There are no unforeseen circumstances standing in the way of this one. I want to assure the Member of that. We are in the process now of just finishing up the feasibility review on it, I expect over the next month or two we should have that together. We should be able to look forward to a decision shortly after that. I might add that we are very supportive of the proposal for the reasons that the Member just mentioned.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that response. Just for clarification, Mr. Speaker, in previous correspondence, the Minister indicated that he anticipated that this would be taken to Cabinet in June, if my memory serves me correctly. Am I to understand him now to say that in fact it may take some more time, possibly not until July or August? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes. I cannot confirm right now that it will be available in time for the review by Cabinet and the Financial Management Board Secretariat in June, but we are moving it as quickly as we can. If it is not by the end of June, it will be certainly shortly after that. It is a matter of scheduling meetings to take it forward for a decision. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the two main proponents for this, supported by the community, of course, are the band and the Metis council from Fort Smith. They have been in correspondence with the Minister. I would like to ask the Minister if these two key players are being kept apprised of the progress. I have been approached and there is significant interest and concern. In terms of planning and scheduling, everything hinges on what decision the government makes. Could the Minister indicate whether they have been kept apprised of what is happening? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Minister Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I believe they have, but I will check that. If they have not been, then I will make sure we get a message to them. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In light of today being National Aboriginal Day, one of the areas that need more of a priority is the cultural aspect of aboriginal people, especially language.

Without the language, you lose the culture. It is important that this government does more to preserve and protect these aboriginal languages. It is slowly coming to a point where we have to do something crucially and critically to ensure they sustain those languages, and that these languages are carried on for future generations.

In our education system, we use English as the only language in government on the program delivery side. Yet very little effort is made by this government to enhance aboriginal languages.

I would like to ask the Minister responsible for languages and culture, who is also the Minister of Education, if there is a possibility of establishing a separate regime to deal with languages in the context of it being an emergency situation.

We have to do something within the term of this government. We have bounced this idea around. We have cut departments and done other things, but I would like to ask the Minister if he has a strategy to preserve aboriginal languages?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government does have an aboriginal language strategy. In combination with funding from federal sources, through the Canada-Northwest Territories language transfer payments, we provide $1.9 million a year to various aboriginal language groups throughout the Territories.

In addition, the territorial government has funding that it provides to schools, and there is also the approach of language emphasis and culture emphasis within the school itself. There is an opportunity for schools to provide for aboriginal first languages that requires course teachers to be fluent in the aboriginal language.

I believe that there is a tremendous concern out there in regard to the loss of languages. Dealing with the aboriginal language communities, we are working on a strategy on what needs to be done. Initially, some funding to each of the aboriginal groups has been provided throughout the Territories, and that has to be funneled into a coordinated and cohesive approach. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We should realize we have a distinct number of aboriginal languages. We have aboriginal communities that are staying with those languages. In most cases in the 32 communities in the Northwest Territories, the money does not really meet the needs to serve all of those communities and all of those different language groups.

We can look at the French languages, where they receive truckloads of money poured into that. However, when it comes to aboriginal languages, they are scraping and clawing for funding. We are dealing with a crisis situation. We should treat it as one.

This government should come forward with legislation that ensures there is a separate system or regime to impose this legislation, so is has the teeth and the dollars to make it go. Will the Minister come forth with legislation to find ways to ensure the dollars we have and the dollars we need are made available for this emergency?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I cannot make that commitment here today without doing a lot more work on this, and reviewing this situation with the language communities that are out there.

I can assure the Member that more and more in the schools, we are concentrating on ensuring that there is an aboriginal component which includes language. For instance, the Dene Kede program, which has been developed, has been presented from kindergarten to grade 7, and now is being expanded to grades 7 and 10. Inuuqatigiit is the Inuit equivalent.

As well, we are concentrating on ensuring that we get as many teachers entering the teacher education program through Aurora College. That is hopefully going to have some success for us down the road. There is certainly some concentration on ensuring that we revive these languages. In the case of the Deh Cho, I know they are bringing forth a proposal. They have just finished a study there and they are bringing forth a proposal. Until we get the aboriginal language community representatives back together, I cannot make the commitment that the Member is asking for at this particular time. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment is responsible for education, and I believe that is where his role should be. We hear from the people in the Deh Cho that they want to prepare and present programs which are strictly in their aboriginal language. We have seen it with the Dogribs in the Sahtu, such as Deline, where they have been able to do that with their curriculum. This government is responsible for developing that curriculum and ensuring the money that is put forth is being used in that particular area. It should not be moved around from one area for someone else to say that language is not important to me because I think you should learn French.

Pardon me, Mr. Krutko, could you ask the question?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me what he is doing to ensure the money that is put in the education system is being used for aboriginal language?

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

The funding that we receive is specifically identified for the programs that it is allocated to, Mr. Speaker. There are a variety of methods by which we are tackling the language program, as we said. The funding that we have available is through the transfer payment from the federal government, and in addition, we allocate money for use in schools and language communities. Thank you.

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