Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Just to remind the Members, Members' statements are to be on one topic. I am assuming the athletes are going to be using Highway No. 3, so I will allow the comments.

-- Applause

Item 3, Members' statements. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this time to congratulate the many people in my riding who were successful in their efforts to represent the Northwest Territories at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. Individuals such as Archie Ari, who will be coaching the dog-mushing team; Desmond Annete and Jim Kay of Aklavik, who will be participating in Arctic sports; Janice McLeod from Aklavik, who will be participating in badminton; Joyce Stor, who has made the ladies' hockey team along with Jackie Pascal of Fort McPherson. I look forward to seeing these two young ladies making the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team someday. I believe they have the potential. I would also like to acknowledge Lorna Stor of Aklavik, who will be going along as staff. In snowshoeing, we have several individuals: Aleca Francis; Shaun Niandoh; Kevin and Corinne Roberts, along with the coach, Dennis Wright of Fort McPherson.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add that I have a lot of concerns. I do not see too many team sports the communities of the Mackenzie Delta are participating in, except for the two ladies participating in hockey.

I think it is important this government invests in the well-being and health of the young people in our communities. In order to do that, Mr. Speaker, I feel this government has to identify healthy lives as one of our priorities.

In order to do that, I believe we have to work with groups such as the Aboriginal Sport Circle, who work closely with Sport North to ensure we have the resources and the ability for students in the communities to participate in territorial and national events. But it does take money. As other Members have stated, there is a lack of resources in a lot of our communities. We have a large unemployment problem.

Mr. Speaker, I think this government can take some efforts to improve the lives of the people in our communities by doing simple things. It is important we put money into improving the existing facilities in our communities...Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The Member for Mackenzie Delta is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. As I stated, I think it is important this government makes an investment in our communities by putting money into improving existing facilities. We have hockey rinks we are not able to make use of during the summer season.

But I think a simple gesture by this government, but finding a program that can be carried out right across the Western Territory by simply putting concrete in those facilities so that we can use those facilities year-round, in the winter for hockey and Arctic sports, and also in the summer for rollerblading, indoor soccer and other events. These facilities would then get the maximum potential, allowing the athletes in our communities to achieve their goals and be competitive nationally and territorially.

I would like to suggest that the government seriously consider that. With that, I would like to wish all of the athletes that are going to the Arctic Winter Games from across the Northwest Territories all the best, and I look forward to seeing them in Whitehorse between March 5th to the 10th. With that, all the best. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize today in this House a constituent, friend and fellow hockey player, Mr. Bob Rose, a businessman from Fort Smith. Thank you.

-- Applause

Welcome, Mr. Rose. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did not want this person to think I had forgotten about her, so I would like to recognize Ms. Pat Thomas of the NWTTA.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I think Ms. Thomas has received 100 percent recognition since she has been here. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment questions on the Student Financial Assistance Program. I am not sure that the average Northerner or student understands that the details of what the student will actually receive are contained in regulation instead of legislation.

The bill which the government will propose today will make amendments to the Student Financial Assistance Act and will deal with raising the amount of money available in the loan fund and increasing the lifetime limit on the amount each individual can borrow. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that you can appreciate that students are more concerned with how much they will receive for student financial assistance rather than how we tweak our legislation.

My question for the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is whether the Minister will commit to tabling the proposed regulations now that the amendments to the Student Financial Assistance Act have been introduced. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I can get some clarification. Does the Member wish to have me table the redesign of the Student Financial Assistance Program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, that is correct.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this has been a program that has been a long time in the making. It has been two and a half years since it started and during questions, I will get into some of the background for the Members, audience, and public.

The redesign is available, and this afternoon I will be holding a press conference and we will be starting to redistribute the redesign to the various interested parties. I will table the redesign, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate moment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is reassuring, but I am wondering if the Minister can tell us; will these regulations be in place soon or, more specifically, when will these regulations be in place? I am concerned about students going away to school in the fall, so I would like to see this done as quickly as possible.

The question is when will the regulations be in place? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for bringing this up. I think this is a good information item for people to know about. I intend to table the redesign in this Session. Additionally, as I had mentioned, I am going to hold a press conference this afternoon and we will have a communications strategy to distribute with the material.

We have already advised the chiefs in the Territory that the redesign and the bill is coming before the Legislature. The process that we will follow is that the bill will be given, hopefully, second reading this afternoon. At that point the bill, presumably, would go to the standing committee. The standing committee would have to review the bill and the redesign. That is the process it will go through.

Once the standing committee can report back to the House, to the committee of the whole, the process will be that presumably it will be debated here. Then it is up to the House as to how soon we can pass that bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is also for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. As I noted in my Member's statement this morning, I believe we need to expand this program by adding money to it. I know that we are in a very tight fiscal situation. All of us in this House are aware of that.

We have heard from the Minister of Finance that whenever we provide money for one program it inevitably means taking money from another. Can the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment tell us if the proposed changes to the Student Financial Assistance Program will involve taking money from somewhere else in order to increase the monies going to students?