Mr. Chairman, does the Minister foresee any new trades training capacity in place for the Nunavut Arctic College, whenever it is established in the new fiscal year? Is there a possibility that there could be even one or two of the eight PYs that are now in place given to at least start some trades training closer to home in the Kitikmeot, Baffin or the Keewatin? Use an existing shop, or whatever, but get some training going a little closer to home, along with the establishment of the new college. Thank you.

Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.

I guess anything is possible, but the fact is, based on the way we're trying to make division and the way the structure is set up, we cannot do it immediately. I do see the potential and the opportunity for trades training in Nunavut. But, it's all a matter of planning. I'm sorry I can't pick up a magic wand and say, the infrastructure must change tomorrow. It doesn't work like that. But, I do agree with the honourable Member that we need to plan this out, with the view of ensuring there is that trades component in Nunavut.

Thank you. Total buildings and works. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Chairman, it has been a long time since I've been in Cabinet and I have probably forgotten everything I knew, but it seems to me, from what I know of the process, that when legislation is passed and when the Minister goes to the Financial Management Board to set up the new budgets for the two new college administrations, there will be a transfer of funds from NWT Arctic College to Nunavut Arctic College and the western Arctic College, or whatever it is going to be named.

There will be two new budgets from one. I guess what I'm asking the Minister is, in setting up these new budgets, would he undertake -- recognizing that the long range corporate plans are not in place and recognizing that the infrastructure is not in place -- nonetheless to see if he could address the issue of equity in establishing those new budgets? Or, at least begin to address the issue of equity?

I think it is going to be easier to do it when you are dividing up the pie, rather than afterwards. I think it is going to be a lot easier to do it that way. With respect, I think the Minister may not have a magic wand, but he has some authority because he is going to be recommending those base budgets to the Financial Management Board. I just want to ensure there is some fairness when that is started up. Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I didn't think I was an unfair person. I always made the assumption that I was fairly fair and reasonable and that whatever decisions we were making were based on some sense of fairness. Now, the problem with the idea that everything must be equal -- and that's the concept that the honourable Member is proposing...If everything must be equal, then we have a problem. But on the matter of equity, I think we can move the process so that in the end there's some equity in the system. The problem you presently have is that there's infrastructure in place, there are people delivering programs and we have to maintain those at this particular juncture. But I can assure the honourable Member that the intention once we divide the dollars, based on the delivery of programs in place now, there will be two issues; one, infrastructure and, two, equity and programming. Those are the three components and they will be dealt with. The problem is that you can't do it immediately because of the way the structure is set up right now, but we will deal with it.

Qujannamiik. Mr. Patterson.

I'll leave this one, Mr. Chairman. I just want to make it clear I do have great faith that the Minister is going to be fair, that's why I'm appealing to him now to start exercising those powers before everything is said and done. I also want to make it clear that I understand that equity doesn't mean equality. I understand that full well. I'm not suggesting that there be a 50 per cent allocation of the resources. But I am suggesting that where there are anomalies that are obvious, now is the time to at least begin to make a move to correct those.

I know that the Fort Smith heavy equipment instructors make journeys to places like Lake Harbour and offer courses. I've heard great compliments to some of those people for the good work that they do. Maybe now is the time to say we're doing a lot of that anyway, maybe we can locate one of those people and keep up the good work. That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. I think that the programs have developed in an ad hoc fashion over the years, and not necessarily with rhyme nor reason.

I'm just saying yes, I understand the full long-range plans are not in place, infrastructure is not in place, but if the Minister could look for these -- at least these apparent anomalies -- and use his good offices with his Cabinet colleagues and with the college board -- and I know they have a major role to play with this, although the Nunavut Arctic College board is still non-existent as I understand it, it's ready to be formed and I appreciate that the Minister has appointed new people to lay the foundation, but they're not in place now so I guess that's why this little, small voice here is saying could you do something now or start doing something now, please. Thank you.

Thank you. Total buildings and works, $4.348 million.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Equipment acquisition, headquarters, total region, $75,000.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Total equipment acquisition, $75,000.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Contributions. Total region, $385,000. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This item deals with community museums contributions and historic buildings contributions. I'm concerned about this. I'd like to ask the Minister a question. I'm aware that there's a new heritage service policy in the territorial heritage building capital contribution schedule being developed. I would like to ask him if this policy and schedule have been developed, and if they're not developed, then when can we expect to see something like this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Minister.

Thank you. Yes, Mr. Chairman, they've been done. I can provide the Member with a copy of the policies.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

On this historic buildings contribution, I just want to say that in my constituency, in Fort Simpson, there is a historical society that has been formed for a number of years, and has been locally involved having meetings and so forth. They're interested in saving some of the older buildings. There are a couple of older buildings in the community that were built back in the 1930s and 1940s with logs that were hewn by axe, with dovetail notches that were done with an axe, and some of these buildings are still there. There are two of them in Simpson that I'm aware of. Also, there's an old barn that was used by the experimental farm that's still there.

This heritage centre group would like to acquire land some place in the community and put these old buildings on it, so that the heritage of 1930s and 1940s could be saved. If they don't do that, these buildings will eventually rot, deteriorate and get destroyed, such as a lot of other good buildings were destroyed. This is the type of thing that communities are doing. I'm sure there are other communities that would like to save their historic buildings, such as churches and so forth that we've helped in the past. This is in line with it. These buildings were built by the local people back 50 or 60 years ago, and require saving.

Along with that, this group would also like to bring all the old equipment that's laying around up the river; such as, there was equipment there for doing farming in the old days that is still around that could be saved. People do contribute their time to sit together in a committee in a community to talk about these things which are very important to them. It's important to our history, as well. This historic buildings contribution is $60,000 for this year, and there's a community museums contribution of $175,000. I think these are good contributions, but the group in Simpson...I don't know whether they've applied. I know they have had a lot of meetings and have decided, and they're dealing in the communities on how to do this. If this government could support them and help them out in their endeavours so that they could save some of these historic buildings.

We're waiting for the policies and schedules. I know about three years ago, the Standing Committee on Finance noticed that in those days it seemed -- and maybe it's a coincidence -- that only in the Ministers' ridings, buildings of a museum nature were allocated. When we asked, there was no policy in place. So we asked for a policy and now a policy is in place along with schedules. I'm glad that the government is making a policy so that other places could have contributions go to them, not only to the Ministers' ridings. It's just a coincidence, perhaps, but that's the way it seemed at that time.

---Laughter

I would just like to say, Mr. Chairman, that this is a good contribution. Too bad I don't see anything for my constituency in here. Hopefully, in the future, there will be something there. Mahsi.

Hear, hear.

Thank you. Contributions, headquarters, total region, $385,000. Mr. Dent.