Thank you, Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I, too would like to add my support to what Mr. Allooloo had to say yesterday about water safety. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Department of Transportation and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for their upcoming public service announcement campaign on water safety.
I had the opportunity to participate in that in a small way, by reading a few lines that say: "Everybody enjoys the lakes and rivers in the north. Some people fish, others swim and many travel the waters by boat and by canoe. Lots of people don't wear their lifejackets and they risk their lives every day they go out on the water. Your family needs you, we need you, so please, make sure you always wear your life jacket." Now, that's the message that a number of us and, certainly, the departments are trying to get out. However, each year we still lose two or three people to water accidents, not to mention those who manage to escape by sheer luck. These need not happen, Mr. Speaker, if we observe a few simple rules:
1) Make sure you're familiar with water safety procedure;
2) Water and alcohol don't mix; and,
3) You always wear your lifeiacket and insist that all of your family and guests on your boat wear lifejackets.
A message that some of my colleagues in a different profession said I should mention is that you may look very macho to your friends and family but, to the RCMP and the coroners who are recovering you, you all look the same: you look dead. If you don't want that to happen, wear your lifejacket.
--- Applause