Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate what the first steps are going to be in terms of putting this money to use, considering that we are halfway through the fiscal year already? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister indicate or clarify whether this money is outside, or over and above, the money on the table through the collective bargaining process?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education. It is regarding to my statement of problems that my constituents have run into, especially the ones that are going off to post-secondary education and striving for their bachelor degrees in education. This particular constituent of mine has found herself in financial difficulty with Revenue Canada. Yet she is an aboriginal, Inuit person and I would like to ask the Minister regarding the education funding policy and programs that this government delivers on, what association does, the acts have in relation to the Indian Act and aboriginal peoples' rights to education and also the exemption from paying taxes for that particular right? I would like to ask the Minister, can he tell me, are there any exemptions available to students that we do send to southern institutions to get their bachelors degree in education and also how we can assist these students when they find themselves in difficult times? Can the Minister tell me, what is available to this individual who has found herself in difficulties with Revenue Canada?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware of the problem the Member is addressing here. I have today signed a letter in response to his constituent. The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes indigenous aboriginal people, whether they are Dene, Metis or Inuit, and provides the same assistance to those individuals. The person would have qualified for a basic and a supplementary grant. Unfortunately, Revenue Canada and the federal government only allow tax-free status on funds to treaty Dene people. Therefore, Metis and Inuit people wind up owing taxes on monies that are provided to them by way of grant. This is not something that we can change as a government, though we have tried to address the issue with Revenue Canada. They hold firm to the position that only treaty Dene will be tax exempt and, therefore, the monies that are provided by way of grant are considered taxable income in the hands of the Metis and Inuit students. This is true whether the student travels to the south or stays resident in the north. This is one of the areas in which I had hoped to make some modifications to the Student Financial Assistance Program, which is currently under review. I am hopeful that I will be able to propose some changes that might address this issue in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if he and his Cabinet colleagues have made an effort to approach the federal government to make an amendment or an exemption to the Taxation Act in regards to the Northwest Territories to allow for all aboriginal people to be treated on the same basis when it comes to taxation for education?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This approach has been made in the past, and Revenue Canada has held very firmly to the idea that only those people covered by treaty will be exempt from taxation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he has made an attempt to approach the federal Minister for clarification under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, which identifies aboriginal people in the context of aboriginal people in Canada? If he has looked at the possibility of getting a legal opinion on the definition of aboriginal people under that section?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have not specifically approached the Minister on that point with regards to student financial assistance. However, I did raise that issue with the Minister of Indian Affairs about the UCEP funding, which again, is a program which is aimed at aboriginal people to allow them to upgrade for university or college entrance and which will not fund upgrading courses for Metis people. I brought up the point that aboriginal people are defined to include Metis and suggested that indicated a broader definition, but was unsuccessful. Indirectly, that approach has been tried and has not worked. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.