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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no doubt that people gaining employment may face some challenges, Mr. Speaker, with regard to day care usage and availability of babysitting services. Certainly we have kept that in mind as we are developing the early childhood development plan, which is being jointly worked on between the Minister of Health and Social Services and myself and our departmental officials. We expect that particular plan will see fruition within the next several months.

Additionally, we have realized some support from the federal government. It is not a lot, but through the Canada health and social transfer payments of approximately $500,000 for the next six years, all of which will assist us in development and in improving our system.

As I said, I just want to repeat, we do have three programs in place, Mr. Speaker, that total $4 million per year now. I am not suggesting that is adequate. I am merely suggesting that we do have some programs and we want to build on that to improve the system in all areas, of course, but we recognize that in growth areas where there are employment opportunities for individuals, then we have to look at that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley. It is with regard to my Member's statement on the oil and gas development that is taking place in the Mackenzie Delta. I think it is important that we as a government do more to promote that industry and also promote all people involved in that industry, especially the smaller companies. Every little development opportunity really helps our economy.

With regard to the oil and gas industry in the Mackenzie Delta, I think it is important that this government takes on the more meaningful role as they did with the diamond industry. This government has put a lot of energy and emphasis on social economic agreements that they signed with the different companies to ensure that we have benefit agreements in place, guaranteed employment, training and also to ensure that the North benefits fully. I feel that this government has to do more to...

Mr. Krutko, may I have the question, please?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to the oil and gas sector, this government does not have any main policies by way of loan guarantees like they did with the secondary industry. Does the government have any plans to implement legislative programs, such as the loan guarantee program for the secondary diamond industry, for the oil and gas industry?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, we do have a provision where we will consider loan guarantees. We will consider loan guarantees from any business in any field if they can show us that this is a reasonable risk for us to take. We have it in the diamond industry. We would do the same in the oil and gas if we had any applications brought forward to us and we deemed them to be ones that were good risks. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Les question supplémentaire. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what is this government doing to establish programs and different services to assist in the oil and gas industry with regard to his department?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is quite a long list of things that we are doing as a department to assist the oil and gas industry. First of all, we have done a lot of promotion of the oil and gas potential in the Northwest Territories. A lot has been accomplished in the past couple of years ensuring that that stays on the timetable. We have met with practically every company that is doing work or contemplating doing work in the Northwest Territories. We have talked to them about socio-economic benefits to the North. We have also cooperated in capacity building or training workshops throughout the North to ensure that our people have the benefits to it. We are currently reviewing our business programs to make sure that if our business community in the Northwest Territories wants to take advantage of opportunities in oil and gas, that they are able to. Hopefully we can streamline those programs.

We are working with the regulatory agencies and have been very instrumental in ensuring that all the various agencies get together and try to find a coordinated approach to doing environmental assessments and dealing with the whole regulatory environment.

We have also worked very closely with the federal government to try to keep this on their agenda. Part of our non-renewable resource strategy is on that. Common Ground, the economics strategy has a big emphasis on oil and gas.

So there are many, many things we are doing as a government and as a department, Mr. Speaker, to promote oil and gas. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to programs in the Mackenzie Delta region, I have been trying to work with the constituency I represent where there are very little resources in the regional office to assist companies or businesses getting involved in the oil and gas industry. Yet, Mr. Speaker, in the diamond industry, there were grants and dollars given to different companies to joint venture in that area. By way of programs and the economic programs we have in this government, what is there for the oil and gas sector for the people in the Mackenzie Delta?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the same programs that were used to support the diamond industry are there to support people and companies getting involved in the oil and gas industry. I mentioned loan guarantees already. There is no restriction on those in terms of which industries can apply or be eligible for it. Everyone can.

The second one is our business development funds. We make that available and that has been widely utilized. That is why some of our regions have very little money left. Through the Business Credit Corporation, there are loans available as well. We also work closely with Education, Culture & Employment to help on the training side, and that has been a big help.

So we are proactive in trying to ensure we get maximum dollars invested into the oil and gas sector. I will make available to the Member a summary of all of the expenditures we have undertaken in the last year. I think it amounts to something in the neighbourhood of $5 million that has gone into the oil and gas industry. As soon as that is updated, I will make it available to the Member and show him more detail on what we are doing. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what I would like to see from this government, but not just going back one or two years. Let us go back four years when all the diamond development took place. I feel the oil and gas sector is not getting the same treatment as the diamond sector did, where we put $5 million into training, we developed a loan guarantee program for the diamond industry...

Your supplementary question, please?

With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if he could provide that information on how much money was spent out of the different grants and contributions that this government has and divide it into the two sectors; the diamond sector and the oil and gas sector for the last five years.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I will ask my department to try and do that kind of analysis and comparison. We have been assisting the diamond industry for the past six or seven years. I believe we have provided roughly $12 million in support to the diamond industry over that period of time.

The oil and gas industry has only really been active for the last two years or so, and over that period of time, we have spent over $5 million to support oil and gas. As much as we can, and as this important industry to us grows, then I am sure we will find, over the same period of time, a five or six or seven year period of time, we are investing as much or possibly even more in oil and gas than we did in diamonds, but...

Thank you. The question has been answered. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are addressed to the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat in regard to the code of conduct tabled in this House yesterday. Mr. Speaker, page 1 of the document indicates that these guidelines and procedures apply to all employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories in all departments, boards and agencies, except those employed by the NWT Power Corporation.

I would like to ask the Minister, what consultation has taken place with the NWTTA and the UNW in arriving at this document that was tabled, this 28 page document that was tabled in this House yesterday? Thank you.