Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to welcome and reflect on the presence of so many people of the Armed Forces of various countries in the world who are touring the North on an extended training mission. Mr. Speaker, the military has had a long and very valued tradition of involvement and contribution and participation in this community, not only for the duty they have in Canada's Arctic protecting the nation but with the very life and fabric of Yellowknife. I remember the establishment of what some might fondly recall as the "Yellow Submarine;" the first base here for the Armed Forces in Canada. Now we have a very modern, new building and facilities at the airport. This is a presence that I understand, Mr. Speaker, that is over time going to grow and I welcome that very much. Mr. Speaker, the people who are here with us today are, of course, representative of the role of the Armed Forces in Canada and in our North.

They also represent the service and the sacrifice of Canadians and many other of our allies in various places of the world that aren't as peaceful and as free as the land that we live in, Mr. Speaker. I want to say that I am one Canadian who is very grateful for these people, for the sacrifice that they make when they put themselves in harm's way because what they are doing, Mr. Speaker, is defending the very things that we are here doing. They are defending our freedom, speech, representation, democracy, sovereignty and those are things worth fighting for, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, last week I attended a function with yourself and I wanted to recognize the members of the Canadian Forces in the gallery. I had a tour and I certainly appreciate the work that they do...(inaudible). As Mr. Braden said, they defend our precious freedom here and thank you very much. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. I hope you enjoy the proceedings. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned 18 graduates from the two Aurora College programs that graduated this month. The programs were partly administered and delivered out of a trailer, a 20 foot by 50 foot building. Now, Mr. Speaker, how is it that we can live in such a dilemma? We are encouraging our students to get all the things they can, only to make it an old ATCO trailer that they are getting the programs out of. Can the Minister inform me what his department is doing to improve this trailer park college? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like the Member, I would like to express my congratulations to the grads from the recent programs offered in Norman Wells. That campus has been extremely active and very proficient in seeing graduates get through the facility and the facility is somewhat challenging, as the Member has pointed out. ECE continues to work with our partners at Public Works to explore what options there may be for replacing that building in the future. We are prepared to look at different options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The campus that he's referring to is very challenging. It's like a honeybee's nest with all the flies and bumble bees flying around because it's so active. We have an increase of activity. We have self-government negotiations. We have business in our communities that are expanding. I would like to ask, Mr. Speaker, what type of short-term options may be planned for the Aurora College facility in Norman Wells? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the long run, what I would hope to see is a new building that would be government owned that would accommodate the classroom space that we need to provide that community and that region with the adequate training space. In the short term, I think we are prepared to consider leasing a premises or whatever. I do agree with the Member that that facility is in dire need of being replaced. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the Minister talk about the short-term option of leasing premises or leasing some form of facility to encourage the students to continue their education. Mr. Speaker, I also hope that the Minister would give some thought in terms of a new facility that they would consider the community or the region of the Sahtu or any other region before they get their facility. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the short term and leasing of a premises, when would the people in the Sahtu know that they could possibly look at a new facility in the short term under the answer by the Minster? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, I have been talking with my colleague, the Minister of Public Works, about this issue. We don't have a solution at this point, but we are aware of the pressing need in the community and we will continue to work to get a facility into the long-term capital plan and look for a short-term solution to the inadequate space. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister again for supporting people in the Sahtu in terms of a short-term solution. When can I ask the Minister to make a commitment to coming to our region and talk about a leasing of a premises so that people could have an idea as to when they will see a facility in the Sahtu that would make them all smile when they go to the Aurora College classroom?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I always enjoy visiting the Member's communities with him when given an opportunity to travel in the Sahtu. I would welcome the opportunity to join him in a visit to Norman Wells to address that issue in the not-too-distant future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of WCB and it's with regard to what he said yesterday on the WCB's opening of the door of sorts, that they are looking at changing, finally, the policy on chronic pain which would allow benefits of permanent/partial disability. He's saying, on page 884, that they have to look specifically...The thing I am having trouble with is WCB is again having to consult. I think it's a good thing to consult, but at a certain point when a Minister and the corporation and the Board of Governors who haven't been given the powers under the law to make the decisions...Now the government did not go and consult on what the government should do about the Ed Horne case. You don't go and consult on a legal position. I submit to you that there is a very clear legal decision. The Supreme Court decision says the council must change the policy. Will the Minister send a directive forthwith to the council and say that they must change the policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for WCB, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the current policy of the board for chronic pain does specifically mention chronic pain as a pain disorder and it does specifically say that compensation benefits can be provided for the lifetime of the recipient if necessary. So that is, in many ways, probably dealing with the constitutional requirement.

It's important to point out that the court decision of Justice Schuler states that it was the policy in effect in 2001 that was not in compliance with section 15 of the Charter. I want to point out, too, that the Auditor General, who did a study of the work of the Workers' Compensation Board at the direction of this House, clearly says in her report that the WCB should regularly consult with stakeholders and management, particularly in controversial areas such as pain disorders. So the WCB has direction from the Auditor General on this issue at the direction of this House to consult with stakeholders. That is, I believe, what they are intending to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.