Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister tell me, is the money allocated strictly based on each divisional board of education? The Beaufort Delta, the Sahtu and the different regions. Does each one have so much money they can spend on training for teachers in the different ridings and regions?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, it is a broad fund that is managed for teachers. With regard to the SFA Program, they can all access that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought as part of the collective bargaining agreement, there was a specific amount of money identified for education leave for teachers to take different courses as part of their bargaining unit. That was something that was agreed to. I am wondering how much of that money goes to specific geographical areas.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a detail that would best be answered by Mr. Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Following with interest the discussion of preparing a workforce and skills for the anticipated activity in the oil and gas field, it was also something that came up during some business meetings some Members had with various companies, national companies that will more than likely be involved in the construction of a northern pipeline, specifically the meeting we had with the Trans Canada pipeline people. One of the issues we discussed was workforce mobility, if you will. Major construction projects of this nature tend to be very concentrated and very rapid in the way they are constructed and built.

That means enormous numbers of workers are brought into a place for a short period of time in order to get the job done, then they are gone.

We experienced some of this during the building of the Norman Wells pipeline early in the 1980s, where there was a surge in workers brought in. Some information I had really illustrated how ill-prepared, not only in terms of our workforce skills, but in our ability to absorb the magnitude of what was coming down.

A potential pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley will be a project many times the size of that. One of the things the Trans-Canada people impressed on was the enrolment of these multi-national contracting companies, major union organizations, and the issue of workforce mobility across provincial and international borders.

The question I would like to ask the Minister is, in looking at this potential development in years to come, because we can anticipate there will be spur lines, there will be associated activity, has the department been as proactive as to start up some discussions with these potential contractors involved, the unions involved, with either provincial and perhaps national officials to find out how we can be better prepared for what will be, we hear from the Trans-Canada people, a pretty complicated network of labour migration? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To address the question directly, discussions have been held with some of the producers with the pipeline companies, not yet with the unions. I think Mr. Braden's point is certainly a good one. We do need to focus on it and pay some attention to it. The anticipation is that it will be about five years from now. The planning, if a pipeline were to be built, it may be about five years from now.

In the interim, of course, we have a lot of exploration work and preparation work that is out there. Even though there will be a surge of workers in this, I think there will be ongoing potential, as Mr. Braden stated, the spur-line potential, the ability for workers who may work on pipelines and welding, and those in vehicle operations, whatever it may be will probably be able to transition to the other activities that are going to take place on an ongoing basis for some time here in the Northwest Territories. Alberta was a good example. Once oil was struck, it is still being struck all over Alberta. That is a major industry for that particular province and can continue to be for our northern Territory. Even though there will be one pipeline, the activity associated from that will continue to be substantial. There may be a potential to connect communities to a gas pipeline by way of example. Can there be an oil pipeline down the road? Can there be a transportation corridor? The potential goes on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I concur with the Minister's observations and the direction that I think, and from the little bit of knowledge I have gained so far, I see this going. The example of Alberta, which has had an industry going for more than half a century now, is a very good example where a workforce is prepared and trained for the kind of activity that will continue on an ongoing basis in its home territory, if you will.

-- Recording Difficulties

...as I indicated, cultural and linguistic ties in the South Slave to the Chipewyan people that are part of that community, that language community.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I cannot answer that question here now. I am going to have to get some information on that for the Member. We will have to get back to him as quick as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I had breakfast this morning with Ms. Sabet Biscaye, who is doing some work for the Akaitcho territory with the Chipewyan language initiative and plan that they are putting together. It was she who raised the issue to me. I must confess this was an issue I was unaware of, but when I look at the letter, it is very clear the reference is to registered Indians and registered Inuvialuit. I would like to ask the Minister, given the fact that we are passing this budget and that formulas for aboriginal languages have been allocated based on a formula that seems to have a flaw or gap in it, an omission, how long would it take to get a response? Will it be before we deal with this budget? Thank you.

As I say, I am not familiar with the issue, Mr. Chairman. We will get an answer for the Member tomorrow morning on this. Thank you.