Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I respond to the honourable Member and the remarks he has made, let me clarify this matter very clearly. Mr. Speaker, I want to indicate that one of the first letters I was asked to sign was the matter of reducing $80,000 to the kindergarten program. I also want to advise the honourable Member, that as a result of that, $25,000 is going to project change here in Yellowknife where we are doubling from $50,000 to $100,000 in literacy programming in the Northwest Territories, as a result of that change. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to advise the honourable Members that nothing in this agreement suggests that we are going to completely cancel the program. We have, in fact, asked the Tree of Peace and Tom Eagle to sit down with us to negotiate a new agreement. If, in fact, we have a responsibility to deliver the kindergarten program we will do so. We need to sit down and negotiate that agreement. The manner in which the program is being presently funded, if all other schools were to receive the same type of funding, we would, in fact, have millions of dollars of cost. What is clear, is the present funding arrangement is not in the correct location. As a result of that we need to sit down and deal with it pragmatically, rationally, responsibly and if the Tree of Peace requires us to fund the program, we will fund it. If we need a new agreement, we will sign a new agreement. That is a commitment from this Minister and this Cabinet.

---Applause

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 25, at the Minister's instigation, one of his officials wrote to Mr. Eagle, and it was a faxed letter which went to him. One of the sentences in that letter reads, "The department is no longer able to provide a contribution towards the kindergarten program offered by the Tree of Peace." Does this mean then that when the Minister says he will assist or help, does this mean that it will be something else besides a financial contribution toward the kindergarten program, or is there still a financial commitment from the government?

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not want anyone to get the impression from the honourable Member's statement that somehow I have decided that we are not going to provide any financial resources. That is not the

case. If anything, I would hope that from the results of our discussions with Mr. Eagle we can, in fact, come to a conclusion as to how we are going to properly fund the program. The present way in which we are funding the program is based on preschool programming. The Government of the Northwest Territories and all schools are not funded based on preschool. That is the unfortunate situation. However, it must be rectified. I think one of the responsibilities that I have assumed is, in fact, to rectify those problems which exist. It is not necessarily to just cut off programs but to ensure they are properly funded in the right location. That is exactly what we intend to do. If it means we provide financial resources, then that is what we do.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Is the Minister saying that the Tree of Peace does not run the kindergarten program and therefore it is inappropriate for the government to fund that kindergarten program but will find some other way to make a contribution to what the Tree of Peace does that it considers to be of value to this community.

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, it is incredible that the honourable Member would get up in this House and make the suggestion that the people here do not care about the people of the Northwest Territories, or for that matter people of Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I have indicated previously that we are, in fact, committed to providing financial resources if the Tree of Peace staff, Tom Eagle, sit down with us and negotiates the agreement. We will fund, in fact, the program if that is the agreement we reach. We need to sit down. We have asked Mr. Eagle to sit down with us.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The questions earlier in the House today about the accidents at Giant Mine prompt me to ask the Minister of Safety and Public Services about the process which has been under way for some time, to review the Mining Safety Act towards overhauling and updating this legislation. I know the Minister has attempted to involve the labour movement in the review process to make it more complete, so could the Minister give this House a report on the status of the mining safety bill review committee. Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are close to an agreement to ensure that all parties and all stakeholders are actively involved in the Mining Safety Act committee. I am confident that by Monday we will be able to bring to the table all workers' representatives as well as mine management. At this time, the act is at Justice with respect to having if done into legalese. The component which is of significant interest to the workers in particular are the regulations. They are 60 to 70 per cent along. The new committee or the enlarged committee will then review the act and will complete the regulations which are necessary for this act to be enacted. I am hopeful that with some new members to the committee we will have a committee which is representative of all workers in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minster of Education, Culture and Employment Programs regarding the issue which my colleague, Mr. Lewis, raised regarding funding to the Tree of Peace. There definitely seems to be a problem of communications between the Minister's staff, or the Minister and staff in the senate of the Tree of Peace. The Minister has make some fairly strong statements today regarding this issue. I am wondering why the statements which he made are not being communicated to his staff so that his staff can communicate the same message to the senate. Would the Minister please respond to this?

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those remarks will be communicated without doubt.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As my colleague mentioned this has been a long ongoing program, a very successful program. I think some 700 plus children have graduated from this program. I know, my son who is now 18 years old, it was 12 or 13 years ago that he was enrolled in this program. I know how the staff at the Tree of Peace operate the program. I am fully supportive of what they are doing. In the correspondence from the department to the senate, of to the Tree of Peace, there seems to be an indication that instead of an education program, that one of the staff members, the assistant deputy minister, thinks that the Tree of Peace is running a day care and not a kindergarten. Can the Minister please clarify that this is not a day care program but a very significant educational kindergarten program?

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Member should not be the only one taking credit for having children attend that particular program, because my child was a part of that program as well and so are other children. The honourable Member should understand, and I have said this clearly, we will sit down with the staff, Mr. Eagle in particular, and negotiate this particular matter. It is not my intention to cut out the program if the program can be properly funded. It is only reasonable for us to do that. Presently, from the way in which it is being funded, it is funded under the wrong program. If we fund it as a teacher, under the educational program where we can fund kindergarten teachers, then it will be funded properly there. That is not the way it is being done now. It is a grant that comes out of Education that is not identified as part of the student/teacher ration or the teaching area. The Member has to appreciate the position that we are in because there are no other friendship centres, there are no other schools that are receiving funding in that method. If we are to do that, that would cause some problems in the way in which we manage our financial resources. The honourable Member can be assured, and I will state it here to the honourable Member as I stated it to my colleague before, as soon as Mr. Eagle wants to sit down and negotiate this matter, we are ready to do so. It will not be with a view of cancelling the program if it is properly funded according to the policies of this government which the honourable Member approved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends) I was not implying that only my son had attended this course, there were approximately 700 other children who attended and I do not think I fathered that many children. I hope not anyway.

---Laughter