Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As this session of the 13th Assembly draws to a close, I would like to take a few moments to speak to the employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Over the past several weeks, there have been a number of issues that have come up in relation to staffing of government positions. In fact, this session has been a particularly heavy one with all of the implications and questions surrounding the government's hiring practices and a budget which represents the second year of a two-year deficit reduction plan. It is understandable that what has been discussed over the past eight weeks has brought some stress to some people and, perhaps at times, you felt as if you are no more than just a number on a piece of paper.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure all employees of this government that the decisions we make in the Legislative Assembly are not made lightly nor without thorough consideration on how it affects government employees. As we noted at the beginning of the budget process, the past 12 months have been a time of unprecedented change in the way that government programs and services are delivered. But with the passing of the 1997-98 budget, our restructuring is largely complete. We can now look forward to greater stability within this government.

-- Applause