Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again today I rise on a sad note. Mr. Speaker, over the past ten years, dental therapists have been working, educating and caring for students in the Keewatin schools. Mr. Speaker, at the end of this month, it is the intention of the Keewatin Health Board to terminate the dental therapists and replace them with a dentist. Mr. Speaker, I do not know the details as to what services will be delivered, how many hours the dentist will serve. I can tell you that most of the communities do not want this change. They are happy with the level of service that they presently enjoy. Most of these individuals, these therapists, have worked for the past ten to 12 years in the school system with the children. The parents and the teaching staff are very happy with them. They would like to see the system stay as it is.

Mr. Speaker, the concerns of the communities, the hamlets have been made known to the health boards. This week we received letters from the hamlets and the hamlet councils stating that they did not want this system changed. They want it left the way it presently is. Up to this point, Mr. Speaker, there has been no change in the direction of the decision by the health board. They are still forging on with their decision to impose this new concept.

Mr. Speaker, it was only eight months ago that this government tried to impose a new Keewatin resupply system on the Keewatin people. The response by the mayors and the hamlets was that they did not agree with the new proposal. They felt it was not feasible. They did not want it to go ahead. Still, Mr. Speaker, the government forged on with this proposal. After eight months of meetings and a $100,000 study, the proposal was killed. Mr. Speaker, once again the people want to be heard. They do not agree with this new proposal. In the end, Mr. Speaker, we do not want to see another David and Goliath story. Thank you.

-- Applause