Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The members of our department were just recently in the Tlicho communities. I think they started some of the discussions and presentations in the month of December and carried on through into the month of January when they had their last public meeting. At those meetings, there were a number of elders. We did not have a meeting, I don't believe, to meet specifically with the elders, but we've had members as part of the discussion and part of the audience. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to continue on with the predators. The Tlicho Government had their meeting in Whati last month and one of the main issues was, of course, the caribou; another main issue was the predators out there; the wolves and grizzly bears that are approaching our communities. I'd like to ask the Minister if there's a commitment from the department to meet up with the Tlicho community elders and also traditional hunters to deal specifically with the predators that are roaming around our communities. When can that happen, because it's an immediate issue right now? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of predators is something that is already being monitored. We have a good handle on the numbers out there and the direction that the populations are going. If there is a specific community that the Member has wanted us to come in and address, we'd certainly be glad to do that. As part of our presentations, we provide this information on predators also, so I'm sure that the communities have already seen the information. But as I've stated before, if there is a community that has been experiencing problems, we'd certainly be glad to go in and talk to this issue. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with regard to student financial assistance. Specifically with respect to the fact that this is such a successful program and with the increased cost in tuition fees and costs of going to school, there are a number of students from the North who are close to exceeding, or have exceeded, the maximum amount that students can borrow. We had discussions on this during Committee of the Whole and the Minister indicated that he would look into this. I think the time frame did not consider having this resolved before the upcoming school year. I would like to ask the Minister if he would reconsider that framework. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To my understanding, there are no more than half a dozen students who are approaching the limit or who have hit the limit that we have right now in the Territories. Mr. Speaker, what I committed to do was take a look at the program to see whether or not we could make some administrative changes to extend the loan limit that wouldn't actually add to the cost of the program. If that is

the case, then I would be able to make the changes very quickly and do it in time for next year. If, however, we need to seek supplementary appropriation funding in order to do those changes, that will take me a little bit longer. At this point, Mr. Speaker, I can't answer the question. We are still investigating whether or not we will be able to move on this before the beginning of the next school year.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister give me a better idea as to when he is expected to know which direction he needs to take in this regard? Could the Minister give me some time frame as to when he would even have the analysis? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would expect by the end of this month I would have a better understanding of what the cost implications might be of increasing the loan limit. It is something I've talked to the department about and that I do want to move on. The question is whether or not we can move in time for this fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know what the dollar amounts are, but there are a relatively small number of students are in an extensive program, like nursing or teaching, where they needed bridge programming even if they are going to school down south. Could I ask the Minister to get back to me by the end of the month, in writing, as to what his analysis is so that we can work towards implementing it somehow or coming up with a solution? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I want to get back to the deficit that is currently at play at Stanton Territorial Hospital. I know, from 2005-06 it was $5.8 million. In an effort to reduce that by 50 percent, we looked at the supplementary appropriation on Friday to get $2.8 million to cut that in half. Today, there is $2.9 million in deficit, and the Minister mentioned on Friday there is an additional close to $7 million, so we are looking at a $10 million deficit at the hospital. Mr. Speaker, history has a way of repeating itself. That is why I want to ask these questions today. What are we going to do to address this $10 million deficit at Stanton? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the deficit at Stanton, for the record, as the Member indicated during the supplementary process, I had remarked that for 2006-07 we are looking at potentially around just over $6 million. That is an estimate by the Stanton authority. We will have to wait until year end to confirm that number. What the plan is in place, and has been in place with every authority, is we have a policy in place that deals with surpluses as well as deficits. What we have in place is that 50 percent of that deficit has to be funded from within in the following years. One of the other exercises we are doing is going through an exercise of looking at the actual funding that is taking place. If, in fact, there has been some chronic underfunding, then that is under review at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am just wondering, during the last number of years here, the last three years I believe, there wasn't an authority per se running that hospital. In fact, there is a public administrator with a direct line to the DM of Health and Social Services and to the Minister himself. Do they still have to play by the same rules? I know the Minister talked about whether they are surpluses or deficits. Are we talking about the same thing here without an authority in place at Stanton? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.