Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister my usual question in terms of when we might expect to see some progress on this particular project. From the Minister, can we expect to see a timeline for this project, some definite movement in a forward direction, not talk? Thank you.

Again, we have initiated a discussion just last week. There are players involved now. The corporate sectors, the city, the college, the GNWT is a partner in this and exploring options, as we indicated. Those are the areas of interest to us. We want to explore those options so we can share with our standing committee. We need to move forward on this. At this point we are renewing the lease agreement, so that is first things first and getting out and integrating with the potential partners. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I do agree we have to move forward on this, but I heard no timeline except that we are going to renew a lease. Again, lots of talk and little action. If we are renewing this lease for three years, can I expect to see a timeline for construction within the next six or eight months? Thank you.

First of all we have to go through a process to find the funds. Those are the areas that we are discussing at this point. When that happens, then we will notify the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a follow-up to my Member’s statement. I have questions for the Minister of Education. How does the number of students with special needs figure into the way the department funds teaching positions in their schools? Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is the area that we need to work closely with the Beaufort-Delta Department of Education, and also local education authority. We provide funding through them based on enrollment. There are PTR and also inclusive schooling. That is their contribution through BDDAC and then on through the communities. When it comes to teachers, it is really up to the school board to hire those teachers, hire those professionals, so we will continue to work with them. If there is a need in the specific most current school, then that will be addressed next time I meet with the board chairs. Mahsi.

The department’s Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is helping raise local awareness interests and support for the schools and students. This is certainly true in Aklavik. What will the Minister do to answer the need for another teacher for the early grade levels? Thank you.

Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is in the works during the implementation stages. We work closely with BDDAC on this particular subject. When it comes to hiring additional teachers, this could be a discussion that we could have with the school board identifying a specialized teacher through the ASA if that needs to be the case. It has to be at the board level. I will be discussing that with them as well. Mahsi.

Will the Minister go to Aklavik and see the situation at Moose Kerr School for himself?

Mr. Speaker, by all means, if there is an indication, we are willing to accept and go to communities. I think that is part of the job that we have here. I am looking forward to visiting those communities. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the infrastructure needs and some of the things that are happening in the Northwest Territories. I also made comments to the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline initiative and Mr. Ramsay, the Minister of ITI, talked about the Mackenzie Gas Project. In light of what we have heard and read, that we are downsizing and there is not much of an uptake now from the federal government or the oil companies to look at the Mackenzie Gas Project and not knowing whenever that will come to light, within Mr. Ramsay’s department is he looking at other big picture initiatives that are happening in the Northwest Territories that maybe we need to have some high-level discussions with the communities in the North?

Would Mr. Ramsay acknowledge what is happening in Norman Wells? Could he see that this can take precedence over some of the initiatives, as well, that have been happening in the North in regard to the Mackenzie Gas Project and possibly looking at a pipeline coming from the south to the north from Zamba to Norman Wells in regard to what is happening out there in Alaska last year?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is still very optimistic that the Mackenzie Gas Project will be constructed at some point in time. I have recently met with proponents of the gas project who share that optimism. At some point in time that gas project will see the light of day.

We continue to be optimistic that that will happen, but we also have to be cognizant of other opportunities that are presenting themselves in the territory. Of course, the resource play that is currently underway in the Sahtu is very important and very exciting and has the potential to turn the central Mackenzie, the Sahtu region into a real beehive of activity. We are looking forward to working with the Member.

As we move forward and as the resources are developed there and opportunities present themselves, we will be taking a look at how we can help the Sahtu region advance the interests there for the good of the entire territory. We are excited at the opportunities there. Thank you.

As the Minister mentioned, the Sahtu could be a real busy place like a beehive. I hope he’s not referring to us as honey buckets here

and being dealt with in the last four years in Colville Lake. I want to ask the Minister if they’re looking at high-level discussions in the Sahtu because of the shift of the playing and just the way things have turned out. Is the Minister willing to look at maybe opening up some discussions on a Highway Strategy in our region for oil companies, communities that we can possibly have a new discussion paper on looking at some new initiatives that could happen because of what’s going on there? Thank you.

I’ve discussed this issue with both of my deputy ministers at ITI and at Transportation, and at the earliest opportunity I would like a chance to sit down with the Sahtu Explorers Group – that’s the group of companies that are doing work in the Sahtu – to explore opportunities to work together to advance transportation infrastructure, both winter road access and perhaps even all-season access into the Sahtu from Wrigley. Those discussions I look forward to having with the Sahtu Explorers Group as we move forward. Thank you.

Can the Minister tell me when possibly his officials, his department or the Cabinet could look at some new direction for the Northwest Territories in light of what’s happening in the Sahtu? It’s going to be busy, busy, busy. So maybe the beehive businesses, that’s probably an inaccurate statement, but can he tell me when will he be able to share some documents with us saying yes this is how we are going to move in this area once he’s met with the Explorers Group and he has some indication that this is going to be a place that needs to be paid attention and that the Sahtu could look forward to his presentation to us?

We’re still in the early days. There was a great deal of activity there last winter. There’s some activity there this summer and for the foreseeable future there will be a great deal of activity taking place in the Sahtu. There were two wells drilled there last year and there will be a number more proposed to be drilled this coming winter.

As the resource is better known and we get a better indication from industry and the residents in the Sahtu on what is there, I think then we really need to take stock of programs and services that we have on the ground in the Sahtu, and if there’s a need to ramp up government activity to deal with the progress that’s being made there on developing the resource, then that’s something that we’re going to need to see happen sooner rather than later. But certainly all indications, from what I’ve heard from industry and people who have been out in the field, this is a sizeable resource play and it’s very exciting and the potential exists for billions of barrels of oil to be located across the river from Norman Wells. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Ramsay talked about some of the sizeable, significant things that could happen in the Sahtu. I want to ask the Minister if he can let his Finance Minister know, and Cabinet know, that next time they do a budget and report that, you know, we could have some indication as to some of the things that could be happening there.

Right now we’re talking a lot of Mackenzie Gas Project, but we don’t know when that’s going to be built. Whenever I guess is sometime way in the future, but something’s happening in the Sahtu right now that should have had some attention in the budget. So could I ask the Minister in the next budget report that he could look at some of these issues that could be seeing some development happening within this government with the Sahtu people and going forward on some initiatives that we’re going to be needing to help us over there?

As we move toward all the activity that will take place in the Sahtu next winter, we will be working toward the business planning process this fall and certainly not just the two departments that I’m responsible for, but other departments. As things progress there and there is a need for more resources in programming or services or personnel, those are discussions that are going to need to take place and those will come through the business planning process in discussion with the Sahtu Secretariat and folks that are in the Sahtu. Those discussions will certainly play themselves out over the coming months. Thank you.