Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the money that was approved by the federal government yesterday, as I indicated in my statement, comes from a special program dedicated by Parliament to encourage aboriginal economic development. Part of the requirement for being able to access that particular program money is to ensure that certain criteria are met to ensure that the money that is provided is used in the way that it is expected to do so. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the same address, the Premier mentioned that the territorial government will be putting some $2 million towards the same efforts. Could the Premier tell me if there are any stipulations put on that $2 million that the territorial government will be putting into that strategy?

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, there are not. It is money that we have allocated to ensure that our winter road are of a certain quality and type maintained as public roads by the Government of the Northwest Territories and there are no requirements for this particular allocation of federal dollars announced yesterday. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, another part of the conditions that were put on there was that $200,000 would have to be contributed from industry. Do we know what industries are being targeted for that $200,000?

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have communicated that industry, primarily in the oil and gas sector, have a need to see improvements to the winter road system. We have indicated that we think it is probable that they will see some merit in advancing some resources themselves to this objective or this goal. We expect that some of the oil and gas companies operating in the Mackenzie Valley will be providing some assistance. The $200,000 that was indicated by the federal government is a minimal target. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, every time we turn around these days, we seem to be looking at a shortage of funds in different departments, different programs. When we announced that we are going to spend $2 million on a strategy for economic development, what insurances can we give that we have $2 million out of this government to put forward without any reduction in programs and services to our people? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought you were being besieged there from the side.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the money that this government has indicated it is committing to this project is money that has already been committed previously. It was part of a five-year commitment that has now been condensed to a two-year commitment. There are no new monies being committed at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. I was not being besieged. That was a normal process. I am showing you that the Speaker is approachable. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the program that we have designed has been implemented and decisions have been made in regard to the program. We had to make some hard choices and we did that in light of the availability of funds in this particular program, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the government agreed to add the $500,000 for the Metis and Inuvialuit students, the Minister in the House gave the standing committee credit for having made the recommendation. Since he responded favourably to the committee recommendation at that time and since the committee has recommended grandfathering, will he reconsider his decision now?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

As I stated, Mr. Speaker, we have implemented the redesign and decisions have been made in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that could be shortened down to just saying, no. That would be my estimate. We know that this program would not cost very much. Since it has been raised in this House and has gotten lots of publicity, I have only heard from a couple of students who were affected. Why will this Minister not reconsider and do the right thing when it will not cost this government very much money?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Ootes.