Thank you, Mr. Steen. It is a wish of us all. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to address the Minister of Transportation and see if we could explore the issue he raised at the end of his last return. Where can other sources of funding come from?

The five-year plan he just mentioned is indeed a ray of new insight on this very pressing issue. We had believed there was going to be a ten-year plan. That is really a long-term solution. Mr. Speaker, five years is something that seems much more achievable. Is the federal budget and the federal caucus the only option the department is looking at for more resources? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker as far as I know, that is the only option we are considering. The other thing that could happen is that this House could devote a lot more money towards the project. At this point in time, I think that going by what has been allotted in the past few years, $6 million is a sum we thought we could afford to put towards the project. We are not considering other options at this point in time. Although there have been suggestions made about other options, we are not currently considering them.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is; will the department look at other financing options if viable plans are brought to the table?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the department would consider any proposals put forward.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to acknowledge the Member's question. The program has five staff and they perform specialized areas. In each of the programs, there are five staff only, Mr. Speaker. It is important this core staff work closely together. There is a current effort to automate certain areas where we can. For instance, providing a new web site and a state of the art, interactive voice response system. Additionally, we are redesigning a student guide. Those are the areas we need to look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the thrusts of the Premier's statement was to get the services out, decentralize, give the technology and the delegation of authorities. Why can some of the authorities not be delegated for student financial assistance like income support, and tied into the proper telecommunication computer systems? Why can we not in fact deliver those services where the people and the career development officers of the regions are? They know the students, and are available to be more responsive. They are not stuck up here with hundreds and hundreds of requests coming in from people they do not know. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Members are reminded to keep their preambles short in the supplementaries. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The short time I have been there, I have not had an opportunity to analyze whether it is feasible to take five positions and spread them throughout the Northwest Territories. I think the Member will acknowledge that. He had a lot of time in that department to be able to look at this possibility. I have not. In all fairness, I have to take the time to do that before I can commit to say we will decentralize. What is important to remember is that yes, decentralization may come, but we have to take into consideration how decentralization will be formulated in this Territory. We have to consider how self-government will work. We are all speaking in these terms throughout our meetings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope this government and this Minister is not going to use eventual self-government as a reason for inactivity. When I was Minister, I did suggest the case. I did think it was possible to take three positions out of Yellowknife and put one in Inuvik, one in Fort Smith and one in Hay River. Put one into the large regional centres where the majority of students are and keep the other two here. In the time I was there as Minister, I had to get up to speed in a hurry. The Minister can take a look at that and not slag me off by saying self-government is going to make us paralyzed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I am not sure if there is a question. Mr. Miltenberger, would you ask a question please?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am asking the Minister whether he will commit to step aside from behind the shield of inactivity that he poses through self-government, and to in fact look at this. He said I should have looked at it and I am telling him that I did...

Mr. Miltenberger, would you go to the question please?

Will the Minister look at two positions in Yellowknife rather than five? You can keep two in Yellowknife, one in Inuvik, one in Hay River and other regional centres where we have the majority of students. Will the Minister look at that?

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not inactive and I will not be inactive. I have been very busy in this department getting up to speed.

I appreciate his concern, and it is a legitimate concern. However, I have not had time to look at these positions and to deal with it. Mr. Speaker, until I do, I cannot commit to decentralize this particular program. Thank you.