Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the honourable Member for Great Slave knows the history of this new NWT council of sports and recreation partners; it is going to be established next month. We have interim people who are helping us to establish this new sports partners. They are going to be in full operation maybe in the fall time. As I indicated during my opening comments, I was in a hot seat all day. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I am afraid I am going to have to use my second question to repeat my first one. What are the issues or the problems that require the creation of yet another governing body in support of recreation? I would really like to know why this organization has to be brought forward. Thank you.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Many communities, recreation associations and individuals identify the need for improved government structure for the management of the NWT sport and recreation

programs and services. So we initiated the full process of gathering all the partners together and had a discussion paper. That particular group made recommendations to the previous Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Through their recommendations, they created this new Northwest Territories sports and recreation partners. These partners, Mr. Speaker, are the Aboriginal Sports Circle of Western Arctic, Beaufort-Delta Sahtu Recreation Association, Mackenzie Recreation Association, NWT Recreation and Parks Association, Sport North Federation and their territorial sport organization. These are the people who are going to be forming this new council.

As I indicated, we have primary goals for this particular group: to provide a forum so communities and partners can have a voice in sports and recreation planning and decision-making; to initiate a discussion with sports and recreation partners and regional representatives on how we can streamline decision-making, improve program coordination and identify new ways to act as resources; to promote opportunities for all NWT residents to access sports, recreation and physical activity programs that are integral to improving health in community development. Those are our three primary goals of this new council. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that information. I am going to see that I get a couple more details on this. How many people are involved in this? Is there a budget figure given? The point I am getting at, Mr. Speaker, is that existing organizations, and especially the territorial sporting organizations, are concerned that meagre levels of resources are going to be further eroded by this new organization. I don't want to take away from the purposes the Minister has outlined. But I am looking for some securities and some stability so that our existing organizations are going to be able to continue. Can the Minister give that assurance? Thank you.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the honourable Member for Great Slave realizes, this new council is going to use their existing budget that they have under Sport North. By getting all of these people together, it is to streamline the decision-making of that whole group. Therefore, when I met with the Sport North Federation, there was no concern raised pertaining to this new council. I indicated to the Member when he asked the question of me, if the president of Sport North has discussed any concern pertaining to this new initiative. When I met with him, he didn't raise any concerns. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise what performance measures or what indicators of performance? Is it going to be meeting its objectives? How is this new council going to be measured for its success? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, time is going to determine how effective this group is. Once we have them into operation, our department will be working very closely with this new council so that we will monitor them. They will be making recommendations specifically to different programs and services that our department provides. They will be initiating other types of programs for the benefit of all the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated in my Member's statement, the issue of name change for the Northwest Territories seems to have surfaced again, this time with our Senator, the Honourable Nick Sibbeston. I would like to ask our Premier if our government has a position on this issue, considering that we have heard from the public at least twice on this issue. Does our government have a position on whether we want to see a name change or not? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, our government's priorities are determined by the discussions we have here in this House as well as by other groups and agencies who provide us advice or direction on what should be our highest priorities. Mr. Speaker, to date, I have not had anyone tell me that the name change should be on our short list of high priority items we need to achieve as a government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the Premier say that, that he does look at priorities. Is the Premier prepared to look at what Members' priorities are as far as name change is concerned, what their views are on that and relate those views to the Senator? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, when the Senator first raised this issue, he did contact me. At that point, I did tell him that I had received no advice from Members that this should be a priority. We have other things that we wanted to focus on. Unless I hear otherwise, then I will continue to give him that same message whenever I speak with him. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has been before us before. We have heard talk about it before. I am wondering if the Premier could tell me if government does know how much it would cost if the government should change the name of the Northwest Territories to something else. Has there been a cost analysis done of what it would cost this government if that should happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

Mr. Premier, Mr. Handley.