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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know in early discussions with other jurisdictions around Canada that a number of provinces in particular are very strongly pushing the new federal government to continue with the Childcare Program that had been announced by the previous government. It would certainly be, I think, in our interest to see that program continue. I have already asked that our department work with the other two territories to ensure that at least if other jurisdictions are going to see the second year of funding for that program, that we also see that funding and that it reflect the commitment that the Conservative Prime Minister made during the campaign, that we would have base plus funding for the North. So we are going to try and make sure that we at least get two years' funding out of that program. But I would agree with the Member that it would be in the best interest of low income northerners to see the program that had been previously negotiated continue.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm in absolute agreement that we're going to have to continue with the way we were going with the National Day Care Strategy that the new federal government is going to nix, basically, and provide everybody $1,200. But money is not the answer for our smaller communities, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to know when would be the next opportunity for our Minister to reflect our interests and our needs at the national level. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand it, tentatively the provincial and territorial Ministers responsible are looking at a meeting in April. It would be expected that the federal Minister responsible would also attend and we would hope to take the issue up with the federal government at that time.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to add that a lot of the needs coming from the communities are infrastructure. So something like $1,200 or $100 a month for each child under six really doesn't address the needs in the communities of having that space available and that infrastructure alone. So if the Minister will also reflect the need for infrastructure funding when he does meet with the Minister, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to take that message to that meeting. I am aware that the current plan would also involve some credits to employers who provided spaces for childcare. As I understand it, the credit would be in the area of $10,000 per seat. Again, if that is going to be the route that we're going to see followed, I would take the argument that we should see more, a higher rate for businesses in the North, and I will take to the federal government the point that we don't have very many large employers in our smallest communities. So we need to have some kind of accommodation to help us make that program actually deliver more seats in our smallest communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier today in my Member's statement, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to make a few facts known that the harvesting activity in the NWT is on the rise with the rising cost of living, too. More people are relying on harvested meat and fish. Forty percent of northerners, or 17,000 people in the NWT, are harvesting these days, and 20 percent of our total population are harvesting all of their needs for their meat and fish. That's quite a significant number, Mr. Speaker. My question I wanted to ask the Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, or ITI, with the conflicting stories that we get in the newspapers and from locals about, from traditional long-time northerners, some outfitters and tourists and transients, and new northerners, as I like to call them, there's always conflicting stories on estimates of herd numbers and harvesting practices. So I just wanted to ask the Minister what methods of information gathering or researching is his department embarking on to give us a more realistic number on herd development and harvesting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

...(inaudible)...be referred to the Minister for ENR. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've been engaged for some time in doing census on the barren land caribou, if I can

use that as a specific example. We did some collaring and tracking and we got those numbers. We, as well, have been working with harvesters to get their first-hand accounts of what they're seeing on the land, the condition of the caribou, the number of calves, the issue of predators and those type of matters. As well, we've got an investment to, in fact, redo the census numbers on this herd that we just did, as well as update the information we do have on herds that are somewhat out of date, to confirm the numbers so that we can make the best possible decisions. We've been working collaboratively now for the last five, six months with the various co-management boards up and down the valley where there are land claims settled. As well, we will be soon working with the Wekwegi board, which is now in place and operational, to look at those specific issues in this part of the country. We're working with the outfitters and the other user groups -- Akaitcho and the Metis -- on the caribou issue to make the best informed decisions that we can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that, that they are doing something with the various co-management boards. But just with the issue, I know there's a lot of research and monitoring done with the caribou in the NWT, the various herds and everything. Just my examples were more specific to something like bison, which we see everyday on the highway, and there really hasn't been any changes in harvesting policies for bison anywhere in the NWT, yet the numbers of bison have grown significantly, especially in the sanctuary here. I'm just wondering if the Department of ENR is looking at maybe reviewing their harvesting policies and practices for bison in the Mackenzie sanctuary for people, say, even in Liard and around the Hook Lake area with respect to...Bison are coming close, Mr. Speaker, and they're just getting to be quite a few of them. So is the department looking at bison, also?

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are. We are intending to look at a broader bison strategy, recognizing that there are specific herds to be incorporated within that plan, similar to the approach we're taking with barren land caribou. Our attention, right now, has been focused somewhat exclusively on the issue of the barren land caribou, but we have also started the work on the bison, as well. We also have work underway looking at the woodland caribou, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with working with the co-management boards in the various regions I just want to know if the Minister can put something on the record that his department, with the traditional harvesting policies, I guess, that they might come out, would they be seriously considering a policy framework which originates from out of the small traditional community lifestyles and practices as opposed to what our biologists, and our administrations, and our bureaucrats seem to be steering policies these days? So would the Minister commit to that practice? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can unequivocally commit to a process where we're going to use and work with the department and the co-management boards and they can take advantage of the best information we have, be it from biologists or the traditional harvesters and traditional knowledge on the land, so that we can blend that together in the best possible program to maintain herd health be it with caribou, or with bison, or the woodland caribou. Thank you.