Thank you Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my concern is under the bed and breakfast establishments. I think, the Honourable Premier and Minister for Public Works and Services will remember about two years ago, I spoke to this issue a number of times in this forum and in the committee Caucus. We have a situation in Gjoa Haven in which we have elders, two couples that are running a bed and breakfast. Many times I have travelled to Gjoa Haven and they have come to me and talked to me about their concerns. I have brought the concerns before this House to the appropriate Ministers at the time.

Madam Chair, there are times when a couple that own and operate a bed and breakfast spend all their money, a substantial amount of money, to renovate homes to try and meet the regulations under the health, safety and so on. Madam Chair, many times that I have talked to the appropriate Ministers, and many times I was told that the current policy does not allow the contractors to use the bed and breakfast unless the hotel, commercial accommodation is booked or full.

Madam Chair, people who own and operate a bed and breakfast are the ones who do not have any other means of earning income. Either they are retired or they have no job in the community. They would rather own and run this establishment than get social assistance in the community. If the business is prosperous, there is a potential to hire local employment of two people, especially the communities in the eastern Arctic where there is a very high unemployment rate, for instance, in Gjoa Haven. When we talk about trying to make people productive, surely we should be supporting them when they are endeavouring to operate a business, a bed and breakfast. In some cases when the hotel is full, there are times when the contractors in the past ten years had to get their own accommodation and make their little shack in the community or build a little building instead of using a bed and breakfast. Having a bed and breakfast is legitimate. I feel that a bed and breakfast is safe. They are subject to inspection by health people. They are subject to inspection by the safety people, thereby, I believe that it is high time that we recognize people and couples that are trying to run bed and breakfast homes. Give them a chance. They do not want to depend on the welfare system, they would rather own their own business. Like I said before, potentially they will be hiring local people if the business is prosperous. Thank you, Madam Chair.