Sometimes when I look at Arctic College I think there has been a preoccupation with the acquisition of assets, rather than looking at the quality of education which we are delivering. This group here, on this side of the table, believes that the K to 12 has to have the priority. We have to take a fundamental look at how we are educating our kids. They are simply not coming out the system, in my opinion, with a level of education that is necessary to click in to the policies that we are trying to develop with respect to northern content, whether it is a northern hire policy or a northern buy policy.

I agree with the other speakers that Arctic College is, in my opinion, somewhat out of control. It has gone from a $10 million to $12 million budget to a $30 million budget. It is trying to be all things to all people and it simply cannot. There has to be a hard look at how this operation runs. There has to be a focus. For example, in my riding -- I have spoken on this a number of times -- I think the focus should be on trades. We are in an unfortunate situation where most of our kids do not really have the quality of education, or the level of education, I should say, that allows them to move into an academic stream. Arctic College, in my opinion, has to be given a thorough review.

I agree with the report that adult education upgrading and the adult education components are absolutely essential, certainly for the Eastern Arctic in our small communities. They are seen as a method in which younger and older people can participate in the educational process. The focus, in my opinion, should be there; and I tend to doubt that it is there.

On the "NWT Way", everybody knows my opinion on that. We will not accept reducing the level of health care in the Keewatin Region. I will, if necessary, vote against it in the coming weeks if that is the way the government wishes to go. We should be taking a different approach by finding the resources to upgrade the level of health care. We are talking about your kids and my kids. We do not have the luxuries of Yellowknife's $50 million white elephant for which we would all be paying the consequences, in my opinion, if you look at the "NWT Way." I want to make it clear to my colleagues that I have no intention of supporting the "NWT Way" model for health care delivery at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.