Thank you, Mr. McLeod. That's kind of asking the Minister for an opinion, so I would have to rule that question out of order. If you want to rephrase your question, Mr. McLeod.

Rephrase it? Okay. Let me try that again.

---Laughter

What is the GNWT's position on this? Does the GNWT believe that this could possibly hurt or kill the project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I did it again.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I will ask the Minister to respond on what the GNWT's position is on this. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly don't feel like the Maytag repairman anymore. Mr. Speaker, our government's position is that the pipeline will happen. It will take place. But the negotiations are proceeding. Every day, I am in contact with some of the parties, all of the parties, depending on what is happening, and monitoring what is going on. This is very tough negotiating. There are $7 billion plus just in the expenses, plus huge amounts of revenue if it goes ahead. It is a huge amount of revenue for us as a government, for the federal government, for the producers, for the aboriginal organizations and governments. So it is very tough negotiating. But our view is that this pipeline will go ahead. Any time people make demands that are put forward as ultimatums, that tends to threaten things. I don't think it serves a really good purpose. We believe that this is good for the North and will happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The time for oral questions has expired; however, I will allow the Member to have supplementary questions. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier for that. Let me try another one. I know the Premier has been working hard trying to get all parties together here to get this thing going. Is there anything more that this government can be doing? Are we a serious player in some of these negotiations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, we are a very serious player in this project. It will make a tremendous difference to communities along the valley. I have travelled to many of the communities. I have seen the situation that people are living in where there is unemployment and poor housing and so on. This is an opportunity that we...

No roads. We don't want to let this one go by. Mr. Speaker, this project is too important for us to sit by. We are major players in it. Some things we are not directly involved in. For example, on the financial considerations that the industry is dealing with, the federal government is directly involved. But we are being kept informed all the time and we will watch that closely because, in the long run, we are the ones as northerners that will end up paying a large part of that bill. Yes, we are watching all the way along. We are a significant player here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Premier that this project is important to the valley. With all of these demands being made from all of the parties involved, is this holding up the talks with Ottawa on this resource revenue sharing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, no, there isn't a direct relationship between our negotiations on devolution and resource revenue sharing and the pipeline. But we do realize that if there is a pipeline, it means huge financial benefits that will generate to the North and to ourselves as a government. If there is no pipeline, then we have lost a great opportunity, in our view. But in terms of direct relationship, no. I am sure, though, as our negotiators, the federal negotiators and the aboriginal negotiators get to the table, then the information on the value of the pipeline is certainly on everybody's mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on today's Order Paper. Thank you.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Are there any nays? There are no nays. We will return to Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to express my personal thanks to Sarah Coey-Simpson who is here as a Page this week. She is going home tomorrow, so I would like to say thank you. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

1. How much money, on a year-by-year basis, has been allocated for special needs funding for the last five years for the NWT as a whole?
2. What is the breakdown each DEA/DEC received for this funding for special needs over the same time period on a yearly basis?
3. What are the criteria set out to determine how students with special needs qualify for special needs support?
4. What is the process used to determine who among our student population have special needs and require additional support?
5. Please provide all ministerial directives issued in this regard.
6. What is the number of students who require special needs support in our school system at the current time?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

1. What departments are involved in the Emergency Measures Act?
2. Who in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs takes the lead role?
3. How often are the emergency measures policy guidelines updated?
4. How many times does the staff meet with the communities?
5. How are communities categorized in the emergency measures?
6. Are there any territory-wide emergency measure action plans to deal with territory-wide issues?

Thank you.