Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cheques in the system are such that they will be monthly cheques deposited into students' accounts. It will be done through the banks as long as the bank is here in Yellowknife. In other words, the CIBC, Royal Bank, Toronto Dominion, and the Bank of Montreal. No doubt students can access one of those in the south, but not to the smaller operations like the Alberta Treasury Branch, because there is no direct link.

The students will be given their basic grant up front, which will cover their tuition for the term. The living allowance will be on a monthly basis and will be done by direct deposit. This is partially done by student request as well. We have received requests from students that this would be a better method for them. I know that contradicts with some of the other students who are saying that they prefer one lump sum payment. We did have students come to us saying that they prefer this system. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has been quoted as saying that students should learn life lessons by getting a monthly allowance from the government. Perhaps it is true that some students may like it this way, but having been a student myself, I think that when I go to school I would want to register, get started and not think about whether I am going to get my money every month and meet my payments.

Also, Mr. Speaker, the biggest complaint that we have received from students is that they are not getting quick service from the government. I know that we cannot be available with 24 hour service, but would the Minister not consider streamlining this process, approve the loan and give the money out up front? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We feel that the monthly payment system is a proper way to go, Mr. Speaker. It provides students with consistency, and it will be there on the first of every month, deposited directly into their bank accounts. I do not understand what the complication for students at that end may be. As I said, we did receive requests from students to do it this way. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The complication, Mr. Speaker, is this, the biggest complaint the students have is that students from all over Canada have to call whatever line it is and receive a voicemail message. They will be going through this every month if they do not receive their cheques. The complication is that the Minister is creating complications.

Yesterday, in responding to the Member for Thebacha, the Minister indicated that there was no automatic payment plan. Is he saying that everything is set, everyone will get paid on time, every month, through an automatic plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. I did not hear a question there, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is in response to the Minister's statement that there are no complications. My point is, Mr. Speaker, there are complications.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Other complications. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The system being set up provides the students with their basic grant up front, as a lump sum payment. After that, there will be monthly deposits on the first of every month into their bank accounts. I believe that is a system that is consistent with the demands that are out there from many of the students. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm that the department has a system set up to do automatic deposits? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, we will ensure that it is in their bank accounts on the first of every month. I cannot confirm that there is a system there today to do that. I will confirm that they will have it in their accounts on the first of every month.

I realize that this may have been a problem in the past, but that does not mean...with today's systems, we all know that the capability is there to do this in a very efficient way. I do not think we should put down our own people to suggest that they cannot handle this, to put the money into the accounts. I understand it was there previously. I am giving assurances that it will be there, in students' accounts, on the first of every month. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with my Member's statement in regard to oil and gas and how it affects the community that I come from, Hay River, I would like to address the area of the four positions that have been created for oil and gas development.

For the last couple of years, Mr. Speaker, I have been hearing why Hay River did not benefit a lot from the diamond mines because of its geographical location. Also, I have been hearing that Hay River is very well situated for the oil and gas development.

I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley, how he justifies a position for oil and gas in the capital, Yellowknife, but no position for the community of Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the effort was made by the department to put one position in each of the regions in the Valley; one in the Sahtu, one in Inuvik and one in the Deh Cho. There is one position that was kept in headquarters. That position works on the Mackenzie Valley development planning exercise. This is an exercise to attempt to coordinate input and issues from all of the departments across the Northwest Territories.

There is a deputy minister steering committee and a number of working committees that have worked to make sure everything we are doing is well coordinated.

We are still, even though there is oil and gas happening, we are still very much in a planning exercise as well. There is development going on in the Liard, but we still need to do planning in order to ensure that we do end up with a pipeline, and if we do have a pipeline, it is what people are expecting in terms of equity and so on.

The position is in headquarters, Mr. Speaker, because that is where the planning for the Mackenzie Valley planning exercise is going on. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look at it from the point of view that the government and headquarters have a whole department, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, and also, the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs is quite involved and will be looking after the government's interests.

However, Mr. Speaker, in view of the fact that they have all of theses positions in Yellowknife, would the Minister entertain moving that position to Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, I would not move that position. I think that would make our central planning exercise very difficult. If there is good justification for another position in Hay River, a new position in Hay River, I could look at that, but not to move the current one. Otherwise, our whole valley-wide planning exercise is really hampered. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.