Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to replies to opening address, we always hear this question about fairness, equity in all regions, communities across the north. Yet, I feel that my region has been under-utilized, and not getting the adequate support it should through this House to questions I raised as a Member of the Mackenzie Delta and particular Ministers. The Premier states in his opening address that this government will be cooperative in working along with Members of this House, communities, Aboriginal Summit and other organizations. The things that happened in this House seems to boggle our minds at times wondering who they represent. Do they represent big industry in regard to sole- sourced contracts, in regard to southern firms who seem to be getting a majority of this work, and also in regard to the residents of the Northwest Territories, who are not getting the adequate support on programs and services that they should be? Not a cut had been made over the last two years in dealing with the deficit. I am sure you can understand that. The practice at this government continues to be, support big business and forget the little people in the communities who do not have jobs; who have poor health care; who basically have high dropout rates in regard to alcohol and drug problems. It still seems to be not of much importance to this government, and this particular Minister.

I think that with the cuts that we made especially in my region, the healing program, Delta House, and also in regard to calls from my community, especially in relation to concerns of individuals who go to the hospital time and time again and not getting the adequate health care that they need. We even talked about fair, fair in what sense? Fair in regard to the bottom line? Or fair to the jobs that are basically created by large companies? Or fair that we are no better off than people that fly over us to southern corporations, the mining companies?

This government is spending thousands if not millions of dollars, catering to southern institutions, southern consultant companies. Yet we stand here and say we are working for the benefit of the Northwest Territories. At the end of the day, consultants will go home to southern Canada. The report will possibly sit on the shelf like most of them do, and the health care of the people of the Northwest Territories will continue to deteriorate. It states that we are elected as leaders to serve the whole Northwest Territories. Not just our ridings. Time and time again we talked about division happening in two years, in regard to allowing the Nunavut government and the people of Nunavut to decide for themselves what kind of government they want. Yet, we impose things on that government in relation to the type of institutions we are going to have to adopt, in light of there is 18 months to division. This government continues to find new ways of imposing structures on governments, and the people of the east.

It seems to me that this is just another way to create a new loophole in the bureaucracy we already have which basically meets the needs of a few individuals but not the needs of the territory as a whole. Mr. Speaker, I find it awfully interesting that time and time again I stand up in this House, I raise questions in relation to those issues and items; and we continue to say we will support each other, but at the end of the day, looking through the budget, going through the business plan seeing where a lot of money is being spent and seeing progress made in some regions, while none in others. Mr. Speaker, this government talks about representing the territory as a whole. I would like to ask when will it start? Thank you.

--Applause