Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for courses to be delivered, the government has to pay the costs for newspaper advertisements of tenders for instructors, travel to and from destination for employees and instructors alike, pay for accommodation costs and expenses, printing of calendars, course fees, including salaries and benefits of the employees while they are on courses. Mr. Speaker, there is no way to measure whether the courses have been successful over the years because in order to do that one would have to find a way to determine if the employees acquired their skills in the workplace after completing the courses they have taken.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly feel that the government has not made strong enough efforts to provide adequate adult education or training programs, especially in the three outlying communities within the Dogrib region. We have to continue with the pilot projects but because they are so short term, there are no constructive ways for this government to determine the success of the short-term programs. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the Department of Education that they eliminate the training courses for government employees in order to invest heavily where it is most needed, such as education and training programs for constituencies like mine that don't have enough adult education programs and courses.

Mr. Speaker, I feel training courses being offered to the public service employees have been a waste of public funds and no doubt help contribute to the deficit issues. The government must hire the best qualified individual to work with the people of the North and only those who are interested in retiring with us in our North. Mr. Speaker, we have been seen as living off social welfare and not contributing to society as a taxpayer. Only through the government's financial investment an education and adequate training programs and employee initiatives can we alter the grey lines on social welfare and not be seen as making devastating impact on the government's deficit problem.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I feel that the only way our people on social programs can help this government is if this government puts financial investment in our people so they can be in a better position to assist the government to eliminate the deficit problem. Later today, I will be providing the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with several written questions on this subject. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause