Mr. Speaker, having been an employee of Arctic College from 1987 to 1992, I am fully aware of the philosophy behind the college. Mr. Speaker, again I have to reiterate that I am not against the decentralization of college programs if it makes administrative, logistical and financial sense to do so. Mr. Speaker, this House keeps talking about financial cutbacks, reductions and lay-offs, yet we continue on to spend $1.30 to liberate $1. Mr. Speaker, this is not the issue. The issue is the cost of the decentralization of programs. Mr. Speaker, the cost has not been proven to me. Has the Minister looked at the transfer of programs that are currently being offered in the West and having those programs devolved to Nunavut instead of transferring programs within Nunavut to other campuses?

That wasn't my question. My question was if the Minister was prepared to table that information in the House. The reason for my question, of course, is that public money spent by this government should be available to the public. I appreciate the information coming to me, personally, but I would like to have that information tabled in this House for the public to see these costs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Education about the transfer of programs from Nunatta Campus of Nunavut Arctic College. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Education provide to this House a breakdown on the cost to transfer these programs, including the cost of student married accommodations, impact of student travel costs, and the administration costs before the program transfer are implemented? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of the relocation of programs from Nunatta Campus. Mr. Speaker, Petition No. 1 contains 140 signatures. Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request the following: "We, the undersigned citizens of the Baffin region, disagree with the process by which decisions have been made to move the departments from Nunatta Campus of Nunavut Arctic College to other campuses. We encourage the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories to review the process and reconsider the decision of the relocation. We believe these decisions will place undue stress on the financial, human, and program resources of Nunavut Arctic College as a whole. This negative stress will have a significant impact on students, faculty, and the communities of Nunavut and will be counterproductive to the establishment of a representative government."

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Canadian Federation of Students issued a press release supporting the actions of the students in Iqaluit. This body represents over 400,000 students in 65 universities and colleges throughout Canada. Mr. Speaker, the federation points out in its news release that transferring students 1,170 kilometres southwest of Iqaluit to Rankin, or 1,690 kilometres northwest to Cambridge Bay is unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, this is not the type of publicity that the GNWT needs in southern Canada or elsewhere. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking further questions on this issue over this session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final supplemental: Although the Cabinet may not believe this, I want to point out that I'm not against decentralization of college programs if it makes logistic, administrative, and financial sense to do so. Mr. Speaker, why would the Minister recommend the transfer of the community alcohol and drug treatment counsellor program, for example, when he, I, and most of the Members in this House know the only alcohol and drug treatment centre is located in Iqaluit? Mr. Speaker, this does not make any sense. We're talking about financial restraints and yet we can do one thing and say another. Mr. Speaker, my supplemental question to the Minister is has he thought about that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a letter dated January 25th to the president of the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce, the Minister states that, and I quote, "That the transfer of base-funded programs must not result in a requirement for additional financial resources." Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is how can additional costs not be included when you and I realize that additional staff housing will have to be found in other transferred communities, that married accommodations for students will have to be found, and that the GNWT will have to honour its responsibility to the transferred staff and purchase their houses. Which, from my information at the present time, are five instructors at approximately $150,000 a house; at the very least, an additional cost to this government of $750,000 alone in buying the transferred employees' homes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad that I have some support over in the Cabinet today. Mr. Speaker, supplemental: Will the Minister release the public consultation report that was submitted to the college board of governors concerning the proposed transfer?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, since September of 1995, and during my election campaign and continuing until now, there have been several concerns regarding the transfer of several programs from the Nunavut Arctic College campus in Iqaluit to other centres. Mr. Speaker, several groups, including the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce and the Baffin leaders' summit have written or passed motions asking the Minister to carefully consider the proposed transfers as well as submissions from staff and students of Nunatta Campus against this transfer.

Mr. Speaker, through a letter and a communique, the Minister has stated that he is in favour of and has approved in principle, the transfer of four programs from Nunatta Campus to other centres. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, in light of the severe economic pressures facing the GNWT, why is the Minister continuing with this exercise which could cost this government in excess of $2 million when the program, infrastructure, administration, and logistics are already in place at Nunatta

Campus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a well-known Yellowknife resident and union activist, Brother Ben McDonald from the Union of Northern Workers.

---Applause