Thank you, Mr. Ningark. Good Morning. Orders of the day. Item 2, Ministers' statements.

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr, Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to inform this House about a new home ownership pilot program that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation launched December 1st. The corporation believes that this new program will assist this government with one of its most important objectives; that is, stimulating and developing the economy. Mr. Speaker, economic growth in the Northwest Territories requires one thing above all others. It requires people and people need somewhere to live. Many people are moving between communities for work and wish to put down roots. Every day, workers from across Canada fly into the NWT to work. At the end of their shift they fly out again to their homes in the south.

To qualify for the program a family must not already own a home in the community where they are buying a home, must have financing for the remainder of the purchase price of the home and the purchase must be finalized by March 31, 1999. This program applies in all communities of the Northwest Territories. MDAPP is a pilot program until the end of this fiscal year. After that, it will be assessed to determine if it should be renewed.

Mr. Speaker, the NWT has over 250 private homes that sit empty. Let us give people the chance to buy these homes. With so many homes sitting empty, our construction industry is idle in many places. The construction of new homes which creates employment for northern workers and causes northern businesses to grow cannot occur until these empty homes have been filled.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that homeowners tend to have a greater interest in the prosperity of their community. The government believes MDAPP will create more homeowners and strengthen all our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to inform Members about the recent development of the School of Community Government. This is a collaborative effort between MACA, Aurora College, a number of GNWT departments and non-government organizations.

Mr. Speaker, this government understands the many challenges communities are faced with. We have recognized the need to improve health and wellness of individuals, families and communities; reduce dependency on government; and strengthen and develop community governments. In this way, communities can become more sustainable and self-reliant.

The School of Community Government has been designed with these goals in mind. More specifically, the purpose of the School of Community Government is to improve the capacity of community governments and non-government organizations. In the past, training programs have been available from many different sources. There have been growing concerns that the lack of coordination affects the suitability and availability of training. Mr. Speaker, the School of Community Government will offer a coordinated approach to training opportunities.

MACA is working closely with Aurora College to develop a school which will provide an expanded range of training programs. The School of Community Government will deliver training in broad areas including: - political development and governance; - community management and administration; - works and works management; - public safety; - community development; and, - recreation and lands

Mr. Speaker, to make sure the training needs of community governments can be met, MACA is investing with other training providers such as Aurora College, GNWT departments, Nunavut Arctic College, professional associations and private industries. We expect that a shared approach to this program will allow us to pool our financial, administrative and instructional resources. This will provide increased training opportunities for communities.

Mr. Speaker, the School of Community Government represents an exciting opportunity for communities and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Communities will be able to access quality training, tailored to their needs while developing and expanding their capacity and responsibility. I am proud that we are able to contribute to the development of communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, working in the justice system is sometimes a thankless task. There are sensitive issues to be balanced such as: victim's and offender's rights, the public right to know versus privacy concerns and finally the perception that the justice system simply does not fit with the people it is supposed to serve. Every day, justice system workers deal with these pressures. I would like to recognize these people by telling you briefly about three experiences I have had in the past couple of months which convince me that justice policies and initiatives, while always in need of constant re-evaluation, are going in the right direction.

Late this summer I dropped by the Iqaluit Courthouse. It happened to be a Friday morning when Justice of the Peace Court was in regular session. I was pleased to notice that courtworker, Enook Petalaussie, was acting as a defence representative. Mr. Petalaussie was born and raised in Cape Dorset. He told me that he regularly conducts first appearances, sentencing hearings, bail hearings and trials in Justice of the Peace Court and also in Territorial Court. I was impressed with his abilities.

I saw lawyer Robert Gorin outside the Courthouse. He was taking a short break before returning to do some more pre-court interviewing. Mr. Gorin is on the legal aid panel of lawyers and I am told that he makes himself available as a resource to courtworkers when he is in Iqaluit.

I was glad to meet Mr. Neil Sharkey, who is the head lawyer at Maliganik Tukisiiniakvik, the legal aid office in Iqaluit. We had a good talk about the lawyer/courtworker mentoring system. This system will be of great assistance to the new court system in Nunavut on April 1st.

I mentioned in the last sitting of this Assembly that the Department of Justice is expanding the bush camp alternative for offenders. I recently visited Charlie Burke's and Gerry Morin's camps. After seeing their camps and hearing their comments, I am convinced more than ever that we are headed in the right direction in this area. These camps are doing effective work. It is my hope that, with help from my department, they will become even more effective in the future.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to meet all too briefly with justice staff at the Yellowknife Courthouse building. I was impressed with their positive attitude they bring to difficult jobs serving a public that naturally has high expectations.

Mr. Speaker, these are just three examples of how, every day, justice system workers are serving the public. They are deserving of my gratitude and I am pleased to be associated with them. I now ask all Members to join me in thanking these hard-working people who are putting our policies and initiatives into action. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Ministers' statements. Ms. Thompson.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the Sport North Federation hosted a Coaches and Volunteers Symposium in Yellowknife last weekend.

This symposium was developed for coaches and sports volunteers from communities across the Territories. Approximately 125 Northerners from all regions attended the symposium. Discussions focused on three areas: community coaching, high performance coaching and volunteerism. It is only through the active participation of many coaches and volunteers that more people are trained in this important area. I am happy to inform you that the initial feedback from the participants to the symposium has been very positive.

Mr. Speaker, sport and recreation is more that a pastime. It is a positive and essential contributor to community wellness. For this reason, I am pleased to announce that regional coaching seminars have also been organized for Rankin Inlet on December 4th to 6th; Cambridge Bay on January 15th to 17th; Iqaluit on January 29th to 31st; and Inuvik on February 20th to 22nd. These regional seminars will focus on the delivery of National Coaching Certification Programs for sports chosen by the regional recreation organizations. The training will help to increase the number of certified coaches available to work with northern athletes.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, many activities are being planned for the winter. These include: regional workshops in sport first aid, the Speak Out Program on Harassment and Sport Development Camps in Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Wha Ti, Rae-Edzo and Fort Providence. This training reflects the department's continued commitment to develop sport volunteers at the community level.

Mr. Speaker, our young people are our future. Their positive development relies on experiencing a good quality of life in their own communities. Sport and recreation contributes in a significant way to the quality of life in the north and coaches are the key to making this work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 3, Members' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you all know one of the communities I represent in the riding of Tu Nedhe is the community of Fort Resolution. The community of Fort Resolution is the oldest established community in the Northwest Territories. It is over 200 years old. It has a rich culture and it has many very strong family ties. People in Fort Resolution live in a small community on the shore of Great Slave Lake. They have learned from their fathers and forefathers that whenever anybody is in need in the community that they come forward to help. We have seen that many times in our community when we have lost a loved one. We have seen that many times in our community when we have had marriages. The whole community shows up. The community is there to support each other and, once again, they have come through.

I am proud today to say I am the MLA for Tu Nedhe. I do represent the community of Fort Resolution. I have had many elders and other people get up at 5:30 this morning to no knowledge of my own, drive to Hay River, get a on plane to fly here and be here today to hear what I have to say and in support of me. I would like to thank Dotti Mandeville, Dave McNabb, Ewan Hunter, Jayne Miersch, Wilfred Giroux, Eva Fabien, Rosa and Norma Lafferty, Sharon Lafferty, Henry Mandeville, Arthur Miersch, Toni Lafferty, Jonas Beaulieu, Jennifer Beaulieu, Lloyd Cardinal, Trudy King, Violet Beaulieu and Cara Carriere for making the long journey from Fort Resolution. I appreciate it and with that, mahsi cho. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize an initiative in the Fort Simpson constituency of Nahendeh. Nats'enelu, Mr. Speaker.

Nats'enelu is a Dene word that you and I understand, and Steve. It is a word with the concept of sewing and meeting together to sew. It is founded by a non-profit organization, the Nats'enelu Society in the early 70s. It is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Dene-inspired crafts, clothing and lifestyle items. It was incorporated in October of 1997 with the intent to train and implement the considerable skills that numerous local Dene craft people have.

Mr. Speaker, a Montreal-based designer, D'Arcy Moses, has been providing classroom and practical training to local people in Fort Simpson. There is a wide variety of quality products now available. Research and development over the past year has yielded a number of new ideas which are now in the process of being marketed. This ribbon shirt that I am wearing, Mr. Speaker, is an example of one of the new products that is available in Fort Simpson from the Nats'enelu Society.

Concentration now is based in three areas and it is Deh Cho coats, Dene dolls, Dene lifestyle items such as bush articles used by local hunters. There are seven full-time people in the house-production workers, three part-time marketing and support staff and approximately 25 to 30 homeworkers, where they do piecework in their homes. The three Deh Cho communities should provide bead work, tanned hides, crafts and dolls to Nats'enelu on a piecework basis. All staff are very dedicated to this unique enterprise, Mr. Speaker. They recognize the opportunity that Nats'enelu presents for the promotion of traditional Dene skills and economic rewards of owning a business.

The year 1999 will be Nats'enelu's most progressive year yet, Mr. Speaker. Plans for expanding the production facilities, training new staff and aggressive national marketing program will make Nats'enelu poised to enter a new era in creating a positive awareness of Canada's Dene culture. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Miltenberger.

Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and good morning. Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon the Hawker-Siddley 748 airplane, departing from Iqaluit to Igloolik, was unable, as I understand, to sustain power and ran off the Iqaluit runway. Some minor injuries were reported but the four crew and three passengers are all safe. Mr. Speaker, emergency services in Iqaluit reacted very quickly to the scene of the incident and by all reports, the professionalism shown was second to none.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank EMO from Iqaluit, the Iqaluit RCMP, the hospital staff, fire and ambulance workers for a job well done. Mr. Speaker, we are now awaiting for investigators to arrive in Iqaluit from the proper investigating authorities and organizations in the south to find out the cause of the crash. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some time ago my colleague, Mrs. Groenewegen, and myself referenced the need for speech therapists within the remote communities of our territories. Recently in Rae Lakes they opened a daycare centre to help single working mothers with a facility to take their children to during working hours. Now that this facility is opened and people are using it, the community has discovered that many of these young children need speech therapy.

This, of course, is easier to say than actually trying to solve these children's problems. In order for a child to get therapy they must travel to Yellowknife. Once in Yellowknife they must attend therapy for a week at a time. Of course, this is an ongoing thing so every couple of months a parent must drop whatever work they are doing to bring their children into Yellowknife to spend a week in therapy; then go back to the community. To most people this is a very expensive solution to their children's problem and most cannot support this option.

This government must find a better solution. We need therapists out in the smaller communities to address this now, not later in life. It is very important for a child's development that they grow with the ability to talk properly.

I feel Rae Lakes is taking a step to assist in this problem by providing a daycare centre which will help these children to, hopefully, develop better communications skills by being in a group setting that will allow for them to learn form one another. However, we must go further. This is a huge problem across the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

Members' statements. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Nutaraluk Owlijoot. Mrs. Owlijoot passed away last week at the elders' centre in Arviat at the age of 84 years. Elizabeth was a well respected elder, a talented carver and artist. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my honourable colleagues to join me in offering our sincere condolences to the family and friends back home in Arviat. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. O'Brien. Members' statements. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today regarding an issue that is not new. In 1995 I was bringing up this issue, but up to today this issue that I raised in 1995 is still not being implemented through MACA. In 1968 the territorial government did not have much power, but DIAND in Ottawa was making all the decisions and ever since 1995 regarding Hall Beach residents, moving all the graveyards, and I have raised this issue, time and time again. I still have not received anything from the federal government, even from the territorial government, and at the time the territorial government leader wrote a letter to the federal government regarding the graveyard. I still have not received anything regarding the relocation of the graveyards in Hall Beach. Perhaps this is the last time that I will be raising this issue so I would just like to remind the Minister to look into this issue further. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Enuaraq.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. I rise today to acknowledge the heroism of a youngster in my home community, a Mr. Joshua Qillaq, age 9.

On November 15, 1995 a youngster, Ms. Sally Arreak, age 10, was playing on the school playground. While using the slide, Sally accidentally snagged the drawstring on her hood on the slide. As a result, Sally began suffocating. No one noticed Sally struggling. A few minutes later, which probably seemed a lifetime to Sally, fortunately, an observant young man named Joshua Qillaq came to her rescue. Joshua quickly worked to free Sally. The event took several minutes to resolve. If Joshua did not come to Sally's rescue, Sally may not be alive today.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to commend Joshua for his heroic deed, and take this opportunity to informally recommend him for the Commissioner's Award for Joshua Qillaq. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Kakfwi.

Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, on November 26, 1998, Mr. Morin resigned as Premier of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Arlooktoo as the Deputy Premier, assumed the role of Acting Premier. The Caucus of this government, Mr. Speaker, met and decided to hold a leadership committee on Thursday, December 10, 1998, to elect a new Premier for the Northwest Territories. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the process for this election will be a somewhat shorter exercise than it has been the last time around. Last time we elected a Premier, the public and the MLAs had an opportunity to hear about the vision of the candidates that wish to put their name forward for Premier. Mr. Speaker, the public and MLAs have had the opportunity for the past three years to know what the leadership vision is of potential candidates for Premier this time around. To date no MLAs have publicly declared their intention to run for the position as Premier of the Northwest Territories. I would like to call on any Member, Mr. Speaker, who wishes to put their name forward for Premier of the Northwest Territories to do so before next Monday. By doing so, Mr. Speaker, the public and Members of this House will have the opportunity to receive feedback from other MLAs and from the public that we represent and we can be advised accordingly. Mr. Speaker, I would not issue it as a threat, but if no one has declared by Monday that they wish to seek the position of leadership, I may be forced to do so myself.

--Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Members' statements. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address the availability of the Hunters and Trappers Disaster Compensation Program.

In late spring an unfortunate accident occurred in Grise Fiord. A number of hunters were in pursuit of a whale. Unfortunately, the ice beneath them broke away and they were forced to abandon their snowmobiles and other equipment. As a result they lost all of their equipment.

Mr. Speaker, hunting and trapping is very important to the economy of the north. It provides families with food and a source of income. When these hunters lost their equipment, they also lost part of their capability to support their families. Fortunately, there are government programs that help hunters and their families in these disasters. The program I am talking about is the Hunters and Trappers Disaster relief fund. Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, government is really forward-thinking.

Next week I will be addressing this issue further in a letter to the Minister. I hope this fund will be able to help out the families in Grise Fiord who lost their hunting equipment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I want to speak about some happenings that are taking place this weekend in Cambridge Bay through the sponsorship of First Air and the involvement of the Edmonton Oilers Alumni. Four ex-Edmonton Oilers, Mr. Brian Baltimore, Mr. Brian Benning, Mr. Alan Hamilton and Mr. Dave Lumley are currently in transit to Cambridge Bay. They are going to be participating in a weekend of events surrounding hockey. There is a feast and some entertainment planned for this evening to honour them coming to the community. Tomorrow morning and all afternoon there is a hockey clinic put on by these four individuals for all the minor hockey participants in Cambridge Bay.

I am happy to say that tomorrow evening there is a fundraising game with the ex-Oilers and some Members of this House that have taken up my offer of an invitation to attend and participate. We will be playing against the local oldtimers all-star team in the spirit of fun and fundraising. There is also a pancake breakfast planned for Sunday morning and I would like to say that there are some fundraising activities surrounding this whole visit as well in respect of supporting the library restoration fund and minor hockey. There is going to be a raffle of two return airfare tickets that, again, have been sponsored by First Air; a couple of Oilers tickets and some accommodation in Edmonton to attend the game down there, which I know people are happy with and excited about. In closing, I am sure that all residents of Cambridge Bay will support the initiatives that are going on this weekend and I will be happy to report, Mr. Speaker, next week, on the performance of all Members while they were up in Cambridge Bay. Thank you.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mrs. Groenewegen.

I would like to remind the Member from Hay River regarding the legal costs. This is a matter that is before the Assembly and the Management and Services Board and she is drawing a real fine line regarding the debate on the legal costs. Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to speak today concerning the School of Community Government which was recently announced. Mr. Speaker, we all know that the communities have taken on more and more responsibilities and have taken on more programs and services through various forms of negotiation and programs of this and other governments including community government, community empowerment, community justice, self-government and land claims discussions. Because of that, MLAs have spoken in this House and community leaders have talked in various places and through various means saying that they need people trained in the communities. In fact, last spring this House passed a motion saying that MACA should take the lead role and develop a community development training set of programs including a one-year certificate and a two-year diploma program.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to commend the department for reacting to our motion and also for reacting to the requests of the people. The Minister recently announced that they are creating a School of Community Government and the school would provide an expanded range of training programs in broad areas including political development and governance, community management and administration, works and works management, public safety, community development and recreation and lands and that they are investing with other providers such as the colleges, the professional associations, private industry and other GNWT departments.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to indicate that Aurora College is doing a pilot program on community development at their Inuvik campus. I would hope that the plans for this school include a one-year certificate and a two-year diploma program as we had asked for because we need more than short-term courses. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I applaud the MACA department as well as their partners for taking this initiative. Thank you.

--Applause

Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Roland.

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to recognize my wife, Susanna Barnabas, and my sister, Nuterajuk Attagutsiak, and also my relative, Hannah Kanatsiaq, who are here in this Legislative Assembly today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had better take that question as notice, Mr. Speaker, not because I do not want to answer it, but I do not have all the facts. If there is, in fact, as my honourable colleague says, an additional workload as we move forward on the issue of trying to seek an appropriate process of governance that has been under discussion for some time, we will take a hard look at that. I will take that question as notice and get back to my colleague early next week.

The question is taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during my Member's statement, I referred to an old issue which should not just die without any result arising from the concern. My question will be directed to the current government leader, who was the Deputy Premier during the tenure of our prior Premier, and I am sure he is aware of issues ongoing within this government and the responses which I have not received regarding the relocation of the grave sites in Hall Beach.

I want to know how he can help me pursue this matter with the federal government if the need arises. What is the process that I need to follow? For example, if there is an alleged crime or matter that was carried out, which the people are not happy with eventually you have a means of taking it to the courts to have it resolved. Does the Deputy Premier have any answers to solving this issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

The Acting Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the MLA for his question and for raising this issue because I am sure it is a concern to him and to his constituents from his community. I remember this issue when the Member raised it in the House. I have heard recently that the territorial government had reviewed what happened at that time and asked the federal government for a response to this concern. However, I do not have the response myself at the table at this time. I will pass it on to him so that the Member can pass it on to his constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Acting Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo, regarding his statement in the House today on the Minimum Down Payment Assistance Pilot Program. I would like to comment that I am very impressed with the program. I think it is an excellent initiative and extremely creative to attract or encourage, as the Acting Premier talked about, those people who are deriving an income from the Northwest Territories but not spending it as much here. My question to the Premier is, Mr. Speaker, how many dollars have been contributed to the program for this fiscal year, which I believe ends March 31, 1999? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Acting Premier, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his positive comments. First, perhaps to clarify that

it is not only a program for workers who work in the north but do not live in the north, but very much aimed at workers. If I could use an example of a family that lives in Coppermine and working at BHP, but does not have the down payment in their savings right now, this will give them an opportunity to buy their home in Coppermine through this program. Mr. Speaker, the total amount of the program is expected to be about $2.9 million, some of which will be from existing funds; but the Financial Management Board will be putting forward a supplementary appropriation for consideration by this House for a total amount of $1.695 million. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for that. The Premier used the example of someone living in Cambridge Bay, I believe, and certainly that would have the opportunity to expand the program. That individual is spending money in the territories now. My second question, Mr. Speaker, is there are a number of employees working and deriving their livelihood from the Northwest Territories, who as the Premier noted are leaving all the time. A number of these employees, probably the largest one comes to mind is BHP and Diavik. I am wondering, has this department taken any steps to make sure that these employees know of the program and have available documentation to make applications for it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is the type of program that we had talked about for a number of years, but one of the triggers was the BHP mine and the concern as I recall, was raised by the former Premier of these fly-in and fly-out workers, and those workers that we wanted to have stay here in the north. They derive their income from the north and we wanted them to stay here and live here. So, the company that the Member mentioned is certainly a company that was thought of as a possible target and their employees. The information package that I have provided to the House and to the Members is a similar information package that we are giving out to real estate agents, companies, housing authorities and the like. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe a number of times when government has initiated programs that there has been criticism that the process of application is long and cumbersome. Could the Minister advise the House and the people of the territories that this will not be the case in this particular situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is correct. One of the criticisms of the Housing Corporation programs, the EDAP program and others is that the application process is quite cumbersome in some respect, necessarily so. For this program, it is much more simplified, perhaps mostly due to the part that it is more open and there are less restrictions, partly due to the fact that it is a smaller amount that we give out as a grant. The answer is, yes, it will be a lot simpler to apply and to qualify for this program. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I assume that there would be an application form. In the event that the application form is correctly filled out and the required information is provided to the department officials, does the Minister have a time frame of when the monies could be made available to the applicants? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Arlooktoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The money is available now from the pot of money that is being used from existing resources and the additional monies will be made available, if and when the House approves them, during the supplementary appropriation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a basic service is in respect to delivering something that would be directly related to Health and Social Services program. I use, for example, off the top of my head, the NWT Mental Health Association, to deliver a service and providing an Aids and HIV information line. They have a contribution agreement from us to provide that type of service. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess it is an interpretation of what would be a basic service in the respect of first aid training which is not a specific health and social services program, although I recognize the importance of it, versus something like the HIV/AIDS Awareness Program which we feel is an important aspect of health programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have the specifics of what other organizations or companies do that; I am aware that there are companies in the private sector which provides first aid training and safety awareness. I will get that information for the Member. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can commit to taking a look at that, I do not know the extent of how we can determine that, but I will figure out a mechanism to do that. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding of the policy or the decision on job evaluation was that those employees that say, around pay level 22 and under the new system went to 18, would be red circled. I have got to check with my department, to see if, in fact, there was a sunset clause on it. I am not familiar with that but if there was, I will report back to my honourable colleague as quickly as I can. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my honourable colleague that it was an important component to get an acceptance, if you want, of the job evaluation system. It was never the intent, at least not mine anyway, as Finance Minister, to penalize anybody in this important exercise that we undertook with respect to the Hay Job Evaluation system so I will look into it today. Given the agenda for today and Monday, report back on Tuesday. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister responsible for RWED, Mr. Kakfwi. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Minister could give the House an update as to the status of the dispute that centres around the Dene band in northern Manitoba and also Saskatchewan regarding the land rights, fishing and hunting rights. My understanding, Mr. Speaker, is that there is a dispute regarding the land that is currently to be encompassed in Nunavut and the Dene band are saying that this land actually belongs to them. I wonder if the Minister could give us an update on the situation.

The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. The aboriginal language translation and interpretation services provided by the Language Bureau was privatized in 1997. In June, 1997, the Cabinet authorized a reallocation of the budget formerly used for these services or about $1.437 million to be allocated to the language groups. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that there is only $350,000 from the original $1.437 million available to the aboriginal language groups in the Northwest Territories. Given that the Minister has stated that the closure of the Language Bureau was not a cost-cutting exercise, I am wondering why only $350,000 is available for the several different language organizations and groups in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the privatization of the Language Bureau, the way I understand it is that, indeed, when we had interpreters and translators available to this government on salary, indeed, it was cheaper for the government. Now it is costing them more money to go to the private sector and, indeed, some monies have had to come forward from different departments to pay for these funds. My follow-up supplementary question is, has any money been made available or given to the Inuktitut language group in Nunavut? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is the process for the language groups to be able to get access to this money? If the Minister could explain that process and, indeed, how much money is available per language group? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.