Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker. That's very important that we do sit with them. As well, I believe it's very important that we sit with our public and our constituents as they want a say and they want to be heard as our socioeconomic development agreement progresses. Does the Minister have plans to provide community consultations with regard to a GNWT socioeconomic development agreement?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right and certainly we can't do this work in a vacuum. We need to both consider the interdepartmental issues, many departments, not just RWED involved in this work to make sure that people benefit and to make sure we're ready. As we develop the socioeconomic agreement, obviously we've got to involve all the regional aboriginal groups and the public right across the Territories. So as the Member knows, our committee will do some work in the regions and have some discussions. I think it's important that we get out there and hear what people think. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if the GNWT did gain our intervener status when it comes to deliberation in the public hearings or the federal government in the deliberations of the joint review panel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will, as a government, make interventions on behalf of the public of the Northwest Territories at the environmental review process for areas under our mandate, obviously wildlife and other areas. So, yes, we will be interveners in the process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm just looking for assurance from the Minister that our role as interveners is not going to be merely a rubber-stamper, but we'll have some meaningful input into the hearings and demand some of the things that our people are saying that they definitely want benefits and just not roll over. Will the Minister direct his department to play more of a participatory role in the joint review panel hearings? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Bell.

Thank you. I think I understand the Member; play a role, but don't roll over. I think the Member makes a very good point. When it comes to the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories if not us, then who would represent those? I think the Member is quite right. It is up to this government to make sure that the interests of the Northwest Territories are met through this project. I think we can do that. We take our role as interveners very seriously. I can give the Member that assurance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in reference to my Member's statement today, I'd like to direct my question to the Premier in terms of what I said earlier on today. Can the Premier tell us when was the last time he was able to have a discussion with our northern leaders on resource revenue sharing and where do things stand today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have the exact day with me, but about three weeks ago I had a teleconference call with the northern leaders. They were generally in agreement with some of our discussions on interim resource revenue sharing. They were to have a meeting last week, but because of illness of one of the members they felt they were going to postpone that for a while. I expect to have another discussion with them soon. When I go to Ottawa this week I have been asked to meet with some of the key Ministers late on Tuesday afternoon to further some of the discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell us what he sees as being the next step in these discussions? I think I heard him say that they are going to try to have another future meeting. When is he anticipating that this meeting is going to take place? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Zoe. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, after our telephone conversation, the aboriginal leaders, through the Aboriginal Summit, wanted to get together to discuss this further on their own and had, in fact, invited myself and Minister Roland to a dinner meeting. We thought the one that was postponed might be held as early as this week, but I haven't heard yet. So the next step is for the aboriginal leaders to sit down by themselves and identify any issues with what we are proposing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been sort of tasked, I guess by Members on this side, to question the social impacts of the departments, which I am happy to do because I know that it is one that is a concern of all of us on this side and I think I will direct my questions to the Minister responsible for women, the honourable Minister Dent. Mr. Speaker, I realize that social impacts of mega resource development projects are not women's issues alone, but there are a lot of issues that we need to deal with and there is no question that these important issues are not being discussed at various tables that are going on to the extent that they should.

Even oil and gas conferences you have to try really hard to look at the agenda to see how social impacts are being discussed in any substantive way. Even the joint pipeline committee that we have set up, the agenda is crowded and the social impacts get dropped to the sidelines. I think, Mr. Speaker, this report that I mentioned in my Member's statement by the Status of Women Council is a really, really good place to start because it really covers all of the issues that we need to deal with whether it's training, women's participation, potential increase in alcohol and drugs and gambling abuse, the impact of transients and all sorts of things. So let me just ask the Minister as to whether or not there has been any action taken to see if his section on women's directorate could look into this and come up with an action plan on that basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has a good point and it's an issue that this government is quite aware of and is working to make sure that we keep in mind whenever we talk about issues like development in the North. In fact, the special joint committee on the pipeline, it's part of its mandate to provide direction to the government on the negotiation of a SEA, and issues such as this are certainly the sort of thing that we want to see talked about during the negotiation with companies in the socioeconomic agreements. So we will make sure that we keep this sort of thing in mind. The government also has made sure that the bringing together of the social envelope Ministers, that when we meet we bring in the special advisor to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, to make sure that we are always reminded that we keep issues of gender equity on the table. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.