Yes, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to follow up on that. All those programs that the Minister talks about are good. We’ve also had a discussion in this House about a biomass strategy. If you get up to a level of $30,000, that’s a substantive amount of money that would allow homeowners to look at wood pellet technology and at switching over.

All I’m looking for is a commitment from the Minister — and it sounds like he has given that — to take a look at the programs offered in the Yukon and maybe relate those to our situation here, and to include those in a discussion when we’re developing a biomass strategy here in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I’d be happy to make the commitment that we’ll look at the information from the Yukon. When we come forward with the business plans, as we talk about a strategy for biomass, especially for the diesel communities, we want to look at every option in terms of how we can best cut costs and reduce dependency on oil.

The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The directive went out to the Members and the communities requesting their input by the 20th of

this month. One of the directives is to have the right-holders only allowed in those particular schools: the French schools. Right now it is an open door policy, where any individuals from the community can access their school and take pre-schooling and then a French immersion program. From there they are considered right-holders at that facility.

With respect to the proposed directive — it doesn’t sound like it’s been adopted yet — I was just wondering about consultation with various stakeholders on this issue and if this proposed directive met with the approval of or agreement from the French first-language school board for the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker,

my

department has been meeting with the Francophone School Board, the citizens of the French group and the Hay River DEA. We’ve been working with them to find solutions to the additional space problem, another area we are working on. The discussion on the right-holders-only enrolment part was also raised at those meetings.

There’s been some consultation in the community of Hay River. From there it also has an impact on the Yellowknife perspective. Like I said, we’re waiting until this coming Friday the 20th to seek

some input from the Francophone communities and the communities of Hay River and Yellowknife. The community members will provide input into what’s been directed.

Specifically to Hay River residents, how would they be made aware of their ability to comment or participate in this consultation with respect to this directive?

The letters have gone out to the Hay River MLA and to the schools. They are made aware that this is a directive that has been proposed. In return they can certainly write to the department — to me — identifying their concerns or issues or providing any feedback. which will certainly be taken into consideration. We’re expecting some response from the community members.

The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of our problems with our capital projects is that they quite often will go over budget and run over the time

schedule. Some of the things that have been identified are making amendments to our policies and trying to figure out how to run it a little more efficiently and certainly spend better dollars. I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services: have they done any work on developing a policy to meet that end?

Thank you, Mr.

Hawkins. The

honourable Minister of Public Works and Services, Mr. Michael McLeod.

We’ve indicated to the House that we are reviewing our whole contracting process. We are reviewing the way we do business and deliver our infrastructure. We’re going to look at all the concerns that are being raised and all the concerns that have caused issues over the years. We are looking at all the issues that have been of concern.

It was important to get that on the record, because I want to ask the Minister: what is he doing for public consultation to ensure that we’re getting good products out there? Has he made any efforts to contact the Association of Architects, the Maytag organization, the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as the NWT Construction Association and finally the Arctic Energy Alliance? What work has he done to consult with these organizations to help work in partnership to deliver better product, more efficient product and certainly less expensive product?

That’s quite a list that the Member has rattled off. I’d have to go back and check to see if we have indeed talked to each one of them. I would have to see which organizations he’s referred to, but all the organizations that have concern regarding our infrastructure and our delivery are in contact with us on a regular basis. We are members of the Arctic Energy Alliance. We usually take very seriously all the recommendations that come from these organizations so we can incorporate them into this review we’ve undertaken to have with the Regular Members over the next while. I guess the answer to that question is yes.

I wasn’t sure what part of the yes was part of the answer. The issue really is infrastructure projects under the Government of the Northwest Territories. If they go over time or over budget, the construction groups that usually develop those projects are the ones that get the bad rap. I think they can be part of the solution. I just want to make sure, when we look at this aspect of timing, from design to implementation and development of these infrastructure projects, that these groups are included.

If the Minister could just make it clear that, before any policy is set in stone, he will contact those associations I talked about: in short, the engineers, architects, energy and construction associations. Thank you.

We didn’t develop our recommendations in isolation. We did contact the different organizations that have interest, concerns and professional advice they could offer from the different sectors. We will continue to do that as we move forward. We have a pretty good indication of where each organization is on the different issues, but we will stay in contact. I will make that commitment to the Member, as he’s requested. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Time for question period has expired. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a written question for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

1) Would the Minister provide all the details and

information garnered by way of consultation and research use to develop a policy specific for treatment offered to children with autism?

2) Would the Minister provide such policies

developed and used by the Department of Health and Social Services specific to the treatment and care of children with autism?

3) Would the Minister provide all details specific

to working arrangement and agreements with service organizations and other governments that we use to provide treatment and assistance to children and families, specific to autism?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Written questions. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A question to the Chairman of the Financial Management Board, Secretariat. Would the Chairman of the Financial Management Board please provide:

1) a list of all subsidies provided by the GNWT;

and

2) for each subsidy, the amount spent, by

community, for the most recent fiscal year available?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to the opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

I wish to table the following document, entitled Northern Voices, Northern Waters: Towards a Water Resources Management Strategy for the NWT.

Document 66-16(2), Northern Voices, Northern

Waters: Towards a Water Resources Management Strategy for the NWT, tabled.