Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my previous statements I spoke about the seniors of the NWT and their ever-increasing role of importance in the success of many of the various programs and services of this government and of the many benefits to our society. Today, Mr. Speaker, I will speak for persons on the other end of the spectrum who cannot hear their concerns in this House yet.

Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to speak about our children and the three-year early childhood development framework for action funding which comes to an end March 31, 2004. Mr. Speaker, during the past few months I have...

I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have one more issue with the education and culture. I just wanted to touch on a subject that I’m sure we’ve all had questions about and we’re all familiar with. That has to do with sex education in our school systems. Just noting that, I know that people and students that are well educated in sex, and the outcome of irresponsible sexual behaviour would make more informed decisions with respect to the actions they take and some informed decisions in modifying their sexual practices. It would help alleviate a lot of problems we have with combating STDs and other...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That sounds okay to me. It sounds like the Minister is willing to keep it under consideration for further discussion.

Just getting back to some of the increase in some program funding, the increase in the student financial assistance and the income support program, I am curious as to the levels of increase that these programs are going to be receiving. What percentage of those increases are actually going to be going to the students and what percentage is going to just administration of the program delivery?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On another point, the question of students being sent to southern institutions to be more academically challenged with their curriculum, I wonder if the Department of Education has considered the development of some type of a multilateral strategy that includes the government, industry, the federal government and any private input from individuals or families into some kind of an education fund that would assist a lot of academically challenged students from the NWT to go to institutions which will challenge them academically, intellectually, socially and mentally so...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just moving on to the issues of colleges, there is the Aurora College system with expenditures of $28 million within the next year and it does have some primary responsibilities of basic education and training. I am just wondering what proportion, if any, of that expenditure is going to be directed to the development and the accreditation of a lot of the instructors that are in our northern college system -- and no disrespect here -- which do have the expertise in the fields they are instructing in, but really don’t have any education experience in educating. I am...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just another question on that issue is on a program or an initiative that has received the positive feedback of all the players who have been involved in this initiative, has basically come to a lot of the Members' attention in the last few months just due to the fact that they knew the program was going to be sunsetted. I'm just wondering if the Minister could give me some indication as to when they do determine, and I don't think it's going to be too hard to determine the effectiveness of this program, through all the correspondence that the Legislative Assembly has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for that answer. I’m just on my last question assuming that this new expansion project gets the green light. I just wanted to ask the Premier, as with any other project of this magnitude there are always issues and effects that are overlooked or not taken into consideration during the initial negotiation process. I’m just wondering if the government has any strategy whereas this government can assume full responsibility and give compensation to residents for adverse changes and effects that were not taken into consideration during the negotiation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate some of the concerns raised by my constituents in regard to the new expansion of the Taltson hydro project being negotiated by this government. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to ask the Premier what options and consideration will this government give to the residents who will be seeking compensation and benefits from the new hydro developments on the Taltson hydro system that this government is currently embarking on?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One last comment on the subject of schools. I wonder where this school wood pile remediation is going to be of $2 million. I have a lot of constituents that would be qualified as instructors in any school that deals with wood piles.

---Laughter