Mr. Speaker, I will respond on the Mackenzie River bridge, if I may, and pass the responses on the Mackenzie Valley bridges on to the Minister of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie River bridge or the Deh Cho Bridge is moving along. We have, as the Member knows, been asked to go through an environmental assessment. The preparation for that is under way. The design for the bridge is being finalized and this government has extended the loan guarantee for the bridge corporation for another year to enable them to continue. We fully expect

the Deh Cho Bridge should be in construction certainly within a year from now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister aware of the huge increase in steel prices that have been announced lately? I'm hearing stories of the price of steel going up by 66 percent. Is the Minister aware of that situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I'm aware of the short-term price increase in steel. This is driven by demand, as I understand it, in China related to vehicle manufacturing. In the short term, then certainly, all projects have to be reconsidered if that price increase continues in the longer term. Mr. Speaker, we're watching the price of steel. Of course it has a big impact on the price for the bridge and what would have to be charged as a toll if we find the prices are going higher than the current estimates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I could ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker, how long he figures the prices of steel would have to stay up there before it would actually create longer delays. Are we prepared to go ahead even if the price stays higher? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I expect to have an assessment by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation within the next month on what the impact is on the price of the bridge. Following that we will have to determine the feasibility of this project. Mr. Speaker, the price that's important to us is, of course, the price that we have to pay when we have to make the purchase, which is largely one year to two years from now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think I heard the Premier say with regard to the Mackenzie bridge project that the loan was being extended. Could I get some clarification on that? Are we putting more money into it for that loan or is that just the same conditions apply? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, no, we are not putting more money into the bridge. What we did as a government, in the last government, is provide some advance funding for the initial work that had to be done pre-construction. That is to be repaid when the bridge financing is all put together. That can't be completed until the environmental assessment is done and the design is completed. So we've had to, because of the request for an environmental assessment, extend our loan guarantee. But, no, we are not putting more money into the bridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to again question the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I had inquiries from the Sahtu and people are scrambling in the Sahtu, the communities that have run the early childhood development program, and they want to know if the Minister's department could again look at some other recommendations that you can do to save the literacy programs. Mr. Speaker, that's all I wanted to ask the Minister.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would dearly love to be able to stand up today and say that we had found the money for that. I agree with the Member and his constituents that this has been a tremendously successful program, but I can't do that today. I have and will continue to commit to trying to find a way to find the money to put back into that program. I haven't been able to do that as of today.

Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the Minister today mentioned about doing the review and evaluation of the program. Can I ask the Minister as to time frames that the report will be completed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the evaluations should be finished in the month of April, so next month. As soon as I have it I would be prepared to share that with the committee.

Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister, for the notice of the evaluation. Again, Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if he could find it within this department to have an extension of the program for a month or two, because the report may come out very favourable from my region that the program is worthwhile. Mr. Speaker, April is next month and it is Easter time and the kids won't find anything in their Easter egg basket, sir. So, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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