Madam Speaker, I should maybe be a little clearer on this one. Has there been discussion respecting the possibility for a negotiated contract for this project?

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the Member is aware, I wrote to all Members in this House about contracts and capital projects that are being carried out by the Department of Public Works in this construction season. I've written to him as well. I believe this contract was designated to go out as a public tender. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The community education council is getting rather anxious in hearing from the Minister as to what is happening to this school extension. Would the Minister tell us if this can be done within a reasonable time? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll be in touch with the community by the end of next week. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo, and it has to do with the learning centre. On February 25, in committee of the whole, the Minister gave a commitment, and I will quote from Hansard, "In the matter of the learning centre here in Yellowknife, I want to indicate to the honourable Member and all Members of Yellowknife, that I have instructed my staff and they are carrying out a meeting with both district boards to resolve the matter to come to a solution of how we deal with the learning centre and the delivery of programming for those students. A meeting will be held on that specific issue. We're trying to be proactive in trying to help bring about a resolution to that matter."

At that time, I thanked the Minister for that response. So I was somewhat surprised that a letter dated the same day to the Yellowknife MLAs said that, "You've already received a copy of my reply explaining why I'm not in a position to respond positively to the request for financial support." I can only assume that letter had already been drafted before the commitment was made in the House. I would like to ask the Minister, is he still prepared to honour his commitment that he made in committee of the whole?

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are two issues that the honourable Member should be aware of so there is no confusion in the House. The honourable Member should realize that there was a request from the learning centre parents about a request for financial assistance direct to them. What is clear is that we are now, under our financial arrangements, providing on a per capita basis -- and that includes the students who are in the learning centre -- financial resources direct to the school boards for their education.

What really needs to be done is clearly a working relationship, or at least an arrangement where the learning centre is satisfied that their educational dollars are, in fact, being used properly and in the interests of their children. What we are trying to do is make sure that school boards take responsibility for delivering educational programming. As such, I will accept -- as I did here, in committee of the whole -- ongoing responsibility for trying to come to some conclusion and resolution to the differences of view that are being held by the parents of those students in the learning centre and the administration of the boards, particularly the differences of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 which seems to be less open to trying to resolve this. We will try to mediate and respond positively to the request that has been made by the honourable Member.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that commitment. There are, I think, two issues here, as the Minister said. One is the issue of the level of support for special needs going to the school boards, and that is something that the Minister has already committed to address. The second is the flexibility by both the Department of Education and the school boards to allow different approaches to special needs. A private school is one of those approaches.

I thank the Minister for his response, but I'll ask again, just to clarify for the public record. Will the Minister keep an open mind when he's looking at this whole area and perhaps consider some change of the policy to allow some flexibility to deal with specific needs of special needs students here in Yellowknife?

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I believe that the policy includes the schooling that has been approved by Cabinet and by government, previously. The policy, in our view, is a good policy. We will try to consider the concern that the honourable Member has raised and try to be flexible in our approach. But, at the same time, my concern is that some of the education leadership is not even prepared to consider the policy as it is. Therefore, it makes it very difficult to operate. I think that having met with the parents of the students at the learning centre, I found some of them to be reasonable and their expectations are that we provide good educational programming. We will try to do our best to respond to that within the confines of the policies that are available to us.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't know whether the Hay River reserve has the equipment at the present time. But I would like to assure the Member at this time that if there isn't equipment necessary to be prepared for the upcoming spring for those areas in the Northwest Territories where flooding does take place and the department is aware, then I will direct the department to be sure that they are well equipped for any emergencies that may arise this coming spring. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have raised the issue of the emergency communication equipment since 1985. I would like to ask the Minister whether he is prepared to look at purchasing this equipment so I wouldn't have to raise the issue every time spring comes.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I understand that the equipment that is required is made available to the Hay River Reserve when it is needed. But, in answer to the request that the honourable Member is making, I will take a look at his request and give it serious consideration. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.