Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to inform the Member and this House that it is not a requirement that the seniors turn over their homes to the NWT Housing Corporation if they do qualify under any of the repair programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of several instances where senior citizens have been successful in obtaining funding through the Senior Citizens Home Repair Program, some requesting loans as low as $2,500, but they were still required to turn over their mortgage to access the funding. Would the Minister please indicate why the Housing Corporation would require a senior citizen to sign over his mortgage for a loan as low as $2,500? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No certainly, to repeat my previous answer, it is not a requirement. There is a loan agreement where the forgiveness starts on the first day of the month after the repairs are completed. My thorough knowledge of this, Mr. Speaker, is that they are not required to turn over their homes under the agreement for seniors. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear the Minister respond in that way, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to ask if there are senior citizens out there that have requested forgivable loans through the Housing Corporation to get home repair work done, should they be reapplying now because these ones refused to get their work done and to turn over their mortgages for a low loan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is important, I think, for our seniors to understand that in 1997 our home-ownership program changed a lot. Several of the programs offered today are the Senior Citizens Home Repair Program, the home adaptations for seniors independence, elders on the land initiatives, seniors, disabled and preventative maintenance initiatives. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the Members that approximately $1.2 million will be out there for the seniors this year for a number of those program initiatives, and we certainly encourage them to apply now that the new fiscal year is coming upon us shortly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Premier pertaining to An Act to Amend the Adoption Act and the Family Law Act, and I have a number of questions under that broad subject. Mr. Speaker, this government has clearly stated its intention to work closely with aboriginal governments in policies and initiatives that we undertake as this government. I was wondering if the Premier could tell us if he has any concerns about the aboriginal governments and chiefs not having been specifically consulted with respect to this legislation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I have to advise you that that bill is under consideration and you are not allowed questions in the House about it. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. It is a follow through to a discussion that we had last week with the Premier about our government's participation and response to the Kyoto accord and the arrangements that are underway between the provinces and the Government of Canada. Could the Minister advise us of anything new on this front that may have come out of his meeting with other Energy Ministers last week in Victoria? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I too support our endorsement of the Kyoto accord, but the question of the costs to comply are certainly valid. I wanted to ask the Minister, is our government undertaking any specific consultation with industry leaders here in the NWT to see what kind of consensus we might be able to forge? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to see if there is any specific step or initiative that our government is undertaking in respect to this issue. The Minister's answer seemed to indicate that it was the federal government that was going to lead the consultation. I would like to see what our government is doing. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.