All of the information I have is that the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op is doing all things in a responsible manner and doing everything they can. I am sure that we could talk to them about the possibility of doing that. I will follow up on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In answering questions that I heard earlier to the Minister of Health and Social Services, she said that part of this public health notice that went out just after one o’clock today said all ground beef products at the Yellowknife Co-op. She had mentioned the fact that there could be some cross-contamination on the processing but, Mr. Speaker, I am at a little bit of a loss because that ground beef product comes in pre-packaged packages. It is not mixed in with any of the other ground beef products, which would lead me to believe, Mr. Speaker, that the department did not call the retailer. If they called the retailer, they might have figured that out, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister just tell me when the department or when the office of the chief medical officer talked to the retailer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My information is that the public health officer works with the environmental health officer and the environmental health officer is working with the Co-op on this. I will get back to the Member on the details. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague from Weledeh, Mr. Bromley. We shouldn’t be out there scaring the public and recalling all of this beef if that is not necessarily the case. If that is not the case, what this press release that the Department of Health and Social Services has sent out is going to scare the daylights of our public, it is just not true. That was pre-packaged beef. It was one product. Why don’t we do our homework before we send out a press release, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

I have already committed to Member Bromley that I will review this process and get more detailed information. Mr. Speaker, I think it is really important to note that the public health officer on their legislation have vast powers and authority and so does the environmental health officer. They make the calls and they make the decisions. For now, the focus is on protecting the public and making sure that all necessary precautions are taken. I will commit to review the process and see if there is any room for tightening the process. I think it is really important to know that we need to make sure that our independent officials do their job first and that their foremost and first priority is to protect the public. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

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

Mr. Speaker, the program that we do offer through the grants and loans contribution to the students, one can look at it as up to six years plus the loans. When you look at the total over the course of the program delivery, it could be more than 10 years that we sponsor these students. I think that is the avenue that we need to look at. I think we have a generous package that we offer to northern students. We continue to improve in our areas where it was $47,000 for loans, now we have upped it up to $60,000. I think, Mr. Speaker, this is the area that we are quite unique compared to other jurisdictions. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, for the aboriginal students who want to obtain their master’s or doctor’s degree, the eligibility is six years again. I talked to a student who is getting a master’s degree. She is having a very difficult time. The Minister makes it sound so easy and makes it look so wonderful that they can do it, but this person is having a difficult time to get funding from this government…

Do you have a question, Mr. Yakeleya?

Will the Minister look at and review the eligibility in terms of the aboriginal students who want to obtain a degree?

Mr. Speaker, we can certainly look at the individual case that the Member is referring to, what kind of struggles there are and challenges. We do have various avenues that we can sponsor students. As I highlighted, there are grants and loans and also through our

own income security area, they can qualify for certain subsidies as well. We can certainly look at it on a case-by-case basis if the Member can provide that information. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are probably other cases, so that is why I have asked it in a general context. Would the Minister look at the eligibility in terms of First Nations students who want to obtain a master’s or doctor’s degree? I can certainly give him specifics, and he certainly can look at it, but I am looking at it generally overall in terms of aboriginal students who believe that they have Treaty rights to education. Would the Minister look at the general overall program?

Mr. Speaker, we do provide a general overall program, the subsidies to the students, whether they are aboriginal or non-aboriginal students who are Northerners, up to six years plus. Then they can take out the loan that was remiss as well when they come back to the North. They don’t have to pay it back. We do have a generous package. I am not sure what else we can provide. Even the southern jurisdictions, in comparison our package is more attractive. It has more strength than other programs down south. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will challenge the department and the Minister to review this SFA in terms of the eligibility here. I believe that the southern part has more strength than the government here. I will ask that he would review and see where he can strengthen it in terms of this eligibility in terms of six years. Alberta has 10 years. I want to challenge the Minister to see if he would look at a general overview and come back with an analysis of what he found out.

Mr. Speaker, certainly we can provide more research with our neighbouring Alberta. We need to find out if it is all grants, because I am sure there is a loans portfolio as well. That is what we offer right now, grants and loans. It could be more than 10 years that we can offer students from the North to attend university down south to get their master’s or PhD. We do provide that opportunity for them. We will continue to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 9, written questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Written questions are for the Premier.

1. Please provide to me the number of meetings

and phone conferences he has had with the Minister Chuck Strahl of the federal government, INAC.

2. Will the Premier advise how many times these

discussions were in topic to the Dehcho and the Dehcho Process?

3. Can the Premier provide the negotiation

position that our Cabinet has with respect to the Dehcho negotiations process?

4. Will the Premier report how many of the

discussions were in relation to the Nahanni National Park boundaries?

5. Will the Premier advise how many of these

discussions were around the EdeZhie Protected Areas Strategy?

6. Please advise how many times he has met

with the Dehcho grand chief and with the Dehcho leadership.

Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. We will review that written question. That may be information that the Minister would be able to answer right here in the House rather than written question. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation 2007-2008 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.