Thank you, Minister Ootes. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, BHP has identified monies for workplace literacy. I think this is out of desperation as the government is not doing its job. I hope...

A question, please. Order, please. Mr. Bell, may we have the question?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we had a conference, Mr. Speaker, but surely it is not too much work for the Minister to call some of the major companies like BHP and Diavik. Will he do that? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did personally meet with BHP in the fall to discuss their literacy thrust. I am well aware of that. As well, I have been in touch with Diavik's training group. Glen Zelinski is the head of that. I met with him not one Sunday ago.

Mr. Speaker, I am on top of this. I know what industry needs of this. I know what businesses need. It is not only large industries we have to be concerned about, Mr. Speaker. We have to be concerned about the smaller operations in the Territories as well, the aboriginal groups, et cetera. These all fall into this as well, Mr. Speaker.

With regard to why we did not meet our responsibility, we do not have that kind of money and we did not. That is why we are putting this money in, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Minister Ootes. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is not part of our policy in the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, but we have been involved with the Arctic Energy Alliance. We will direct our staff to begin to look at the cost-effectiveness of this question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not indentured to speak on behalf of the commercial builders or other departments of our government. However, if it applies to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, we will obtain further information and hopefully respond back to the Member in reply to his question. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I have answered questions with regard to alternative heating sources yesterday or the day before. We can look at solar systems as suitable or an alternative source for residential use. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Allen. Your final supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we certainly cannot help everyone. If there are requests coming from individual homeowners and they do qualify under our existing homeownership repair programs, that may be taken as a consideration. Although I must advise the Member that a lot of these requests are relatively new, but we will respond accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government has recently announced their intention to earmark $2 million a year for the next three years towards better educating our population. The purpose of the Literacy Strategy will hopefully go a long way towards making our residents better able to read and write, thereby making them more productive citizens. I cannot agree more, Mr. Speaker, with the importance of increasing literacy rates.

I have a concern though that our educators are having more and more burdens placed on them. In addition to class sizes and resources, they are encountering negative attitudes and disrespect in the classroom. This has escalated to the point where many of our teachers are going on stress leave, more and more teachers are looking at early retirement or retirement packages.

Another area, Mr. Speaker, is kids not attending class. It is a pretty sad day when restaurants have to put up signs that they will not serve kids during school hours simply because many of the kids are getting out of school.

I was wondering if the Minister could advise the House as to what the department is doing for long-term solutions towards eradicating some of the inherent stress placed upon our educators? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.