Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Monday Minister Dent announced an extra $2 million in training funds for health and social services workers in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Mr. Speaker, that was indeed a good announcement. With the training dollars announced the Minister indicated that the nursing access year would be operated in Nunavut and the NWT this January. This follows the suspension of the same program earlier when available NUHRDS funding was not in place and the participants had to quit the program after the first year. Mr. Speaker, with the many concerns heard and raised in this House about the nursing shortages and retention of same, indeed this extra $2 million will help us with the problems over our medical professionals with the ground work to train staff locally and retain such staff.

Mr. Speaker, later today I will ask the appropriate Minister, Mr. Dent, for some more information on Monday's announcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.