Thank you. I appreciate the consideration by my colleagues.

Mr. Chairman, although we have capital standards and criteria for child care facilities, and while we all agree on the needs of these services to provide for early childhood education programs and to allow parents to pursue training and employment, particularly in the smaller communities, I want to advise Members, we have received no extra funding for construction of new facilities where they do not exist or are not provided through private sector investment. We are challenged to find ways to accommodate necessary program space through existing resources so that we may invest in our children in these early formative years.

Education, Culture and Employment is also supporting capital construction projects to promote and maintain aboriginal culture. I am pleased to advise that I have received approval to develop a capital program to support the development of cultural institutes. I expect to announce the details of this program towards the end of this Assembly. Again, the resources for this program will come from current allocation levels.

Mr. Chairman, as part of our renewed commitment to improving services to the people of the NWT, my staff are continually looking for ways to make links between the variety of programs offered by the department. We are well aware that our capital projects have a great potential to support training programs, local employment and help stimulate local economies.

I am pleased to note that Education, Culture and Employment is a partner in the building and learning strategy, with the Department of Public Works and Services, which uses capital projects to train northerners in trades related to the construction trades. The size of our capital projects alone results in community benefits through local involvement, employment and support for existing service sectors.

Further, Mr. Chairman, I am pleased, on behalf of our government, to be able to provide for delivery of the Canada/NWT infrastructure program. The $10.8 million cost-shared program will contribute to infrastructure as well as provide jobs in all our communities. The program will be administered in a manner similar to the $6 million NWT worker training fund that was delivered last year. It differs somewhat from the approach we used, however, because we had to design the approval process around the conditions placed upon us by federal/territorial agreements on cost-sharing.

Mr. Chairman, the Northwest Territories is undergoing a time of great change, including the creation of two new territories, the settlement of land claims and increased self-government. I believe that these changes will greatly benefit people in the regions and smaller communities, but it is important that all our partners manage change in an informed and consistent way. Education, Culture and Employment would like to be recognized as a leader in assisting and aiding the people of the Northwest Territories in working towards a new and exciting future. We believe that the changes we have already made to our capital planning process will help provide the infrastructure necessary to provide educational, cultural and employment programs.

Mr. Chairman, we appreciate very much the assistance of this Assembly in proposing, promoting and supporting innovation and the balance we must have in investment across all government programs.

Mr. Chairman, regrettably and despite our best efforts, we will not be able to meet the expectations of the people of the NWT, who are just beginning to see the impact of financial restraint in Canada, but who recognize the value and importance of education, training and cultural facilities in support of the development of our society. It is becoming increasingly difficult to develop a capital plan, given our resources and the needs. The proposed capital estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment strive to balance the need for capital programs with available resources. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.