Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Women are asking, are these cuts fair? Women are wondering what this says about this government's stated commitment to work for women's equality, when it is willing to place so little value on the work of women who are working for women. Mr. Speaker, I hope this Legislature will reconsider its decision to cut women's program funding by ten percent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Picco.

Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Henry on January 23, with respect to the chair of the Liquor Licensing Board. Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that a letter was indeed sent to Mr. Williams on December 10, 1996, by the former Minister responsible for the Liquor Licensing Board, the Honourable Jim Antoine, informing Mr. Williams that his appointment was revoked effective December 13, 1996. Unfortunately, this letter was returned undelivered by the post office. Mr. Williams is therefore correct that he did not receive official written notification of the termination of his appointment. Mr. Speaker, I again wish to apologize to Mr. Williams for this unfortunate situation, as I indicated in my earlier response to Mr. Henry. This is not an acceptable standard and it should not have happened. I will ensure that a new letter is immediately sent to Mr. Williams, advising him of these developments, and I sincerely hope that he will accept my apology on behalf of myself, the former Minister Mr. Antoine, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Returns to oral questions. Madame Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two returns to oral questions. The first one was asked by Mr. Barnabas on November 29, 1996, that is of the EDO transfer to Arctic Bay community empowerment. A letter was sent to the Member on December 12, 1996 during session break to advise him of the situation in Arctic Bay. I stated in the letter the municipal office is fairly new having been completed in 1993. It is able to accommodate perhaps two more people. In addition, there is a possibility that some GNWT office space might become available for the hamlet depending on the nature of future program transfers. The Economic Development Division of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is working with the hamlet on the transfer of the economic development function. A draft agreement was provided to the hamlet on Friday, January 24, 1997. Our superintendent in Iqaluit is continuing to facilitate the community empowerment process and will work with the community and departments in the Baffin Region on program transfers.

I have another return to an oral question asked by Mr. Erasmus on January 28, the question of the ADM for community empowerment. I am able to advise the Member and this House that four candidates were interviewed for the position of assistant deputy minister, Community Development and Empowerment. Two candidates were northern applicants; two candidates were southern Canadian applicants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, honourable Minister. Returns to oral questions. Are there further returns to oral questions? Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Krutko.

Welcome to the House. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. That was very kind of you but unfortunately, they are not here. Thank you anyway. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the proposed new funding formula for libraries seems to be very unfair on several levels. Using a formula based solely on population fails to recognize the higher costs

in Nunavut and the dis-economies of scale of providing services to smaller communities. The result is that Yellowknife, yes Yellowknife, the richest community in the Northwest Territories, will have its funding increased at the expense of every other community which currently has a library. In total, funding for communities in the western Northwest Territories, will increase by $100 thousand, while funding for communities in Nunavut, will decrease by $60 thousand. This is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker. This method of calculating funding levels sets a very dangerous precedent in the division of the Northwest Territories' assets and liabilities. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Can he explain this formula for me?

Thank you. The Honourable Minister for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are proposals and then there are prophecies. Some times the prophecy follows the proposal. After saying that, someone else once said that you can find any word in the dictionary, but only if you know how to spell it first. This is the same for the Internet. You have to know how to use it before you can get information from it. So, my question to the Minister is, we do not have supportive regional librarians, and you are reducing the funding as supposedly proposed, can the Minister explain to me who will be providing these supportive services at the community level?

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is very hard to argue against the Minister when he says that this debate, I should not use the word argue because I am not trying to argue, when he says, and probably rightfully so, that those positions will be eliminated. What does that mean when he says eliminated? I have to ask. Does that mean we are not going to have any libraries? Because a library is more than just the people, it is also the services that these people are providing. It is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that there is a possible increase to the Yellowknife library budget. Part of this is supposed to go towards supporting interlibrary services in the east. However, I understand the Yellowknife library has a policy that they service their clients first and then send materials out. Can the Minister explain how increasing funding to the Yellowknife library will help provide better services to the Baffin and Keewatin communities, which he is telling me will not suffer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.