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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all recall, of course, the difficulties encountered during the fall enrollment period. We have been working as a department very steadily and diligently on ensuring that improvements are made on the processes that are in place. We have made good progress in a number of areas, Mr. Speaker.

For example, the application form has been simplified. In the next round, it will be a more simplified application form. With the student guide, there were comments on it being too large. We are ensuring that is reduced. Staff training is another area. I think that certainly is an area. They are the frontline people with the students. We have expended a considerable amount of effort and time to ensure the staff at the career offices are updated and are familiar with the processes and familiar with the methodology with accessing the computer system.

We are working on student modifications as well, to ensure that it is timely and that it is done consistently to the students on areas that they are interested in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a very good point, Mr. Speaker. That did occur. It was very unfortunate. It occurred this last semester. What transpired, Mr. Speaker, is that we had our "Joe days" at Christmas time. Everyone was off. The "Donnie Days".

-- Laughter

After that, when the staff were to be back for the first week, you may recall we had a considerably bad flu outbreak. It really left us short-handed, which we have to work on to ensure that does not occur. It did create some difficulties for the students. I readily acknowledge that and I want to thank the Member for bringing that forward. Unfortunately, it was a difficult situation all the way around. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Colleagues, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize in the gallery a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, representing the High Arctic at the time, Mr. Ludy Pudluk.

-- Applause

Mr. Pudluk was a Minister as well as the Deputy Speaker and a long-serving Member. He was the Dean of the Legislative Assembly for 20 years, I am told. As well, Mr. Pudluk is the provider of our polar bear that is here on display in our Chamber. Welcome back home, Ludy.

-- Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for Minister Handley, again about the fuel rebate. He asked for suggestions as to how something might be administered. We put our department of finance over here together to do some work and we have quickly come up with a proposal we are wondering if he would consider: less than $50,000 income, $320; $50,000 to $60,000, $250; $60,000 to $70,000, $200; $70,000 to $80,000, $150; $80,000 to $90,000, $100; over $90,000, nothing, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if he will consider that.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I will consider any suggestions the Members give me. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think he said he would consider it. I am not quite sure. I think the underlying philosophy was that homeowners and renters who were paying more to heat their homes this year would get a subsidy. Is that in fact the case? You have to be paying more this year to heat your home?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes. One of the criteria is that you have to show that you have purchased fuel for your home. You also have to sign a statement that you have not received a subsidy from somewhere else, your employer or wherever, to cover the price of the fuel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a little confused. If I am renting an apartment and I pay $900 a month, but that $900 is not broken out, how will I determine how much of that is being paid for fuel and if in fact I am directly paying for fuel? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry if I was a little bit confusing on that statement. People who are living in detached homes or homes where they have their own heating system, they have to show us proof that they purchase fuel. In the case of people who live in apartment buildings or buildings where there is one central heating system for the whole building and they do not have fuel bills for their apartment, there we have made an assumption that rents have gone up in the Northwest Territories. We know that most rents have. There may be some exceptions.

Accordingly, we have made a provision for a one-time rebate of $150 for individuals living in those kind of apartment units. They do not have to show us that they actually paid for fuel or that they even had a rent increase. We are making an assumption though that the rents have generally gone up in the last year as a result of heating costs borne by the landlords. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While that might be the case, I know there are many people who are tied into long-term leases and have not seen their rents go up, so would the Minister at least acknowledge that we may in fact miss some folks this way?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not think that we will miss any people on that count because the individual apartment dwellers do not have to show us that their rent went up nor do they have to show us that they paid for fuel. They simply have to show us that they meet the core need income threshold or the scale we are using to determine eligible incomes. So we should not be missing anyone there, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.