Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen. Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in answering questions for the Member for Monfwi, Mr. Dent said that he's willing to meet with the leadership, but he's not prepared to put any money up. This is kind of like putting limitations and determining the outcome and sticking to the pattern of inaction, Mr. Speaker. So far I have no information from the Minister that says that these parents who have kids in this day care in Smith have replacements. So if he doesn't have that assurance by Thursday when we are getting out of this House, will the Minister consider providing extraordinary funding to this centre so that they can operate until Christmas? I'm not asking for the sky. I'm just asking for some kind of sensible interim measure, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member that a number of other students have been helped by the college to find alternate placements for their children in day cares. The college is continuing that work and we will wait and see how they're doing. I believe that they will be successful before the end of this week.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Well, that's great. I think it's quite obvious that the Minister sees his world differently than mine and, I suggest, the parents and children who are in dire need, so I can't go by his belief or his optimistic picture or whatever. I need more assurance than that, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask again, if by Thursday there are students who are going to Aurora College who need childcare and they don't have them because of the closure of this day care, would the Minister provide funding to keep it open until they find alternative care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will work with the college throughout the next couple of days to ensure that we're able to find or try and find appropriate supports for students who are attending the college right now.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm afraid I cannot accept that because the letters that I see coming out of the Minister's office, in black and white, are saying that the department is not prepared to do anything and Aurora College wants them out of the centre. I have no assurance from the Minister or anybody that these single mothers and parents who are going to Aurora College will have childcare. I'm understanding that there's not much private care in Smith. So would the Minister consider keeping this open until they find alternative care? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member keeps saying that the college wants them out of the space. That's not true. The college would dearly love

to have the operation continue in that space because they appreciate the importance of having childcare for their students. But they are prepared also to work with their students to make sure that they find alternate space, and we will work with the college to try and assist in that. But that's the sort of support we're willing to provide right now.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could only go by what I am seeing, and thus far there is a letter from the Minister, an e-mail from Aurora College, an e-mail from Mr. Miltenberger, an e-mail from the Premier, everything is going to the centre saying you're closing on October 28th and we're not doing anything. So I don't understand. I mean, sorry, don't blame me if I don't trust the Minister's words. Mr. Speaker, I ask again, if by Thursday there is no alternative day care arrangements for these students at Aurora College and they cannot continue with their program, if they don't have any other alternative arrangements, will the Minister consider keeping this open until Christmas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have already said, I know the Member doesn't appreciate my answers, but the answers are what they are. You can accept them or not. The bottom line is that we are providing the level of support already to the day care that we will provide. We are working with the students at the college to try and find them alternate placements. But the level of support in the program that is being provided financially is all that we have to offer. The staff in Fort Smith are prepared to work in a supportive role and to assist the staff at the day care. That is typically what we offer across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment some questions with regard to the discussions I had a few years ago about the university and college education programs for Metis people. This funding is by the federal government and administered by the territorial government, however, in the definitions of aboriginal, somewhere the bureaucrats have missed the term Metis and have only Inuit and First Nations under that criteria. I want to ask the Minister if there is any good news from the federal government to include Metis in that specific program. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I don't have any good news to report on that basis. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has not changed the criteria for that program. In fact, I have discovered at my meetings in Ottawa last week that the aboriginal funding for early learning and childcare is only available to First Nations people and is not available to Metis or Inuit people as well. So the federal government is continuing with its policy of treating aboriginal people differently.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm starting to realize a few things about the federal government's programs in terms of how it treats the people in the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask the Minister what he or his department or even the other Cabinet Ministers are doing to change the federal government's mind. I think it's the bureaucrats that have a hard time with the definition, because it's a constitutionally protected term, "aboriginal." They're violating and, I hate to say this, we are also somewhat guilty of violating this program and the aboriginal term. What is the Minister doing or proposing to do to help the people in the North, especially the Metis people, under this program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. as the Member is aware, we have continued to press this issue with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and our local MP. In terms of the UCEP program we have not been successful at all. I can assure the Member that I made a very pointed demand of Minister Dryden that he take this issue on as an issue of fairness and one that he needs to address in the early learning and childcare program as well.