Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes. It is regarding the oil and gas potential we have in the Beaufort Delta. I feel the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has an obligation to ensure people are trained so we have a skilled workforce in place to take on these jobs when developments take place.

I would like to ask the Minister, in light of the amount of money that was put into developing the mining industry, what is the Department of Education, Culture and Employment doing to ensure we have the same opportunities for developing the training programs for the oil and gas industry?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is leading an interdepartmental approach to oil and gas development.

One of the programs is developing a human resource development committee, which will be chaired by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. It will be tasked to look at projections of the type of volumes in jobs that are expected to be developed along with the development of oil and gas.

It will be necessary to have a promotion campaign on that program. Those are the types of things a resource development committee can undertake. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, regarding the regional strengths where we have diamond potential, oil and gas, forestry, et cetera, will the Minister consider developing an oil and gas training strategy to be implemented in those regions that are impacted by oil and gas development?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there will be a three-year schedule of activities to promote human resource planning and career development for oil and gas development.

This will take place for both the Liard area and the Mackenzie Valley area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that sounds great, but I believe three years is too long to wait. This government has to develop these initiatives now. We have to have the people trained now, so we can take advantage of the development when it occurs, so our people will be able to have jobs available to them.

I would like to ask the Minister if he will be developing these scenarios into the business plans of the department, to ensure there are funds available to the regions, to ensure the education dollars are spent in those different economic sectors?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the tremendous potential oil and gas will bring to the Mackenzie Valley. The potential for jobs for Northerners is substantial. We are in the process of developing the human resource strategy. We are also working with organizations such as the Community Mobilization Organization and community groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a lot of money put into training people for the mining industry. It is great they received their share of money. Now I think it is time for the government to refocus its dollars and put it in other potential areas.

Oil and gas is the sector that will stimulate the economy of the whole Northwest Territories, unlike the diamond industry. I would like to ask the Minister if he will seriously consider putting dollars into the area of oil and gas training for the communities that are impacted by it?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, the potential for jobs in the oil and gas industry is tremendous. Mr. Krutko is correct. It will likely exceed the diamond industry. We have to be aware of the potential, and I think we all are.

We have a human resource development committee underway to look at the various areas. A report has already been prepared on the volume and nature of jobs. This is a preliminary report. We are all interested in pursuing this particular project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Department of Finance. It relates to tangible capital asset accounting. I am wondering if the Minister can tell us if the government is on track for a change over to this new system as of June, when the new budget comes down? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is currently doing an assessment and inventory of our tangible capital assets. I am not sure whether we will have it fully implemented in the year 2000-2001, but I expect it will be fully implemented within the 2001-2002 budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was not aware we could fully or partially implement this thing. I did not think we had a choice. I thought it was either we do it or we do not. If we do not have the asset inventory completed, I would assume we would have to have the whole thing put off for a year. Am I mistaken? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.