Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it all sounds quite murky and discombobulated, if you ask me, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

I would like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services if the delegation has been made to other employees. I know you mentioned the deputy minister and others inside the department. Where is the responsibility factor here, and is the government going against its own policy, as it states, quite clearly, in the GNWT Executive policy that the Executive Council has authorized negotiations? The Minister just stood up two seconds ago and said they didn't. People would like to know what the real policy is on sole source negotiations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would be glad to provide that information to the Members, and even table it in this House, so people across the North, who are interested, can get a copy of it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. 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. Mr. Speaker, we actually do both right now. The centres are given a contribution, as are parents. As we are able to put more money into the program, we can certainly take a look at how that is distributed and, perhaps, increase one more than the other.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So for clarification, right now on the cost of paying for the service...I know there are start-up costs available per space created. Right now, day cares can receive direct funding for income support clients who are receiving day care services. Is that correct? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is an operational fund that is provided to day cares right now. That funding has been available for quite some time. That's not just through income support. That is for every registered space that a day care provides. We do provide them with a contribution.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Minister to continue her supplementary questioning. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Location and facilities are always a challenge, too, when operating a day care centre. Is it possible in communities where there is a school or space available in a school, that that space could be utilized for a pre-school program operated by a non-profit association? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, that sort of approach is possible. I know that there has been at least one day care that operated out of a portable that was located at a school. So I know that that approach is utilized. One issue is that the funding is impacted when they use space provided like that, such as

public space, at little or no cost, and that is that their contributions are reduced by one-half if they are not paying for their space.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister undertake to provide an assessment, or an inventory, of unused, GNWT paid-for space, be it with Education or any other department; space that's being paid for, heated, lit, that could be easily transformed to day care space across the Northwest Territories? Would he undertake to arrive at an inventory on that for us? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can certainly provide that information from our partners in the DECs and the education-related facilities. I will have to ask my colleague, the Minister of Public Works, if the rest of that information is available for other space. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 6, oral questions.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 6, oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. We will return to item 6, oral questions. Before I go there, colleagues, at this time, I would like to draw your attention to the Speaker's Gallery and the presence of our Conflict of Interest Commissioner and Ethics Councillor for the public service in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Ted Hughes.

---Applause

Members, as you are aware, Mr. Hughes has tendered his resignation as our Conflict of Interest Commissioner, effective November 30, 2005. Mr. Hughes' term as Conflict of Interest Commissioner was scheduled to expire on February 28, 2006. It is my understanding, however, that his wife instructed him, in no uncertain terms, that he cannot continue to work a day past his 80th birthday.

I know that Mr. Hughes' birthday is not on November 30th, so I am not sure if we should consider this an early retirement or what. Colleagues, I am sure you will all join me in thanking Mr. Hughes for his many years of dedicated service to the House and its Members. His efforts, and wise counsel, have certainly contributed to public confidence in the integrity of our institution. I know some of you will have more to say on this matter later today. Thank you for your candour, counsel and wit, and your unfailing sense of fairness and justice. On behalf of the Legislative Assembly, I wish you and your wife every happiness in the years to come.

---Applause

Thank you, Members. Before we go into question period, the Chair is going to call a short break.

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