Thank you, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the standardized testing is something new that we are gauging our students in the North on. With the initial results, does the Minister have an interim plan, or will he look at some type of plan to address what the core issues are? I understand there was a small school report that was done three or four years ago. It spoke in there about classroom size and just the range of students being serviced by one or two teachers was an issue. Is there an initial plan or some kind of overview that the Minister will address this issue with? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will certainly be following up on this. We have had some initial discussions with the chairs of all the divisional education councils across the Northwest Territories. Since the report the Member talks about has come out, there have been some changes to the formula that is used to fund schools and the funding has been disproportionately increased for the small schools in comparison to larger schools in recognition of some of those challenges. We are planning to continue our work with divisional educational councils to ensure that we are delivering as good a program as possible in the small communities, but I would like to say, as I said in my statement on Friday, we have some good news.

While it's not all great news coming out of the Alberta achievement tests, you have to remember that those tests are not designed for our population. We are not positive that they reflect our population, particularly in small communities where students may be coming in with another language as their first language. So we have to recognize that the best indicator of how students are doing is their teachers. The fact that we are seeing an increase in 34 percent of the numbers of students from small communities registered to write departmental exams this year leads us to believe that we are on the right path when it comes to delivering education in the small communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Another item that the actual article speaks about, Mr. Speaker, is that the challenges of the parents or single parents in the smaller communities helping their children. Is there some type of plan that the department would look at in order to assist our families back in the smaller communities in helping their children as well? I know that as more of our adult population returns to school, it just becomes more of a...students can look up to their parents and community more. Is there another way of helping our adult population out there help their children, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This, too, is something that I have discussed with the chairs for the divisional educational councils over the past couple of years. There are a number of different initiatives, depending on the community, ranging from elders who act as mentors or counsellors for families to homework clubs and assistance in after school programs to learn how to do things like homework and how to help out. So, yes, it is something that almost needs to be handled on a community-by-community basis. I know that from talking to divisional educational councils, they are interested in looking for whatever works. In some communities that is finding counselling services to help. In others, it is by finding assistance with childcare. So this is an area that, yes, all divisional educational councils are aware that there is a need to work with individuals and families to support parents getting their kids into school. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister know if these standardized tests compare to other jurisdictions like the Yukon, Nunavut or any other rural ridings in the other provinces? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to be careful that we are not using these tests for comparison purposes, because we can't. These tests are administered in our jurisdiction in a far different way than they are anywhere else that they are used. We don't allow or don't have the exclusions that are found in other jurisdictions, so that means that all of our students are participating in these exams whether they are on an individual education program or a modified program. In many other jurisdictions, that doesn't happen. So we don't have comparison.

These tests are designed for us to take a look at over time. This year, we have baseline information. As we get the next five years' results, we will have an indication of whether or not our system is improving. That is the sole purpose for these tests. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there has been progress. In fact, substantial progress has been made in the last couple of months. With regard to resource revenues, royalties, as the Member referred, we did receive the report of the council federation expert panel. It was made available on April 6th. It was a report that was very favourable in terms of how the three territorial governments should be treated on resource revenues.

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the federal Minister of Finance made available the federal government's expert panel report. So we now have that report. Mr. Speaker, I will say the Minister of Finance will be making a statement on

that one tomorrow, once we have a chance to look at it more carefully.

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of progress. The reports, the experts across the country have come out in agreement with our position regarding resource revenues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, travelling down the Mackenzie Valley in some of the communities, a wise man once told me that our common goal should be greater than our common enemy. With that being said, I would like to ask the Premier, is part of the delay the inability of the leadership of the Northwest Territories to get at the table and be on the same page? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we have a number of aboriginal governments and aboriginal organizations across the Territories. Some have settled claims and they would like to get on with and join the economic benefits that come from their claim and from economic activity. We have others who are in the process of negotiating claims. They would like to settle those negotiations first.

Mr. Speaker, let me say, when Minister Prentice was in Norman Wells in April for the Circle of Northern Leaders, he was quite clear there that he was ready to proceed in what he called the best interest of the majority of northerners. Mr. Speaker, at some point, in spite of differences, and I think I agree with Mr. Prentice, we have to move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for the update. Two hundred seventy-five million dollars left the Northwest Territories in 2004, and that was just from the diamond mines. That should cause the leadership of the NWT a great deal of concern. As we continue to try to hash this out, money continues to flow to Ottawa. As my final question, what is our next step? Where do we go from here? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of things that are happening simultaneously. First of all, the majority of aboriginal leaders agree with what the Member has said. They want to move forward. The Aboriginal Summit has created what they call a working committee. On their side, it is three representatives from the summit. On our side, it is three representatives from our Cabinet: myself, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of ITI. We have had a phone meeting. We have made a commitment that, as soon as we got the second expert panel report, we would brief them. We will try to go forward from here working together.

Mr. Speaker, as well, as I mentioned in my sessional statement, I am going to Edmonton on Thursday to meet with the other Premiers of provinces and territories to continue to negotiate any questions to be briefed on the expert panel report.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of things going on. I think generally we are seeing a coming together of the different views. I am optimistic that, over the next months, we will move forward in a way that doesn't pre-empt anybody, but, at the same time, allow us to benefit from those rather huge and increasing resource revenues that are coming from the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.