Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a few brief comments, and mine are related, as well, to the whole issue of empowerment, which I see as the main vehicle of the 13th Assembly in terms of making the changes that they're talking about, other than division.

There is a need and a desire for people in the communities -I know for sure in Fort Smith -- to actually see something in writing that outlines very clearly what we mean when we talk about empowerment, There is a great interest in this whole initiative, and I know in Fort Smith, we're planning on having a major community meeting in the fall to which we would like to invite senior people from the department to talk about this whole area.

I see MACA as being the lead department, by virtue of this initiative, in the regions, and having to play -- in addition to the role they play delivering their other services -- a coordinating role, possibly as a lead department, that would try to bridge and coordinate other departments and government services in the region now that we have no more regional directors.

The whole issue of empowerment to me relates very closely to the whole idea of self-government, and this is actually making it work. It's taking it out of the area of the abstract, out of the area of discussion in the political realm where there are high-level discussions, and you're talking with communities on how you make life better for people in the communities, how you take control over those services. So the key to me is having something that we can go out with in our hand to show the people. Nobody is willing to proceed without it that I know of. They know how words can disappear if they're just spoken and not written, and I've been told very clearly by the community leaders in Fort Smith that they really think the initiative has merit but they are not willing to turn one wheel or take a step in dealing with the government on something of this magnitude, of this importance, until they have a very clear idea of what we're saying and what we mean.

So I think this is a critical initiative and one which I will fully support. I think it's critical to this 13th Assembly. Thank you.