With respect to the central order of government, the commission recommended that phase II examine models to fulfil the goals of guaranteed representation for men, women, aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents.

At this point, I am going to take the opportunity to state a few views on the representation of women on government boards. I think that it just goes to show that women and men have to learn to work more closely together. There is a poor example of when this commission was set up, five men were appointed. The women had to lobby to get a voice of the care givers on this commission. We really thought we got the message across, and low and behold, there was another working committee set up -- who did they exclude? They excluded the women again. Again, we went to lobby to get the voice of the care givers on this commission.

I want to state to this House, to the leadership out in the communities, it is high time they start supporting the care givers. I have done the community visits in three regions where land claims are settled and the message is loud and clear that they want more workshops in leadership, they want more workshops in self-government, they want more workshops in explanation of their land claim, and here they are in areas where there land claim is settled. That is really a strong message that proper work has not been done and proper consultation has not been done.

In conclusion, I want to say that, as women, we want recognition. We do not want to be excluded from any future decision-making body. We want to work with all politicians, whether they be men or women. We do not want to walk one step behind you, we want to walk side by side. Mahsi Cho.

---Applause