Thank you, Minister Allen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs. It is in the area of standards that are put in place when communities replace water and sewer systems. I would like to know if the Minister could inform us who sets the standards for capital replacement? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the tax-based municipalities are expected to fully fund their own infrastructure projects, with the exception of water and sewer. From that perspective, Mr. Speaker, the department will then fund up to 50 percent of that project. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Allen. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister inform us as to the standards if they are to replace that...for example, for a section of sewer or water pipe, what is the level of standard that is set and who would set that? I am more interested in who would set that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have the exact technical details to that question. I will take that as notice and respond back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Questions orales. Les députés de Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is directed to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. It is in regard to the recently announced Maximizing Northern Employment Initiative in the Premier's address to the people, whereby the government has indicated that jobs will be guaranteed for northern graduates out of nursing and teaching programs. I have been asked by a member of the public about the reasons as to why the government has been prompted to announce and come up with this sort of initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Water, water everywhere...the ancient mariner. Thank you.

With regard to the Maximizing Northern Employment Initiative, the government sees an opportunity here for its people. We need teachers. We need nurses. We need other priority occupations. We also need to create work for our Northerners. We are very proud in the case of the teachers, we are very proud of the students that we have and very proud of the graduates we have. They are ranking very high. We feel that there is an opportunity here to fill the positions with Northerners. We have a very concerted program, a very good program through the college system. Some of those people are with us today along with their instructor. We feel this will give them an opportunity.

You might say why, well, because we do need teachers on an ongoing basis. It will stop some of the turnover. Our teachers are individuals who will stay in the North. They are familiar with the northern conditions and northern situations. In some cases, they will speak aboriginal languages, so they are sensitive to the aboriginal and cultural issues that are out there.

All around, Mr. Speaker, I think this just makes common sense. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, going by the answer given by the Minister, I am assuming that I can be certain that the TEP program at Aurora College, and I believe it is a three-year program, that graduates of that program will be guaranteed employment in their chosen profession as well as the northern graduates from teaching schools south of the border. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is correct. The program has been extended to a three-year program. After that, we require teachers to obtain their degree from a university. That is within a five-year period. There can be extenuating circumstances under which extensions can be provided. It is our intent to ensure that there is employment created for those graduates from our system as well as graduates who are northern people from universities and other institutions in other locations. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question has to do with the level of coordination between the government and the department and the school boards who would have to do the hiring of these teachers. I am wondering if the Minister has taken any action, or will he take any action, to coordinate with the school boards so there are vacancies available for these students to get into when they graduate from the school? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, coordination is important between the five DECs and the Yellowknife school boards. We are developing the criteria now for the priority hires, that these positions will be classified. I think we will find good cooperation amongst the school boards on this front. As we know, they are continually faced with problems in addressing the issue of hiring across the country. The issue of coordination is a very important one that we are addressing.

For the Member's information, I meet on a semi-annual basis with the chairs as well as the directors of education. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some information that it may be the case that the school boards are currently hiring for positions that may not be open until two years from now. School boards may be hiring for future years that may result in situations where there may be no vacancies for those who are enrolled in our schools now who will not be graduating until two years from now.

May I receive confirmation from the Minister that he will be in touch immediately to make sure that this policy is coordinated on a multi-year basis, so there is proper planning? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, coordination is important in this whole area. There is a priority hire policy that we will be instituting. As we stated, we are guaranteeing employment for these individuals. The graduates of our schools are the ones we are indicating that for, plus the graduates from other schools in the south. In any event, the priority is there. The boards do know about it. They are aware of this. I am sure that we will be able to work this out quite sufficiently. Thank you.