Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't know if this program is the same all across Canada. The rules for the program that are provided by the federal government to the GNWT is that this program is one-time funding only for a maximum of one year and it can only be used by someone who will in that one year achieve an education that will get them into university or college. So it's one-year upgrading and the student must be able to achieve college entry at the end of it. It's one-time only. So there isn't any six or eight-year availability of this money. Thank you, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. The Minister is, and I had some discussion on this before in terms of the university college entry program, and the more the Minister was talking to the previous federal Minister and talked to possibly other colleagues within the federal government in terms of our previous MP in terms of this program. I know it's being administrated by our government and that the Metis are...Again I'm going to ask the Minister in terms of the Metis, they're not being cited as being eligible. It says aboriginal on the advertisement in the newspaper, but, when you look at the program, it's under the program of Department of Indian Affairs under the Indian Act, I guess, or Indian policy that has only First Nation and Inuit students eligible for upgrading here. So I want to ask the Minister in terms of some type of outline or guidelines in terms of how or when can he talk to his federal counterparts in terms of having them look at this policy that will include the Metis students who want to take upgrading. I know there are lots in my region who want to take upgrading in this program, yet they feel discriminated. No fault to the GNWT; it's just a program that they're administrating. It's a federal program. How can he alleviate some of those concerns and get our people back into the schools, into the university and college institutions to start their career out as...

...whatever career they choose to make? Mr. Chairman, there was some talk from the Metis local in Tulita and other regions that they could look at a Constitution issue here in terms of a Charter in terms of the federal government's program. So I want to ask the Minister here in terms of this program here, there's one piece of the pie that's missing in terms of how this program is really truly, I guess maybe, in my eyes should be implemented. You're missing one brother. You've got the Inuit and the First Nations, but you don't have the Metis people eligible or falling under this program. So I want to ask the Minister in terms of his sort of general plan in terms of how do we work to rectify this issue here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Yakeleya is absolutely right; the program is right now missing Metis brothers and sisters who should rightly, I think, qualify for this program. As I said earlier today, I would expect to, fairly soon, write to the Minister responsible and encourage the Minister to take a look at how aboriginal people are defined by the Government of Canada and make the case that Metis people should be included in this course. I would welcome the support and the active intervention of Metis locals across the Territories and would encourage them to write to the new Minister and support me in that position. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, certainly I would throw my full support behind the Minister in terms of he and his department looking at ways to get the Metis to be part of this type of funding. I'm not going to go into the reasons why we should continue supporting our students. We always talk about having our children going to school and attending university and colleges. So I want to ask the Minister, you know, in terms of going to bat, so to speak, on behalf of our Metis brothers and sisters, that would he consider taking this issue to his colleagues across the floor of the Cabinet to consider, you know, with the other Metis locals in the Northwest Territories possibly look at a court challenge in terms of taking the government to court to look at a Charter issue in the Constitution on this very issue? The Metis people are no strangers to asserting their rights and looking at equality within this beautiful country of Canada and here in the Northwest Territories. It's just a matter of this government stepping up to the plate and seeing if there's a possibility that they would consider. So I would ask the Minister if he would give some consideration to this thought and bring forward to his Cabinet for some discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly will discuss with the Minister of Justice whether this government can take that kind of position. I am not sure we can for this kind of program. I know that the Department of Justice has a line in their budget for aboriginal court challenges, which would, I believe, be available to a Metis local to take on this kind of case. There may be that kind of option that a Metis local may want to pursue. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. Also, Mr. Chair, there is funding in this government here, but I think Mr. Dent may be right in terms of the scope and the authority and the

legalities between this government and biting the hand that feeds us in Ottawa.

I think, Mr. Chair, that this government has to go to bat for the people of the Northwest Territories. It has to go to bat for the Metis people and support them in terms of this program here because it's an issue that is going to be ongoing. I am not too sure how far we will go, but I think the Minister needs to work with the Metis organizations down the valley here and work in terms of looking at the court challenge and possibly making a plea to his Cabinet to look at a charter or a challenge for programs we are administering. This is only one. I am not sure how many others we administer on behalf of the federal government that has some form of discrimination. It's a touchy issue. So I am going to leave it at that, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think Mr. Yakeleya mentioned one of the other important programs where we see the same situation, and that is in health benefits. I certainly take the opportunity to discuss with my colleagues whether or not we should be following up on this. I think it would more likely be an opportunity for one of the Metis locals to take on the challenge using our funding if that is available through Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Page 9-46, information item, work performed on behalf of others.

Page 9-47, information item, work performed on behalf of others.

Page 9-48, information item, worked performed on behalf of others, $6.444 million.

Committee, return to 9-7, department summary. Page 9-7, department summary, operations expenditure summary, $259.205 million.