Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member's statement I was speaking about the Income Support Program. Mr. Speaker considering the community governments that are most knowledgeable with how the programs are administered and considering that the Minister recognizes that the community-based and supported programs options are often more effective, will the Minister provide the necessary resources for the communities to adequately review the program and policies to provide the report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm willing to commit the resources that are necessary to review what the Member is asking for. Within our programming there is always a review on the way and if there is a concern or issue that's been brought forward, we can certainly look at it and see what we can do within the region. So, certainly, I'm willing to work the Member on this particular item. Mahsi.

In response to the letter that was sent to the Beaufort-Delta regional superintendent of Education, Culture and Employment regarding how the department administers the Income Support Program and considering many people feel disconnected with the programs and the way it's administered to the communities' limitations and unique challenges, will the government work with the communities to review the following three concerns: administer the programs with respect and regional sensitivity; establish clear, productive policies for the staff to follow; and provide adequate program options to the unique challenges in small, remote communities?

Mr. Speaker, this is one area that we need to clearly improve our communication and working relations with the communities. Those are expertise we need to hear from, having a clear communication dialogue between client service officers and clientele. Certainly that's been recognized in the past and that we are currently working towards as a progression period. So those are the areas that we're focusing on right now as we speak.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister look into the income support to see if we could give an increase on the amount for the communities so that what support that we do give them lasts the whole month and not just two weeks due to the high cost of the groceries that they are buying and the families that they're trying to feed?

Mr. Speaker, there has been some increase in 2005 and going forward, 2007. So we have been increasing our subsidy program, but certainly we can look at what kind of subsidy we provide currently and where we can improve in those programs. As long as it meets the demands of the clientele, certainly, we can work towards that.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the 2009-2010 increases for the communities in income support on the program that they're providing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. I didn't hear a question there. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Those discussions with the federal Heritage Minister, they are ongoing negotiations that are currently happening. We've sent letters to the Minister of Heritage and we haven't had a response back from them yet. We're still waiting for them. Certainly this is an area we are focussed to move forward on, so we're just waiting for the federal response. Mahsi.

Was there then a decision by Education, Culture and Employment to delay or postpone any funding for phase two, the expansion at Ecole Allain St-Cyr to 2012-2013? Thank you.

Currently the second phase is, like I said, we're waiting for the federal government to commit the funding. So once the funding is in place, then we can certainly put it towards the capital. As we speak, we're just currently at a standstill until we get confirmation. We have our staff currently negotiating with the federal government on expediting the process as we speak.

Mr. Speaker, according to the information that I have, it looks like we're going to be looking at a two to three-year wait for the federal government to come back to us on whether or not they're going to fund this project. Mr. Speaker, I think that's a bit ludicrous. I'd like to ask the Minister again: has the government given any consideration to a policy that would see any new construction of a school in the Northwest Territories be mandated to include a gymnasium in the original design of that school?

Mr. Speaker, those are the areas that we definitely need to discuss with the other departments as well, my department and also Public Works and Services. If we need to include the gymnasium as part of the ongoing new schools, then that needs to be discussed at that level with other departments as well. So those are discussions that we'll certainly have on a going forward basis.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the high childhood obesity rates, the inactivity of our youth, wouldn't the Minister and the government think that, you know, they don't need to talk to their government officials. I mean, that's a decision, I think, the government should be making and we as legislators should be making here in the Northwest Territories. If we say that every school that's going to be constructed here in the Northwest Territories should include a gymnasium, that's a decision I think that politicians need to make, Mr. Speaker, not bureaucrats. I'd like to ask the Minister that question. Thank you.

When I said the departments, it was myself and Minister McLeod making those kinds of decisions, not the bureaucrats. At the same time, we have to work together with the MLAs around the table as well. As long as it meets the needs of the North, the people, then we can certainly work towards that. We do have alternative arrangements in the past where we built schools for the gymnasiums, with partnerships with the Sahtu, the Tlicho region and the other communities that pursued other alternatives in the schools. So we continue to strive towards that as interim measures, but for the long term we'll certainly discuss those initiatives. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In today's Member's statement I talked about the important role midwives play in our health care system and, if I may say, they certainly deliver results in our health care system. Mr. Speaker, knowing that very well and also hearing the voices of Yellowknife Centre constituents who have written me to applaud the services that are being provided by this government through our Midwife Program, they'd like to know what is being done to expand this program to continue to help deliver an accountable health care policy, certainly in a way that makes good sense and in a compassionate way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Health and myself, as Minister, support the expansion of midwifery services in the Territories. That principle is reflected in the Foundation for Change Action Plan and I look forward to working with the Members in the House through that plan to find ways to expand this program. Thank you.