Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what grade level, but I know that it is included in the social studies curriculum. So yes, there should be some examination of treaties in the school. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I believe the Minister is correct. I'm not sure of the grade levels. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister about the grade levels and the social studies program. It is probably a few hours, in that sense. I want to ask the Minister if he would consider, along with the boards, to have the treaties and land claims documents as one of the core subjects in the schools, starting from Grade 1 to 12, to teach them to understand those two important treaties. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We share a curriculum with all four western provinces, Nunavut and the Yukon, because it's so expensive to develop a curriculum. So no jurisdiction develops their own curriculum anymore. We know, for instance, it's involved in the social studies program. It likely also comes back in the northern studies program in grades 10 through 12. But there's no reason that this sort of topic couldn't come up, when the teachers are working on aboriginal language and culture, as one of the topics for discussion. So by using the curriculum guide Dene Kede, this sort of thing can be worked in, in all of the regions to talk about the treaties of interest to the people of that region.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sharing of these important documents, the treaties and the land claims, through the aboriginal language and culture, I'm not too sure how much focus or emphasis is given to our communities to share this. Under the four western provinces, the land claims and the treaties should be a core subject, no matter what, and I'm not too sure how that is going to be implemented in our schools, or even given consideration. As far as I'm concerned, that is not important enough, and this government hasn't given the support to make it a core subject. Every person in our region should be understanding the treaties and the land claims, because it's a living document. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree that the subject of treaties should be something that is extremely well studied in the Northwest Territories, in particular. I know that in our Teacher Education Program that issue is one that was highlighted. So the teachers are expected to be conversant and able to teach subjects around treaty. I think that it wouldn't stand as a subject alone. It is a key part of the social studies curriculum. It's up to the local community to make sure that the school recognizes that that's what they want. If they don't feel that there's enough emphasis being put on it right now, the local control that is offered through the district education authority would allow the local residents to ensure that more emphasis is provided on time for teaching that in the classroom. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I agree with the Minister that it's up to local control; however, sometimes this control falls under the Education Act, which is also the responsibility of the Minister and shared by the divisional education board. My question is that the land claims and the treaties should be a core subject in the schools, regardless. It should be, without question, supported by this government in terms of being a core subject. Right now, it's an option. We run into many barriers that do not put this type of issue into our schools. Our children should be learning it. My question, again, when or how could his department give us something that would say the land claims and the treaties are a core subject like math, reading and arithmetic, that our children will start to understand? Because that's something they're going to live by in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point, there's no intention to say that the studies of treaties have to be a core subject. I would agree with the Member, that the study of treaties has to be a core piece of the

social studies curriculum. I believe that it is now, and if there is evidence that it's not being taught well in some regions, then that's something we can look into. We can make sure there is an understanding that there is an expectation in the curriculum that those subjects will be covered. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've got a few more questions, before we reach the end of question period, for the Minister of Public Works and Services. Having listened to the answers that I have been provided with today, it seems like the responsibility bounces back and forth between the delegated authority and the Executive Council. Mr. Speaker, I don't see, exactly, where that responsibility lies, and it's not spelled out clearly in this policy that I see here before me. I think it's incumbent upon the government, so that everybody knows, and everybody is singing off the same song sheet, that we have a policy that everybody can see, and that this government appears to be transparent, open, and accountable, which, right now, as the policy states, they're not being quite that way. Mr. Speaker, my first question, I guess, would be, was the contract that was sole sourced in Fort Simpson negotiated at the government's insistence, or was it at the proponent's insistence? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of the office space in Fort Simpson was one that we were requested, by the Department of ITI, for office space. We looked at what was available in the community, with the knowledge of our staff, and went out with the process we had in place. So all I can take from what I've been provided for information, is that once we looked at what was available, we proceeded on the track that was used, that being sole sourced. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The time for question period has expired. I will allow the Member to have his supplementary questioning. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the Minister for his response, and I'd also like to ask the Minister whether or not the government was lobbied by the proponents. I'll ask that, Mr. Speaker, as one question, and then I'll ask one more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a government, we are lobbied on a number of fronts to try and secure office space, whether it be here in the capital, or in communities. In this case, the situation of office space was required, a timeline was given, and we looked, with our staff, to what was available, and went down the path of sole source for that space requirement that we deemed was available, and appropriate, for the community. Were there calls from the successful proponent in this case? I'm not aware of any direct calls. I know I wasn't contacted directly, or had letters written to me, or meetings set up, for space requirement in this area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one more question. I'd like to ask the Minister if he knows who the proponents were, in this case, and whether or not they have any extraordinary influence over this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.