Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we are currently, and will be over the next while, having discussions with the communities as to their needs. We want them to be able to bring those forward. We want to be able to have a good discussion around that. We still have a commitment that I have made and our department has been honouring; to deal with the NWT Association of Communities, to deal with LGANT, the Local Governors Association of the Northwest Territories, and consider their input. We recognize there is a need in the small communities for recreation infrastructure. There is recreation infrastructure in larger and medium-sized communities. There are infrastructure needs in the tax-based communities also. We need to be able to accommodate all those things.

I am not in a position to commit, as the Member is asking, to stand up here and say yes, we are going to do this. I don't think it would be fair to all the other communities. We want to be able to consider all the priorities in terms of communities. We want to be able to hear from them. We have made a commitment as part of the new deal that communities will be able to decide where they want to go. Right now, it has been difficult because of our limited budget, but we have now created a base and will be looking at deciding how we will spend that money in the next while. I need the opportunity to have more discussion on it. I am not in a position right now to commit to one project. Once that is all decided, we will certainly share it with all the Members here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The time for question period has expired, however, I will allow you a supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, that's the tone of a letter the Minister wrote to the principal in Nahanni Butte; that the department is not in a position to support the development of a gymnasium through their capital budgeting process in the immediate future, and that's very disheartening, Mr. Speaker. Have a heart, Mr. Speaker.

That's what I would like to say for the people and the youth of Nahanni Butte. Will the Minister look at changing his mind and address these needs in the immediate future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to reassure the Member that I do have a heart.

---Laughter

I also want to point out that the letter that was drafted to the community of Nahanni Butte was drafted before we had approval for additional dollars to put towards our capital plan. So now that circumstances have changed, we have to look at our criteria and we have to be able to consult with the community. So I would like to request that the Members bear with us until we develop a plan of how we are going to expend that money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Well, I am very pleased to hear that the Minister has a heart, Mr. Speaker. In all seriousness, that's what I would like to see. The plan for a gymnasium in Nahanni Butte is so far off in the future, it's just unrealistic because the need for the gymnasium is for today, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get the Minister's commitment that he will work hard and try to get a facility for that particular community in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has asked if I would work hard. I think we work hard every day.

I will take the request to consider the recreational facilities in the small communities. It's an issue that has generated a lot of discussion over the last while and it has been something that has been put on the back burner for a considerable amount of time as our budget for capital has been reduced. Over the next while, we may have an opportunity to do something about it. We would like to be able to have a good, thorough discussion over it. I will commit to making sure that Nahanni Butte, Gameti, Enterprise, Kakisa and Detah and all these communities are all part of the discussion.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Time for question period has expired. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Krutko. Return to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a former constituent of mine, Ms. Winnie Blake from Tsiigehtchic, who now lives in southern Canada.

Thank you. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Finance. Can the Minister provide the following information:

1. What is the total annual consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Northwest Territories?
2. What is the total annual consumption of alcohol beverages in the Sahtu region?
3. What are the total revenues of alcoholic beverages in the Sahtu and the Northwest Territories?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 7, written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My written question is for the Premier of the Northwest Territories.

1. How many northern Teacher Education Program students have completed education programs since the Premier's office made the commitment to hire all students who have successfully completed the Teacher Education Program?
2. Of the graduates, how many are currently employed as teachers in the North?
3. Further, will the Premier please explain, in detail, what the incentives are that he referred to in the Unedited Hansard, pages 2604 to 2605, on February 10, 2005, to encourage education authorities to hire northern graduates?
4. What does the Premier mean when he commented on increasing these incentives to address this problem?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 7, written questions. Item 8, returns to written questions. Item 9, replies to opening address. Item 10, replies to the budget address. Item 11, petitions. Before we go into the next item on the order paper, the Chair is going to call a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

I'll call the House back to order. Orders of the day, item 12, reports of standing and special committees. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.