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

Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I can wait another couple of weeks, but I would like to ask the Minister, what's the problem? Why is this taking so long? The colleges have been established since January 1st and the Minister planned this change at least a year in advance. Why

is it taking so long to give these new creatures the dignity of a name? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Speaker, I don't want to get in to a debate with the honourable Member. I just want to say to the honourable Member again, I'll have the names ready when we come back after the break.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, I am not proposing to debate. I just asked what I think is an innocent question. Why has it taken so long for the Minister to generate names for the two new colleges which were created by legislation passed last fall and established by a regulation, I believe, January 1, 1995? Why have we had to wait so long for the two new colleges to get names? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The honourable Member should recall that there was a request that was put out to the general public to give us advice on the matter, including the recommendations of the Members of this Assembly. What has occurred is that there have been a number of names proposed. We have narrowed it down to three specific names. My recommendation, in light of the names that have been brought forward, is to recommend two names; one for the Nunavut College and one for the western Arctic College. The matter, I can advise, will come up, hopefully, on the Cabinet agenda, but it's been there and we are just waiting for the final decisions. I have moved it as far as I can. The fact is that it needs to come back on the agenda, and it's not for me to decide the agenda. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognizing that the majority of the Nunavut residents' first language is Inuktitut, I would like to ask the Minister if it is his intention, in recommending a name to Cabinet for the Nunavut College, that an English name and an appropriate Inuktitut name also be officially designated for the campuses in Nunavut? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The designation, obviously, will be able to be translated in the Inuktitut language, or for that matter hopefully in the Dene language for the west. The fact is that we have to deal with the question of naming the college in English and appropriately designating that in the legal documents. It is not just simply a matter of naming them, but we have to make the appropriate legal name changes.

Item 6, oral questions. Ms. Mike.