Yellowknife (May 25/05) - The legislative assembly opens March 25 for a seven-day session, but government house leader Charles Dent won't reveal the agenda until after MLAs meet today.

"Unless (acts) have been introduced in the house, it's difficult for me to give specifics," Dent said, citing the conventions of the Northwest Territories consensus-style governance.

A bill to amend the Education Act to allow for full-day kindergarten, instead of the current half-day, will be re-introduced this session, Dent said.

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen plans to question the government about closing of the remand centre in Hay River.

She also wants to talk about Premier Joe Handley's request for $100-million per year in federal funding to deal with the social problems brought on by the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

"I don't think that we should be taking interim deals," she said.

Among other issues, Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya wants to talk about the proposed $41-million Yellowknife court house. "The communities that I represent see many more pressing needs than a courthouse in Yellowknife," he said, noting a program to properly seal gravel roads in the Sahtu has been delayed a year.

Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee wants to talk about the Yellowknife Sand Pits area.

Last week, the Yellowknives Dene demanded a lease on the land for a proposed development.

"Land development for Yellowknife is a very big issue," she said.