Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two local businessmen in the audience today: Mr. Darren Guinan and Mr. Gord Humphries. Thank you.

---Applause

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my formal, very capable, energetic and inspiring assistant. I understand she is sitting there. She is also a very successful businessperson: Vivian Squires. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anybody in the gallery today, welcome to the gallery. I would especially like to welcome the contingent from the DEA in Hay River. It is always nice to have people in the gallery, so welcome to the gallery.

---Applause

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member said, it was just this morning, just before lunch. I had another function that I had to attend at lunch hour, so I didn't really have time to go through the document. I know that the DEA has hired a couple of well-respected consultants to work with them, and to prepare their business plan. That was what I had asked for, was a well-prepared business plan for us to examine to see whether or not this request could make sense. So I am looking forward to looking at it. We will commit to doing that very quickly.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later today, I will be tabling the documents from the DEA. The ongoing issues that have made it difficult for the DEA in Hay River to operate have been in existence for quite some time now, dating back 14 and 15 years. This is something that has been brought to the attention of this Minister, and to previous Ministers. Could the Minister provide me with what would be a reasonable expectation, on our part, in terms of a response? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would expect that we should be able to have a response within 30 days.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement today, I spoke about the need to keep the Workers' Compensation Board in the central core to help maintain community focus on our downtown in Yellowknife. I would like to ask the Minister if there is any contributing factor to the urgency of the Workers' Compensation Board in building their own building outside of the downtown core. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand it, the cost of the land is cheaper than assembling the space downtown.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister speak to the urgency that the Workers' Compensation Board needs to keep the fire on this issue? Is there a reason they need to get out of their existing space today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, the Workers' Compensation Board does not have to give up the space they are currently in. The business case is what's driving this. The governance council believes that they can operate more efficiently, at less cost, by owning their own space. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I appreciate the Minister saying they do not have to give up their space, because I don't think they have to leave the downtown core. I do not believe that it's appropriate for a government agency to leave their main offices downtown to move to a suburb or strip mall area. Can the Minister inform this Assembly whether he has the ability to consult with his Nunavut counterpart to direct the Workers' Compensation Board to stay in the central core of Yellowknife? Does he have the ability, as the Minister, to act as the Minister? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One thing I should clarify, the Member has said the WCB is a government agency. The Workers' Compensation Board is not a government agency. The government does not contribute operating funds, or capital funds, to the Workers' Compensation Board. They operate entirely by way of contributions from employers. Could I provide that direction to the Workers' Compensation Board? I'm not sure I could provide direction as to where they could build. I believe that the limitation is that, once they have come to Cabinet and asked for approval to build, it is up to them to determine where they would build that building.