Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the youth portfolio, as the Members know, is fairly new. We have a number of programs that we operate currently. First of all, we have the Youth Corps Program, for which we budgeted $750,000 and we targeted that funding towards youth at risk and also some of the educational programs. We also have some funding towards youth contributions.

In the last while, we've been quite focused on where we intend to go in the future with this whole portfolio. We are doing a review of what is in the other departments. We're cataloguing all the programs that youth can access and we're also doing a review of the funding that we've been distributing in the last while with the intention that we will have a portfolio that can respond quicker to the youth in the NWT.

We are quite aware that the youth themselves have been taking advantage of our funding and have been focusing on organizing themselves in terms of conferences. We've worked with the youth to look at an NWT youth conference over the last couple of years and more so in the last while on the youth councils that are starting to develop in the different ridings. So our intention is to take a look at where the money is being earmarked and where the money is being spent and also what the other departments have.

We also have a program through MACA that is being utilized for youth. A lot of the youth facilities in terms of youth centres that are starting to come forward are being funded through our Community Initiatives Program. So, Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of activity in the area of youth. There could be more. We have really kind of become more focused and developed our long-term goals for this whole portfolio. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Minister. You gave a really good scenario of all the programs and things that we could do to support our youth. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister continue to maintain and I believe that the needs should have more dollars going into the program? So would the Minister see or work toward the youth contributions that the youth are getting that they would see an increase or at least see something that could be a core program for our youth in our region? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier in my responses, we are reviewing our programs in terms of how effective they are and our dollars are being spent and utilized accordingly. We are also coordinating, as a department, an interdepartmental youth program, which meets with other departments twice annually to share information to see what we are doing and what other departments are doing. As part of that, we'll be looking at what the requirements are for youth, as I stated earlier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education in his Minister's statement...I applaud him and the Minister of MACA for putting the initiative out there in the communities to help our youth. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, youth are killing themselves in the small communities. The honourable Members Mrs. Groenewegen and Mr. Dent were talking about that earlier and I'm asking the Minister what can we do to set some strong policies? I appreciate the Minister revisiting the portfolio and seeing what can we do for youth in the communities that sets some strong guidelines, legislation, policy. That could really help our youth in the communities. It is getting really scary in the communities.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I heard a question and maybe the Minister can answer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That question of what can we do for our youth is a very difficult one. It's been raised here in the House on a number of occasions during this session and it's something that we are very concerned about. First of all, we have to get our own programs and our own infrastructure requirements and programs for infrastructure in order. We are attempting to do that by cataloguing what other departments are doing. We are looking at our programs. We are reviewing them to see if they are adequate. We are meeting with other departments in terms of social program Ministers and we are trying to coordinate all our programs and infrastructure in a way that one Minister would be responsible and be able to be more responsive and be able to refer communities and youth groups to proper funding sources or organizations that are out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us when that report will be tabled in the House?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of information to review. We've had conferences all over in the Territories in this past year. We've had conferences in the Sahtu, we've had conferences in the Deh Cho and the South Slave regions. We have a report that's coming forward to us with regard to the review of our Youth Corps funding and that is being put together as we speak. I'm expecting those recommendations for my consideration in the next little while and I'd be glad to share that information with the Member, Mr. Speaker, as soon as I receive it.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday was an excellent debate and I would say in my view it certainly was one of our better days if not our best day as legislators here. With regard to the mandate on devolution, I had said that I would make it available to Members and I certainly will do that. Mr. Speaker, because we are in negotiations, I really don't think it would be wise to make public our mandate unless everybody wanted to put their mandates on the table because it is a negotiated process. But, Mr. Speaker, I'm ready to make it available to Members privately. I'm ready to make it available to the committee and if the committee wants to meet on it, then I certainly take to heart one other Member's statement of not wanting to do too much business in committee, but there are some things that probably are better dealt with in committee so we don't bias our process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can appreciate that and certainly, in general, I support the protection of a mandate when there is a negotiation going on. That will certainly be something that committee can consider is the opportunity or the offer made by the Premier to have a look at this mandate, but I would like to explore it a little bit more. I'm wondering if the Premier could talk a bit about what are the principles that have gone into the mandate. What are the criteria by which the mandate has been set? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, some of the main principles that our government has been very public on and certainly our principles that underlie what we do in devolution include that we will not somehow abrogate or somehow compromise any aboriginal rights of any groups or their treaty rights. As we negotiate devolution, we will not prejudice any land claims or self-government agreements. Mr. Speaker, as well we have said that aboriginal governments should have a role and responsibilities when devolution is complete. We are not just looking at devolution from federal government to us, but rather we want to include aboriginal governments. So that would be another principle. We also believe that all governments, including the GNWT and aboriginal governments, should have reasonable net fiscal benefits as a result of devolution. Mr. Speaker, those are some of the main principles that our discussions on devolution are based upon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we talked about yesterday was the role of some of the timelines and the expectations. In fact the agreement that was signed earlier this year said that all three levels of government, federal, territorial and aboriginal, agreed to shoot for April 2006. Now is that agreement still in place, or is that target still in place, Mr. Speaker? Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.