Mahsi, Madam Speaker. The division of the Northwest Territories into Nunavut and the western Arctic requires all of us in the communities to be strong people. The development of a constitution in the west -- which I still call Denendeh -- requires that each community develop holistically so as to be in control of their own lives.

The Deputy Commissioner today stated very eloquently in her throne speech, "to help restore human values, dignity and a sense of community wellness." This is exactly what leaders in the Deh Cho had in mind when they spent the whole week talking about healing in the communities. We are all aware that the problems of alcohol and drugs cause a lot of problems in our communities. We all realize we have to work together to try to deal with this problem.

(Translation) Today, what I want to say is that there is going to be one week set aside to really think about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. It is good to talk about it and get involved in the recognition of this week. Thank you.

---Applause