Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you. My question, Mr. Speaker, is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, our Member of Parliament, the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, has done a very good job in pushing the students' summer job action as part of our federal government's approach, and it's one area in the federal government that has got fairly significant increases in these times of extreme budgetary cuts. My question to the Minister is, how will our summer student program dovetail with the federal program.

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

Mr. Speaker, while I'm responsible for students, the whole issue of summer employment rests with the Minister responsible for Personnel.

Thank you. Mr. Ballantyne, would you direct your question...

I suppose I could repeat the question again. If I could ask my question to the Minister who is responsible; I'm not sure if that's the Minister of Finance or the Premier, but I'm sure they will know if they're responsible. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is how will the federal government's students' summer job action dovetail with the GNWT summer student program.

Madam Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question. What I did a couple of weeks ago was ask the deputy minister to look at all the federal programs that are available and what we have to offer. We will be working with the Minister of Education to see how many and how much of these varied programs we could coordinate into a package for the students. As well, I had asked that we have a listing of the students who would be wanting summer employment. I believe a letter has gone out to see how many students there will be and where they come from and what types of studies they're taking. So Mr. Nerysoo and myself will be looking at how we can coordinate all those programs. I can't tell you exactly the specific program you're talking about, how that would dovetail; but my understanding is that there are approximately three or four that could be made available along with the initiatives we take ourselves as a government. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

I thank the Premier for that response. Another question to the Premier is the federal government has seen the value in a partnership between the public sector and the private sector to create jobs for students. My question to the Premier is would the Premier consider setting up a program in partnership with the private sector to see if we can find jobs for students in the private sector.

Madam Minister.

The Minister of Education had indicated that is one area where we should try to bring in the

public sector where it's applicable, particularly in the larger areas where there are more opportunities to do so. So the short answer is yes.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

I thank the Minister and I'll be looking forward to hearing from either the Premier or the Minister of Education on this subject. My supplementary question to the Premier is that two other areas, I think, provide very good opportunity for summer students: one is the area of the environment, and I used the example in my Member's statement about the Metis program in Great Slave Lake; and the other one is projects in communities. Will the Premier look at establishing programs which can place students either in work with the environment or doing projects in communities? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, yes, those areas are of importance to some of the students and we'll do our very best to make sure that there will be a number of opportunities available in the area. I don't know about creating a separate program, but we can probably utilize the programs that are already in place to make sure that the component of youth working with older people takes on some life and some excitement for them. I certainly appreciate anyone who can offer suggestions. I don't know how many students we've had replies from in relationship to what their aspirations are and what they would wish to do. But certainly in that area, I think it's important and we'll take that into consideration. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Final supplementary, Mr. Speaker. I have to thank the Premier for that response. Mr. Speaker, I see a lot of positive things that can come out of kids in small communities coming to big communities to do summer jobs, kids from big communities going to smaller communities, aboriginal kids and non-aboriginal kids working together in partnership, young people working with elders, working for bands or hamlet councils. I'm happy to hear that the two Ministers will be looking at that. My last supplementary to the Premier...There's another aspect of this that I think is very important, it gives some of our kids the opportunity to work in other places in the country. I think that's a tremendous opportunity for our kids to get out there, to look at what's happening and bring those ideas back to the Northwest Territories. Would the Premier look at, whether it's through existing programs or other approaches, ways of getting some of our kids in programs in other places in the country? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I know that in the past there have been a number of youth programs that have offered that opportunity, particularly the beaver program. I believe the youth had quite an experience. So we will endeavour to find out what is going on in those programs and see if we can tap into them, otherwise to see what other specific areas we can do ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. For many years, Sir John Franklin and Akaitcho Hall provided buildings for important government programs. Since there have been major changes, I would like to ask the Minister what's the status of the transfer of those buildings for other uses?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question, I think it's an important one. I want to say that in the matter of Akaitcho Hall, we're reviewing now the potential use for that particular building. We had an initial request that was made by Arctic College. There's a review that is taking place with the potential additional use by school board district No. 1 with potential expansion of programming. The other component that is now being considered is the whole issue of child care space for students in that particular area.

There will be maintenance and protection of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. There was an adamant request on the part of Members of this Assembly that that facility be protected. That will be the case, the question is the whole issue of management. Once that happens, we will have resolved the issue. So that's where we're at in terms of the overall transfer of responsibility.