Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Indeed, the condolences of the House go to the family of Ms. Miller. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two returns. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Dent on June 26, 2000, regarding the expected student contribution of ten percent under the Student Financial Assistance Program.

The ten percent expected student contribution applies in cases only where a student is applying for a repayable loan. It does not apply to other forms of financial assistance such as grants, remissible loans or scholarships. A repayable loan is provided to students based on an assessment of their financial need. This need includes certain allowable expenses and takes into consideration income students receive for the four-month period prior to enrolling in studies. Since repayable loans were introduced in the Student Financial Assistance Program approximately ten years ago, there has always been a calculation of expected student contributions when assessing applications for repayable loans. We have reduced the expected contribution from 13 percent to ten percent under the new program.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr Krutko on June 28, 2000, regarding funding available for teachers who wish to complete their bachelor's degree or pursue other training or education.

The current collective agreement between the GNWT and Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, which represents teachers in schools outside of Yellowknife, includes a fund to provide financial assistance to teachers currently employed in the education system who wish to improve themselves professionally. Called the Central Professional Improvement Fund, it is administered by a committee with equal representation by the NWTTA and ECE. Each year, an amount equal to 2.25 percent of the gross basic salaries of all teachers in the system is designated to the fund. The fund for the 2000-2001 school year is approximately $504,000.

The fund has two components. Forty percent of the money is allocated to regional professional improvement committees for professional development conferences and workshops for teachers and principals in the regions. Sixty percent of the fund is retained by the committee to fund those teachers awarded year-long education leaves.

Approximately $300,000 was available to fund teachers on education leave in the 2000-2001 school year. Of the 17 applications received by the Central Professional Improvement Committee, five education leaves with allowance were approved.

Of the leaves approved, two were for teachers from the Beaufort Delta, one was from the Deh Cho, one from the Sahtu, and one from the South Slave. No applications were approved from the Dogrib Divisional Education Council.

When considering the applications, the Professional Improvement Committee looks for teachers with four or more years of continuous service as a teacher in the Northwest Territories, teachers completing work toward a first degree, teachers who have made a contribution to the field of education in the Northwest Territories, teachers with demonstrated support for school programs, leadership in the profession, community involvement, as well as letters of support from supervisors and colleagues. Previous professional improvement education leave is also a consideration of the committee.

In granting education leave, the Central Professional Improvement Committee is bound by the terms of the collective agreement. Teachers can also apply for education leave without allowance. This would give them the option of applying for and receiving benefits under the Student Financial Assistance Program. Teachers who are granted education leave without an allowance do receive some benefits from the Central Professional Improvement Fund. These benefits include paid tuition and funding for some travel expenses.

In the 2000-2001 school year, five NVVT teachers were granted leave without allowance. Two of the teachers are from the Deh Cho, two from the South Slave and one from the Dogrib Divisional Education Council.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Delorey on Wednesday, June 28, 2000, about whether the Department of Transportation had plans to move the aircraft fuel distribution tanks at the Hay River Airport.

To answer the Member's question satisfactorily, I will need to give a bit of background. Over the many years that Transport Canada owned and operated the Hay River Airport, the soil around the fuel distribution system was contaminated by fuel spillages. One of the conditions of the 1995 transfer of the airports to the territorial government was that Transport Canada accepted responsibility for any environmental damage on the airport properties that had occurred prior to the transfer. Today at the Hay River Airport, the former fuel distributor, under the supervision of Transport Canada, is remediating the soil contamination.

In the meantime, a new, environmentally friendly fuel distribution system has been installed by a new fuel distributor at a less convenient location across the air terminal apron from the former fuel distribution system.

The bio-remediation process will take at least two years for the bacterial microbes to digest the hydrocarbon contaminants. Should the Department of Transportation interrupt the remediation process prematurely, it would thereby assume the environmental liability from Transport Canada. For this reason, the department will not agree to re-locate the new fuel distribution system on the preferred former site before it is confident that the contamination has been cleaned-up satisfactorily and completely.

I would caution the Member that two years is an estimated forecast and not a firm date. The process is biological and subject to the variabilities of biological processes. In any case, nothing will be done at the site until the environmental situation has been rectified. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is certainly a distinct pleasure this morning to recognize two distinguished guests, Shirley and Sharon Firth, ex-ski mates of mine at the 1972 Olympics, as well as Shirley's daughter, Nina Larson, and their niece Justine Firth. Welcome to the Assembly.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Allen. You should point out which is which.

-- Laughter

Indeed, welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to take the great honour of recognizing Shirley and Sharon Firth for their long-term commitment to the Northwest Territories in the area of cross-country skiing. It has been quite some time since they have been back together and I would like to welcome them and thank them for their long-term commitment to the North. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize some visitors from Fort Providence, my wife Joyce, my daughter Shauna McLeod and her friend Destiny Thom.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. It is always nice to have family come to visit. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Members and colleagues, with the indulgence of the House, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our Sergeant-at-Arms, Corporal Ouellette. Corporal Ouellette is retiring as of today to Alberta. He has served us in two governments and he is now taking this opportunity to pursue a different life with Mrs. Ouellette and family.

With that, I would like to, on your behalf, present him with a plaque in recognition of his service to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and to the honourable Members that he has so dutifully served over the years. Mr. Ouellette, thank you.

-- Applause

We wish you well and Godspeed in your journey.

Also, honourable colleagues and Members, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our new, acting Sergeant-at-Arms, Jay Bran. Jay was Sergeant-at-Arms here for the summer of 1996. He will serve us for the remainder of this term for sure. Please welcome him.

-- Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have the pleasure today to recognize Ms. Denise Kurszewski from Fort Smith. She is a northern educator completing her masters degree. She is here in the gallery today. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to introduce Denise Kurszewski, a northern born and trained, experienced teacher, and a good role model for many young people who want to get into that honourable profession. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to welcome everyone that has come to visit us today. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, As I mentioned in my Member's statement, there has been much discussion about accountability and how that will be applied to the 14th Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I pull from the Financial Administration Act, part 3 on appropriations. Section 27 states " No person shall incur an expenditure without the authority of an enactment."

Then I go to section 29: "The Minister of Finance shall submit to the Legislative Assembly, in accordance with section 25 of the Northwest Territories Act Canada, an appropriation bill for each fiscal year based on the votes and items of expenditures set out in the estimates."

Section 30 says "no person shall incur an expenditure unless it is pursuant to an appropriation and in accordance with the activity set out in the estimates on which the appropriation is based."

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the Premier, seeing as he is the head of government, the symbol that we all fall under in the sense of leadership and accountability, if he has defined, or if it has been pointed out to him, if in fact departments have gone outside of the rules set out, what would the Premier do to rectify the situation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the question is hypothetical. What would I do if that particular situation were to arise?

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will put some specifics to this. During the review of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development budget, there were intra-departmental transfers to different areas from operations and maintenance. One was for $236,000, one for $366,000, and then there is the whole area of the Development Corporation budget that was applied to them. In fact, $1.4 million of that was used in other places in the department.

So there were intra-departmental transfers that were not voted on at the time. I would like to know what the Premier is going to do in this situation when there are clearly incidents that have gone outside of the Financial Administration Act when there has been over $250,000 transferred within the department. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. The Premier has taken the question as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.