Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have addressed the concern today with the appropriate Ministers indicating that our system for NorthwesTel has been a very poor system, and the quality of service we are getting is next to poor. Over time, we have been receiving an older technology of system that is used only in Fort Smith. Fort Smith is continually absorbing numerous cutoffs in their long distance calls. They have a lot of echo sounds in the service.
This motion is to assist the community in trying to maintain the type of service we are paying for. It also addresses to replacing the old technology that is used only in Fort Smith. The community residents have been very, very patient and tolerable with the service; however they are finding it extremely difficult to continue with that patience. I believe the intention of this motion is to try to convince NorthwesTel to give the community the service It is currently paying for.
One point of interest to the Members, we all know that the night of the plebiscite vote there was a call to our mayor and, unfortunately, they could not even got through to get his comments because of the continual cutoffs in our system. I would appreciate the support from Members to request NorthwesTel to provide the level of services that other communities are now being able to benefit from.