Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is in regards to fairness, equity, and also in regards to the upcoming budget cuts that the Premier has mentioned to us and the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, we have to keep in mind that also there is social and economic problems that have arrived in regions such as the Mackenzie Delta, Inuvik region. What we have seen is a lot of programs which are essential to the economic well-being of my riding, slowly being deteriorated, such as the correctional facility that was earmarked for Aklavik, Fort Resolution.

That program has been eliminated and now we are hearing about the hospital in Inuvik which is beneficial to my riding, in regards to the Mackenzie Delta. We have seen that program being pushed off.

We have to some how take into account that we have to also look at the economic viability of how this government can also help those ridings that do not have an economic base, such as a diamond mine, large tourism industry and also that the infrastructure has to be developed in those ridings that do not have it.

In the case of the Inuvik hospital, the hospital was built in 1963, which is almost 33 years ago. The building was built approximately the same time Inuvik has been established. We have to take into account that these facilities are needed, regardless of the cost that we are looking at. We approved an $8,000,000 expansion to the RCMP facility in Yellowknife last year, which is presently being constructed.

We did not debate where that money was going to come from, we were able to find it, it was constructed. So I would like to ask this government and also the people of the Northwest Territories, that these essential services have to be constructed as scheduled, as laid out in the plan, and also agreed to between this government and the Government of Canada. We have to allow progress to proceed as scheduled and those resources have to be put back into place. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause