Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that there was much done to move things forward with the project. It is my understanding that the bid on the project was high for approval but, at the same time, why hasn’t the department come back to the government to seek additional funds to cover additional costs to complete the project, the most important project in the community of Gameti? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Schools across the North are preparing for their year-end school next month. The school in Gameti was approved by this government to build an extension so the community has access to the local gym. (Translation ends)

…prepared for their year-end school next month. The school in Gameti was approved by this government to build an extension so the community can have access to the local gymnasium, which they currently do not have. Construction for this project...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community of Gameti is frustrated over the whole process; it’s been on hold for a number of months and it wasn’t moving anywhere once the bid came in, was too high. That’s why I was asking about alternative measures. But, Mr. Speaker, my final question: This project was scheduled to be completed before the next school year; that was the hope. The bureaucratic red tape is no excuse for any delay; we’ve heard it over and over. When will the building for the Gameti school extension begin? Will it be next year? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask Minister Dent about the next question; that is what other alternative measures were taken by your department to move things forward, especially during the critical time where supplies could have been delivered over the winter road? What were the other alternative measures? Mahsi.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have lost an elder in the past three weeks. His name is Harry Simpson. He's originally from Gameti. He was the last surviving member of the elders negotiation team that settled our Tlicho land claim.

Mr. Speaker, as one of the four elder advisors of the Tlicho Nation, Simpson spent the better part of his life working on the Tlicho Agreement. One of Mr. Simpson's greatest accomplishments was setting up the annual trail of our ancestors' canoe trips, where elders and youth would travel together to celebrate their traditional lifestyles. Simpson...

I move to report progress, Madam Chair.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee members wish to consider Bill 15, Elections and Plebiscites Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3; and Committee Report 5-15(5), Report on the Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Workers' Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see action results focussing on the expansion from the department’s perspective. Can the Minister commit in this House that this can be implemented in the fall time of 2007? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of the ministerial directive clarifying the use of funding provided to deliver aboriginal and language programming in our schools as Minister Dent had identified, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this Assembly how any schools in the NWT can be expected to employ a qualified ALCIP instructor when it takes them five years or more without funding or support to achieve this goal? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker… (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk on an issue that’s very important to the continued survival of the Tlicho and other First Nation languages and cultures. That is the proper funding of a full-time Aboriginal Language and Culture Instructor Program, also known as the ALCIP program, to be delivered through Aurora College.

Mr. Speaker, as it stands right now, the ALCIP program is delivered on a piecemeal basis through either distance learning or individual courses being taught by instructors in the communities. In other cases the...