic weapons and assault style ammunition. They killed our caribou cruelly and illegally.

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal northerners have a special relationship with the animals and our land. They have nurtured the land for thousands of years and in return we value them and keep them safe. That is why the Creator put them on this earth and that is also why we are here. It offends our values and spiritual beliefs when we see such careless and unnecessary slaughter. It is an offence against what we believe in.

Unfortunately, the justice system which has been imposed upon us does not recognize the significance of that offence. In this case, Judge Bourassa gave each of the federal poachers a very light slap on the wrist when they pleaded guilty in territorial court. The federal Minister, the Honourable Kim Campbell, apparently does not understand the seriousness of the action committed by these representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces.

I was quite annoyed yesterday to learn that even though the Premier has written letters and met with the federal Minister, there has been no formal response from the Department of National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces.

We should continue to pursue this matter, Mr. Speaker, and I accept nothing short of a complete and formal apology from Ms. Campbell and the regimental commander involved. I urge the Premier to take a forceful stand in her dealings with the federal government on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken before in this Legislature about the very successful young offenders' wilderness program which operated for several years at Mingotuq, near Iqaluit, before it was closed by the Department of Social Services.

I am pleased to inform the House that a new company, owned by Inuit, is being formed, called Atamie Family Enterprises, which proposes to re-establish this very successful program under the leadership of Lucassie and Inookie Nowdluk, camp leaders at Mingotuq.

Lucassie, Inookie and their nephew, Adamie Itorcheak, have put a great deal of effort into planning the re-establishment of this program. The prime objective will be to instill renewed interested and self-confidence in young people whose situations with their families in communities has lead to deviant behaviour. They believe the best place to start this rehabilitation is back on the land in a community setting which has not been destroyed by town living. They propose to put the young people in touch with basic life-skills which their grandparents most likely needed when they camped on the land in spring and summer. They aim to slowly increase their sense of responsibility and feeling of confidence in their own ability to provide and hunt for the camp and neighbouring family. They plan on using a whole family approach to authority so they will experience the subtle traditional chain of command which has likely been missing for some time. Under supervision they will come to understand all aspects of camp life. Each component of traditional life will be explained and demonstrated including hunting, igloo building, fishing, trapping and dog team handling. Each member of the staff has a life time of experience with dogs, machines and maintenance, snowmobile repair, boat handling, hunter safety and first aid. The young people will also acquire new skills in such areas as carpentry and plumbing through regular maintenance of the camp's facilities and contribute to their own safety and well-being by maintaining and improving the camp's aircraft runway, et cetera. It is hoped that as their levels of responsibilities increase the resident young offenders in the camp will realize they are the authors of their own opportunities and their own limitations.

Mr. Speaker, I would seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Justice has just received a proposal from the new enterprise. They are proposing to offer the camp program as an option to supplement the in-town institutional programs for young offenders offered at Ullivik and Isumaqsunngittukkuvik open and closed young offender facilities.

I am hopeful, Mr. Speaker, with the assistance of the Minister and his officials that reallocation of existing resources now spent on in-town institutional programs can result in this very worthwhile program being started up again as early as this coming fall. Qujannamiik.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you, Mr. Dent and myself were accosted last night by a grizzled prospector with that strange glint in his eye that often exists among those people who search for gold and diamonds. When a local person seeks out people who have a voice, they expect that voice to be expressed. We heard some concerns. If, over the next year, someone suddenly appears off the tundra having found three diamonds, three in a sense that they are floating there in the debris, that would set off a kind of movement and every drifter around the world would suddenly arrive in Yellowknife, expecting to become very rich.

This sounds a little far out and far-fetched until you think about it, because that was exactly the problem that existed in the Yukon during the gold rush. People from all over the world suddenly appeared and went into the wilderness and many of them never came back. We have such a problem with adventurers who come here, get lost and cost this government a great deal of money.

My suggestion to the government, on behalf of this grizzled prospector, is that we should do some thinking about what could happen and what kinds of requirements prospectors should have before they venture out into a very inhospitable

and difficult place for the tenderfoot to survive for any length of time. Thank you.

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi. I rise today to speak about the development of justice committees and corrections in the Delta communities. The Gwich'in Tribal Council, which includes the communities of Arctic Red River, Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Inuvik, has submitted a proposal to develop community-based justice systems. These justice committees will, over the next three years, assume the role as advisors, councillors and sometimes social workers. Specifically, some of the duties which these committees may take on are: pre-sentencing and predisposition reports; recommendations on sentencing including diversion from the court systems; and, assisting the development of correction and incarceration methods including, but not limited to, on-the-land programs. The committees will try to seek a reconciliation of the offender with the community by making the community aware of the offender's problem, but not just limited to the crime that was committed.

To reconcile the offender's problem, offenders, victims and various community organizations must be involved prior to court proceedings. During court, the justice committee's presence will assist the judge or justice of the peace in dispensing justice in a manner that is suited to the circumstances, environment and customs of the individual and the community. If alternative methods of incarceration are ordered by the courts, the committee can also seek to organize and ensure that the offender receives proper care and counselling to ensure that a healing process starts.

The proposal submitted by the Gwich'in is a progressive one and, if implemented, will begin the process of healing the communities rather than ignoring the troubles within a community. This government has provided support for the community-based justice system by providing funding and staff assistance and by hiring personnel to assist in the development of the committee. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi. I would hope this government can continue the support and try to alter a system of justice which does not seem to be suited to our northern communities. Recently, the Gwich'in Tribal Council received an informal decision that the federal government's aboriginal justice program is unable to contribute any more funds to the Gwich'in proposal. This will require this government and the Gwich'in to rework the plans for justice committees and corrections, and there will also be a greater need for this government's continuing support. I hope this government is still committed to the concept of community-based justice and corrections, and will assist the communities in the north as much as possible to develop and implement their initiatives. Mahsi.

---Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Keewatin divisional board of education in the completion of their ten year educational plan for the Keewatin region. The plan is thorough and lays out clear goals and objectives as well as plans of action. They have laid out what the current situation is for each of the communities and gives clear direction as to where they would like to see the schools go. It can be seen from the plan that consultation was made with each of the communities and all relevant personnel, which means there are bound to be differences between the department and the divisional board's ten year plan, simply because it comes from the people who will be directly affected by it and the fact that it will set the government back a few dollars.

As stated in the preamble of the document, the cost of education is not as high as the cost of ignorance. However, I cannot see how the department would disagree with its major thrust which I believe is to increase the standard of education in the Keewatin region. The direction which the Keewatin schools have already started in the area of community grade extensions has already increased the number of students attending the high school program in the community of Arviat. In these classes are students who have not otherwise received their grade 12 diplomas. At the present time, there are schools in the Keewatin which are overcrowded because it was left up to the government to build these schools. In this plan it shows when and why each school should be expanded. In fact, I think if a divisional board of education in the Keewatin continues in the direction that they have started, the numbers which they show in the plan may be too conservative.

At this time, I would only ask that the Minister take this plan seriously and begin to take appropriate steps to ensure the plan will be given the consideration I think it is due, the first of which should be to extend the grades in Baker Lake to grade 11. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 3, Member's statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Zoe.

Minister of Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding Mr. Zoe's concern, a decision paper has been drafted to modify the policy on gas and wood fuel for senior citizens. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is recommended that cash be granted to seniors, who own their own home, which will allow them to purchase whatever fuel they utilize. Yes, those kinds of things have been considered in modifying this policy. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The decision paper also contains a recommendation that an income ceiling be established for this program. Thank you.

Your last supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, the wood fuel policy for seniors is in the process of being modified, which is in the draft form now. Hopefully, those changes that Mr. Zoe is bringing to this House will be addressed. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Social Services. Mr. Speaker, one of the major problems with the delivery of social assistance benefits is there are too many barriers discouraging clients from seeking other sources of income that may be available from time to time. A person who makes extra money by carving or hunting is penalized by the social assistance system. I raised this issue with the former Minister on November 18, 1992. I am not asking the former Minister. Mr. Speaker, the Minister said this matter was under review and that he was hopeful of reform the system. Could the Minister advise us as to the status of the review of the social assistance system, which was to look into ways of removing barriers to other sources of income? Thank you.

Minister of Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice and get back to the Member.

Question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Social Services. The Minister is well aware of the concern that I share with other honourable Members about social assistance rates. On February 25, 1993, the Minister informed the House that the most recent increase to the social assistance rates was increased by five per cent in 1990. Mr. Speaker, it is now 1993. Our people are having great difficulty surviving on what they receive from the Department of Social Services. The Minister said she was waiting for the report from the Special Committee on Health and Social Services, but this committee has already completed two interim reports which state clearly that social assistance rates are too low. Could the Minister explain why the Department of Social Services has not taken action to review and adjust the social assistance rates? Thank you.

Minister of Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the time, when I made my response, I said there was an increase of five per cent in October 1, 1992, not 1990. On your second question, I will consult with my department and get back to the Member with the information he is requesting. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes I have a difficult time when the Minister is taking the question as notice. Sometimes it takes more than a month to get a response. My question is quite urgent. The second interim report from the Special Committee on Health and Social Services points out the social assistance now received is not enough for them to buy healthy food. The allowance averages 60 per cent of the cost of healthy food supplied. It is rated by a 1991 food price survey. Is the Minister prepared to make a commitment to this House to increase social assistance rates that will allow clients to meet their food needs?

Minister of Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For this fiscal year, no. I may consider it for next fiscal year. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education. Three communities want to add more grades. How could we add more grades to the communities? Can the Minister of Education respond to my question?

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, I was not clear on the question. Could the honourable Member repeat the question?

Mr. Pudlat, would you please clarify the question?

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the clarification by the honourable Member. The normal process is to work with the board of education from the Baffin region, who will identify those particular communities requiring extensions to their grades. As such, we will respond to it through the normal budget process and ensure that we provide the financial resources for the appropriate school year.

Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1985, they started extending grades in the communities and the communities had to request extensions. In 1993, are they behind in putting in their request? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure whether the board has reviewed the request for extension of grades in the communities the honourable Member has identified. I can indicate to the honourable Member that, in those communities, where the numbers of students have been identified, we are responding positively to those communities. I can say this Cabinet will respond positively and this Minister will respond where the appropriate numbers are identified, particularly if the request and support is given by the board of education from the Baffin region. You can be assured we will respond positively.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was very pleased to hear the Minister of Social Services state, in response to the Member for High Arctic, that she is prepared to consider dealing with the shortfall in the food rates for social assistance recipients and that, in fact, she is prepared to consider doing so for the coming fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, does this mean we can expect when the Minister presents the estimates for her department during this session that the matter of the shortfall in food allowance rates for social assistance clients will be addressed?

Minister of Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I should have elaborated further. This five per cent increase was applied across the NWT, whether in Yellowknife or in Grise Fiord. There are some inequities in this regard. This five per cent increase should not have been applied to all the communities where there are differences in food prices. The department and myself will be looking into how we can apply this better and try and use the available resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear the Minister is looking at dealing with the discrepancies in the cost of living in the communities rather than by an across the board approach. Will this new approach, which should begin to deal with some of the issues raised by the Special Committee on Health and Social Services in their interim report, be reflected in the main estimates for the Department of Social Services which the Minister will be presenting to this House this session? Thank you.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Had I been the Minister responsible in October, at the time the increase was placed, perhaps things would have been handled a little differently.

---Applause

I am going to try and stay within the means. The five per cent increase, which was placed in October, applies to all the communities in the NWT, which causes inequities. I will not be looking at additional resources. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I will try for the third time to get a straight answer from the honourable Minister. She has told my colleague from the High Arctic that she will consider dealing with the food allowance shortfall issue this coming fiscal year. She implied she would look at the shortfall. Now,

she has said in her response that she is going to look at dealing with it by a more equitable allocation of the five per cent increase between communities. Does this mean we will see this issue dealt with when the Minister presents her main estimates before this House this session? That is the third time I have asked this question, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did not say I am prepared, as the honourable Member is stating. I said I may consider. I will get back to the Member after I review what I said in the Hansard. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson, last supplementary.

Mr. Speaker, with the greatest respect to the honourable Minister, she should be cautious about raising expectations of a Member of this House. Either she is going to deal with this issue for the coming fiscal year or she is not. I do not want an answer such as, "I will get back to the honourable Member after I have reviewed Hansard." I would like to know, here and now, is the Member going to deal with this issue for the coming fiscal year in the main estimates, or not? Thank you.

Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Recently the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation advertised an invitation to tender for the 1993 access water delivery program. One component of this tender was for the materials for 51 housing units to be delivered to Northern Transportation Company Limited, NTCL, in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, as the tender title indicates the means of transport for these housing materials is by barge. There is no consideration given for the use of truck transportation to communities with road access, both year round and winter roads. The communities of Inuvik, Aklavik, Arctic Red River, Fort McPherson and Tuktoyaktuk are all accessible by roads. My question to the Minister of Housing is why are all of these housing packages being shipped by barge and not have the opportunity of using truck transportation?

Minister for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding there is a policy which requires us to ship by NTCL to any place north of Norman Wells. This was worked out with the purchasing of NTCL. I have already stated to the Member for Nahendeh that I will look at the policy, revise it and take it to Cabinet. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

I am the Member for Inuvik and not Nahendeh. I am not aware of your discussions with him. You have mentioned there is a policy whereby this government is required to do all of their shipping by NTCL. How many years is the arrangement with NTCL in place for?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have discussed this issue with the Member for Nahendeh in this House. I had answered some questions and I thought the Member was present.

When NTCL was a federal Crown corporation, the GNWT was committed to using their services. Following the sale of the company to the Inuvialuit Development Corporation and Nunasi Corporation the government of the day, in 1986, reaffirmed that NTCL would be the carrier of choice. About the same time, Cooper Barging Service applied for operating south of Fort Good Hope, but it excluded Hay River. That means both carriers can operate in the Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Wrigley, Fort Norman and Norman Wells areas and any point in between. The Cooper Barging Service also has the rights to service the Liard River.

The Member for Inuvik has raised this issue and also the mayor of Fort Simpson and the Member for Nahendeh. To address their concerns the department is in the process of preparing a decision paper for Cabinet's consideration to see if a process should be taken so all barge companies have the opportunity to carry GNWT cargo with a designation for the upper Mackenzie and whether we can ship materials to Inuvik and the other communities by truck. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mr. Speaker, this invitation to tender requires material to construct 51 housing units in the western Arctic. In previous statements which the Minister made, I thought he indicated he would ensure tender packages will be broken down into smaller units to enable some of our northern businesses to compete for the tender of this business. My supplementary is, why is this tender so large?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT Housing Corporation is breaking out portions of the houses, for example, the foundations, windows, cabinets and other portions of the tender, in order for people to bid on it. My understanding is that so far this year most of the tenders have been awarded to northern outfits. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

I think the Minister should read his own tenders. Is it the Minister's intention to break down future invitations to tender so smaller northern businesses can compete for a fair share of the business?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been progress on the policy. In light of that, the program is being transferred to Education. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Programs. Mr. Speaker, communication is very important. It enhances culture and language, and promotes other important elements in our culture. There are speculations that funding for the Inuktitut TV programs are to be cut by the federal government. Mr. Speaker, many people in the NWT, of all ages, enjoy the television programs in their own native language. The significance of this cannot be over-emphasized. Could the Minister advise the House that the funding for the native television programming will not be cut during the upcoming fiscal year? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, that particular assurance really cannot be given by myself as Minister because most funding which is presently received by the aboriginal organizations for northern television, TVNC, is provided by the federal government. They have made the decision to make some cuts. I can indicate to the honourable Member that any funding which this government provides will not be cut and has been approved in terms of our obligations. On the federal funding, the concern we have had and are expressing to the Government of Canada is that we are concerned about the cuts which have been suggested by the federal government to TVNC and also to the northern native communications society, with regard to the Press Independent. I can indicate to the honourable Member that we support the continuation of the funding. I have already, through the Government Leader, articulated and sent a message to the Government of Canada with regard to our support for the continuation of that funding.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a question to the Minister of Education. I would like to know if there are funds available from the department to develop divisional examinations to upgrade or raise the standards of divisional exams in the Keewatin? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you. I would like to indicate, Mr. Speaker, to the honourable Member, there are a number of considerations which are now being given to the matter of testing. Across the country we have developed what we consider is a testing assessment which the Ministers of Education have agreed to, one to be implemented on April 1, or at least beginning April 1, 1993, a math test which would give us an idea of the level of abilities our students have with

regard to math across the country and also within the Northwest Territories.

Secondly, in 1994, it is also our intention to introduce a language arts testing program. It has been indicated, Mr. Speaker, a number of times in this House, the lack of standardization of exams that exists to allow us to judge the level of education of the students from region to region, from community to community. As a result of that, we are embarking upon this national testing program. I am hoping it will give us some indication of the level of education in those two crucial areas for the students who we are responsible for educating throughout the Northwest Territories.

Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I wonder if the department or Minister would be open to the regional divisional boards wanting to standardize their own testing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to indicate to the honourable Member, my only major concern with the idea of each particular region developing their own standard exam is the inconsistencies which might arise from region to region. Particularly, if we are providing education under the Alberta curriculum, I think it would be in our interest and in the interest of each region to ensure there was some consistency among testing so we could transfer students from one school to the other. We could then expect the level of education or teaching which is being provided in the schools is consistent across the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, some of the programs are an extension for high school students. Arviat is a good example for the honourable Members. The students who graduated from grade 12 last year, based on the Alberta curriculum were more successful than any other students to date in that particular program. It was based on the fact that they were given the same education and wrote the same departmental exams so we knew what level of education and what qualifications they had.

Despite the fact that I am not opposed to the idea of regional examinations, my concern would be the regional examinations may not allow us to make those judgements on the level of education or teaching we are providing to the students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.