Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we had responded to the joint letter from the community leaders of Fort Smith, as well as the MLA there, Mr. Speaker. There will be chipsealing happening on Highway No. 5. I believe it's around kilometre 88 for this year. The Member does bring up priorities in the new federal infrastructure funding that the details are currently being...We have not seen the details from the federal government, but some of the priorities of where we're going to spend that money does indeed rest with the responsibility of this House and in committee, as well, and we'll be proceeding with that soon, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, we appreciate any amount of chipsealing on the roads, even if it's repairs and, no matter how small the distance, it's better than nothing as has been the case in the last number of years. I would like to ask the Minister to indicate what other steps are required to look at the chipsealing of the remaining 100 or so kilometres. Are there engineering studies required before any further work can be done? Is it going to be part of a broader plan to look at how do we deal with these long ignored roads in the Northwest Territories while all attention is paid on Highway No. 3 and the Ingraham Trail? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The section that we are chipsealing is kilometre 88 to 106. We are looking at the whole highway system. We are dedicating some resources to an engineering study, Mr. Speaker, that will tell us exactly what the deficiencies are on Highway No. 5 and where we must strategize and look forward to, hopefully, eventually chipsealing the whole highway. I know that's in the Member's long-range plan as well as ours. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

God willing, Mr. Speaker, I'll live long enough to be able to still have my licence and drive across the fully chipsealed Highway No. 5.

---Laughter

I'd like to ask the Minister if he could indicate to this House when does he anticipate this engineering study to be complete and is the intention to include those recommendations in the upcoming 2008-09 business plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we're looking at completing it throughout the course of the summer and this fall and certainly the areas that need immediate remediation will certainly be addressed and discussed as we sit down and discuss the capital planning this summer. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to get the Minister to speak specifically to the issue of will those recommendations be brought forward through the business planning process that is now, in fact, underway for the 2008-09 business planning cycle that the new incoming 16th Assembly will be looking at? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We'll certainly look at discussing the needs for Highway No. 5 in the current business planning cycle. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Schools across the North are preparing for their year-end school next month. The school in Gameti was approved by this government to build an extension so the community has access to the local gym. (Translation ends)

...prepared for their year-end school next month. The school in Gameti was approved by this government to build an extension so the community can have access to the local gymnasium, which they currently do not have. Construction for this project was scheduled to begin this summer, Mr. Speaker. The community of Gameti, however, is concerned as it is now spring break-up and the supplies for this project have not yet arrived over the winter road. My question is to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, what is the current status with the Gameti school extension? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The project went out to tender, and it wasn't just to put in a gym, it was to provide a bit of an expansion to the school to allow for the community to have high school courses offered in the community. When the bids came in, they were so much over budget that we couldn't proceed. There were some attempts to find ways to reduce the cost of the budget and they weren't successful. So at this point, MACA, ECE and the Department of Public Works are examining what the options might be. We remain committed to the project and we're looking for what we can do to ensure that it will proceed. Obviously, as the Member has pointed out, with us missing the winter road this year, the extension, which had been projected for the fall of 2008, will be delayed probably for one year.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask Minister Dent about the next question; that is what other alternative measures were taken by your department to move things forward, especially during the critical time where supplies could have been delivered over the winter road? What were the other alternative measures? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that Public Works attempted to discuss the issue of the cost with the contractor in the community; they were not able to come to any resolution. So Public Works has come back to MACA and ECE and given us a number of options that we can consider. We are working together with the other two departments to develop a strategy so that we can move the project forward, hopefully, within the next year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that there was much done to move things forward with the project. It is my understanding that the bid on the project was high for approval but, at the same

time, why hasn't the department come back to the government to seek additional funds to cover additional costs to complete the project, the most important project in the community of Gameti? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Dent.