Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. School district No. 1, in fact, engaged the services of Dr. Gordon Porter from New Brunswick, who I have known for many years, and has developed in concert with the board, a policy with regard to inclusive schooling which has been adopted by the boards. So I would like to ask the Minister, since that board already has a policy on inclusive schooling, what is holding up any further developments with regard to the Minister meeting his responsibilities under the act?

Minister of Education.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is interesting that the honourable Member mentions Dr. Porter because Dr. Porter, in my most recent meetings in Toronto at a conference on inclusive schooling, special needs education, supports the inclusive schooling policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories and has indicated to me that it is one of the leading policies in this country.

I think the report that was provided to school district No. 1 was an excellent report by Dr. Porter. I have had a chance to review it and I have also had a chance to review the response to school district No. 1. All the decisions that have been made have not been totally supportive of Dr. Porter's original report. I do feel the inclusive school policy is one that we should implement and one we need to work on. Generally speaking, there are some specific issues that need to be addressed and, hopefully, with the commitment of the Department of Health and Social Services and ourselves, we can get on with trying to find the necessary responses.

In some cases, we are responding by providing additional financial support. With others, we have to deal with the question of space. There are two elements to space: one is the growing school-age population in the city. Secondly, is the need for us to address the special needs of school in the city as well.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. In late July, the department prepared a Northwest Territories tourism marketing strategy and released the report to operators and other people in the industry throughout the north. To me, the document is very timely and is reflective of the diverse needs of tourism industry and of our attractions in the north. My question to the Minister is what kind of response is he receiving from people across the north on this tourism strategy?

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. First of all, I appreciate the comments of my honourable colleague. I think the report is somewhat reflective of the conditions that exist in the territories today. I did say last week that we want to take a two-pronged approach. You have the highway system and then you have the east. Hopefully, we will pursue that.

The response we have had to date, although it is not overwhelming because it is still very much in the consultative stages, has been generally receptive to the report so far. I am hoping that some time in the new year, we will be able to consolidate the views of everyone and move forward on this approach that I alluded to last week in my speech to try to get a greater focus on tourism development. And more importantly, at least in my eyes, try to put the marketing and the tourism development into the hands of those who are directed affected, rather than in the hands of the government. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that response. In the Minister's covering letter on the report, the Minister stated that consultation was extensive in developing the strategy. My supplementary question is how extensive was the consultation in developing this strategy?

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

From what I remember -- it was some time back when this consultation took place -- they discussed with tourism operators, some of the zone associations, individual people who are involved in tourism, chambers of commerce, some aboriginal groups, airlines, et cetera, in an effort to renew a tourism strategy that is reflective of the 1990s. The last time a tourism strategy was put in place was 1988 or 1989. So this was an effort to try to bring up to date where we should put what limited money we have and where we should put our effort. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. The study has been done and you are now receiving feedback. There was some reorganization going on, as you mentioned a few days ago in this House. So what happens next? What is the follow-up to this strategy?

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

As the honourable Member has said, Madam Speaker, we are seeking public input to confirm that some of the directions we have developed in this strategy are correct. Hopefully, we will have that done by year end. We have studied the reorganization in terms of how we would view tourism with respect to a highway system versus a non-highway system. I am looking for a little more public input on whether we move it out of the department and put it in the hands of the private sector. That would be my personal preference, but we want to make sure that is where the industry wants to go. Hopefully, in the early part of the new year, we are up and running and moving forward in some of the changes that need to take place.

We indicated earlier in the year in our decentralization initiatives, where we gave significant new authorities to the superintendents, we have done exactly the same thing with the tourism budgets. We said the budget should be in the regions, whether it is for marketing or for development and the regions, particularly the regional offices, have got a responsibility and obligation to consult with the industry. The industry should have direct influence on where that money should be spent. So I am optimistic over the next three or four months that that will be in place and there will be a very strong regional thrust to it, but I need about another two months to make sure we are on the right track and to get on with the job. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi. That is the issue: to get on with the job and develop the industry. In the report, the last chapter outlines what the NWT has to do to develop the industry, but there is no real action plan. I can compare that to the strategy 2010. There is an implementation strategy in there. I am just wondering if the Minister is now going to be looking at developing an implementation strategy.

Thank you. Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Todd.

We know what our dollars are going to be and we know what they have been historically. So we know what money is available. We are trying to put the fiscal responsibility in the hands of the regions. We don't have an implementation plan in there because we want the regions to develop that with the resources that they have. I am somewhat frustrated, as I am sure the honourable Member is, that we have been going around and around on this issue for a number of years. I believe that the steps we have taken: one, to take a more focused approach when it comes to east and west is important because you have a highway system plus an air system; two, we have given significant, almost all, the fiscal authority into the regions, except for a few generic things that we do, a 1-800 line and some of the marketing we have done;

and, three, we have instructed our superintendents that they had better work closely, and will work closely with the industry, to develop strategies that are responsive to their needs and to work with the industry and determine where we spend what limited budgets and money we have in tourism development.

I'm optimistic that, for example, Mr. Koe's area, which is an expanding tourist area -- and he's very fortunate, because some others aren't -- should be determining where we spend money when it comes to tourism development and marketing. That's what we intend to do, not having direction come from someone sitting in Yellowknife in a civil service job. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

(Microphone turned off)

Yes, and building small bridges across rivers.