Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to speak in regard to the Species at Risk Act. During a northern leaders conference in Inuvik, Members of Cabinet and some Regular Members met with the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in and the Tlicho leadership to discuss the Species at Risk Act. Madam Speaker, the leaders at this meeting are frustrated with the amount of time this government is taking to move forward with the Species at Risk Act.

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources committed to move forward with this SARA by holding a meeting with the Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, Tlicho and Sahtu leaders to discuss the SARA and to find a common ground to move forward. It has been over a month-and-a-half since the commitment by the Minister. When will the meeting take place to move forward with the SARA legislation? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

(English not provided)

Good afternoon, my friends. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a number of graduates in my riding. Over the past few years, the number of high school graduates in the Mackenzie Delta has increased. More and more graduates are walking down the aisle and picking up their diplomas. This positive atmosphere has a lot to do with our teachers in our communities, and the will of the students to strive to better themselves and to be role models to future graduates.

In Fort McPherson we have a total of 16 graduates that will receive their diplomas on June 10th. In Aklavik we have eight students graduating on June 17th. There are also two graduates that come from Tsiigehtchic that are finishing their Grade 12 in Inuvik. I want to recognize and congratulate the 26 Grade 12 graduates that come from the Mackenzie Delta and encourage them each to continue their endeavours and future education, but also ask them to continue their lifetime learning and strive for the best you can by way of receiving your diploma and education and also receiving a better job, a better life and also to better our communities.

Without our graduates, without our students, we cannot take advantage of self-government, oil and gas developments, or opportunities that come our way. I encourage those graduates to continue furthering their education and take advantage of these opportunities. Mahsi.

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Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a couple of folks that I would like to introduce here today: Federico Feijoo, an exchange student who is with us today from Argentina...

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He is hosted by the Rentmeister family, constituents of mine; as well, Barbara Kurz from Germany. Welcome, Barbara.

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Barbara is hosted by the Ramsay family. As well, Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize during this session we have two Pages from the constituency of Kam Lake: Amelia Debogorski, she is right there. With Amelia is Sarah Topilikon. I would like to welcome both of them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item, 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For some great coincidence our exchange students who are in Yellowknife this year are nicely divided among all seven Yellowknife ridings. In my riding of Great Slave, I would like to introduce Mr. Scott Alltree from New Zealand who is hosted by the Miller family.

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Welcome, Scott.

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have two sets of visitors to acknowledge today. First I will acknowledge the constituents of Chuck Tolley and Muriel Tolley, and Muriel's mother, Vera Forde, from Saskatoon is visiting. I believe they are just above here.

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Madam Speaker, I, too, have an exchange student that lives in my riding. This exchange student is hosted by the Glowach family, so I wish to say thank you to them. The young man's name is Alan Chiang from Hong Kong.

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I would like to say hi to Alan in Cantonese, so I would say...(English not provided)

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have two people that I would like to recognize. First, Szilvia Dubovay from Hungary who has been a constituent of mine for the last year and is hosted by the Pellerin family.

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I would also like to recognize my constituent Major Karen Hoeft. I have introduced her before and I can assure all the Members that not only does Major Hoeft listen to every statement that Ministers and Members make, but she also reads every bill as it is approved at first reading. Thank you.

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Thank you, Premier Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Minister Bell.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In keeping with the Member for Great Slave's statement, I would like to recognize two AFS exchange students in my riding: Johan Lundeberg who is from Sweden;

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Gustuva Cabrera from Paraguay. Both students, I understand, are staying with the Harbichts. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I am a former graduate of Sir John Franklin High School, but when I went to school there we didn't have such an extensive International Exchange Program. I think it is a fantastic program. It adds so much global sophistication and openness to the school and I am so pleased to have them attending our Assembly today. It is especially my pleasure to recognize someone from Austria, a beautiful country known for classical music, and I hope I say her name okay; Pia Zischka. Welcome. Thank you.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. One of the visiting students has been hosted by the Bannon family in my constituency, and that is Etienne Miquel from France.

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Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

With the indulgence of the House, may I just recognize that the exchange student in my riding is staying with Linda and Abe Theil and I would like to thank them. Thank you.

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Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would just like to add that it is indeed a pleasure to have the international exchange students in the gallery today. We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your stay in Yellowknife.

At this time on our Agenda we have item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the proposed move of the facility is still at least a year-and-a-half away. This still has to go through the business planning process, so at this point Education, Culture and Employment hasn't actually done anything to plan the move.

I can tell you that ECE funds Yellowknife Catholic schools for providing services to that facility as a magnet facility, just as we fund YK No. 1 for the services that they provide to Allison MacAteer House. If that facility were to move to another community, that funding, the magnet funding, would also move to provide the schools in that region with the funding to provide the services.

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