Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, the Government of the Northwest Territories funds the Literacy Council to the tune of about $440,000 this year. I have met with the executive director of the Literacy Council and have assured the council, through her, that we will look at what we can do to strengthen our funding. The total amount of money that this government is putting into literacy programming each year right now is in excess of $6 million. So we are going to obviously take a look at whether or not we should reprofile some of that money to better support the Literacy Council. We are going to take a look at all of the programming in the literacy field and make sure that we are concentrating our funding in the area that we see as having the highest priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday one of our colleagues raised an issue about literacy cuts, and the Minister came back saying we are not in the position where I can reach into my back pocket today and replace the money that has been lost. Mr. Speaker, I feel that we, as a government, need to be on a standby where if there are drastic cuts then we need to be prepared for that. Also, the Minister quoted that we will not look at what we can do, or to see what he can do. I need to see some results action oriented. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to providing core funding to the NWT Literacy Council so that they can continue providing uninterrupted programming to our communities? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do, in fact, provide some core funding to the Literacy Council right now. I have committed to them that we will look and see if there is an area that we can find and reallocate funds. But, as the Member knows, when we vote the money in this House, that money is parceled out. That is how it is designed to be spent. The millions of dollars that we have put into literacy funding, we have made commitments. There are commitments to the Literacy Council, to the college, to community groups, to all sorts of different areas where this money is being spent already. We don't, in the department, keep a slush fund. I know that the Members opposite would not want to hear that we did keep a slush fund that we could reallocate monies from. I will look, though, to see what we can do, but I have warned the Literacy Council that for this year it is going to be very difficult for us to find new funds. We are looking more for next year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Literacy Council is an important element in the Northwest Territories and also the smaller communities. I just certainly hope that the Minister will seriously look into this, or his counterparts in the federal government, and lobby the government and hopefully re-establish the funding that has been lost. I just want to make that statement. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my opening Member's statement in terms of the original birthplace of ice hockey in Canada in Deline, I wanted to ask the Minister of sport in terms of what is his department or agencies he works with that can promote the birthplace of ice hockey in Deline and continue on with this campaign to try and get CBC to pull its head out of the sand and recognize Deline as the birthplace of ice hockey. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I think it was during the last session in this House we passed the motion supporting Deline as the birthplace of hockey. We have had some discussions with the community. The community is looking at it as somewhat of a marketing or tourism, or could be viewed as a tourism attraction for the community. We are also looking at ways that we can do some promotion as a department. We have looked at working with the community to possibly purchase some jerseys that would reflect that this is the birthplace of hockey, and in some team arm patches that would also do the same. I understand the community is working with ITI to look at some promotional initiatives through that department also. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess I am looking also for the truth in terms of recognizing Deline as the birthplace of ice hockey with this government. Get your team ready, Mr. Minister. Get your team ready so CBC can get the truth that Deline is the birthplace of ice hockey and to mention shame that they didn't do it in their People's History. We have to park the other issues, Mr. Minister. Give some promotion awareness again. What will he do in terms of working with his colleague Cabinet members to let CBC know and let the Territories know, let everybody know in Canada, the birthplace of ice hockey is in the Northwest Territories,

in Deline in the Sahtu region. That is the truth, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are certainly not contesting that fact. We have passed a motion in this House acknowledging that. We have not heard from the community requesting any support in the area of international recognition. We would be glad to sit down and talk to them along with maybe some of our partners and the Sports Council. Until that happens, we are not aware of what specifically is being requested. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community of Deline, the people of Deline, have spoken to me and this is what they are saying. Maybe a little bit slow in terms of getting information over to the Minister's office in terms of letter writing, but I want to ask for the commitment by this Minister and his team of players over there in Cabinet to make a commitment that there is an action plan being discussed maybe with the people in Deline in terms of recognizing Deline and to show all of Canada the birthplace of ice hockey belongs here in the Northwest Territories. It belongs to the northern people. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will certainly share that information for the important recognition for the community to be the birthplace of hockey. I will commit with talking to my colleagues, the Minister of culture and ITI. This has to be community driven. If there is a request from the community, we will certainly follow up on it. We will be glad to entertain any proposals from the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. I am going to ask the Minister if he would consider, through his Department of MACA, or as the Department of MOT, to put up some nice, shiny signs at the airport in Deline stating that it's the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada from 1825 until the present. I will ask the Minister if he could consider that suggestion from outside over here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we will be glad to entertain any requests from the communities. We will certainly make the commitment to work with the community and involve other departments to move this important initiative forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.