Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you and many of my colleagues are aware, the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation is holding a telethon later this month, on November 29, 1998 to be exact. The telethon is being held at the St. Patrick High School.
All money raised from this telethon will be used to purchase new equipment, in particular a CT Scanner, to improve the quality of health care services provided to the people of the Northwest Territories. It is up to all of us, as residents of the NWT, to support this very worthwhile cause as we all benefit from the provision of better health care services. Telethon organizers have been working extremely hard in recent months to pull this venture off and it is now the time for the people of the NWT to do their part. Already $1.2 million has been raised, most of that from governments and the corporate sector.
One approach that the telethon organizers are using in attempting to raise money for the telethon are challenges within the GNWT, business community, school groups and other organizations. I know the staff at the Legislative Assembly are working hard to raise donations and pledges for the telethon. They have also issued a challenge to all other GNWT departments to meet or beat their total, which I am told is climbing slowly. At this time, I would like to add my voice to the challenge and encourage all GNWT employees and their departments to try and match or beat the Assembly's total. Already MACA and the NWT Housing Corporation have expressed some interest in accepting this challenge. I urge all other departments to get involved and help the telethon organizers meet their goal of $2 million.
--Applause