Mr. Speaker, the reason I was asked

to raise this question is because there are things happening within this government by way of policy changes and program changes. But they are not going to the First Nations organizations who have land claims, who have specific rights with regard to modern-day treaties. The right to consult is also spelled out in a lot of court cases.

Mr. Speaker, there have been changes by way of policy changes, such as contracts in regard to time limits, which have basically been shortened. Again, that change, under the land-claim agreement — an obligation to consult is there.

I’d like to ask the Premier: as a government, are we ensuring that we are fulfilling that obligation and not simply sending out a letter and if we don’t get a response that’s basically consultation? As far as the legislation reads, that is not consultation.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we have a package together that we are going to use with departments to highlight when consultation is necessary and needs to be done, what steps would be required, and what is considered actual consultation. As well, we have to use the court cases that have been settled out there and have an impact, because that affects the way governments would consult with each other.

There also needs to be the recognition that consultation isn’t a one-way street. It requires both parties to come together. When it’s a specific initiative, when contact is made, there’s follow-up contact that continues to try to be had, but at some point decisions do need to be made. There’s a recognition in this process we’re developing of the requirement that the consultation needs to be created as a two-way street.

In regard to the aboriginal

organizations, I know we had a process in regard to the Aboriginal Summit, which no longer exists. There are some major issues happening in the Northwest Territories.

We could touch on the Deh Cho Bridge, but I think we’re talking about the Tetlit’Zheh expansion; we’re talking about other big projects in the Northwest Territories. The pipeline decisions still have to come down.

I’d like to ask the Premier what exactly we are doing as a government differently from what we did with the Aboriginal Summit. Is there going to be such a forum, or a committee or a makeup of regional leaders in the Territories, to sit down with the Premier and also the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to talk about issues that this government is doing so we can involve them in government-to-government relationships between our three levels of government in the Northwest Territories?

In fact, we have started a process between myself and aboriginal leaderships, as well as including the Deputy Premier. We’ve started a process. For example, shortly after the election in November, we were meeting with the regional aboriginal leadership. We’ve set up a process. We’re going to meet quarterly and discuss issues of concern between all parties.

In fact, I will be meeting with a number of the leaders. We’ve offered a meeting up actually next week. We’ll be following up with that meeting with those that can attend.

Final short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

As a government we’re still doing work in regard to the devolution process — the Northern Accord, as it was better known in the past.

I’d like to ask the Premier: under the land-claim agreements it’s clear, I stated, that the government shall involve these aboriginal groups in those processes. I’d like to ask the Premier exactly how you are going to include those groups who have land-claim obligations for this government to involve them through the process of consulting or devolution.

The work that was done previously has incorporated a group. It was originally through the Aboriginal Summit, where a joint proposal was put forward to Canada on a devolution resource revenue sharing agreement. Since that day things have changed. The Aboriginal Summit is no longer in place.

I would use this avenue as an avenue to address what may be done if there’s a joint initiative we can establish to move forward and work with them on that basis. As well, from that basis, if there’s further direction on initiatives and work, or further information we need to get, we’re back to that process of dealing with the regional leadership, at our level, and sharing the information on different initiatives we’re trying to bring to a conclusion.

The Member is correct in terms of a study being conducted. The study is being conducted by ITI and [inaudible]. We’re in phase 2 of the study. I’ll be happy to share that with colleagues and Members once the study is released.

I also want to assure the Member that as Minister of Transportation, I’m looking at investment in all areas and locations across the Northwest Territories to ensure that safety and efficiency is our number one priority in our transportation system.

I’d like to know if the Minister of Transportation has been working with the Minister of ITI — the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Investment — to discuss and further find out more information as to the economic boom that would be provided to the Northwest Territories.

Is the study looking at those types of considerations? Is his department working with ITI to make sure this relevant information is being brought forward to make the business case to expand the Yellowknife Airport?

The Department of Transportation is working very closely with the Department of ITI, under the direction and leadership of Minister Bob McLeod, in putting this study together in terms of the Yellowknife Airport runway extension.

We are working with other stakeholders, such as the city, air carriers, Transport Canada in terms of seeing the benefits. And of course, I would be happy to sit down with Members once we have this study before us and have some discussion.

The Member may well be aware that I've tabled a document on runway licence studies. Certainly, there are comments in there about the 23rd-busiest airport in Canada, which is the Yellowknife territorial airport.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Transportation knows, runways are an extremely vital piece of infrastructure to any area, region or territory.

I'd like to know what the Minister is doing to pursue funding for this potential project. And if I may underscore, I think we just received a promissory note of $245.8 million. I'd like to hear what he’s doing to make sure the Yellowknife Airport runway extension is being considered in that potential pot of money.

Mr.

Speaker, I look

forward to discussing with all Members of the standing committee, with my colleagues, once we have an idea as to types of priorities, where we want to invest in the Northwest Territories.

Certainly, the report from the runway-length study has identified some priorities there. I look forward to discussion with my honourable colleagues, and with the standing committee in terms of where we will have the best returns on investment, as a government, within this term.

We will work with the Member, and again, I will share that information once I have the final document.

Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

I again reaffirm my belief that this will open up international tourism as well as international business.

One thing the Minister neglected to mention was: when can I expect this study to be open for public consumption? When does the Minister expect that

this study will be made available for everyone to take a good look at?

Mr. Speaker, I want to let the Member know it will be available within a couple of months. I will communicate more with my colleague Minister Bob McLeod. I will get back to the Member in terms of the exact decision regarding the date.

Mr.

Speaker, during the earliest

years of brain development, the potential for learning can be most fully established. I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: how does our current allocation of resources reflect the huge opportunity we have to be effective by focussing strongly on the very young?

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, our government does realize that learning starts at a young age.

Our department — and also the Government of the Northwest Territories — does consider funding various levels, such as early childhood programs, early childhood contributions and policies, and children’s initiatives. These are just some of the areas I’m highlighting. It is in the works. We've been funding for a number of years. There are also federal funding initiatives.

Those are the areas we will continue to fund, because we as a government feel it is important to start at an early age.

I’ll just highlight some of the federal initiatives that have been undertaken and will continue: Early Childhood Development, early learning and child trust fund, child care space initiatives — we support the NWT Literacy Council, as well — and also program enhancement grants, language programs. So we do have various federal initiatives and also the G.N.W.T., with our ECE department. We do deliver various programs to promote that. Mahsi.

I know a big focus and a big interest of this government — and of myself, personally — is cultural and language diversity. Languages, of course, hold the cultures and hold different ways of knowing. We know now that language development takes place especially early in life. That’s when we get hard-wired for it, and we have the ability thereafter to speak it. But we need to have a lot of exposure early in life.

What programs do we have that actually get our most proficient language speakers together with our very young? Are we supporting our elders and those who can speak these languages most proficiently? Are we supporting them getting

together with very young children, even if they’re just speaking in their presence, not necessarily teaching them? Apparently that will do the job. What programs do we have to support that?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s question in this specific area. It has always been my interest when I was a Regular MLA. We do continue to offer support in these areas. We support training programs through Aurora College and with our respective partnership from the Southern Institute, as well, deliver the ALTA program — aboriginal instructor’ program — and also the CTIP program, TIP program.

Mr. Speaker, we also work with the communities. The elders are the most valuable tool in our communities as well. So we utilize their services in the communities, because they’re the ones who give us wisdom and knowledge to pass on to our younger generation. We use them in our schools, in our communities, during activities, functions, with respect to education activities. We will continue to provide those services at the schools and at the community level. That’s the areas we focus on. Mahsi.

I appreciate the comments of the Minister. Most of the programs he mentioned, perhaps almost all, were focused on children in school. Really, what we’re learning is that so much of this potential takes place before children are school-aged. So I’m particularly interested in getting elders together with the very young.

In my time in communities, I see a lot of elders looking for something to do, in a way, especially when they are unable to be as physically active as they may have been before. This seems like a huge opportunity.

What programs are we pursuing, or will the Minister commit to, that will get those proficient language speakers and culture holders together with the very young?

Mr.

Speaker, we do

provide programs such as Head Start, a pre-school aboriginal language and cultural perspective, and also we’re promoting more aboriginal languages at school, whether it be K-12 or continuing on. We do have aboriginal instructors in classrooms as well. We do also utilize elders, as I indicated earlier, and we had an aboriginal instructors’ forum last month, I do believe, to try to get their input into how we can produce even more children to speak their language.

So we are getting input from the groups and also from the community leaders and also from the elders on how we can improve our programs and also the support we deliver in our communities. We will continue to seek out all the information, input and advice that we possibly can to improve our

programs. With that, we are doing what we can under the department. Mahsi.

Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

The other point that I know is of concern is that our early childhood workers often don’t meet the educational standards, particularly the federal standards they are coming out with. The Aurora College programs are currently not producing qualified child care workers. I would like to hear what the Minister is doing on this and any reinvestment-type opportunities he sees with respect to any of these questions I have asked.