Thank, Madam Chair. Some general comments on the budget document. I think that we have come a long way in two years. Unfortunately, we have also had to deal with some very negative duplications with the reductions as we have gone. I have always stated that I am concerned with the fairness with the way the reductions were happening. I hope to see that, as this budget comes out and unfolds, we have seen the fairness issue addressed in a meaningful way.

I share the concern of my community of Inuvik when it comes to the closure of Delta House, or the proposed closure as it states in this document. It also states of the hard necessary decisions that we have to make at times. I hope that this government will consider the health of the community and the people in the region when it looks at the possible alternatives, if any can be found in the area of drug and alcohol addictions.

When I came here a year ago now, as I think many of us did, we talked of changing the way the government did business. I think that we have done a phenomenal amount of change in the short time that we have been in this Assembly, to the point that we are now saying it is time to slow down and look where we have gone. As I thought about this the other night, we need to stop and look where we have gotten because we have been so busy in the cutting procedure we do not know if we are still heading towards the end of the forest or if we are going around in a circle now. I think that as a government and especially coming up to division we have to be sure of where we are heading.

I have concerns in the area of budget reductions and the impact of those even in the light of division. I think that both east and west have to look at the implications that we face as new territories come April 1, 1999. I have said it earlier on, when I came into the House, that Nunavut, I think it is a good idea and I support the people of Nunavut proceeding to move forward in that direction.

I also stated in that comment that I did not want it done on the backs of those who could least afford it. In all of this, I think that we need to pay particular attention to the end product. Have we achieved a balanced budget at the cost of two viable territories?

I think that we all came here with the idea that we did have to deal with the budget, whether division or not, we could not afford to continue to run government as it has. I have had to do much explaining in my home community on the reductions that have happened throughout the first year, and no doubt will have to do much explaining. But as I said in my interview yesterday with CBC, I do not find it my job to defend what is put forward, but instead to make sure that whatever is proposed is done in a fair and meaningful way. As we go through this process, I will be directing my questions to the Ministers of the departments that we go through on exactly that fairness in the way budget reduction has occurred. Thank you, Madam Chair.