Thank you, Mr. Dent. Time for question period has expired, however, Mr. Villeneuve, I will allow you your supplementary questions. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I don't know what would be better, a remissible loan or pay the tax on your grant. I'm not sure which, where the student would come out on top. The Minister said he has had some dialogue with the federal cohorts on this taxation issue. I'm just wondering what his department, as the Minister of Education for all our youth, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike in the NWT, is doing to assist and help these treaty people to get a point across to the federal government that this is a treaty right and should be non-taxable. Whether it is a remissible loan, grant...

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're not experts on treaty in the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and don't claim to have that expertise. We would expect that it is in the interest of Canada and Canadians to make sure that the cost of education is kept as low as possible, and we would hope that that is looked at. But in terms of defining treaty, it isn't something that I think this government is in a position to do, and I think that we want to be cautious about getting ourselves into that argument. As I've said, we have made sure that we are offering students the opportunity to choose whether they receive the money through remissible loan, in which case it doesn't have to be paid back, so that if they get 100 percent of the dollars and never wind up having to pay it back, they can choose that method; or they can choose a grant and then their argument is going to be with CCRA over whether or not they have to pay taxes. That's not one that we can intervene on directly, because it was one between the individuals, but it certainly is in the interest of all of us to see as much money as possible getting into the hands of students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I guess I had the remissible loan concept a little mixed up. I thought that was repayable, but I guess you have to come back north and repay it in the form of hard labour. I just want to get the Minister's support, I guess, to help move this thing forward for aboriginals and treaties alike in Canada and the NWT, and I guess I'm looking at him to offer the NWT students some level of comfort in saying yes, they are going to maybe lobby the federal government to help them with this initiative and establish it as a treaty right, which I feel it is. I just want to get the Minister just to offer these people some level of support, that he do everything in his power to move the federal government toward a more reasonable approach to this whole taxation of student financial assistance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. I don't know if I heard a question there, but, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could certainly commit to the Member that I would communicate to the appropriate federal Minister our concern about the impact that this change might have on the ability of students to be successful and ask that they take a look at their policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Before I proceed to item 7, written questions, the Chair would like to correct the record with respect to Written Question 49-15(3), asked by Ms. Lee, and contained on pages 2203 and 2204 of unedited Hansard. The Member incorrectly identified the Honourable Floyd Roland as the Minister to whom questions regarding the North Slave Correctional Centre were addressed. In reviewing the unedited Hansard, I note that the questions contained in Written Question 49-15(3) are all directed to the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Justice. Therefore, I have ordered that the requisite changes be made to Hansard and the official records of this House.

Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for correcting those errors. I have two sets of written questions. The first one is to the Honourable David Krutko, Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

1. How much money was budgeted and has been spent out of the budget approved for the market housing initiative as of October 15, 2004?
2. Describe the work along with the dollar amounts for which the Business Incentive Policy was waived and for which the BIP was applied in this initiative, respectively.
3. Provide the dollar figures and names of all companies that received contracts under this initiative.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Honourable David Krutko, Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

1. How many market housing units will be installed, in what community and by when?
2. As of today, how many units are occupied?
3. By what professions?
4. What market research did the NWT Housing Corporation undertake to identify potential tenants and determine their needs/expectations before committing to the market housing initiative?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my written question today is directed to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.

Could the Minister provide detailed information of the direct financial benefits the GNWT has received over the last five years as the result of oil and gas exploration programs in the Sahtu and in the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, petitions. Item 11, reports of standing and special committees. Item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table a letter I received from Lorraine Kuer, a teacher at Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita, which is signed by 19 staff and teachers in Tulita.

Mr. Speaker, the letter is addressed to the Government of the Northwest Territories and it describes the housing crises facing teachers in the Sahtu region and other small communities in the Northwest Territories, and it challenges the government to take immediate action to redeem the situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 13, tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Minister's Statement 48-15(3), Sessional Statement; Minister's Statement 49-15(3), Fiscal Update; Minister's Statement 54-15(3), Progress Report on Health and Social Services in the NWT; Minister's Statement 68-15(3), NWT Housing Corporation: From the Ground Up, Celebrating 30 Years; and, Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2004-2005, with Mr. Pokiak in the chair.

Good afternoon, I call the meeting to order here. In front of us we have for consideration: Minister's Statement 48-15(3), Minister's Statement 49-15(3), Minister's Statement 54-15(3), Minister's Statement 68-15(3), and Bill 13. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.