Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this conference there are some priority points agreed to by the provinces and territories, the priorities at the national level that would be addressed with Canada. One of those priorities, Mr. Speaker, was aboriginal participation in employment. Can the Minister elaborate for us in the House if and how you will use any funding that is coming from these proposals on aboriginal employment initiatives in terms of training? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the long term nature of these proposals, was Minister Stewart interested in looking into multi-year ongoing funding for the Northwest Territories for training? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what, if any, indication did the Minister receive from Minister Stewart regarding the funding deadline of these two proposals, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister Ootes. Mr. Speaker, further to the Minister's statement today and the recent trip to Halifax, can the Minister elaborate and provide the House with some detail on the two proposals submitted to Human Resources Development Canada and what it means to communities of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly a pleasure to be back in the chamber after a brief absence. As Mr. Ootes indicated, I just returned from a Council of Ministers of Education conference in Halifax last week. I feel that the North's active participation in these national planning and strategy conferences are essential to education in the North and Canada, if we are to meet the human resources requirements that will make this country one of the best places to live for years to come, Mr. Speaker. Certainly that's a challenge for us here in the North.

Mr. Speaker, this school year there will be two students graduating from Grade 12 in my riding. I am happy to announce that Roland Catholique from Lutselk'e and Amy Miersch from Fort Resolution are graduating from Grade 12 this year. I am pleased to see these individuals persevere and become role models for others in their communities. I would like to thank them and their families for supporting them.

Mr. Speaker, we still have a long ways to go towards improving our education system. We need a system that balances putting the onus on students and families, providing better infrastructure and a system of education that can be delivered at the same standards that we find in our capital and regional centres in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I have been working with Minister Ootes for the last three years on the educational issues in my riding, to address inefficiencies in the delivery of these programs and services. I would like to thank the Minister for his commitment the last few years and towards that end, Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that we will have five graduates coming out of my riding next year and that's a great improvement from the last three years. I would like to thank the Minister and the staff at the schools in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution for making that happen, but we have a long way to go and I hope that we can improve on these five by at least 100 percent in the following years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I guess Cabinet would not have to lift the new privatization of this revolving fund that is directed to the FMBS and I think this will only work if we realize savings by eliminating administration that is costing us a lot of money. I think it will only work if you do it in every community. It won't work if you do it in Lutselk'e and you have to follow the same process in the other communities. You won't see a savings then. So I think if you want to see a savings you have to do it in a one shot deal, and maybe it should be incumbent on the Financial Management Board to explore that option to see what kind of cost benefit there would be and see if it is feasible.

At the same time, you could go consult with the communities to see if there is interest there. I know the community I represent is interested in something of this nature but because of the new privatization direction given to the FMBS by Cabinet, we can't get into a discussion and I won't bother to encourage a private entrepreneur or a community corporation if there is not going to be the political will on the Minister's or the Cabinet's side. I don't want to encourage people to spin their wheels for nothing. Thank you. Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm in agreement with my colleague, Mr. Braden. I don't think the communities people that are not on income support are and are not in public housing can afford full cost of fuel. Mr. Chairman, we've been in business as a government for a while now. We can almost predict what kind of subsidy is required to maintain affordable fuel for people in the community.

Mr. Chairman, one of the cost drivers in this area is the management of the revolving fund. There are 11 employees that manage that. I think we've come to a time and age where we could reduce that and just give the ownership and responsibility to individuals or community corporations in these smaller communities with a subsidy managed by the Financial Management Board. That will, in my opinion, save a million dollars a year right off the top just on salaries alone. I think that if we could realize those savings and give a larger role to the communities, it would be a positive step, recognizing that there is continued subsidization required. If we could give some kind of comfort with some kind of agreement to these communities, I think they will be open to it. Any other cost associated with global politics then could be addressed by the business entity at community level and would not have to go through the Financial Management Board and all the political hoops that we have to go through to do so. I would make that recommendation to the Minister to explore that possibility. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs:

1. What is the basis for the current arrangement between the City of Yellowknife and/or the Government of the NWT and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, regarding the status of Ndilo?
2. When does this arrangement end?
3. What is the amount of the payments in lieu of taxes from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and/or the Government of the NWT to the City of Yellowknife for the municipal costs of Ndilo?
4. Does the City of Yellowknife account to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada for the dollars received in lieu of taxes? What are the expenditures over the past three years made by the City of Yellowknife on behalf of Ndilo?
5. Most government of the NWT departments consider Ndilo a separate community from the City of Yellowknife. What would be required for Municipal and Community Affairs to also recognize it as a separate community?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister to revisit those bylaws and regulations, set down strict regulations and bylaws so boards of directors do meet regularly so they can address the needs of their constituents. Also, Mr. Speaker, at the same time, would the Minister look at ways to approve the accountability of local housing authorities so that maybe you could elect a few or appoint a few so you could have disparity that way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.