On the point of order of Mr. Roland, Member for Inuvik, you do not have a point of order. However, by way of procedures or protocol, the Minister should table a document that he would be making reference to in order to quote from it. Mr. Morin, on the point of order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister Kakfwi, the MLA for Sahtu, in his Member's statement and I quote: " This directive was communicated in writing by the Premier of the day to each community." Mr. Speaker, I will be pleased to get that letter and table that in this House, so all Members are able to see the same information. Thank you.

We would appreciate that. Mr. Barnabas, you will continue your Member's statement. We will start from the beginning again. Mr. Barnabas.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying earlier, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I want to say, I love you to my wife and my children. My daughters, Lynn and Marie, my sons, Robert and Paingut and to the people in Igloolik, including my mother and father, sister and my older and younger brothers, as well. I also want to say, I love you to my sister in Baker Lake, your husband and your children. I also want to remember my constituent members in Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord. I wish them a very good day tomorrow. To my fellow Members here in this House, I love you because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so I wish you well tomorrow. (Translation ends)

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me an honour and pleasure today to recognize some very hard working individuals from Fort Resolution, the Dene community Health and Social Services Board. They are in Yellowknife to take board training. They run the health care system in Fort Resolution. They are all local people. They are all very committed and have the full faith and confidence of our community and me as their MLA. I would like to introduce Don Balsillie, the chief of Fort Resolution who is the chairperson. Raymond King is the director who represents the Metis Local. Philip (Peppy) Beaulieu as we know him in Resolute, also represents the Metis Local. Diane Girouk represents the Deninu Ku'e First Nation, Patrick Simon represents the Deninu community council and Elizabeth-Ann Lafferty-Mackey (Bess-Ann) represents Deninu Ku'e First Nation. We also have an ex-Member of this Legislative Assembly, who is living in Fort Resolution now, Pete Fraser, is also a board member. Paul Bucher is a trainee and Jackie Coulter is chief executive officer. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish my wife and everyone else a happy Valentine's Day for tomorrow. I would like to raise a concern we may experience in Rae-Edzo. This concern not only affects Rae-Edzo, but rather, all health boards across the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the increasing need for qualified

nursing staff. In Rae-Edzo, we have a health centre with seven nursing staff. However, by mid-March this could be down to four. It is very difficult to hire staff. Advertisements placed in southern and northern papers have no effect. I understand the reasons for leaving are high rent costs, poor accommodations, very expensive travel, heavy workloads, under staffing, high community expectations, no continuing education opportunities, salary scales and benefit packages are no longer competitive to the rest of Canada.

It seems that the people we train in the north are more valuable to the rest of Canada than they are to their own homeland. These graduates in the north can now go south and get the same jobs as they would have up here with lighter workloads, no on-call time, much cheaper cost of living and the same or more salary. In Rae-Edzo, we are trying to provide a desirable place to live and work. We can however only do so much. We need assistance from the Department of Health and Social Services to attract these very important individuals to our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Members' statements. Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Members' statements. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In keeping with the tradition of holding an occasional roast of the Members of this body, the working title of this statement will be thoughts and shots. Before I get going, Mr. Speaker, I would like to send greetings to my wife and family back in Yellowknife South. Mr. Speaker, my honourable colleague, Mr. Todd, is a prime example of what happens to a socialist when they discover money, a man of short stature, fast on his feet and doing a difficult job in difficult times. I would like to provide some clarity and remind Mr. Todd of one thing, it is getting toward the end of the day.

Moving on to Mr. Kakfwi, one of our busier Ministers, sometimes I think Mr. Kakfwi spends more time on a plane getting to those meetings than he actually spends at the meetings. We should, in fact, Mr. Speaker, add a new Minister of Southern portfolio to his agenda. I am always amazed when I look through Hansard at his ability to sound good and say nothing. By the way, I will be taking bets in the Members' lounge later on today whether this House finishes before Mr. Erasmus finishes building his house.

Our Premier, the Honourable Don Morin, confessed to me recently that he missed Sesame Street on the day they did they the letter "G". I cannot imagine that he calls the Deputy Premier, "Oo."

I will try not to be flippant when I talk about my honourable colleague from hard luck bay, sorry Iqaluit. Mr. Picco, had informed me he is considering quitting because he has his 12 weeks of stamps in now.

If my colleague from Hay River thought she might be spared because of her gender, I am sorry to disappoint her. What can you say about Jane, the "Dragonslayer," Groenewegen? There is some talk that in a previous life, Mr. Speaker, she was on Senator McCarthy's staff and is still looking for reds under the bed.

I might suggest to Mr. O'Brien that he not wear that seal skin jacket anymore. If I were to advise him that he should not wear it in case Mr. Todd clubs him again.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for your wisdom and for you ability to keep a finely ... Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife South is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays. There are no nays. Mr. Henry, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would say again, finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for your wisdom and your ability to keep a firmly tooled cowboy boot on the throat, sorry, I mean on this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, I would like to finish off by wishing my wife and daughter a happy Valentine's Day and I would like to extend that to all Members

of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Enuaraq, on February 6, 1998. It is regarding the Broughton Island airport garage. The garage at the airport in Broughton Island belongs to the hamlet. Through an agreement with the hamlet, the Department of Transportation, Arctic Airports has used part of the garage for parking their vehicles. The hamlet now requires the full use of the garage and has requested that the Department of Transportation remove their equipment by the spring. When the Department of Transportation removes their equipment, the hamlet will have sufficient space to park their equipment. I understand the regional superintendent for the Department of Transportation is aware of this issue and is looking at alternatives for their equipment. Thank you.

Thank you. Returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mrs. Groenewegen.