Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I suppose the Member now can expect questions as to when the ferry will open rather than when it will close. The department will try and have the ferry running as quickly as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. I am anticipating your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering if the department has more power than God Him or Herself. But seriously, Mr. Speaker, we have Winspear, Diavik, and Lupin who are doing all they can to get their supplies over there. We have grocery stores that are not going to have enough supplies. We only have two or three days notice now. I know the Minister is going to have meetings with the federal Ministers about our conditions in building roads. I would like to know if the Minister will seriously consider the option of building a bridge over that water?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. You were talking about ice bridges initially. That is pushing the envelope a little, but...the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I have said in the past that the department would be happy to build a bridge as soon as somebody comes up with $60 million. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was also caught off guard with the situation with Aurora College in Inuvik. I have been pushing for several years to ensure that we get a new college in Inuvik through some new process or a P3 initiative. Realizing the economic potential we have in the Beaufort Delta with oil and gas and the activities and amount of revenues it will bring to this government, I think it is more important now than ever to ensure this facility gets built.

It is also important that we start preparing ourselves to have the people trained and in place so when the development happens, they are on the ground available to work and are taking advantage of this project.

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of money spent by this government in the diamond industry. I thought through this initiative, it would give us an opportunity to take advantage of the oil and gas industry and what it can offer. My question to the Minister responsible for Education is, when will the Minister consult with all the Members in this House, the Arctic College Board in Inuvik, and the Delta Divisional Board of Education to try and find a way to ensure this capital project continues on? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the concern there is regarding this project. The project initially was in the capital plan, and then it was switched to a P3 project. Because of the fiscal situation we are facing, it is now back as a capital plan for several years down the road. We recognize the facility is an old one, but because of the priorities we have faced, particularly with K-12 schools, it was essential that we proceed with those.

While I appreciate the Member has concerns with respect to when this project can be done, it would have to be done in consultation with what the capital planning is for this particular government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that the Minister mentioned how important this project was. It was listed on a short-list for capital projects through the P3 project. Yet through that list, this was one of, I believe, two facilities that were going to be built. One was the residence facility in Fort Smith and this was the other facility in Inuvik. With that, I would like to ask the Minister, where does this project stand in regard to the priorities of this government at this time?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been repositioned as a capital project several years down the road and it is back in the capital plan, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister when will this project get back on track to where it is a priority to Members of this House? And also, it was a priority to the previous government. Because it was a priority, I would like to ensure it is done within the next year. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The project has been delayed by several years and in order to change that, it would require Cabinet to consider looking at the capital plan. There were reasons why it was placed where it is because of the tightness of money. We had to eliminate $10 million from the budget. That is where it is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When will this Minister ensure that this project gets off the ground?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, it was put back into the capital plan and it is scheduled for 2003-2004.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Premier and it is in regard to summer student hiring. I had posed a couple of questions to Mr. Ootes and they were later referred to Mr. Kakfwi about summer student hiring and I was reassured that, indeed, an office would be set up by the Executive to handle incoming resumes, incoming calls and coordinate the employment of summer students. This may be the last time I get to ask the Premier about summer student hiring before we break and students will be arriving shortly. I am wondering if the Premier can tell me, how many summer jobs has the government identified for returning students this year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Premier, Mr. Stephen Kakfwi.