Thank you, Mr. Ng. I would like to take this opportunity to inform the Members that at 11:00 a.m. this morning there will be a book signing ceremony in the Great Hall which will include a drum prayer. I am sure that we will hear, so I do not want Members to be startled or alarmed by the drums. Mrs. Groenewegen, question number six.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just in closing, I would like to comment on the work that has been done by Minister Ng from my perspective over the past two years, not him in isolation, but that of the departments that he

represents and in that role of leading those departments. It is such a vast area of need that I think there is never enough that a person or the government can do to address those needs. But I would like to thank the Minister for being attentive and being approachable on the various concerns. He has attended at least in my riding, I know other ridings, over that two-year period and has tried to listen to what the people have to say. If there is one small area of suggestion or advise that I could offer that might improve communications, it is in relations to our workings here in the House. There are times that either other Members or myself ask the Minister questions, and I do not feel that we get the most direct answer. Sometimes after I ask a question, I feel kind of good and satisfied and happy with the answer, but then I sit down and when I start to try to analyse what he said, I am kind of having difficulty nailing it down and saying, yes, that is the answer I need or that is something that I can take back to my constituents. So, just a small area of suggestion, maybe just be a little more direct and straightforward in communications. That is all I have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No question.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I did not hear a question. Next on the list, I will recognize the Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to deal with an issue that is arising here at Station Regional Hospital, that seems to be receiving some concerns by the people who are the specialists here. The Med-Emerg report made a number of recommendations and seemed to indicate that the department will go in a certain direction. I understand that further work is going to be done on that this fall, but the concern here is that we have a group of specialists, and they are serving fairly well the whole of the Northwest Territories and certainly all of the Mackenzie Valley. There is an unease there now that the way the future through the developing of all the responsibility to the boards may result in the loss of a number of patients coming here to Yellowknife for specialist treatment. If that happens, that means we may loose specialists and it could have a snow ball effect.

In other words, right now we do have a set-up of a group of specialist here and they can provide most of the services for the residents of the western Arctic certainly if not more than that including the Keewatin. This is a major concern. I have spoken to some of the medical people myself. It is happening because of the fact that we are devolving so much responsibilities to the boards, and there is no sort of guarantee yet that we will be able to maintain the volume of patients through these specialists because it will be a choice of each board where they go. Then it becomes a competitive matter. I wonder if the Minister could enlighten us somewhat on this and provide some reassurance? I will only ask one question. Could the Minister provide some reassurance that we want to maintain this group of specialists in the north and build on that so that we do have a centre of excellence here in the Northwest Territories to treat on an ongoing basis most of the major medical concerns that require a specialist, an operation of some sort? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Some time ago, the department stated it would develop an alcohol and drug strategy. Could the Minister tell us what has happened in that regard and what is in the process of an alcohol and drug strategy?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Questions for the Minister. Mr Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To a question earlier, asked by my honourable colleague from Hay River, Mrs. Groenewegen. What does the department do? The Minister replied a number of areas, support of boards and planning. He also stated that initiatives the boards cannot undertake, such as the human resource support area. I wonder if the Minister could tell us, if there are other initiatives other than the human resource support area if the department still continues to be responsible for?

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Questions for the Minister. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, I will make this my final question, Mr. Chairman. There has been a lot of criticism, Mr. Chairman, of the Med-Emerg report, and I certainly questioned it right from the start, the cost of it and fashion in which it was let, the haste. The usual applies, haste makes waste. I am wondering if the Minister could tell us today, if he would give me a comment, as to whether he would handle the awarding of this contract in a better way? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Questions for the Minister. I have Mr. Barnabas, Member for High Arctic.

Thank you, Mr. Barnabas. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Questions for the Minister. Mr. Barnabas.