Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think the issue that I raised definitely has to be seriously looked at. Another issue I wanted to touch on is the issue which the standing committee also raised in their report, pertaining to the principal and if he or she should be in the NWTTA. I agree with the comments the committee has made. I think the issue has to be reviewed to determine if the principals should remain in the bargaining unit. I think that whole area has to be reviewed.

Mr. Chairman, I have a concern with regard to hours of instruction and the issue of the number of instructional days. Although I agree with the committee with regard to putting hours into the act, what the department is indicating to the committee, from what I read, is that they're going to be basing that on 195 days. I think they upped it from 190 from the old policy. That's my understanding. I think it should be a littlehigher than that. I think we're not going far enough with regard to the number of instructional days.

If you look at other jurisdictions, not only in Canada, but in the United States, Australia and Japan, the number of instructional days is higher. I understand Japan has 200 and some odd days where they teach their children, and they have been quite successful in that area of the world with regard to the education of their kids. In that respect, Mr. Chairman, I would have hoped that the instructional days would have been a littlebit higher than what has been proposed by the department. I understand it is going to be done through regulations, but if they follow the Standing Committee on Legislation's recommendation, the number of hours should be calculated based on the number of instructional days and then put into the act. I was hoping that the number of instructional days could have been higher.

With regard to inclusive schooling, I agree with the committee where they indicate that adequate resources definitely have to be tied into the inclusive schooling issue. If we don't do that, then we're going to run into problems. know we're currently having problems here in the territories with our overall funding, but once our funding is depleted, then our programs will hurt. I can assure you that this area is one of the areas that will be hit. I go back to the issue that I raised earlier with regard to the agreement between the Government of Canada and ourselves, pertaining to funding; that area has to be looked at because it touches things like inclusive schooling, as well as the other issue of accommodation, which would also require funding and so forth.

There is another section in part Ill under cultural diversity withregard to language resources. There again, if we would have revised the existing Education Act, maybe that whole issue could have been addressed through that agreement before we dealt with this issue. Mr. Chairman, it goes back to money issues again. Although we say all these good things in the act, if we don't have adequate resources, there is no use in saying these things.

Mr. Chairman, again with regard to the treaty issue and choice of education, the way the proposed act reads is only if you don't have high schooling and sort forth in your community, the students will be able to go to another jurisdiction to continue their schooling. Through aboriginal rights, as a parent and being a status person, I should have the right to say where my child should be able to go, not specifically to be detained to one specific district. Until all these issues are resolved... Currently, even though we have the act in place, as an individual, one can go directly to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs to ask for approval. If he gives approval now, from my understanding of reading the agreement between the Government of Canada and ourselves, the authority lies with the Minister of Indian Affairs. If the Minister disagrees with someone, we could always go directly to the federal government. That option is there, but I am hoping the government would try to resolve all these issues when they are renegotiating this agreement. That one component, as I indicated earlier, hasn't been dealt with yet. It all ties in together. You can't do one without the other. I am glad that this bill is in front of us now and I will be supporting the bill, although I am not totally satisfied. Nevertheless, I think the bill is a step in the right direction. Thank you.