Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I did have an opportunity to meet with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. There was concern raised by a group of people south of the lake in regards to the bidding process. The policy that the international committee has does not really comply to the needs of the people that want to put a bid forward. I did raise that concern with the Arctic Winter Games Corporation International Committee and I've asked them to see the possibility of amending the policy so that other members across the Territories can have a fair chance of bidding for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games here in the Northwest Territories. I did raise that concern with them and they will be replying to me in writing in the near future. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if this government doesn't agree with the decisions or the policy that comes forward from the international committee, what avenues do we have to object to any of their decisions or influence a decision that they're making in policy or any other decision as far as the international committee is concerned? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of MACA, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated, I did raise that issue with the international committee. I've ultimately suggested to them that this was a big concern for some residents in certain regions of the Territories that want to put forward their bid. I asked to see the possibility. As you know, 2008 is quite a ways away from now and I've already had an opportunity also to talk to the people from south of the lake regarding my discussions that I had with the international committee. We are waiting for a formal response from them and I've made a commitment to the people south of the lake that once I receive that correspondence I will share it with them and we'll proceed to the next step. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the fact that the Minister says the next games are not until 2008, which is quite a ways away. In actual fact, when you're planning for the games and make commitments to host the games, four years is not that long a period of time. I would like to get a commitment from the Minister though that the international committee did not close the door on another proponent. I was under the impression that they had said pretty well flat no, that they weren't willing to change the policy. Is the Minister committing that they are willing to look at the policy again, possibly making changes as to who can host the games? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of MACA, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm making a commitment to the honourable Member for Hay River North that I am going to pursue this further. As soon as I receive the formal response, as I've said, I'll share it with the people from south of the lake to see what avenues we can take to continue to try to convince the Arctic Winter Games International Committee to change their policy. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer and I look forward to that information coming forward. Maybe when that information comes forward -- or maybe the Minister can tell me right now -- when the Arctic Winter Games were first established, who made the decisions on where the games were held and when was the international committee established? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Zoe.

My recollection is way back in 1970 when the Arctic Winter Games were first introduced it was with Commissioner Hodgson, the Governor of Alaska and the Premier of Yukon who originated these games. In terms of your other question on the international committee, the international committee is a separate corporation that was set up so that it's an arms-length away from all governments. We wanted them to undertake these games so that it's all fairly done in all regions in the three, when it was initially started, Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories. Now, in that each jurisdiction appoints two members to the international committee, in our case, today, the government appoints one for the Government of the Northwest Territories and we also have one from the private sector. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement about March being the month to recognize aboriginal languages, my question is to the Premier, the leader of the Government of the Northwest Territories. I'd like to know what the Premier is doing in terms of the government in the direction of all the departments that he works with in terms of strengthening and respecting our languages in the Northwest Territories, especially in the Sahtu where our older people have the access to speak freely in their languages, rather than to run around and look for translators here and there. In all departments our people, it seems, have to always wait for a translator. I guess the question for the Premier is what are you doing to direct your Ministers to ensure that all the aboriginal languages are easily used in the communities?

Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I'll refer that question to the Minister responsible for official languages. Thank you.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous government responded to the 65 recommendations of the Special Committee on Official Languages in 2003 and one of the responses was the passing of the new Official Languages Act. One of the things that will be happening by July 1st of this year is there will be an aboriginal languages revitalization board established and the purpose of that board will be to maintain, promote and revitalize NWT aboriginal languages. I will also, by July 1st, be announcing the establishment of an official languages board which would advise myself on issues related to the provision and administration of the Official Languages Act. We are also right now in the process of developing a framework for the creation of an official languages secretariat to support the two boards.

We're moving this year to set up these two boards to provide advice to this government on how we can better revitalize and protect aboriginal languages. That's in terms of an overall, government-wide response to official languages.

The Member talked in his statement today about the importance of understanding your own culture and language in order to be successful, and that is certainly reflected in the philosophy of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as well. One of the goals is to make sure that schooling is available in all the communities in the first language of that region. So we are working with the divisional educational councils and ECE to help provide resources to make sure that can happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask the question again to the Premier. He may refer me to the Minister. However, Mr. Speaker, the other part of my Member's statement has to do with the culture and we have a lot of people from outside the Sahtu that come into the Sahtu from the southern parts of Canada to work in their profession such as policing, nursing, teachers, social workers and other workers that come into the Sahtu region. I want to know what the government is doing to support those workers in terms of doing some cross-cultural training. There are some agencies doing it voluntarily, some doing it in terms of it being good for the people. Is there any policy or mandate that people who come into a small community do a cross-cultural training or is it done just on a voluntary basis? I wanted to ask the Premier that question in terms of what this government is doing to support cross-cultural training.

Again, I'd just like to remind Mr. Yakeleya, you're dealing with a different subject. You started off with languages, now you're talking about cross-cultural matters. It is sort of a new question, but I will allow the Premier to take the question. Mr. Premier.

Mr. Speaker, without doing a survey of all of the departments in the government and all the boards and agencies that carry out work on our behalf, I can't be 100 percent accurate. But most of the government departments, for example, Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment and so on, do have their own cross-cultural training programs. For example, the Dogrib Community Services Board or education board takes the teachers out on the land and they spend a number of days out. I think the same is true with the Department of Health and Social Services. They do training with their employees that are going to small communities. With the RCMP there is a lot of training that goes on. I'm not sure if it's required or if it's one that they do voluntarily. The private sector is another matter. I think there it's up to a decision that's made by each employer. Our government would not have the authority to require everyone to provide cross-cultural training. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.