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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think anything has changed, by the Minister's answers. I have tabled the documents that I had: a letter from the Minister that tells the group that they've done everything they can and they have to get out of there; a letter from Aurora College telling them they have to turn the keys in; and, thus far, I don't have enough information to see what's going on. I'm just asking for the Minister to consider keeping the centre open until we sort this out. Why is he insisting that they have to leave the place this Friday? What is the urgency? The new day care in Smith is not happening until 2007, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The Chair is going to caution Members from asking the same question over and over again. I'm going to allow the Minister to answer, but this question has been asked a number of times. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The day care is not being told...The Member has characterized the letter that I sent, to saying they have to shut down. That's not true. I didn't say that in that letter. The letter from the college didn't say that they have to get out and turn over the keys. What's happened was the day care operator has advised people that she intends to shut down on Friday. In response to that, the letter from the college says well, if you're leaving on October 28th, please give us the keys. That would be expected from a landlord who knew that the commercial space wasn't going to be operated again.

We have provided a lot of support to this operator. We provide support across the Territories. We have a lot of operators who may be struggling, but, you know, they've found a way to get by, and they're operating in places with higher costs than in Fort Smith. So at this point, we're not prepared to look at changing the program in response to one. I'm looking at getting more money so that we can change the program and provide more funding to all operators. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't see how the Minister's interpretation of that letter is any different than what the letter says and what I've been saying. The fact is, they have to move out of there this Friday. Will the Minister give a commitment now that at least the society could stay there until they dispose of the stuff, and figure out what they're going to do? Even a company in receivership gets more chance to pack up their belongings than being kicked out the very Monday after they have to close on Friday. Mr. Speaker, that's completely unreasonable.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to reiterate that Rainbow is not being kicked out of the space. They have announced that they are closing down. The landlord has said, when you close, please give us the keys. The way I understand it right now, both parties are talking to each other. This is between the college and the operator, and that's, I think, the best way for it to happen. I'm sure that between the college and the operator, they will come to an amicable and reasonable way in which to shut down, if the operator chooses to shut down.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I'm just totally amazed at how he sees the world as though everything is happening around him, and he has no role to play in it whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, I want to know, as the Minister of Education, will he send a senior official from his office, because I'm telling you, where I'm standing, I have no idea. They're not communicating at all, and there's a big difference on the Minister's side and the centre's side. So I would like to know from the Minister, will he do the honourable thing, and right thing, and sympathetic thing, and send a senior official to the centre, and see what has gone wrong, what can we do better, and what they can do to help them? Could he at least do that, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The superintendent has been involved in this issue right from the start. That is a senior person in the department. The superintendent, and the staff, have been involved with a large number of day cares in the South Slave, not just this one. They have been providing a significant amount of support to all of the operators, including this operator.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess it's no secret to the House that some of the Members on this side of the House had an informal meeting with some of the Akaitcho chiefs and negotiators, with respect to the Akaitcho process that they seem to be having problems with. My question is directed to the Premier, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. Some of the information that was passed on to some of the Regular Members this morning about the protocol agreement that was signed in Ottawa, and why the GNWT wasn't privy to that agreement. It really bothers me, especially being an Akaitcho resident and a descendant of Treaty 8 myself, when I hear from my negotiating team that the government's chief negotiator is conference calling in to the main table negotiations in Ottawa because he has to stay home to fix his window. Mr. Speaker, it just begs the question of where his priorities are when it comes to these land claims negotiations that the Akaitcho government is adamantly pursuing. I just want to ask the Premier what he intends to do about something which is of grave concern to the Akaitcho government about this, which is just a blatant lack of respect, I think, for the whole process, especially when an important First Nations initiative like this is making some headway. I just want to ask the Premier what his intentions are, because I know he's been briefed by the same negotiators, and I think he's met with them even today. I want to know what he plans on doing about that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to inform the House, and the Member, that, yes, we are privy to the protocol agreement. It wasn't signed; it was initialled. I have a copy of it; I've seen it; I've read it; I know what's in it. I also want to inform the Member that we have initialled off on it, as well, Mr. Speaker.

In terms of one of our negotiators not being able to make it to a specific meeting, Mr. Speaker, that happens on occasion. People have personal lives that they have to look after, at times. It's unfortunate that more of these negotiations didn't take place in the region where the parties are negotiating, rather than off in Ottawa. It would make it a lot easier for everyone.

But having said that, Mr. Speaker, I'm confident in our negotiators; I'm confident that they'll make it to every meeting they can. I can't say they won't ever miss one in the future, but this happens, and we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know every negotiating party, I guess, assigns certain responsibilities to their negotiators, and they have full confidence in them. But when the other parties involved in negotiations don't have that same feeling of confidence in those negotiators, does the Minister have it within his authority to change drivers at these main tables? If he does have that authority and he's getting direction from all parties that are involved in the process, when does he

take the stand to actually change drivers in the process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, certainly, I have full authority to change negotiators, change our staff who are at these tables any time I want. I have full confidence in our negotiator. He is doing an excellent job. In fact, maybe the call from the other side for him to be replaced is because he is too good a negotiator. They don't want to have someone like him across the table. So, Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of changing him. He is doing a great job for us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't want to start splitting hairs here over somebody's competence or incompetence at the negotiating table, but I think history will show, from the Tlicho side of things, and from other land claims processes that have been taking place, this negotiator has been involved in some of those and has been removed in a couple of them. I just want to know what the Premier is planning. How is he going to assure the Akaitcho residents, and especially the Akaitcho negotiation process, that a more serious, and cooperative, approach by the GNWT negotiation team is incorporated into their agenda? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Handley.