Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome some Yellowknife residents in the gallery: Ms. Kathryn Youngblut, Ed Jeske, Dave Wind and a very active mother, Marlo Bullock with her two children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Connor Bullock and Nelson Bullock who are here with their mother Marlo, as Sandy just indicated. Their ages are 8 and 11 and they've come to see the proceedings of the Assembly here today. So I hope my colleagues will join me in welcoming them. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Major Karen Hoeft and Captain Al Hoeft from the Salvation Army, as well as two other members from the Salvation Army. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize all the people from the Dogrib Nation in the gallery today, but there's one I work with, Mr. Speaker, that I would like to recognize. That is Violet Camsell-Blondin, the chair of the Dogrib Community Services Board, which is responsible for both education and the health and social services department. I would like to recognize her, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Colleagues, I would like to direct your attention to the presence in the Speaker's Gallery of Karen Wright-Fraser, the designer of the new Pages' uniform. With her are four ladies who assisted Karen with the piecework on the vests and they are: Lucy Black, Christine Doctor...There are only two.

---Laughter

There is Karen Wright-Fraser and Mr. Fraser. Please welcome them.

---Applause

Are there any other recognitions? I would like to take the opportunity to welcome everyone to the Legislative Assembly. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment which the senior fuel subsidy falls under. I would like to know from the Minister what work was undertaken with seniors in the development of the application forms for seniors' fuel subsidy.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not familiar with that particular work that had been undertaken and whether there has been consultation with seniors. I must say though that a lot of changes have been introduced into the seniors' fuel subsidy over the last several years. I heard what the Member has said and we need to look at this application form to see if it is a difficult form to follow. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When will the Minister undertake to have a review of these forms? When he does that, will he find out if seniors were contacted with how they felt these forms should be put together? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will get onto that item immediately, Mr. Speaker, to see whether consultations had taken place, whether there was input from the seniors' society and whether there was input from other seniors. We will certainly look to see whether the forms are possible to change very quickly if they are too difficult to follow, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the department in all communities prepared to work with individuals who would come into their office to help fill out the forms? They are more difficult this time around than previous years, I believe. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, a lot of changes have taken place. First of all, we changed the fuel subsidy regionally, so there's a higher level of support for individual seniors if they are in a colder climate area with longer winters. The second case that took place was the change in the level of income that a senior can have. A number of those changes have taken place and no doubt, the department, in its wisdom, has made changes on the forms as well. What we did do, as well, Mr. Speaker, is put out a publication to allow seniors and others on income support to understand the program, but I will immediately get on to the question that the Member raised here. If we can provide assistance to seniors in communities to help fill out the forms and secondly to see if the forms are appropriate and if we need to make changes on the forms.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister indicated that a lot of changes had happened and some increases to the limits as well, so will the Minister provide that information as well when he goes through and does this other work? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.