On Wednesday, 18 members of the GNWT language bureau will receive their official layoff notices when aboriginal interpretation and translation services are privatized. The employees have already received their verbal notification.

The motive for privatizing the service isn't a financial one, according to Charles Dent (left), minister responsible for the Language Bureau.

"There's no savings here," he said Thursday, claiming the initiative was driven by aboriginal communities.

But Gerald Antoine, vice-chief of the Dene Nation, said he's was he consulted about the move.

In fact, he said, "this does not meet the aboriginal communities' needs."

Antoine said he is worried about the number of aboriginal employees laid off. And Antoine goes further than that. He said in a telephone interview with News/North "the bottom line is, the money transferred to communities doesn't meet our needs" and "communities must be really clear about the costs."

Translation and interpretation services are currently handled by the language bureau.

Under the privatization plan, aboriginal services would be contracted out to the private sector. French translation and interpretation remains a government responsibility thanks to federal law.

However, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will continue to be involved with certification of all interpreters and translators, policy and funding.

How that would happen and how much money would be transferred, and to whom, is the next step to be plotted in the government's plan to transfer language services to communities.

But with only 92 days remaining until privatization takes effect Judi Tutcho, the language commissioner of the NWT, has a number of questions.

"I want to make sure the services aren't diminished," she said. "Who's going to be co-ordinating it?"

"Let's do this so people are on the same wave-length."

Tutcho, who questioned the need to "reinvent the wheel when the wheel is already here," said she would like to see the government consult with her on what needs to done before privatization takes effect.

"They are going on a contract basis, I would like to see that written into the contracts that the provider of the service be required to comply with the Official Languages Act," she said.

Tutcho said she supports privatization and is more than willing to help make the transition. But, "please privatize it with an organized plan."

And while Dent claimed his department won't see a reduction in expenditures, Tutcho said she is worried about the opposite problem -- rising costs to monitor language services.

In fact, she said she suspect that she could be busier after privatization.

As a linguistic ombudsman, Tutcho handles complaints and inquires about the Official Languages Act or any other act or regulation relating to the status or use of official languages in the NWT.