Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday we reviewed the main estimates for 1996-97 for the Department of Health. Mr. Speaker, there was some good debate and clarification concerning the funding for the hospitals for the Baffin and Inuvik regions. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Roland, from Inuvik, articulated very well our position that the MOU signed in 1987 before the advent of division talks has to be honoured. The commitment yesterday, by motion and the allocation of funds for this year, by the 13th Assembly sends a strong signal that the hospitals are a priority.
Mr. Speaker, in the Baffin case, the catchment area is almost 85 per cent Inuk; thus, the funding for said new hospital as outlined in the aforesaid MOU will be funded 85 per cent by the federal government. In these times of fiscal restraint, we have to applaud the people who negotiated that initial agreement in 1987.
The chairperson of the Baffin Regional Health Board and myself were scheduled earlier this month to meet with the federal Health Minister, Mr. Dingwall, in Ottawa, to discuss the new hospital construction. However, two days before that meeting, the Minister had to cancel because he was called out of town. We are now trying to reschedule another meeting, but with the commitment as shown by this government over the past 24 hours and the ever-resource esteemed Health Minister, Mr. Kelvin Ng, the meeting may not be needed.