Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, if the test results come back negative and everything is okay, then we have to go through the process to regain the disease-free status from Agriculture Canada, which is an important first step. If we're going to move the herd, there are other issues we have to look at as the Member has indicated: the possibility of relocating on a temporary basis some animals to the University of Saskatchewan; the potential of entering into discussions with people from Providence about the Mackenzie sanctuary herd and possibly increasing their genetic diversity in addition to moving them. So I'll commit to the Member that, yes, we want to make some clear final decisions here on this herd after June 22nd and we'll make sure that the Member is fully engaged.

This is going to be an issue where there has to be some give and take on both sides. So there are other things that we are interested in, such as possibly moving part of the herd to other locales as well. So we need to have that discussion with the community, but we're very, very aware of the issue. I have been there and we've had meetings. So I'll commit to the Member that we'll make those decisions and he'll be fully involved with those. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Brief final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank the Minister for making that commitment to the community that, yes, they are going to look at the option of definitely moving them out of the community. I know that the community has some grave concerns with regard to the water quality and the bringing in of some mice from down south that are suddenly coming in with all the hay and the food that they are using to feed the bison, and some health concerns related to that. Also, just with respect to the health of the herd itself, the confines that they are in are pretty small in comparison to where the community would like to move them, which is a much bigger ranging area. The community wants a healthy herd themselves and they are looking at moving them to the Little BR site because it's a bigger range and they'll have more room to move around, and you wouldn't get the downwind smell in the community all summer. With that, I'll just have to wait for the results come June 22nd and see where the department is going to take it from there. Hopefully there will be some productive meetings that will go on in the next month with the community. If there is going to be a meeting in the community in the upcoming three weeks prior to June 22nd, when is that going to be scheduled? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there will be a meeting, but it will be after we get the test results back so we have something specific to talk about. One of the issues on the table is if there is no foreseeable future for the diseased bison issue and if it's going to be unresolved, well then clearly one of the options I will have to consider, as the Minister, is do we just take the herd back and release it back into the wild and say it was a good exercise, it's been nine years and there's no progress as opposed to possibly just moving them to another location and keeping

them in a corral and continuing to feed them and fenced in with no real viable plan in place. In fact, that's a suggestion I heard from a number of the Member's constituents last time we were there, is we were talking about what to do with the buffalo. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, obviously my questions are to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and I'm following up on the question and answers we had previously. I have to say obviously the Minister was not listening to some of the questions that I have been posing, because I don't think at any time did I ever claim to be an expert on this issue. In fact, Madam Speaker, I think that's the beauty of our office in that it is our privilege to be generalists. It is our duty also to ask the experts for information in making decisions. I'm asking the Minister to have enough humility to go and ask the experts, who should know better. I would like to know, because I don't think the Minister provided the answer, would the Minister ask his senior officials to go and talk to the educators in our city to find out what sort of services they have been getting, and then get the senior officials to talk to the people in Hay River to see what they have and what more they might need? Is that not a reasonable question, and I'm not claiming to be an expert. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, if the program is moved to Hay River, which is at this point a proposal, it has to go through the business planning process. If the program is moved, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will work with the DEC and the DEA to make sure that the same level of support is provided by the department in whatever community the program moves to as is provided in Yellowknife. So we will make sure that the expert assistance that is required through the educational system is available wherever this program is offered. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. How can the Minister say that when he does not know what the requirements are, or does he? Yes or no.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Minister Dent.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, I know that the Department of Education provides one teacher for the program and that the kids in the program work with the staff at the centre as well as the teacher to integrate back into the school system. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm afraid the Minister keeps displaying his lack of information and knowledge about this issue. I have to tell you that I'm told that there are at least two teachers employed with YK No. 2 who are involved with the centre, who directly are involved in teaching these kids. There are other people involved in this program. They are placed in all seven schools in the city. There are other people involved in educating these kids. So how can he just say, or is that proper budgeting process to say we're going to do this? I don't know what the details are, but whatever it is we're going to match the service of Yellowknife to Hay River when he doesn't know what's out there. How can he say that? This is not responsible.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Minister Dent.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am confident that we can support the same sort of program that we support now through Education, Culture and Employment in any community. As I said, for the students at the centre right now, Education, Culture and Employment funds one teacher. As well, the children are encouraged to get back into the regular school system. So obviously as they work into the school system they are going to be working with the teachers in the community, and that's going to happen no matter where the program is offered. So what the department will do is make sure that if the program is moved, and there's lots of lead time, Madam Speaker, we'll make sure that those discussions that need to take place with whichever organization is charged with providing that support happens on a timely basis and that preparations are adequately made. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's actually appalling that the Cabinet throws a bomb into this institution. In two years we're moving this and that's that, and we're trying to get information. If anybody hasn't gotten the point, my point is that all these questions we are asking and the answers to them are the most minimum information that the Cabinet should have had in making this decision. I think reasonable person would agree with that. I'd like to ask the Minister once again, not going by if and when and I'm confident and all that hullabaloo, could the Minister just ask his senior officials to ask the experts in the teaching field what the programs are? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Minister Dent.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will have the experts within our system work with the people wherever the program is offered to make sure that that assistance, whatever it is that is required that we normally offer, is provided; that the same thing that we're doing here will be offered wherever the program is.

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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance and FMBS, the Honourable Floyd Roland. Madam Speaker, I understand from newspaper reports that liquor revenue that came out of the Northwest Territories last year was $36 million and I wanted to ask the Minister if there was any plans within the government to see how this money could be put back into the regions that desperately need programs such as the TTC and alcohol and drug programs. Could some of this money from the liquor revenue fund go back into the regions that need the help? Thank you.