Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was approached this morning by one of the organizers of the Edmonton Oilers Alumni Hockey Challenge Game and I was asked to put my blades on and to play for the Yellowknife team. This hockey challenge is to take place tomorrow evening at the Yellowknife Community Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The Yellowknife team will include a number of local youth from The Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association as well some old veterans from the Yellowknife Old-Timers.

It is important because the proceeds from the fun-filled event will go directly towards supporting the Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association and to help support this year's Caribou Carnival. I encourage all Members to come out to support this worthy event and come and cheer team Yellowknife on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

At this time I would like to recognize in the gallery, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Dan Marion, and with him the Commissioner-designate Glenna Hansen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. Barry Greenland the sub-chief of the Inuvik Nihtat Band Council. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Bob Doherty, the executive director of the Manufacturers' Association. I believe he is up there with another person, who I am assuming is Allison Barr, who I believe works for the association. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Indeed they are there. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was saying in my Member's statement, I am growing quite concerned with what has been occurring as we have been going through the interim appropriation. Mr. Speaker, this government, while running for office, spoke of being open and transparent but I am beginning to feel, and I feel I must express it here. The only thing transparent about this government is the government's commitment to transparency. Mr. Speaker, I wrote a letter to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment on January 25, 2000, regarding the Aurora Campus project. I received a response February 11, 2000. At the end of this letter he states: "I will however keep you apprised of the plan for the campus as this information becomes available." I would like to know from the Minister if this information became available last night between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The information became available to me when we were doing the review of an overall government look at where reductions could take place. I believe it was about a month ago, and I have to point out, Mr. Speaker, that this has been a very unusual situation that we are in. We are dealing with an interim budget which normally is not done by that process. The process normally, is one where we have business plans and then we go into a budget process, so there is a great deal of procedure which we follow. Because of the late election and because we did not sit until January and February, it has created tremendous pressure on getting things done, getting things into place. So, it has been a difficulty trying to stay on top of all the needs that we need to meet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that, in fact, interim appropriations have been done in the spring of 1992 and 1996, 1999, and again this year. Mr. Speaker, the Minister stated that he was aware of this approximately a month ago. He wrote me a letter and, approximately 18 days after that, the Minister was aware of this a month ago and he did not have the decency or the courtesy to inform me, as a Member or my community. When is he going to inform the community? Is it after the fact that the budget was passed and then we would find out the following day? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes it is true that there is an interim budget. There are some precedents for interim budgets, 1992 and 1996. But there is very little precedence for budget cutting the way we have to do at this particular time, and it has caused some difficulties. I do recognize the Member's concern of not being informed, and I do apologize to him for that. I think he deserves to have been informed. I have to also state about my particular position that I am not sure, having not been in this situation before, under these kinds of circumstances, as to what my particular responsibilities are, and where I can draw the line of what I can release and what I cannot release at one particular time. Simply because of the new process that we have had to go through with this particular process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The only thing new about this is the evasive maneuvers the Minister has been able to make around the question, which is who has he contacted in my community about this project? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have not contacted anyone on my part, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is there going to be any formal notification besides the fact that this has come out in public now in this House, in committee of the whole? Are you going to be contacting the campus or the mayor in my community? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did inform the board of governors of Aurora College in a meeting that the Inuvik Campus would be delayed. That was in response to direct question. Thank you.

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