Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So specifically what is the Government of the Northwest Territories doing to ensure that we get the value-added and the secondary industry here after the pipeline comes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're working to develop a socioeconomic agreement. The Joint AOC/Cabinet Pipeline Planning Committee is driving much of that process and providing the strategic direction for our department in terms of negotiating that socioeconomic agreement. It is in the early stages. We're laying out an agreed-upon process for doing that. So there are many areas, legacy infrastructure, business opportunities, training and employment opportunities. We're going through the whole range and I can assure the Member that in each of these topic areas, each of these priority areas we are looking at any option that makes any kind of sense. Starting from that basis, if we have to rule things out upon further research, we'll do that, but we're not ignoring anything. If the Member has any suggestions or thoughts or constituents bring thoughts to him, certainly bring them to our attention and we'd like to work with committee to pursue these issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and it arises out of the discussions we've been having about the different governments around the Yellowknife area applying for permits and land use and such. It is a very complicated field and I think that most people in the Yellowknife area and most people in the Territories know that various aboriginal groups are in the process of negotiating land claims and self-government agreements and that there are implications for non-aboriginal residents. I think it is incumbent on the Government of the Northwest Territories, as the public government, to facilitate opportunities for people to understand what's going on; not just specifically what's happening with the Yellowknives and the City of Yellowknife. I guess I'm asking specifically to that. I'm wondering if the Minister has any plans to conduct a public information session in Yellowknife so that people can understand what's going on, what land is being talked about, whether it's for identification, selection, and what it means for the non-claimant people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, the honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is looking at or preparing for some public information sessions dealing with the status of negotiations with the Akaitcho. At the same time, if there are issues around land applications and so on around the city, then I'd like to talk for my colleague, the Minister of MACA, and possibly the two of us can do something jointly that would help to explain to the public what the processes are and how one would access the applications and their interests in land. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to point out the fact that there are lots of communications going on. I think daily or at least weekly, residents of Yellowknife do get newsletters from various levels of government about self-government talks. The thing about this topic is it's very complicated and it needs to be done in a way that grabs the attention of the people. Our experiences in this committee in travelling with the Special Committee on Self-Government and Implementation, for example, is that you need to educate the public so they have enough to even ask questions. So I'd like to know if the Minister could make sure that this process is done in a way that's interactive and more participatory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the Member is correct. We do send out a lot of information in newsletters and news releases and so on, but I agree that we need to have more of a meeting or workshop kind of session for those who have a keen interest where they would be able to ask questions and get answers to some of the concerns that they may have. My intention is that starting this spring we will be holding information sessions where people will be invited to come in and participate in dialogue around not just the Akaitcho claim, but claims in other areas. I'm saying that with the assumption that the Akaitcho, the federal government and others who are involved in negotiations are in agreement with the need to have more information out there to the public to give people some comfort. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I think it's very important and I think we all understand that this is a multi-party process. I think the latest example has demonstrated a need to get the communication straight. In this case it involves the City of Yellowknife, Akaitcho government, Yellowknives, federal government, territorial government, and I would like to ask the Premier to make a special effort to get all those parties to agree to a communication and information session. I really believe it's in the interest of everyone to make sure that people affected understand. Could I get the Premier to commit to doing that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lee. Minister Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we will do that. We do want to put out a caution though, that we have to have the agreement by the other parties and that we are sure of what we are doing.

One thing that we don't want to do, and I certainly don't want to do, would be to have these interactive workshops and meetings become a forum for negotiating in the public or negotiating through the media. We don't want to go there. We do feel we have an obligation to let the public know where the negotiations are and what the issues may be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe there is a lot of room to move in between negotiating in public and informing the public about what is going on. In the absence and vacuum of good information, people start operating on rumours and fears and that is not what we want to see happen with what is going on. I think the residents of Yellowknife and the surrounding area have every right to know what the process is and what is being done.

I would like to ask the Minister to commit to making every effort to getting all the partners to see the merits of that and making it happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I commit to undertaking that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to ask the Minister how they come up with the funding formula for the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The formula that we use to fund the education councils across the Northwest Territories is set by a group of superintendents that meet with staff from the department. Between them they decide on the formula and how it should be worked out across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.