Thank you, Madam Speaker. I realize it is Thursday and not Friday, but we have a long weekend in front of us. I will try to get through this in my two and a half minutes.

Around 50 years ago, Madam Speaker, the Germans introduced a vehicle called the Volkswagen. In English this means people's car. It was cheap, economical on gas and easy to fix. Yesterday, an editorial appeared in the Yellowknifer headed "If It's Not Broken, Don't Fix It." The editorial referred to comments I made in this Assembly about fixing some problems with the way our government is running.

Madam Speaker, this government is very much like an early model Volkswagen. It may still be on the road, but it wouldn't pass a mechanical inspection test. It is a little like those vehicles you sometimes see advertised in the newspapers for less than $500. They're called mechanics' specials. The bodywork isn't bad, there's just a bit of rust and the tires are very good. At least that's what the ad says, the tires at least are good. Some of these old Volkswagens, Madam Speaker, are incredible machines. The steering is loose, there's a knock in the engine, it burns a lot of oil, the muffler is full of holes, the headlights go on and off whenever they feel like it and you can only open the passenger's side door. It makes an incredible amount of noise but, amazingly, it still runs.

Of course the car isn't cheap to run any more. The price of gas has gone up and the car needs a fill-up every few hours, not once a week like in the good old days. In fact, last week Ronna Bremer wrote a well-researched article on just how expensive it is to keep this car on the road. I believe that was the point of the article.

Madam Speaker, the public knows the car is still running because they hear it wheezing and rattling along from time to time. The media watches it very closely and continually reports on its failings and shortcomings. In fact, that seems to be its major preoccupation, how things are so bad. So, I find it odd that the Yellowknifer now finds that there's nothing to be fixed, after all these years of complaining.

Madam Speaker, I've owned several old vehicles...