Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Welcome back to the continuation of the Fourth Session which, as you know, began on November 27, 1996. I would like, on your behalf, to offer best wishes for a quick recovery to the Speaker, the Honourable Sam Gargan. Speaker Gargan had to undergo some minor surgery, but he tells me he hopes to be back in this Chair by the end of this week.
As this is the first opportunity the Speaker would have had to bring to the Members' attention an incident that occurred on the last day we sat prior to the extended adjournment, I must inform you that Speaker Gargan was concerned with a breach of decorum and respect for this Chamber and towards certain Members of this Assembly. The Speaker has asked me, on his behalf, to voice his concern surrounding the throwing of buckets of paper from the Gallery onto the floor of the Chamber. Speaker Gargan appreciates that there is a tradition after a very long budget session for Members to express their pleasure at having the budget approved by throwing papers from their desks to the floor. The tradition, as we believe, includes the media tearing up their notes and throwing them back at the Members. The incident disturbed the Speaker as some Members were involved in emptying buckets of paper over the Gallery on top of the Minister of Finance and some other Members. The Speaker feels that the dignity of the House was not upheld and would request in the future that all Members be respectful in their actions and preserve the dignity of this Chamber.
In addition, I would like to inform you that, upon his return to the Chair, Speaker Gargan intends to provide the Members with a report on his visit to Cape Dorset earlier this year in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the making of the mace and the events he is sponsoring later this week.
I know that you my colleagues, will not give the Chair a difficult time over the next few days as I try to fill in for the Speaker.
-- Applause
Item 2, Ministers' statements, Mr. Arlooktoo.