I am one of the unfortunate victims of this, what I would consider manipulation of the capital budget after the fact, where I lost, approximately three-quarters of a million dollars, for a health centre in Arviat, and I have thought a lot about this situation over the past few months and I realize that the money was moved and what further annoyed me was that it was moved without any consultation with myself, or the Hamlet of Arviat, and I strongly believe that this transfer or movement of funds from the capital budget, and the way it was done violates the basic fundamental principles of consensus government.

I think that when we get down to that point it makes myself and the residents of my community question consensus government. It is very embarrassing and it is very disturbing and disappointing when you inform your constituency that, yes, there is $800,000 in the capital budget to retrofit your 35 year old health centre and to find out on the street that the money has been moved from that project into another region, and, again, I stress without any consultation.

I think that the bottom line here is that this practice is unacceptable, it has to stop. I think the only way we have to do that is to introduce some kind of a mechanism, a motion, or policy that once the capital budget is struck, approved in this House, that it is not to be altered, moved, or deleted by a minister without the concurrence and the approval of the MLA's.

I do not think that the capital budget should be used in any way, shape, or form, to hamper the member from making statements in the House regarding the governments actions or policies and I think it is unacceptable that a member would have to feel that he may suffer reprisals if he were to make certain statements, or contradict, or question some of the policies of this government. I strongly believe that we do have to put something in place to guarantee that this does not happen again. I for one, would have a difficult time if somebody says to me, do not worry about it, it will not happen again. I think we need to put some teeth in this to ensure that it does not. Thank you.