Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Generally, I support the report, "Strength at Two Levels." Many aspects, recommendations and research that went into it provide a very stern review of how things are done. There are a couple of things I want to make note of, and I will be addressing these as we get into detail.

One is regarding the public service and the recommendation for developing a home-grown public service as well as the need to refocus or revitalize the affirmative action program. The report goes into some detail about the lack of Northerners and the lack of availability of trained northern people to assume responsible positions in this government. Yet, in another section, the report talks about the education of northern people. There is a recommendation to reduce some of the services, grants and benefits to northern people. This does not make sense to me. On one hand you are suggesting increasing the training of our people, and on the other hand you are recommending reducing what there is in terms of how this training is done. This is one area we have to look at. Maybe there is a middle ground.

Another area I have a concern about, and will be raising at the appropriate time, is health benefits, especially to non-status and Metis people. There are some recommendations in the report that they be seriously considered. I assume it means the requests that have been made to the previous government, and I believe it is on the agenda of this government. I read that to mean that those requests not be approved. I hope that they be considered and that we try not to establish different classes of aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories.

These are a couple of comments I wanted to make at this stage. Thank you.